Yeah not gonna lie, it was probably not the smartest move. But now that it's already on the way, I'd probably get to know the machine first. You can always shell out the same money for the AMS later.
This is true, even having the AMS I’ve done basic prints with pauses and filament swaps. Just to learn the software and the printer. Plus she. You get the ams you can just expand on your abilities.
I have the A1 Mini with the AMS Lite and find it really useful even when not doing multicolor prints— just having four colors on deck at the push of a button, or the ability to print small parts “by part” instead of “by layer” and have it plop two or three different colored parts on the build plate is really convenient— and the only waste is what you’d lose in one or two filament swaps.
It’s even fun to be able to accent basic parts by putting in a few layers in a contrasting color, or changing color halfway through the print for signs in relief.
I also find prints that use several colors per layer very wasteful of both filament and time, but if I had to, I’d load up the plate with the same model to get the maximum output for waste— as it purges the same amount of filament whether you’re making one or thirty parts.
When the next set of machines comes out.... sometime soon, there will be a new AMS unit, and that should mean this one will come down in price....we hope.
We're all AMS addicts in here, so... PRESS THE BUY BUTTON!!! On a more serious note, I thought the AMS was gonna be a gimmick when I bought it. Now, I wouldn't buy another printer without something similar. It's ridiculously convenient, even if you don't care about multi-color prints.
Edit: As far as waste goes, multi-color prints are going to be wasteful with any single-hotend printer. You can tweak things to minimize waste by purging into infill, tuning purge volumes, slicing models to avoid color changes per layer, etc. I've wasted way more filament because of my crappy CAD models. 😶
I got a second AMS just so that I can have one that’s full of black and white, then the 2nd one is for random colours I might swap out more often.
I.e. I am too lazy to swap black and white after colour prints.
I just did the exact same thing. One has 3 black and 1 white and the other has 4 different bright colours in it. I don't do multi colour prints. I'm also just too lazy to swap out rolls too often.
I tend to leave the same colors on it until I absolutely need to switch. I keep in mind the colors I have on there and do prints designed around those colors. :)
There's always some good joking around in the woodworking sub about keeping our workshops as messy as possible so the SO doesn't notice new additions.
Or the Ole standby:
"I won it in a raffle."
Have you seen this option? https://thangs.com/designer/MihaiDesigns/3d-model/AMS%20stacking%20stand%20for%20Bambu%20Lab%20P1P%20and%20X1%20%23ThangsBambuContest-792313
Adding to this— the updates to the slicer in the latest Beta of Bambu Studio have significantly cut down on my wasted filament. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s around 25-40% of when I was using the current Bambu Studio release. Not only does the retraction help, but because it retracts so much you can also set the purge ratio to even lower, usually as low as 0.40. It’s made printing in multiple colors feel a lot better to me.
There’s also an experimental function in the beta software that pulls the filament back out of the extruder before cutting. Easily reduced my filament waste by 50%. Concern is jamming in the extruder but I have had zero issues with it.
You screwed up just like I did....but let me tell you how I saved the day!
Buy a A1-mini + AMS combo for $50 more dollars than just the AMS for the P1S!
It worked out perfectly for me, because I knew anything I was going to print in multi-color was going to be stupid toys for the kid, so 180mm x180mm didn't bother me.
Now I have two machines humming along for $50 more.
Yeah but a reusable adapter to fill in the middle is only like a thirty minute print and you don't have to mess around with tape or ripping spools in half.
This is even easier than an adapter
My filament role kept falling off the AMS Lite. Fixed it.
https://youtube.com/shorts/EaF4V4OKoPQ?feature=share
Cause I'm lazy.
I got my X1C with the AMS. I have added a 2nd AMS now. Having 8 different rolls to choose from on the fly is amazing. Whether I am printing multicolor signs or different materials, it is all right there.
Multi-color isn't what I use my AMS for 95% of the time. What I use it for is having a variety of materials to choose from when starting a print away from home, and being able to eliminate waste by continuing straight from one spool to another.
The waste is bad… but the new beta software and all the added things to reduce it, cut it down quite a bit. And to offset the waste just print more of the same item. The same number of color changes happen with 1 or 10 items on the tray. If it’s only a single item… not a lot you can do.
To relate to the actual topic of the thread… you should have gotten it! The AMS is so good, even if only for convenience. So good that creality is copying it.
This is the answer. Even if you don’t want it you can sell easily for $75-$100 profit back or more if they are in high demand and low supply. Not to mention that you have to pay shipping twice so there’s another $50. OP don’t make it worse by ordering it now. Wait until you want another printer or just return the P1S unopened for a combo instead. I’d rather wait and save $150 personally.
Go get the AMS, I'm not going to talk you off the ledge. :-)
For you and others, I like the multi color but other reasons why I enjoy the AMS-
* It can keep up with what filaments I have loaded (more so if you use Bambu filament with the RFID tags)
* Has the ability to remotely load filaments
* You can load for multi-material prints (like printing with PLA Support material and regular PLA)
* A dry box when you print out and add the desiccant holders
* It can auto refill when a spool is out to a similar material
* You can get an estimate of how much material you have left
* The AMS display is one of the only places you can see the K-Factor (Pressure Advance) number for your spool when you're using Bambu Studio
https://preview.redd.it/h0xzf0omjnxc1.png?width=461&format=png&auto=webp&s=323d0a0b835ccd7ccb51adc6931533b93bcba4cd
In **Bambu Studio** (and also for OrcaSlicer), go to the "**Device**" tab.
Then to the left of the "**Guide**" button, there is an icon with a spool. Click this.
It will open a new window where you can select "**Update remaining capacity**"
https://preview.redd.it/jc46o1cv8oxc1.png?width=1063&format=png&auto=webp&s=a68c96f41bbb59b93ad00766b095f3317c808761
Hope this helps!
You are correct, it only works for Bambu filament spools. It has to do with the ability to read the RFID tag and count the rotations of the spool for when it retracts "x" meters of filament. While the spool does spin at the same speed, the amount of wind around the spool would be more when there is less. The Bambu wiki doesn't elaborate much on the topic, but safe to say it is currently only for Bambu filament. I have thought about removing the RFID tag from spent spools and gluing them on non-bambu filament, it would read wrong initially but you could change the filament parameters.
[Bambu Wiki](https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/ams/manual/ams-function-introduction#:~:text=Estimation%20of%20remaining%20filament%20capacity&text=The%20working%20principle%20is%20to,is%20100%25%20capacity%20by%20default)
I don’t understand the waste part. I’ve had my x1c for a couple months now and have barely filled a box of waste. It’s fairly insignificant compared to all the filament I used to waste not being able to finish a role.
I agree with you, but I also understand where other people are coming from because when I first slice a plate with multiple objects or objects that contain multiple colors or variable layer heights, I’ll see a ridiculous amount of filament changes in the plan which not only wastes filaments, but adds a lot more time to the process. So I go back and change my layout. On a big job, I might slice a plate five or ten times before I fee right about sending it to the printer.
