Best 3D Printer Recommendation for a First-Timer - Seeking OzBargain Wisdom

Poseidon3215 on 09/07/2025 - 14:15
Last edited 10/07/2025 - 20:47 by 1 other user

Hey fellow bargain hunters! 👋

I’m diving into the world of 3D printing for the first time and want to make sure I get the best bang for my buck. I’ve read a bit but with so many options out there, it’s honestly a bit overwhelming.

Here’s what I’m after:

Reliable for beginners but with room to grow

Good print quality (details matter!)

Solid community support for troubleshooting

Value for money — I want to avoid expensive trial-and-error

I’ve seen a couple of models pop up a lot in deals here, and I’m curious to hear from the OzBargain pros who’ve actually used them. What worked for you? Any “hidden gems” that offer great value?

Also, if you’ve come across any current deals or bundles that are a steal, please share! I promise I’ll pay it forward once I’m up and running. 😊

Really appreciate the wisdom of this community — you always help me avoid costly mistakes and find gems others miss.

Thanks in advance! 🙏

EDIT: After reading everyone’s great feedback and weighing the features & price, I’ve decided to go with the Bambu Lab P1S. It offers the best mix of plug‑and‑play ease, a fully enclosed chamber for ABS/ASA, and a free Maker’s Supply Kit—perfect for me as a beginner with room to grow.
I am not sure if i will get the makers kit but i will requet the team, lets see what happens.

Feel free to share any last‑minute tips or must‑have accessories for getting started with the P1S!

Computing 3D Printer

Comments

  • kekw on 09/07/2025 - 14:17
    +4

    right now? Get the A1 before 15th this month.

    • Poseidon3215 on 09/07/2025 - 14:18

      From what platform will i get the best bang for the buck?

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 09/07/2025 - 14:24
      +3

      +1 a1 and I’d recommend splashing out for ams lite

      • kekw on 09/07/2025 - 14:28
        +1

        yeah good to have but not necessary. This hobby is not for everyone. So just start small and progress as needed is better I'd say…

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 09/07/2025 - 15:54
        +1

        Definitly, but OP could buy the unit by itself, than wait for the AMS 2 Pro to be compatible.
        AMS 2 Pro compatibility with A1/A1 mini printers will be added through an OTA update in Q3 2025.

      • Poseidon3215 on 09/07/2025 - 20:30

        Thank you for your reply.

  • samcro on 09/07/2025 - 14:36
    +4

    Bambu lab A1 on sale at the minute. Virtually plug and print.

  • BewareOfThe Dog on 09/07/2025 - 15:52
    +2

    You have a choice of 3 brands
    * Bambu Labs
    * Bambu Labs or
    * Bambu Labs

    ;)

    Seriously, though they have their own site with tested settings.
    For better detail, use a 0.2mm nozlle (Resin printers are sharper, but Messy, and smelly)
    I owned 3 printers beforehand (2 were resin), and now I have 3 Bambulabs printers.
    * An A1 mini with AMS
    * A Bambu P1s with 2 x AMS
    * A Bambu H2D with 2 x AMS

    An AMS is an enclosure, that enables you to have 4 spools ready to feed. Some printers can be a real pain in the butt if you want to change colours, but Bambu makes this process easier. Bambu released an AMS 2 Pro this year, which is currently only compatible with the higher end models. It has a built in drying feature for the filament, so it's not affected by humidity. Where possible keep the units vaccuum sealed in bags , or you can buy a creality filament dryer. Admittedly I don't.

    Also, when buying your unit, but a few spares such as Hotends, a plate, silicone socks from Bambu.

    As for filament, I mainly use Siddament, as his prices are good, and he supports us OZB users. He has a great variety of product. If I need a one off, I use Amazon CC3D

    Sunlu via Ebay is popular on Ozb, though I don't think I have used them. Jaycar is expensive except for their Black/White/Grey PLA

    Also there are different types of filament, with PLA and PETG being the most popular. The A1 is a good one to start with. I prefer the P1S which is $999 or $1269 with AMS2. Otherwise the A1 is $419. The A series is easier to change the nozzles on than the P/X series. I hope this helps.

    • Poseidon3215 on 09/07/2025 - 20:29
      +1

      Thank you for your insight.

    • Poseidon3215 on 11/07/2025 - 08:32
      +1

      Hi I am buying P1S from Amazon because I can get discounted gift card for it.
      Not buying the ams rite now, will wait for the coupon to buy pro 2 with the $70 discount.

      when i buy the p1s What else would i need to buy to make it print something?
      Do i really need 5 different kind of plates, hot ends and filament?

      They dont send any samples with the sale?

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/07/2025 - 12:06

        Smooth plate and a spare textured.

        Siddament for filament. Order 5 for postage savings.

