03-25-2025 -- Bye Bye tax refund

Howdy all. Today was the day the new Bambu Lab H2D 3D printer/laser/cutter unit was available for viewing and purchase. There are many, many YouTube reviewers showing the new products. I really thought I’d buy one. But,,,,

The new printer is very heavy, and has too much unwanted complexities. Yes, have dual nozzles sounds great. Yes, a print area that is about 320 mm cubed instead of 256 mm cubed sounds pretty nice. Customers were hoping for 350 mm cubed, but 320 mm would be fine for me. The upgrades using servo motors and better integrated problem monitoring/fixing was also fantastic. Speed and accuracy is always good.

However, with those improvements, you also get automated vents for using with some filaments - more weight. Heated chamber, while great for fancy materials, just extra complexity and weight to me. More glass, on sides are just another thing for me to break. Then there is the idea of having a laser in the machine. Even though they added more ventilation and a port to hook up to an external air filter box, many reviewers are saying the inside does accumulate laser burning smells after using it. That’s got to be particulate matter that will end up causing issues to the mechanics of a printer.

And, there is the power needs. This bugger is sucking as much as 1300 plus watts at times. Throw in some minor other electronics (like a filament drier, some lights, a computer, a fan, etc.) and that’s all you can have on your room’s 20 amp circuit. Only one printer per room. My P1S and the X1 Carbon use maybe 800 watts together.

Basically, they took a 40 pound box and made it a 70 pound bigger box. The reviewers say the full H2D with laser and cutter, comes in a box right around 100 pounds. I’d never get that up the stairs.

I won’t complain about their price though. The “basic” combo unit is less than $2K (no laser/cutter stuff). A full 40w laser/cutter version runs in the $3500 range. Also not that bad for what it is.

But what it isn’t, is, for me. I have a Diode laser from Xtool, and have just upgraded from a 20w to 40w module. And, just added a 40w CO2 desktop laser from OMTech. It will cut clear acrylic up to 3/8 inch thick. Thus, I can do what I want mostly.

I did purchase a couple of Bambu Lab’s new AMS (4 color filament units) Pro 2 boxes. I’ll but those on my X1 Carbon, and take the one older AMS unit and make it be a 3rd unit on the P1S printer. Thus, the P1S will be able to do 12 colors instead of 8, and the X1 will be doing 8 colors. But, the AMS Pro 2 units are equipped with filament driers inside. So, I will continue to use PETg filament (which needs to be drier) on the X1, and PLA only on the P1S. PLA is much more forgiving about humidity.

The two new AMS Pro boxes and the stuff needed to power them and connect them to the X1 will hit me for about $1000. Add that the $1100 for the 40watt laser unit, for my xTool, and $1000 for the CO2 laser/cooler/etc., from OMTech, and I will be out about the same as a new H2D laser model, and have a lot more functionality.

The rest of my tax refund (I really overpaid last year!), will be wasted on a crown for the tooth implant put in late December. I go back to Oral Surgeon this week to get the go ahead to have it done.

These upgrades will help be Enjoy Life