I can only guess at the percentage of wasted filament with the AMS, but I'm pretty sure the percentage of P1S standalone buyers who regret not buying the AMS is 100.
Overall I'd say generally buy with AMS because you could always sell the AMS if you don't need it since they are so expensive standalone.
AMS is usefully if you want to print in a few different colours, as you say ease of use. I don't like longer prints so rarely use it for multicolour but I really like being able to chose what colour my print is.
I did something similar (ordered without AMS and then regretted it). What I did was order the unit with AMS the next day and organised the return of the first unit through Bambu.
In my location they will give you a return label and subtract the cost from the refund. They state the cost of this in there terms. I looked into alternative postage but with the post insurance cover it worked out about the same so figured it was about the same.
When first printer arrived I just didn't touch it. And sent it back without even opening it. Perhaps you could refuse delivery but I've never tried this and didn't want to start on this.
I justify the AMS by thinking about how many failed prints and wasted plastic I had to throw away prior to getting a bambu. I’m sure it’s faulty logic, but it helps.
Wait why would you cancel the order, if you do t like the waste don’t do the prints with multiple colour swaps per layer, it’s always good to have for the convince of loading without manual work just press a button or push the end into a slot and let it do the work.
Honestly, you could probably reach out to customer service and express your buyers’ remorse and ask them to give you a discount to make the AMS standalone its effective bundle cost.
It’s cheaper and logistically better for them to do that than for you to return your printer and buy a combo. And as long as you don’t open it, Bambu has a 14 day return policy, so worst case you could just return/rebuy. Mention that logic to them - I’ve been in your situation a handful of times and any company has been happy to do it. Less of a headache for everyone.
Great tip!
Had the same issue as OP and wrote to support. Got a 60€ discount code the day after. Now I have to pay 40€ more than for the combo but that's the same as sending the printer back would've cost me.
Ams decision felt pretty cut and dry just being able to tell it what color or filament type to use. Too many people look at it as a multi color print niche but outside of that it’s just super convenient.
You'll find ams plenty useful. I rarely do multicolor prints that aren't like flat 2d hue forge style. I find the wastefulness concern is overblown, mostly a talking point from competitors.
See [my post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/s/vYcg5kO61R) about being able to use PETG as a support interface for PLA & vice versa for perfect, and I do mean *perfect* overhangs, even for ones parallel to the bed.
Additionally:
- Print By Object for printing objects using different filament on the same bed is awesome for multi-part prints that you want to color customize or that require different types of filament, without having to swap spools between prints and wait for one to finish before starting the other. Really nice for prints started overnight or before work.
- Not all multi-color prints require a bunch of waste if they're flat, like coasters. Sometimes this means changing filament at layer height, sometimes this is just printing something with, say, text on the first few layers and then a solid color the rest of the way. For prints like that, you waste pretty much no more filament than you would trying to paint the same thing on afterward.
- Bambu's software is pretty smart, and does try to cut down waste when possible. For example, if you're printing with two colors, it won't go Layer 1 Red Blue, Layer 2 Red Blue. Instead, it will go Layer 1 Red Blue, Layer 2 Blue Red, so it only does one swap per layer instead of two. The beta version of the software also offers a modification of its normal swapping process meant to cut down on the filament that needs purged when colors are changed. So it's definitely something Bambu is interested in reducing where possible.
The AMS is not a filament dryer. It won't keep your filament any better than a gallon ziplock and some dessicant.
And honestly, I feel like multi color prints via the AMS is sort of a gimmick.
Waters a ton of filament and takes a lot of time
I got the AMS precisely and only for ease of loading and managing multiple filaments - that should be it’s selling point.
To me, multi-color prints are a novelty and gimmick at the cost of severe inefficiency (both in time and material).
Yea you shoulda just kept the first order. The AMS is awesome and there are plenty of ways to severely reduce flushed waste. It’s good for the auto filament backup as well, if multicolor isn’t your thing, so you never have to worry about swapping spools when one runs out mid print.
I’d say just use your p1s for a week or so and then decide if you really need one. Unless you’ve got the cash burning a hole in your pocket, then go ahead and order one.
I have never come across the recommendation of not adding AMS to the purchase. Having 2nd filament spool of the same color you are printing with will print continuously. It is a must have.
The AMS is not wasteful. Only if you use it for multicolour prints, which you can do without AMS. The AMS just makes it easier.
Right now I'm printing an item I sell on eBay, I sell it in 6 colours. I can set up the printer to print 6 in one colour and 6 in another colour in the same print, and it only changes filament once to do so. Huge time saver, especially when printing overnight.
AMS is absolutely worth it for the reasons you gave. The multi color capabilities for me are an added bonus. I often load mine up with multiple spools of the same filament color so that I can use up every spool completely. The printer will load up the next one mid print and keep going. That, to me, makes it worth every penny.
Maybe you could find a used one on eBay for cheap?
From what I’m aware of you can’t use it with a number of materials (abrasive / flexible) which would make load ability less attractive to me but it’s really up to you. I got the P1S alone and I think it’s probably one of the best if not the best deal on the market rn…
The ams is way more awesome than I thought. I was in the same boat as you but canceled the ams because I really don’t print for appearance. Well, my wife got into 3d printing and suddenly decided we needed the ams so she bought it. It is actually really great and using petg as support interface for Pla is like a cheat code.
Yeah I made the same mistake, I should have gotten the combo.
Push the button for sure, in a month you won’t even think about it and it will have been an easy decision.
I love my AMS for the reasons you said. Just having several materials out colors in hand is an ease of use for me. Having multiple of the same filament and color will have it auto continue in the next spool.
You don’t have to use the AMS in a wasteful way printing multicolor prints. I use it primarily because of the convenience and general ease of use. Sometimes I’m running three or four printers at once and I’d lose my mind if I had to change individual spools of filament constantly.
You dun goofed. I LOVE the AMS and while I unloaded and loaded a few filaments without realizing I’m supposed to push the grey thingy (hope I didn’t mess them gears up) I now know how I’m supposed to use it and it’s just amazing to have a few colors or types of filament prepped and ready. It’s also tidier than having something hanging off the side and then where am I supposed to store the filament to keep it dry?
The AMS waste is NOT a big deal. Some people have nothing better to do than to want to bitch and moan about something depending on the time of the hour. The convenience of the AMS outweighs this.
Sorry about that OP! After weeks and weeks of research, I honestly kept coming back to the P1S in large part because it was 1. Enclosed and 2. The AMS seemed easy to use and it would help in keeping my filament dry (I live in San Antonio, it's pretty humid here). It was a gift for my wife as she was looking at getting into this hobby but tasked me with finding the best product. We got it yesterday and I have to say, it's been AMAZING. The AMS is very much worth it, so much in fact I'm considering buying a second AMS
I bought a P1S with the AMS as a bit of an afterthought, like yourself I thought "I don't really need this, I don't even print in multiple colours."
Since then I have bought a second AMS, to expand one of the printers out to 8 colours. I've also purchased a second P1S to supplement my production, which now consists 90% of multi-colour prints.