  • SS625 on 09/07/2025 - 15:56
    +2

    BBL A1 AMS

    if you wanna spend

    BBL P1S AMS 1/2

  • Remorhaz on 09/07/2025 - 21:31
    +1

    I'm also a newbie (who bought the P1S AMS2 Pro Combo in the current Bambu sale)

    Sorry for hijacking the thread but if people don't mind I also have some additional newbie questions - for the more experienced 3D Printer people:

    1) Now that I've ordered a heap of filament spools, what are people using to store their filament - esp ones which require being dry (e.g. PETG, TPU, CF, etc) - do you use those filament bags with the vacuum seal devices (if so which ones are any good - any recommendations?) or a filament spool canister (cereal box type thing - looks like some even have a hole for the filament to come out of - again any recommendations) or just a big plastic crate tub with lid to hold a bunch of spools - all presumably with some desiccant inside

    2) How important is it to keep PLA dry (either stored between use or drying before use)? Lots of places including Bambu say it's "Optional" but I was trying to get a gauge - say scale of 1-10 general importance - for a home in Sydney if it matters - e.g. I don't want to bother if 99% of the time likely no issues and if it ever is then will dry it (in the AMS2 Pro when Bambu eventually sends me my damn Buffer kit!!! that comes with the Combo!)

    3) I've ordered a bottle of that colour changing desiccant silica beads (2-4mm) - any suggested reusable bags or containers, etc to put it into to put with the spools (either in the vacuum bags/canisters/large crate tub recommended above)?

    4) I see that "Sunlu" profiles exist in Bambu Studio - do profiles also exist for the JAYO filament? (are they already in Bambu studio or do I have to download from somewhere and install?) (I now have a number of spools of both brands)

    I actually thought that JAYO and Sunlu were "essentially the same" but I've noted in looking at the specs for various filaments that their properties appear different - e.g. the JAYO PETG has a stated (TDS) Heat Deflection Temp of 63˚C but the Sunlu PETG says 68˚C

    • FimpBARGAIN on 10/07/2025 - 08:38

      PLA is pretty much PLA, they should print fine with the same settings.

      For storage there are some good sealable tubs at Bunnings. If you put the filament in a zip lock bag with the little silica bag they come with that should be fine for PLA. if you really want you can put all those bags in a big sealed container and print out a silica bead container and put that in there with them too.

      If you don't leave open spools out all the time you should be fine.

    • trankillity on 10/07/2025 - 09:16
      +2

      1a) I store mine in large tubs from Bunnings, but I have enough now that I might need to set up a wall rack with some curtain rods.
      1b) I really like the Polymaker dryers. They are pricy, but you only need one drying base and the cases themselves are good for storing and keeping filament dry. You can also just run the filament straight out of them into the external line of the P1S.
      2) Not at all. PLA is generally fine to be in open air.
      3) You don't need the dessicant in with the filament if you're using dryer boxes/bags. You use the dessicant in the AMS to keep the spools in there dry. There's dozens of prints for dessicant holders for the AMS.
      4) No, they don't specifically exist. You can make your own profiles if you must get it exactly right, but generic PLA profiles tend to work fine for me for most stuff.

      • Remorhaz on 10/07/2025 - 10:18
        +1

        Thanks very helpful - and re the Polymaker dryer - I presume I won't need that since I have the AMS 2 Pro (which has the dryer function built in - or will have when they send me the rest of my order - sigh)

        I was more thinking about whether to store in vacuum bags in general (e.g. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007983879287.html or https://www.amazon.com.au/ELEGOO-Printing-Filament-Thickened…) or for those filaments that are too abrasive or soft and I can't run through the AMS (like PLA Glow, wood, metal, CF, TPU and so on) but probably need to be kept dry when storing and using do I use a simple dryer box something like https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007712210110.html (anyway I just ordered one to try :))

        • trankillity on 11/07/2025 - 07:47
          +1

          For engineering materials you will still need a dedicated dryer. The AMS2 Pro is too large a volume to reliably dehydrate materials like nylon, ABS, ASA, etc. You may be able to get away with drying TPU in there, but I would still err on the side of needed a dedicated single-chamber dryer.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 10/07/2025 - 17:45
        +1

        1a Or use Wooden Broom Handles. I found them cheaper at Bunnings at the time.

    • skid on 10/07/2025 - 10:09
      +1

      1) First thing is not to open a filament spool until you need it as they arrive vacuum sealed. After opening a spool, I keep them in individual plastic air tight containers with some dessicant.

      2) I left PLA in the open and it became brittle after 9 months.

      4) Generic profiles of a specific material generally work fine across brands.

  • FimpBARGAIN on 10/07/2025 - 08:34
    +1

    Any of the new coreXY machines are fantastic. If you are setting up a business you need their speed and reliability, don't get anything else.
    I bought a creality K1C a few months ago and it goes great. Bambu labs are good too. I don't think Prusa is good value for money or as beginner friendly.

    Both Bambu and Creality have big sales on now so it's a good time.

    If you are just getting into it wait to get an AMS/CFS. they will all be on sale again in a few months anyway.
    Definitely get a filament dryer, well worth the investment ($80 or so on sale) especially if doing CF or Nylon.

