My journey into the world of 3D printing began around five years ago when I purchased a Prusa Mk3. It felt like a tank – incredibly robust and reliable. However, to be honest, my initial excitement didn’t last. The magic of 3D printing seemed to fade, especially with the printer taking up space in my workshop. After the initial fun of printing trinkets wore off, it ended up in storage, pretty much forgotten.
Then, about a year ago, a new contender appeared: the Bambu Lab X1. It was marketed as the pinnacle of speed and reliability, packed with features that promised to make 3D printing as simple as plug-and-play. I was completely sold by the hype.
And the Bambu actually lived up to it, at least initially. Prints that used to take three hours were now done in under an hour, and the machine seemed just as dependable as my old MK3. There were other significant improvements too:
While Bambu uses Prusa’s open-source slicer, they’ve enhanced it so much that it feels like a completely modern piece of software. Unlike with the MK3, you can send prints to the printer wirelessly over the cloud. No more messing around with SD cards! Plus, the X1 has a built-in camera, allowing you to monitor your prints from anywhere with an internet connection.
Furthermore, the X1 is fully enclosed, which opened up the possibility of using more advanced filaments that were previously difficult to handle. Materials like ABS, ASA, and various carbon fiber blends became printable with minimal fuss, almost as easily as common filaments like PLA. My X1 also came with an AMS (Automatic Material System), which made multi-color printing incredibly convenient.
I really thought the X1 was the perfect 3D printer for me… until things went wrong. In January, my AMS system malfunctioned, effectively making the printer unusable. I immediately submitted a support ticket to Bambu and then… waited. And waited. Three weeks passed before I received any response from Bambu. It took over six weeks and a lot of my own effort to get the printer working again. Ultimately, I had to disassemble the AMS myself, figure out the problem, and then request the replacement parts from Bambu to fix it.
It was a frustrating experience, to say the least, and I made my complaints known on forums, Reddit, and anywhere else I thought Bambu might be paying attention. Ironically, it wasn’t Bambu who noticed. It was Prusa. A few weeks after I got my Bambu back in operation, a package arrived from them.
“Ryan, we saw your troubles with the Bambu and thought you might like to try out the MK4.”
Now, the MK4 isn’t exactly a brand-new printer. In fact, some might consider it a generation behind the Bambu X1. It uses a bed slinger design (unlike the X1’s core XY), doesn’t come with an enclosure as standard (though one is available separately), and uses a similar slicer to the older Mk3. While it can print wirelessly, it requires a bit more setup and thought.
Despite these differences, the MK4 is just as fast as the X1, and the print quality is equally good, if not slightly better. This thing just prints… and prints… and prints… And while achieving these prints might require a touch more effort on the MK4, the results are consistently excellent.
As I mentioned, I’ve owned Prusa printers before and never needed to contact their support. However, I’ve heard from many others that their support is outstanding and very responsive. Prusa essentially built the hobby 3D printing industry as we know it, and they’ve earned their reputation for customer service.
This leads me to another important point: Bambu is a relatively new company based in China. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but the amount of data they might be collecting is a concern. As I mentioned earlier, most of your prints are processed through their cloud servers, which Bambu owns and manages. The extent of their data collection isn’t clear, but the potential privacy implications are something to consider.
Currently, both the X1 and the MK4 are in my workshop. Since its AMS issues, the X1 has been working reliably, handling every print job I give it. The MK4, as always, has been consistently producing high-quality prints without fail. So, the big question remains: “If you have $1500 to spend on a 3D printer, which one should you choose?”
Without a doubt, I would lean towards the MK4. It’s the Toyota of 3D printers – reliable, unassuming, and dependable. Through thick and thin, it just works. And if something does go wrong, Prusa’s support is there to help you get back on track quickly.
On the other hand, the Bambu X1 is like the Lamborghini of 3D printers. It’s stylish, incredibly fast, and very appealing. But when problems arise, you might find their “service department” is a bit slow and unresponsive, maybe too busy enjoying their lattes.
If you have any questions about these printers or 3D printing in general, feel free to ask. I’m happy to share my experiences and insights.