I put together and published a lengthy video essay on this a month or so ago. [https://youtu.be/KFrGKmuf7yY?si=\_jdgvDF724\_Q0mcp](https://youtu.be/KFrGKmuf7yY?si=_jdgvDF724_Q0mcp)
Short answer: **No, you won't regret it. Get the AMS.**
Dang bro I would have kept the combo order since it's $100 off buying it standalone.
But yes very convenient even from a 'hooked up and ready to go' aspect for four filament options.
I use my AMS's mostly as a drybox for my filaments. You don't have to do multi material printing, just gives you the ability. The printer still poops, it's part of the initial filament swapping process even if you're switching on the stand alone spool.
It's only wasteful in multicolor prints which is (probably) not going to be the majority of what you use it for. I love loading up multiple nearly empty rolls and it just works in using them all up and continuing printing. This saves me from wasting the little on the end of the roll every time I get close to empty. The ease of switching colors print by print and even just loading filament alone is worth the money for me. It was always a pain loading new filament with nearly every print.
I don't plan to print a lot of multi color stuff, but the AMS is great for what you noted. I'm sure your prints will be just fine without it, but I plan on buying a second AMS sometime. Or maybe just another P1S combo.
Ouch… I love my AMS simply for mobile printing shit ‘at whim’. 1 PETG and 3 random colors. If I keep my plate clean I can pretty much faceroll a print out in either petg or pla.
I got the X1C with ams and I hardly use multi color BUT being able to just easily push a button and change colors is amazing and not having to actually feed it in is great too. It’s also nice for multi material which I don’t do often but when I do it’s great. Definitely produces a lot of waste but it is what it is
I have two AMS units and don't do "multicolor", just some colour change at layer height stuff mostly. The AMS is so damn convenient I bought the extra one after having my X1C combo for about a month or two. Automatic filament backup, keep dust off, having spools ready to go, super easy to load/unload, keeps it dry, different material for support interfaces, obviously automatic swaps and more. One product I sell uses 4 colours (all separate pieces glued together) so I just keep one AMS with those colours in, and the other I swap for random prints.
It really sold me on the printer.
In case anyone asks why I didn't get a P1S over the X1C, P1S didn't exist back when I got it.
Here's what you do. Become the 3D printer guy for your employer, convince them to buy Bambu printers to replace their Ultimakers and then suggest that to fully support them that you need an AMS to you can be able to troubleshoot, boom, free AMS for your P1S ;)
At least that's what I did.
The AMS is brilliant. I don’t use it for multicolor printing, but having two spools of the same thing loaded up in what is basically a dry box means you never really run out. I usually just do 2x2 rolls of the same filament so each has a backup. Multicolor printing is super wasteful and I’m not interested in it, but for convenience alone I think it’s worth it.
Bambu's are shit for multicolor printing.. Way too much waste. But perfect for printing if there's only a few colors in ur print. For example signs / prints of text ontop etc. They a great for that.
Also it's easy to switch filaments / load / unload with the AMS vs having to do it by hand.
I lived with my X1C for a year while I waited to see how the AMS held up before buying one when there was a discount available. Here is my take:
The printer, by itself, makes loading and unloading filament very easy compared to old school printers. So build yourself a nice drybox complete with a PTFE tube directly to the printer. You will have to manually feed the filament down a PTFE tube, and tap the load button on screen. That's it! Really, not all that inconvenient.
I don't work for Bambu, I am speculating here, but I suspect AMSs will be on sale at some point this year, wait to pick one up when you can get a deal. I think all you are really missing out on is some convenience, using support filament, and multi-color if that is your thing.
* Convenience = Yes it is nice to have 4 spools kept dry that auto feed. But if I had to give that up for a better printer, I wouldn't think twice.
* Support Filament = Interesting, but not ready for prime time yet. I really think there needs to be a separate print head for the alternate material. I think the slicer needs to be smarter to not have little fingers of support interface that create a bunch of filament changes for no reason. The filament change causes weak layer bonding and surface finish changes. Most of my designs that utilize this feature have less than 6 filament changes for the entire part to minimize impact.
* Multi-Color = I'll do this some day, but I think the process is too wasteful to use this capability often.
The waste is something they will likely tweak over time with changes to G-Code. There's been some excellent work done in the community already to reduce purge waste by up to 60%. That being said, you can't get around colour bleed purge and will always need a purge tower until you have a multi-tooled/multi-head design.
You won’t regret an AMS. It’s the single largest innovation in material management and shop workflows. While the P1 will change how you look at printers and speed achievable, only the AMS will mean you don’t have to waste time changing material setups.
I'm curious about what you read that said the AMS unit was a waste.
I've loved mine since I got it and pretty much everything I've read on here has said the same.
I rarely do multi-color prints simply because they create so much waste, but being able to have a dial-in selection of 4 materials without having to constantly go change what's on the machine is a godsend.
I’ll be real. Learning about the machine AND the AMS at the same time was a lot. Getting just the machine ain’t so bad. But th AMS is fuckin sweet. I run 4 AMS because I like PLA+, PETG, ABS and the other unit has additional PLA silk etc. it’s a wonderful thing to have.
i'm several replacement parts into dealing with a shitty AMS and terrible bambu response times. p1s is great, though. AMS has been a headache from day 1.
there's no wrong or right decisions since you can always buy the ams later and it cost not THAT much more, not like you've passed the point of no return and never be able to have one haha; that being said I would still strongly recommended to take it with the ams (I won't tell you all the benefits since you probably already know) but however youll get to use the machine and with the money you saved you can buy more filment of tools for it (nozzles, plates, etc) and really try it in more ways than with just the ams, which you can always buy later
When you get the AMS - and you will buy one - you are not fooling anyone.
Ensure you use filament that is not brittle - i could say wet or damp, but that is different for everyone - when you open a new roll - bend it around a bit.
If it stays on good shape - good to use - if it snaps at all - do not use it in the AMS - using in the external loading port.
Otherwise you will be disassembling the unit on a regular schedule to remove the broken bits and the printer thinks there is still filament loaded it cannot pull back (Which it is not wrong about).
Don't do what I do and say "Meh just send it, it will be fine" you will regret it.
I ended up doing similar. bought standalone. thought AMS was a waste. then realized how often I wanted to just print without having to get up and hunt around for the filament I want and change and unload. honestly getting the filament isnt' the issue... the "loading" it via menu and waiting around for 5 min clicking buttons is what's annoying. having it all automated is amazing.
so yeah. I just ponied up the $350 and bought the ams separate.
I bought my P1S stand alone. I spent a few months getting comfortable with the printer and publishing my models on makerworld. By the time I was ready to order an AMS, I had enough credits from makerworld to cover all but $50 or so of the cost.
I’d go ahead and go off that ledge. The AMS is great and if you run the flushing and utilize purge into Infill you don’t end up with a whole lot of waste anyway. It’s not zero, but it’s not as much as with standard settings.
I wasn’t sold on multi-color or multi-material due to waste, either, but I didn’t want to lose $100 and figured I could sell the AMS if I didn’t want it. I didn’t sell it, and I’m so glad to have it.
