After three years with an Ender 3V2, I decided to upgrade to the BambuLab P1S, and it has been a game changer. After owning the P1S for around 9 months, I purchased a second P1S along with an AMS. With over 4000 hours logged on my first P1S and 1000 hours on a second unit, I believe I am now well placed to offer my opinion it.
Build Quality and Design
The BambuLab P1S is extremely impressive. The build quality and design of BambuLab products is fantastic. The addition of an enclosure, a key factor in my choice over the P1P, adds a layer of safety which is essential for cat owners like myself. The enclosure not only protects the prints from dust and curious paws but also allow for a wider range of filament compatibility. The heat that is retained in the enclosure really helps to prevent warping of parts on the bed too.
Printing Performance
The P1S delivers exceptional performance. I was mind blown coming from an Ender 3V2. Its core XY design and input shaping technology allow for insane high-speed printing without compromising quality. The speed that this printer is able to print parts has significantly improved my prototyping process, allowing for rapid production of parts. The auto bed levelling ensures a reliable first layer. Gone are the days of manually levelling the bed every couple of prints.
Noise is a minor issue. While the P1S isn’t excessively loud, I wouldn’t recommend placing it in a room where you plan to sleep or work in close proximity. Additionally, the printer requires a solid table or platform to minimise vibrations and movement at high speeds.
Check out my 16 minute 3D benchy with the Bambu PLA sample that came with the printer:
Software and Mobile App
The Bambu Handy app is a valuable tool for monitoring prints remotely, providing peace of mind when you’re away from your workshop. BambuStudio, in particular, is a significant upgrade from Cura (which I was using for my Ender previously), offering a more intuitive and feature-rich experience for slicing and managing prints.
AMS Experience
The AMS enhances the capabilities of the P1S by enabling multi-material and multi-colour printing. However, it’s not without its issues. Cardboard spools can be problematic, often getting stuck, scratching on the lid, or causing blockages, especially when nearing the end of the spool. Most filament manufacturers seem to be switching to cardboard spools now which I am not a fan of, although, there are still a few good brands using plastic spools.
I did encounter a problem with the AMS filament buffer after about three months of ownership. Fortunately, BambuLab’s support team was fantastic in diagnosing the issue and sending a replacement part within four working days, which resolved the problem. I really wasn’t expecting such a good warranty service.
Reliability and Maintenance
Both printers have been reliable, with only the expected periodic lead screw lubrication, nozzle changes about every 1500-2000 hours and PTFE tubing replacement around every 2000 hours. Aside from basic maintenance, which is well documented on their website, the printers are just workhorses that keep on going time and time again.
The AMS is a great idea and the consumer level multi material product. As mentioned it’s not without it’s faults and it’s the weakest link in terms of reliability in my setup, but that is the trade off for multi material/colour prints. There is plenty of room for improvement and I hope and believe that future iterations will see big improvements.
BambuLab offer a huge number of replacement and spare parts on their online shop. The prices are very reasonable. The replacement procedures are well documented on their wiki and they also have many YouTube video tutorials.
Conclusion
Overall, the BambuLab P1S is an outstanding 3D printer that I would not hesitate to recommend. It’s suitable for an both a new or experienced user. Its high speed printing and reliability make it an amazing upgrade. The AMS is a great addition for multi-material and multi-colour prints but requires some patience due to its imperfections. We have to remember than not even 2 years ago BambuLab didn’t exist. They have taken the 3D printing market by storm and produced fantastic products at an affordable price. I hope and expect good things from BambuLab in the future. I would say BambuLab is like the Apple of the 3D printing world but with much better service and repairability!
