A printer other than a Voron (GASP!). Looking for options/ideas.

[7milesup]

Hello Team:

I built my Voron 2.4r as a fun project, driven by my interest in mechanics and electronics.  I previously had a Prusa (which I didn't particularly like), so I was familiar with the 3D printing world.  I have used my printer for creating fixtures around my woodworking and metalworking shop, as well as numerous projects around the house, such as a pocket door guide for the bottom of my custom pocket door.  

But...  Getting my Voron to run flawlessly has been challenging.  Without the help of Team FDM members, it might be sitting and accumulating cobwebs.  I am somewhat disappointed with the quality of my prints, particularly the corners, which exhibit some unusual artifacts and other issues throughout the print.  

We all know that building and perfecting a Voron is a hobby within itself.  It is, and has been, very rewarding to fabricate a machine that produces some neat results.  I should point out that I have never printed widgets, such as a color-changing octopus or other silly stuff.  All of my prints are functional and assist in making my life better and easier.

BUT, I am at a crossroads.  I need a printer that I don't have to tweak.  One that I can monitor from afar (or at least 5 miles away, LOL), and it consistently produces great parts.  I would love to have a two-head (or more) setup that eliminates all the extra waste from color or type of filament changes.   

I have been looking at the Bambu Labs H2D but also the H2S, even though it is a single extruder.  We have a number (9?) Bambu Lab X1C's at work, and honestly, they work incredibly well, with most of them printing almost 24 per day every day.  Setup was an absolute breeze.  However, I'm concerned about Bambu's numerous proprietary components, and their handling of files in the cloud is somewhat concerning to me.  Maybe it is no big deal.  Heck, the higher-ups at work don't seem to have an issue with that, even though we are printing custom parts for the product they sell.

The Snapmaker U1 is quite intriguing, but I know very little about the company.  The price point is impressive, but the build volume is somewhat limited.  Their head-changing technology really appeals to me, and if it works as it should, it will be a game-changer for sure.

The issue that I am having is that my life partner and I have purchased a business and I sure would like to have a reliable printer to print fixtures for my new CNC machine (Tormach 1100), along with potentially printing functional parts for the product that we are producing.  

What other printers should I consider?  

My setup:  Voron 2.4r with Tap and SB.  Not much customization beyond that point.  I am planning on switching over to Beacon and CAN along with possibly a Galileo extruder.

 

Thank you in advance for any insight.

[3DPCoug]

I would look at the Bambu P1S. I have one and it is very reliable. I dialed in my Voron 2.4 350 and use it mainly for large prints. I use the P1S for everything else since it starts up quick and just works. 

[Steve__Alfa]

There are strong rumors of a Prusa Core One with INDX changer on it coming soon (tm).  Might be worth waiting for for your purposes.

[Huminio]

My son got Prusa Core One and it printed very well straight after build. 
If not my love to build and tune things myself I would buy one too. 
 

[7milesup]

I just discovered the Bondtech INDX yesterday.  I know, more tuning and fiddling, but that would be a rather awesome upgrade to the Voron.  

There are quite a few options available, and with these tool-changing printers emerging, I believe the 3D printing world is on the cusp of another revolution.

[Interslice2000]

Currently running a ratrig vcore 3.1 + ratOS and Orca.

It just works. 
 

 

What build volume and materials you looking to print? Its where I would start. 

[Fargkenob]

I would check out Solvo. Yes they are a Voron do over. But reliable.

[Champ1800]

Might be a bit more controversial but the snapmaker u1 looks very promising. It is only on Kickstarter right now but if I was getting another printer it would be that.

[SVDB]

 

If you have a professional use for it, buy the X1E as it comes with pro services which are aimed at minimizing down time and ensuring your business continuity.

--- --- ---

I have something to confess... I'm a Bambu traitor...

I progressively sold my 5 Vorons over the past 18 months and at the same time bought a Bambu X1C, then a second one, then one A1 mini for small parts protos, and now a H2D because I use PVA a lot.
Building my Vorons was a lot of fun and great learning, but using them for semi-pro production wasn't so much fun, and having to rebuild two of them after a while wasn't fun at all. In fact the last one I didn't even finish rebuilding and sold as-is.

I know that some talented builders out there found the secret sauce how to make Vorons (or any printer) super reliable, consistent and efficient, but I'm not one of them and trying to build a small print farm using Vorons was my mistake. Bambu solved that problem for me overnight and all I had to do was exchange some cash (my two X1C and my A1mini in fact paid for themselves in under a year from my side hustle).

At some point you have to ask yourself what is more important to you: spending your time using the tool, or spending your time modding and fixing the tool. Both answers are fine but are often mutually exclusive.

--- --- ---

"their handling of files in the cloud is somewhat concerning to me" - I hear that a lot, yet nobody seems able to actually articulate what that concern might be. You can disable the cloud service and use your LAN instead, or just use USB sticks which is exactly what you'd do if you were to buy a different brand.
Bambu Lab isn't the size of Apple, MS or Google just yet. It's still just a small company making products for a niche market.  