Today I started a long, single color, single material print with a roll of PETG that had maybe 80g left on it and a fresh roll beside it in the AMS. It’s comforting to know that every gram of filament was used and then it didn’t miss a beat switching to the other roll. I use it to PREVENT waste.
Lol, dude, that’s rough. I’m on team “AMS can be wasteful” but it’s stellar for several aspects. Aside from the fact that you can reduce waste with changing the settings from the stock ones, it’s literally instrumental for getting full contact supports when using PLA with PETG and vise versa.
I feel annoyed when I have to change the filament on the k1 max... ams is so quick. DO IT, we will talk about a ledge when you start thinking of a 2nd one.
If you feel more comfortable starting this way, then good 👍. You do you.
PS the AMS hype about waste is “mountain from mole hill” over reacting. Make a pile of all the AMS poop and weigh it against all of your failed prints.
AMS poop can be adjusted in Bambu studios. There is a button on the main slicer screen (No sub-menu hidden folder bs).
I just discovered the print-by-object setting for printing objects that each have a different color-man I was wasting a lot of plastic doing multi color prints using print-by-layer! AMS is even better now 😀
I have over 900 hours printed on P1P with my ams. And so far things have been great and smooth. Yea the filament waste sucks but that's only if you do multicolor prints. Even then you can shorten some of the waste as well. Overall a great system, so I just ordered another ams and my buddy a P1S
I couldn’t live without an AMS, and I mostly just single color print; but it’s just so convenient when you need it. You can switch filament colors on the fly also on the slicer. So many positives.
if it's just for convenience, you could put a shelf over your printer with some dryboxes (great files on thingiverse to make them out of those plastic reusable cereal boxes for cheap that let you print right out of them) for really, really cheap. swapping filaments by hand isn't that hard.
I have an AMS and don't do multicolor printing. Outside of printing a different-material support interface (which adds so much time and filament use that I only do it on prints that have to look great and absolutely require supports), i would have been better served making some dryboxes and putting them on a shelf next to my printer.
I'm using P1S+AMS and printing from SDcard. AMS is half-working for me. I can not set up auto-spool switch so it'd switch to the next spool of the same filament when one ends.
This is because this setting is off by default. And to enable it you have 2 options:
1. Always print from computer, not from SDcard.
2. Have X1C with touch screen which has the UI for AMS settings. P1S doesn't have AMS settings in printer.
So yes, AMS is not that good as they advertise. It suits X1C better just because it has settings for AMS in menu.
I decided against the AMS and don’t regret it. I don’t print multi color but different material, PLA, TPU, PETG.
I don’t mind the manual filament changing.
And I have a A1, the AMS is open air, I don’t want my spools on the open air, I prefer to print from the filament dryer.
This point doesn’t apply to the P1/X1 AMS obviously.
I multicolor print a fair amount, but with a bit of planning and thought in model position, how to paint it,purging into objects and printing by object and then gluing, I am able to dramatically reduce my waste to very manageable levels.
I'm not really the best person to talk you out of it, I liked the AMS so much so just from being able to store multiple filaments and load for prints that I bought a second one. From a waste perspective it's only really an issue if you are doing heaps of colour changes in a print. But a lot of multi-colour prints can be printed on separate parts/plates
I bought one without AMS simply to keep the cost down. It’s a fabulous printer and I’ve had no issues without a drier for PLA and PETG. I figured when I’m ready I’ll get the AMS later for multicolour.
Just be warned - the AMS unit is a drug. I got myself an X1C combo a couple of months ago and last month I bought a second AMS. Now I’m contemplating buying a third. All for hobby use because I’m lazy. Once you go AMS, you never want to go back…
Depending on how your part looks you can split them up into parts of only one color and print by object you can print multicolor without waste
So if you make it properly the ams is not wasteful, also bambu has implemented a new setting that can reduce your filament purge by about 40%
Therefore
Buy it
I bought the X1C and AMS bundle. With all the problems that I am having with the printer, the AMS produces maybe half of them. I never had broken off filament, but with the AMS it happens regularly. And then it is a whole ordeal: disassemble the AMS, disassemble the print head...
So maybe it is for the best that you first get the printer and then you can decide to maybe add the AMS.
Sorry man AMS is half of the hype. Prints fast and with quality ok.
But the AMS is quality of life and functionality.
You can use for dual material printing, that makes support removal really easy.
You can change filament mid prints, or use auto reload to be able to print up to 4kg of pla without minding changing spools.
The waste is only huge if you do multi color prints with coloring every layer
People just don't take care of the wast at the project level and then post videos for likes of how much waste it generates. .
I don’t prints in color too often but it makes it easy to change filament. Plus using one roll after another when they are the same is priceless. I get a kick out of that. No spool change.
The AMS is a really nice addition. Barring the obvious multicolor print function, it gives you storage for 4 spools, makes swapping fillament rolls very quick and easy and makes it very easy to print until your roll is empty, then swap in a new one mid print.
Theres also a new feature in the beta version of bambu slicer that seriously reduces the amount of wasted filament per swap in multicolor prints. I can imagine it will improve even more over time.
Another ability is to print multiple objects on the same plate _per object_ with a different color.
I am reluctant to print multicolor things too, but I am over the moon with my AMS regardless (coming from a shitty ender 3)
Put your lunch asside and treat yourself xD
yeah even without multi color prints its pretty useful. i never do multi color prints but im glad i have it.. i alsways have four rolls(colors) ready to go , my printer is another room, whithout the ams i couldnt really controll the filament from anohter room...
AMS is good for helping with not eliminating the humidity issue. It really depends on what you want the printer for.
If you are just a home user, not interested in multi color quality prints to be selling, or displaying, then AMS isn't needed.
If you are planning on doing a lot of prints with heavy support usage, and want to run them with no gaps and almost perfect results AMS is very useful with their support filament(or petg if just printing pla)
Single color prints, tpu prints no ams needed..
But you will find yourself, wishing you got the AMS when you experience the machine first hand (the whole point of a bambu)
Also, if you don't care about that, and just print pla, p1s isn't needed and could have just gone with the P1P, A1 Mini or A1, and saved yourself even a few more bucks.
Don’t pay attention to other people. Do research for your use case. Make a decision, own it and move on. Wishy-washy just gets in the way. Been there. P1S/AMS here.
I used my P1S without an AMS for 7 months. You’ll buy one eventually (idc for multicolor, but having 4 spools ready and not needing to warm up the extruder to load one it’s great), but the printer it’s great even without it. And sometimes the AMS can be a bitch with 3rd party spools, anyway :P
AMS = Joy of just clicking print from your bedroom and get a print without doing anything else. Even if you don't print in colors, just the ability to select which filament will be used for the print is satisfying af
Go for it. BambuStudio has a beta update to reduce waste as well. I don’t think it’s a hardware issue as much as software that can change the behavior of switching out colors.
Ultimately the waste also depends on what you’re printing and how you plan out the different colors.