    I'm finding Amazon is good resource for filament, Aurarum used to be good (made in Australia) but think they are having some issues lately.

    We also have resin printers at work.
    If you are looking into resin I would avoid formulas, resin is too expensive and you have to pay a premium to unlock machines to use non-formlabs resin.

  • Muppet Detector on 10/07/2025 - 11:00

    Make a box of 12 Christmas Tree Ornaments.

    Take them to local school to sell as a fundraiser.

    Give each kid a box to sell for $2 each. Get kid to sell as many boxes as he can.

    Kid gets to keep $12 towards his fundraising. $12 goes back to you to cover costs & profit.

    Wrong thread, sorry. Put it over =>

  • Poseidon3215 on 10/07/2025 - 20:46
    +2

    After reading everyone’s great feedback and weighing the features & price, I’ve decided to go with the Bambu Lab P1S. It offers the best mix of plug‑and‑play ease, a fully enclosed chamber for ABS/ASA, and a free Maker’s Supply Kit—perfect for me as a beginner with room to grow.
    I am not sure if i will get the makers kit but i will requet the team, lets see what happens.

    Feel free to share any last‑minute tips or must‑have accessories for getting started with the P1S!

    • trankillity on 11/07/2025 - 07:51

      My big tip would be to use Orca Slicer, not Bambu Studio. And I would also recommend looking into the firmware/"security" controversy. BBL are basically forcing everyone to install literal spyware on their machines to print now unless you go the route of Orca Slicer + Developer/LAN mode on the printer.

      • Poseidon3215 on 11/07/2025 - 08:21

        wait a minute that was true?

        • trankillity on 12/07/2025 - 11:08

          Yes. They now require the use of a proprietary "secure communication" app that sits outside of the slicer to send prints to the printer. Orca had no interest in their proprietary spyware app so they advise people to either downgrade the firmware, or use Developer/LAN mode to allow direct communication with the printer.

          The "secure communication" thing is an utter ruse as the printer communicates over MQTT which can be totally secure locally. All they needed to do was to improve the security of their Bambu Handy app rather than force a middleware application that no one has visibility over the source code of.

      • BewareOfThe Dog on 11/07/2025 - 12:07

        I've not had an issue with bbl sw.

  • yamborghini on 11/07/2025 - 17:33
    +1

    Hey a bit late to this but you made the right choice I currently have 2 of them, and 5 other printers. I'm an avid 3d Printer and just started selling my designs and prints. Had my first printer over 10 years ago and worked in 3D printed implants after uni so I thought I'd give my 2 cents.

    P1S is a production quality printer and with the AMS. I probably wouldn't get the AMS 2 because you can't dry while printing. Sunlu are releasing an AMS Dryer that replaces the lid which looks pretty good. I'd go AMS 1 and then get the Sunlu AMS Heater.

    Highly reccomend getting a a 4 slot filament dryer, useful if you're using PETG or ABS. Don't worry too much about PLA.

    Get the Cryoplate when it goes on sale. It's actually so good and speed up print times a bit if you are printing a lot of small things. The Bed doesn't need time to heat up.

    Get a deburring tool, a few bucks and its so useful.

    Get a hardened nozzle as well if you're printing with filament that require it. I wasn't aware of this for a while and wore down my brass nozzles. If you want different size nozzles don't get the nozzles themselves, get the whole hotend kit. Makes swapping in and out easier. The standard nozzle requires you to add thermal paste and it gets yucky and troublesome to swap otherwise.

    Buy your 3d Filament off Ebay when they have the 15% off sales, its really cheap, like 15 bucks or so a roll. If you can't wait, siddament.com.au has decent pricing for filament.

    Lastly, learn a CAD. You literally can now make anything you want.

    • FimpBARGAIN on 12/07/2025 - 08:20

      Agree about CAD, you'll never buy shitty plastic hooks or brackets from Bunnings again

    • Poseidon3215 on 12/07/2025 - 20:28

      Hey, thanks so much for sharing your expert insights—I really appreciate the depth of your experience! Based on your recommendations and the deep‑dive research I've done, here’s what I’m thinking of grabbing for my P1S setup:

      Filament
      2× PLA spools (neutral + a bright color) for decorative prints
      1× PETG spool for tougher clips/holders

      Tools & Extras
      Deburring tool (for post‑print cleanup)

      Flush‑cutters + scraper kit (basic removal tools)
      Build‑plate cleaner (IPA wipes or pad)

      Upgrades for down the line
      Hardened‑steel nozzle (for abrasive filaments)

      4‑slot filament dryer (e.g. Sunlu)
      Cryoplate when it goes on sale
      Spare hotend kit for easy nozzle swaps
      A) Do you think that initial list covers everything “absolutely needed”?
      B) Finally—given the current Anniversary sale—would you still recommend buying directly from the Bambu Lab AU store at A\$999 for the P1S, or is there another retailer/reseller you’d trust for better pricing or faster delivery? like amazon?

      Thanks again for your 2¢—any final tips or priority tweaks before I click “Buy”? 🙏

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