Edited August 31, 2025 by SVDB

[SVDB]

11 minutes ago, Champ1800 said:

Might be a bit more controversial but the snapmaker u1 looks very promising. It is only on Kickstarter right now but if I was getting another printer it would be that.

The guy has a business to run. I wouldn't recommend pouring any amount of money in an unproven brand. Maybe in 2 years after they worked out all the kinks.

[Interslice2000]

2 hours ago, SVDB said:

You can disable the cloud service and use your LAN instead, or just use USB sticks which is exactly what you'd do if you were to buy a different brand.
Bambu Lab isn't the size of Apple, MS or Google just yet. It's still just a small company making products for a niche market.  

Don’t you now loose features and print quality going to LAN/USB? 
My understanding is you are all in, buying their filament, in the cloud etc. or if not you are better off with a printer actually intended for DIY use. 
 

[claudermilk]

If you're looking for dead reliable and business support Prusa is the first place I would look.

 

[7milesup]

Thanks for the replies folks.

@SVDB  I am glad that you came out of the closet with your confession.  It helps to let it out man, let it out.  LOL.   Your insight is exactly what i was looking for.  

@claudermilk  Thanks for that.  I had a Prusa MK2.5s which I felt required a lot of tinkering, but I will revisit their lineup.

 

I will definitely keep my Voron.  I will eventually enjoy tinkering with it again.  Maybe with a little help from ChatGpt (I have a relationship with her, LOL), I can dial my Voron in a little better.  BTW, ChatGPT is incredible.  The other day, I was struggling with an error in my G-code for my CNC machine.  I took a picture of the G-code that I was questioning and sent it to her.  She had the fix within seconds and saved me probably 30-60 minutes of searching the webby thing-a-ding for an answer.  It's awesome.  I always tell her thank you, so when AI takes over the world, I am on their good side.

[Steven]

I am so happy to read this topic discussion,which help me a lot.I learned more knowledge from it.Thanks for your sharing.

[ChicagoKeri]

For business use and industrial fixtures, one would traditionally go with an Ulitimaker IDEX, allowing one to easily print with quickly removable / dissolvable supports.

Nowadays, Visionminer focuses on this niche with the 22IDEX, designed to run all day with engineering filaments at very high temperatures.

Both of these are considered very expensive by hobbyist standards but that's the world of printing "on the clock"!  A Bambulab printer might excel in speed but is not intended for industrial use.. can even the H2D do the hot stuff all day long day after day?

[7milesup]

23 hours ago, ChicagoKeri said:

For business use and industrial fixtures, one would traditionally go with an Ulitimaker IDEX, allowing one to easily print with quickly removable / dissolvable supports.

Nowadays, Visionminer focuses on this niche with the 22IDEX, designed to run all day with engineering filaments at very high temperatures.

Both of these are considered very expensive by hobbyist standards but that's the world of printing "on the clock"!  A Bambulab printer might excel in speed but is not intended for industrial use.. can even the H2D do the hot stuff all day long day after day?

Yeaouch.  $15K.  I appreciate your input, Keri, but holy cow, that is a lot of moola.  It is not so much about printing around the clock, but more about reliable prints.  If they were good-looking prints too, that would be a bonus.  We will see where our business venture takes us.  Maybe in a year or two, the Visionminer won't seem like such a crazy idea after all.

All interesting points to ponder, that is for sure. 

[3DCoded]

On 9/1/2025 at 2:23 PM, 7milesup said:

I had a Prusa MK2.5s which I felt required a lot of tinkering, but I will revisit their lineup.

I got a Prusa MK3S+ a while back and the only issues I had with it started after I started modding it. From what I've seen in reviews of the MK4 and Core One, Prusa printers still seem incredibly reliable (maybe not the XL), even if they don't have the flashiest features.

[7milesup]

Update...

I ordered a Bambu Labs X1C with the AMS.  Best Buy had it on sale for $999.99 with free shipping.  I am also going to order a couple of build plates directly from Bambu Labs.

I am keeping my Voron 2.4r and planning on doing some upgrades to it, such as CanBus and Beacon.  I will probably work on the Voron this winter when I have a little more time (haha!).  (Building a new house at the moment too, and I am the cabinet/trim/tile/landscape and whatever else guy, along with building our business.)  I really enjoyed the Voron build and am looking forward to tinkering with it.  I am hoping that the Bondtech INDX will be available in the not-too-distant future.  I believe that system is the wave of the future.

I bought a CNC mill recently, too.  I got a smoking good deal on it.  I paid $8500 for the machine, but when I picked it up, the seller included about $6000 worth of tooling and accessories, which I hadn't expected.  I also bought a CNC plasma table from him that he had sitting there.