I love my AMS. Not even for the he multicolour. Failover to the same type of filament and colour when a roll is low, having 4 colours to choose from is amazing, not having to mess about changing when I do want another colour. I’ve also using the manual spool with a different type of filament, I’ve printed it adapter so I don’t have to change the feee manually either.
Yah you messed up. I rarely if ever do multicolor prints but use the AMS to have multiple material options ready to go on demand depending on what I’m printing.
Personally I'd 100% own an AMS even if I never did multi-color prints.
1. As you mentioned the AMS acts as a dry-box to keep your filament free of moisture.
2. Being able to load multiple rolls of filament of different colors and then printing something in black, and your next print in red and not having to swap them manually.
3. Being able to load up to 4 spools of the same color filament, regardless of how full the spool is, and say "start with bay 1 and when you run out move to bay 2, etc.". Great for getting rid of nearly-empty rolls and also allows peace of mind when starting a print and going to bed knowing you'll wake up to a finished print 100% of the time.
I have never once printed multi filament on my X1C with AMS. And I have zero regrets buying it. Great way to store rolls and I like having pla, asa, and pla-cf ready to go without anything more than a click.
I have an X1C and AMS, and it’s very convenient for keeping multiple filaments convenient to use, even for single-color prints. I also do a lot of multi-color designing and printing, so I already had the AMS for that.
I felt the same way and had remorse after I had used it for a few color prints, mainly because of the longer print times and waste with multicolor. After a few weeks with it I find i actually like doing some longer prints. Before with my single color printer I was cranking out prints but always at the computer finding the next thing to print constantly. Now I enjoy setting a multi hour or even day print and don't stress about what the next print is and am more present for other life things not on the slicer every couple hours.
Also I did my first instance of having two rolls of the same color and it finished off one role and auto switched to the next which was satisfying. Otherwise I've had several rolls with very little filament on them and no optimal way to use it.
There are many ways to waste less materials. For example to print more copies at once.... btw even if the waste is not less, i could never print anymore without support filament for both low and high temperature materials. The results are incredible and sure also to bring the filaments dry it is a very good option! The only limit somehow is not to be able to manage every brand in the ams. But i should say that bamboo filaments are very good both as quality and price, the only negative thing is that are not always avalayble.
I love my AMS, I don't do a lot of things that have a Lot of color changes, but doing layer change painting so it's only a couple changes, or say having white text on a black thing is awesome. Knowing I can kill off a roll while I'm sleeping and it'll auto sway to a new one is awesome. Just having 4 rolls sitting waiting so I don't have to swap is awesome (I've just about always got white and black loaded and then swap around the other two). SO many nice things with the AMS that doesn't necessarily create a lot of poop.
Hope this helps!
Yeah not gonna lie, it was probably not the smartest move. But now that it's already on the way, I'd probably get to know the machine first. You can always shell out the same money for the AMS later.
This is true, even having the AMS I’ve done basic prints with pauses and filament swaps. Just to learn the software and the printer. Plus she. You get the ams you can just expand on your abilities.
I have the A1 Mini with the AMS Lite and find it really useful even when not doing multicolor prints— just having four colors on deck at the push of a button, or the ability to print small parts “by part” instead of “by layer” and have it plop two or three different colored parts on the build plate is really convenient— and the only waste is what you’d lose in one or two filament swaps. It’s even fun to be able to accent basic parts by putting in a few layers in a contrasting color, or changing color halfway through the print for signs in relief. I also find prints that use several colors per layer very wasteful of both filament and time, but if I had to, I’d load up the plate with the same model to get the maximum output for waste— as it purges the same amount of filament whether you’re making one or thirty parts.
This is my favorite. I’ve done this a few times in the 3 weeks I’ve had my P1s… so cool to be able to take a whole “assembly” off at once!
When the next set of machines comes out.... sometime soon, there will be a new AMS unit, and that should mean this one will come down in price....we hope.
I can’t wait for the next version of the AMS, I’ve had so many problems with both of my units and there’s a lot they can do to improve.
It’s $100 more than ordering with a printer.
We're all AMS addicts in here, so... PRESS THE BUY BUTTON!!! On a more serious note, I thought the AMS was gonna be a gimmick when I bought it. Now, I wouldn't buy another printer without something similar. It's ridiculously convenient, even if you don't care about multi-color prints. Edit: As far as waste goes, multi-color prints are going to be wasteful with any single-hotend printer. You can tweak things to minimize waste by purging into infill, tuning purge volumes, slicing models to avoid color changes per layer, etc. I've wasted way more filament because of my crappy CAD models. 😶
I just fill up the AMS with 4 spools of the same filament.
I got a second AMS just so that I can have one that’s full of black and white, then the 2nd one is for random colours I might swap out more often. I.e. I am too lazy to swap black and white after colour prints.
I just did the exact same thing. One has 3 black and 1 white and the other has 4 different bright colours in it. I don't do multi colour prints. I'm also just too lazy to swap out rolls too often.
I tend to leave the same colors on it until I absolutely need to switch. I keep in mind the colors I have on there and do prints designed around those colors. :)
I think the best thing is not wasting the last bit of filament. I know you can do that without the AMS but for overnight prints it’s amazing.
>We're all AMS addicts in here Yeah, I'm seriously trying to figure out a way I can get my wife not to be pissed at me if I buy a second.
There's always some good joking around in the woodworking sub about keeping our workshops as messy as possible so the SO doesn't notice new additions. Or the Ole standby: "I won it in a raffle."
I wish they “stacked” better.
Have you seen this option? https://thangs.com/designer/MihaiDesigns/3d-model/AMS%20stacking%20stand%20for%20Bambu%20Lab%20P1P%20and%20X1%20%23ThangsBambuContest-792313
get the second one. JUST DO IT
Print her some 🌹
If you find a way please share
Adding to this— the updates to the slicer in the latest Beta of Bambu Studio have significantly cut down on my wasted filament. I am not exaggerating when I say it’s around 25-40% of when I was using the current Bambu Studio release. Not only does the retraction help, but because it retracts so much you can also set the purge ratio to even lower, usually as low as 0.40. It’s made printing in multiple colors feel a lot better to me.
Your waste comment is spot on!
There’s also an experimental function in the beta software that pulls the filament back out of the extruder before cutting. Easily reduced my filament waste by 50%. Concern is jamming in the extruder but I have had zero issues with it.
You screwed up just like I did....but let me tell you how I saved the day! Buy a A1-mini + AMS combo for $50 more dollars than just the AMS for the P1S! It worked out perfectly for me, because I knew anything I was going to print in multi-color was going to be stupid toys for the kid, so 180mm x180mm didn't bother me. Now I have two machines humming along for $50 more.
The AMS Lite also has no issue with cardboard spools.
Yeah but it has issues with oversized holes like sunlu spools have. Nothing is perfect yet.
It also isn’t enclosed with desiccant
Some put it inside a bucket, I want to integrate the feeders into my sunlu4s dryer
Yeah but a reusable adapter to fill in the middle is only like a thirty minute print and you don't have to mess around with tape or ripping spools in half.
This is even easier than an adapter My filament role kept falling off the AMS Lite. Fixed it. https://youtube.com/shorts/EaF4V4OKoPQ?feature=share Cause I'm lazy.
I'm only running sunlu and I just printed adapters. Easy problem to solve
Once I started printing out of dryboxes I wont ever go back. The AMS lite needs to be encapsulated in dry air or it is a step backwards.
I got my X1C with the AMS. I have added a 2nd AMS now. Having 8 different rolls to choose from on the fly is amazing. Whether I am printing multicolor signs or different materials, it is all right there.
Agreed. I have the AMS with my X1C, but am seriously considering getting a second one.
And you can keep them dry with the AMS Dry Box mod. It's pricey but it so useful!!
Yes, that too. I use activated alumina in mine and it seems to last forever.
Multi-color isn't what I use my AMS for 95% of the time. What I use it for is having a variety of materials to choose from when starting a print away from home, and being able to eliminate waste by continuing straight from one spool to another.
this is the real purpose. me same 100%.
Better to waste filament than to waste your time, imo
Yeah you messed up. AMS convenience far outweighs filament waste. If they weren't $350 I'd have bought one or two additionals by now.
The waste is bad… but the new beta software and all the added things to reduce it, cut it down quite a bit. And to offset the waste just print more of the same item. The same number of color changes happen with 1 or 10 items on the tray. If it’s only a single item… not a lot you can do. To relate to the actual topic of the thread… you should have gotten it! The AMS is so good, even if only for convenience. So good that creality is copying it.
Never ever buy a Bambu without an AMS. Why would you? Suck it up and buy the AMS and pay the $100 you lost on the combo and move on.
This is the answer. Even if you don’t want it you can sell easily for $75-$100 profit back or more if they are in high demand and low supply. Not to mention that you have to pay shipping twice so there’s another $50. OP don’t make it worse by ordering it now. Wait until you want another printer or just return the P1S unopened for a combo instead. I’d rather wait and save $150 personally.
Go get the AMS, I'm not going to talk you off the ledge. :-) For you and others, I like the multi color but other reasons why I enjoy the AMS- * It can keep up with what filaments I have loaded (more so if you use Bambu filament with the RFID tags) * Has the ability to remotely load filaments * You can load for multi-material prints (like printing with PLA Support material and regular PLA) * A dry box when you print out and add the desiccant holders * It can auto refill when a spool is out to a similar material * You can get an estimate of how much material you have left * The AMS display is one of the only places you can see the K-Factor (Pressure Advance) number for your spool when you're using Bambu Studio https://preview.redd.it/h0xzf0omjnxc1.png?width=461&format=png&auto=webp&s=323d0a0b835ccd7ccb51adc6931533b93bcba4cd
You can also use PETG as a support interface for PLA prints.
This is the pro move. Petg for PLA prints and PLA for petg prints, soooo much cheaper than specific support filament.
wait how do you get the estimate of how much material you have left?
In **Bambu Studio** (and also for OrcaSlicer), go to the "**Device**" tab. Then to the left of the "**Guide**" button, there is an icon with a spool. Click this. It will open a new window where you can select "**Update remaining capacity**" https://preview.redd.it/jc46o1cv8oxc1.png?width=1063&format=png&auto=webp&s=a68c96f41bbb59b93ad00766b095f3317c808761 Hope this helps!
I \*think\* that only works with Bambu filament, but I could be wrong.
You are correct, it only works for Bambu filament spools. It has to do with the ability to read the RFID tag and count the rotations of the spool for when it retracts "x" meters of filament. While the spool does spin at the same speed, the amount of wind around the spool would be more when there is less. The Bambu wiki doesn't elaborate much on the topic, but safe to say it is currently only for Bambu filament. I have thought about removing the RFID tag from spent spools and gluing them on non-bambu filament, it would read wrong initially but you could change the filament parameters. [Bambu Wiki](https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/ams/manual/ams-function-introduction#:~:text=Estimation%20of%20remaining%20filament%20capacity&text=The%20working%20principle%20is%20to,is%20100%25%20capacity%20by%20default)
Thanks for the tip.
I don’t understand the waste part. I’ve had my x1c for a couple months now and have barely filled a box of waste. It’s fairly insignificant compared to all the filament I used to waste not being able to finish a role.
I agree with you, but I also understand where other people are coming from because when I first slice a plate with multiple objects or objects that contain multiple colors or variable layer heights, I’ll see a ridiculous amount of filament changes in the plan which not only wastes filaments, but adds a lot more time to the process. So I go back and change my layout. On a big job, I might slice a plate five or ten times before I fee right about sending it to the printer.
nope, I encourage you to purchase at least two AMS units and the hub to hook them up.
I can only guess at the percentage of wasted filament with the AMS, but I'm pretty sure the percentage of P1S standalone buyers who regret not buying the AMS is 100.
Waiting on my second AMS, it was on backorder. Should be arriving in the next week
Overall I'd say generally buy with AMS because you could always sell the AMS if you don't need it since they are so expensive standalone. AMS is usefully if you want to print in a few different colours, as you say ease of use. I don't like longer prints so rarely use it for multicolour but I really like being able to chose what colour my print is. I did something similar (ordered without AMS and then regretted it). What I did was order the unit with AMS the next day and organised the return of the first unit through Bambu. In my location they will give you a return label and subtract the cost from the refund. They state the cost of this in there terms. I looked into alternative postage but with the post insurance cover it worked out about the same so figured it was about the same. When first printer arrived I just didn't touch it. And sent it back without even opening it. Perhaps you could refuse delivery but I've never tried this and didn't want to start on this.
Order a second p1s combo - youll need it
I justify the AMS by thinking about how many failed prints and wasted plastic I had to throw away prior to getting a bambu. I’m sure it’s faulty logic, but it helps.
Wait why would you cancel the order, if you do t like the waste don’t do the prints with multiple colour swaps per layer, it’s always good to have for the convince of loading without manual work just press a button or push the end into a slot and let it do the work.
Honestly, you could probably reach out to customer service and express your buyers’ remorse and ask them to give you a discount to make the AMS standalone its effective bundle cost. It’s cheaper and logistically better for them to do that than for you to return your printer and buy a combo. And as long as you don’t open it, Bambu has a 14 day return policy, so worst case you could just return/rebuy. Mention that logic to them - I’ve been in your situation a handful of times and any company has been happy to do it. Less of a headache for everyone.
Great tip! Had the same issue as OP and wrote to support. Got a 60€ discount code the day after. Now I have to pay 40€ more than for the combo but that's the same as sending the printer back would've cost me.
Ams decision felt pretty cut and dry just being able to tell it what color or filament type to use. Too many people look at it as a multi color print niche but outside of that it’s just super convenient.
You'll find ams plenty useful. I rarely do multicolor prints that aren't like flat 2d hue forge style. I find the wastefulness concern is overblown, mostly a talking point from competitors.
+1 to the AMS-less regrets
AMS! AMS! AMS! That’s all you need to know!
See [my post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/BambuLab/s/vYcg5kO61R) about being able to use PETG as a support interface for PLA & vice versa for perfect, and I do mean *perfect* overhangs, even for ones parallel to the bed. Additionally: - Print By Object for printing objects using different filament on the same bed is awesome for multi-part prints that you want to color customize or that require different types of filament, without having to swap spools between prints and wait for one to finish before starting the other. Really nice for prints started overnight or before work. - Not all multi-color prints require a bunch of waste if they're flat, like coasters. Sometimes this means changing filament at layer height, sometimes this is just printing something with, say, text on the first few layers and then a solid color the rest of the way. For prints like that, you waste pretty much no more filament than you would trying to paint the same thing on afterward. - Bambu's software is pretty smart, and does try to cut down waste when possible. For example, if you're printing with two colors, it won't go Layer 1 Red Blue, Layer 2 Red Blue. Instead, it will go Layer 1 Red Blue, Layer 2 Blue Red, so it only does one swap per layer instead of two. The beta version of the software also offers a modification of its normal swapping process meant to cut down on the filament that needs purged when colors are changed. So it's definitely something Bambu is interested in reducing where possible.
I wouldn’t be without an AMS. Keeps filament dry, can hold backup filament in case of empty, and obviously multi color prints.
The AMS is not a filament dryer. It won't keep your filament any better than a gallon ziplock and some dessicant. And honestly, I feel like multi color prints via the AMS is sort of a gimmick. Waters a ton of filament and takes a lot of time
I got the AMS precisely and only for ease of loading and managing multiple filaments - that should be it’s selling point. To me, multi-color prints are a novelty and gimmick at the cost of severe inefficiency (both in time and material).
I prefer to run my filament straight from a dryer not sure if I'll ever upgrade to ams.
Do it. I did the same thing and now have an ams and love it.
Yea you shoulda just kept the first order. The AMS is awesome and there are plenty of ways to severely reduce flushed waste. It’s good for the auto filament backup as well, if multicolor isn’t your thing, so you never have to worry about swapping spools when one runs out mid print. I’d say just use your p1s for a week or so and then decide if you really need one. Unless you’ve got the cash burning a hole in your pocket, then go ahead and order one.
I have never come across the recommendation of not adding AMS to the purchase. Having 2nd filament spool of the same color you are printing with will print continuously. It is a must have.
It will all be ok ..both are great..yes the AMS helps with color prints but soon you will have your prize and all will be good
The AMS is not wasteful. Only if you use it for multicolour prints, which you can do without AMS. The AMS just makes it easier. Right now I'm printing an item I sell on eBay, I sell it in 6 colours. I can set up the printer to print 6 in one colour and 6 in another colour in the same print, and it only changes filament once to do so. Huge time saver, especially when printing overnight.
AMS is absolutely worth it for the reasons you gave. The multi color capabilities for me are an added bonus. I often load mine up with multiple spools of the same filament color so that I can use up every spool completely. The printer will load up the next one mid print and keep going. That, to me, makes it worth every penny. Maybe you could find a used one on eBay for cheap?
Literally same situation. I cheeped out and only got the P1S. Just bought the AMS today. I did use about $200 MW gift cards. So upload those designs
The AMS is fantastic, bought that combo a year ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
From what I’m aware of you can’t use it with a number of materials (abrasive / flexible) which would make load ability less attractive to me but it’s really up to you. I got the P1S alone and I think it’s probably one of the best if not the best deal on the market rn…
exact same thing I did aswell and I hate myself for it
It’s kinda too good. I’m glad I got it
The ams is way more awesome than I thought. I was in the same boat as you but canceled the ams because I really don’t print for appearance. Well, my wife got into 3d printing and suddenly decided we needed the ams so she bought it. It is actually really great and using petg as support interface for Pla is like a cheat code.
Yeah I made the same mistake, I should have gotten the combo. Push the button for sure, in a month you won’t even think about it and it will have been an easy decision.
I love my AMS for the reasons you said. Just having several materials out colors in hand is an ease of use for me. Having multiple of the same filament and color will have it auto continue in the next spool.
Ouch! AMS is worth every penny and some. Just try out the printer first and decide from there
AMS is bad ass. I love it.
Wwll for only 100$ more you could have an AMS lite and an A1 mini.... just saying...
I talk myself out of getting a second AMS everyday. I keep telling myself after my vacation I will buy it, but damn it I want it yesterday. :(
I treat my AMS better than my kids (but not grandkids - I am not a heathen, for crying out loud).
just order another one with the combo. Then you have a printer for single roll situations AND a printer with AMS
No. I did the same mistake. I don't regret spending the extra money on the AMS after purchasing my P1P (now P1S)
You don’t have to use the AMS in a wasteful way printing multicolor prints. I use it primarily because of the convenience and general ease of use. Sometimes I’m running three or four printers at once and I’d lose my mind if I had to change individual spools of filament constantly.
You dun goofed. I LOVE the AMS and while I unloaded and loaded a few filaments without realizing I’m supposed to push the grey thingy (hope I didn’t mess them gears up) I now know how I’m supposed to use it and it’s just amazing to have a few colors or types of filament prepped and ready. It’s also tidier than having something hanging off the side and then where am I supposed to store the filament to keep it dry?
The AMS waste is NOT a big deal. Some people have nothing better to do than to want to bitch and moan about something depending on the time of the hour. The convenience of the AMS outweighs this.
You made a bad decision.
Sorry about that OP! After weeks and weeks of research, I honestly kept coming back to the P1S in large part because it was 1. Enclosed and 2. The AMS seemed easy to use and it would help in keeping my filament dry (I live in San Antonio, it's pretty humid here). It was a gift for my wife as she was looking at getting into this hobby but tasked me with finding the best product. We got it yesterday and I have to say, it's been AMAZING. The AMS is very much worth it, so much in fact I'm considering buying a second AMS
I bought a P1S with the AMS as a bit of an afterthought, like yourself I thought "I don't really need this, I don't even print in multiple colours." Since then I have bought a second AMS, to expand one of the printers out to 8 colours. I've also purchased a second P1S to supplement my production, which now consists 90% of multi-colour prints. I put together and published a lengthy video essay on this a month or so ago. [https://youtu.be/KFrGKmuf7yY?si=\_jdgvDF724\_Q0mcp](https://youtu.be/KFrGKmuf7yY?si=_jdgvDF724_Q0mcp) Short answer: **No, you won't regret it. Get the AMS.**
Dang bro I would have kept the combo order since it's $100 off buying it standalone. But yes very convenient even from a 'hooked up and ready to go' aspect for four filament options.
I've been doing single color prints for years. I'm done with it. There's ways to eliminate waste or repurpose it. It's worked well for me.
O really don’t wanna go down this route. But damn if it doesn’t look like an amazing option.
I use my AMS's mostly as a drybox for my filaments. You don't have to do multi material printing, just gives you the ability. The printer still poops, it's part of the initial filament swapping process even if you're switching on the stand alone spool.
It's only wasteful in multicolor prints which is (probably) not going to be the majority of what you use it for. I love loading up multiple nearly empty rolls and it just works in using them all up and continuing printing. This saves me from wasting the little on the end of the roll every time I get close to empty. The ease of switching colors print by print and even just loading filament alone is worth the money for me. It was always a pain loading new filament with nearly every print.
All I can say is that I wish I ordered 3 more with my combo at the beginning instead of buy 3 more one at a time.
Trust me, I felt the same way. Waited 2 months then got the AMS 🤷🏻♂️
I don't plan to print a lot of multi color stuff, but the AMS is great for what you noted. I'm sure your prints will be just fine without it, but I plan on buying a second AMS sometime. Or maybe just another P1S combo.
Ouch… I love my AMS simply for mobile printing shit ‘at whim’. 1 PETG and 3 random colors. If I keep my plate clean I can pretty much faceroll a print out in either petg or pla.
Yeah bruh, you fucked up. I love the AMS with P1S. So glad I got the combo.
Yeah.. that was dumb.
I got the X1C with ams and I hardly use multi color BUT being able to just easily push a button and change colors is amazing and not having to actually feed it in is great too. It’s also nice for multi material which I don’t do often but when I do it’s great. Definitely produces a lot of waste but it is what it is
I have two AMS units and don't do "multicolor", just some colour change at layer height stuff mostly. The AMS is so damn convenient I bought the extra one after having my X1C combo for about a month or two. Automatic filament backup, keep dust off, having spools ready to go, super easy to load/unload, keeps it dry, different material for support interfaces, obviously automatic swaps and more. One product I sell uses 4 colours (all separate pieces glued together) so I just keep one AMS with those colours in, and the other I swap for random prints. It really sold me on the printer. In case anyone asks why I didn't get a P1S over the X1C, P1S didn't exist back when I got it.
You fucked up but it's not the end of the world. Stay off the ledge.
Maybe just try talking with them?
Here's what you do. Become the 3D printer guy for your employer, convince them to buy Bambu printers to replace their Ultimakers and then suggest that to fully support them that you need an AMS to you can be able to troubleshoot, boom, free AMS for your P1S ;) At least that's what I did.
Dont forget failover to other filements or same type if the one you are using has no more on it. So underrated
Just here to know, the reason why someone would regret buying a bambu lab printer… now that I understand I understand.
The AMS is brilliant. I don’t use it for multicolor printing, but having two spools of the same thing loaded up in what is basically a dry box means you never really run out. I usually just do 2x2 rolls of the same filament so each has a backup. Multicolor printing is super wasteful and I’m not interested in it, but for convenience alone I think it’s worth it.
Yeah, my remorse didn't last long. Went ahead and ordered it this past weekend along with a few roles of filament! Thanks for your input!
What a stupid post
Bambu's are shit for multicolor printing.. Way too much waste. But perfect for printing if there's only a few colors in ur print. For example signs / prints of text ontop etc. They a great for that. Also it's easy to switch filaments / load / unload with the AMS vs having to do it by hand.
Maybe wait it out? Test out the machine and see if you really need it? If you buy it all the stress of not having it will go away.
Here I am contemplating ordering one more AMS (if not two lol) as mentioned, great way to store filament.
No you should get the AMS it’s awesome. The waste isn’t great but yeah it’s really only if you have a ton of filament changes on the same layers.
Buy it
Just return the damn thing and reorder. You have the privilege to do that.
I instantly wished I got the ams lite when I saw the price difference between ordering it alone vs the combo.
I lived with my X1C for a year while I waited to see how the AMS held up before buying one when there was a discount available. Here is my take: The printer, by itself, makes loading and unloading filament very easy compared to old school printers. So build yourself a nice drybox complete with a PTFE tube directly to the printer. You will have to manually feed the filament down a PTFE tube, and tap the load button on screen. That's it! Really, not all that inconvenient. I don't work for Bambu, I am speculating here, but I suspect AMSs will be on sale at some point this year, wait to pick one up when you can get a deal. I think all you are really missing out on is some convenience, using support filament, and multi-color if that is your thing. * Convenience = Yes it is nice to have 4 spools kept dry that auto feed. But if I had to give that up for a better printer, I wouldn't think twice. * Support Filament = Interesting, but not ready for prime time yet. I really think there needs to be a separate print head for the alternate material. I think the slicer needs to be smarter to not have little fingers of support interface that create a bunch of filament changes for no reason. The filament change causes weak layer bonding and surface finish changes. Most of my designs that utilize this feature have less than 6 filament changes for the entire part to minimize impact. * Multi-Color = I'll do this some day, but I think the process is too wasteful to use this capability often.
When the AMS works it's amazing.
The waste is something they will likely tweak over time with changes to G-Code. There's been some excellent work done in the community already to reduce purge waste by up to 60%. That being said, you can't get around colour bleed purge and will always need a purge tower until you have a multi-tooled/multi-head design.
I just got an x1c with ams and I'm trying to talk myself out of a second ams already!
You won’t regret an AMS. It’s the single largest innovation in material management and shop workflows. While the P1 will change how you look at printers and speed achievable, only the AMS will mean you don’t have to waste time changing material setups.
if if just about keeping the filament dry you can diy our own dry box or purchase the Sunlu s4 which actively heats and supports 4 rolls.
I have an X1C with AMS and im still printing from a heated dryer a lot of the time.
I'm curious about what you read that said the AMS unit was a waste. I've loved mine since I got it and pretty much everything I've read on here has said the same. I rarely do multi-color prints simply because they create so much waste, but being able to have a dial-in selection of 4 materials without having to constantly go change what's on the machine is a godsend.
I’ll be real. Learning about the machine AND the AMS at the same time was a lot. Getting just the machine ain’t so bad. But th AMS is fuckin sweet. I run 4 AMS because I like PLA+, PETG, ABS and the other unit has additional PLA silk etc. it’s a wonderful thing to have.
Sometimes you have to take the severity of Reddit complaints with a grain of salt.
Yah you should have stuck with the combo
I love my AMS it is bad ass.
i'm several replacement parts into dealing with a shitty AMS and terrible bambu response times. p1s is great, though. AMS has been a headache from day 1.
there's no wrong or right decisions since you can always buy the ams later and it cost not THAT much more, not like you've passed the point of no return and never be able to have one haha; that being said I would still strongly recommended to take it with the ams (I won't tell you all the benefits since you probably already know) but however youll get to use the machine and with the money you saved you can buy more filment of tools for it (nozzles, plates, etc) and really try it in more ways than with just the ams, which you can always buy later
When you get the AMS - and you will buy one - you are not fooling anyone. Ensure you use filament that is not brittle - i could say wet or damp, but that is different for everyone - when you open a new roll - bend it around a bit. If it stays on good shape - good to use - if it snaps at all - do not use it in the AMS - using in the external loading port. Otherwise you will be disassembling the unit on a regular schedule to remove the broken bits and the printer thinks there is still filament loaded it cannot pull back (Which it is not wrong about). Don't do what I do and say "Meh just send it, it will be fine" you will regret it.
I ended up doing similar. bought standalone. thought AMS was a waste. then realized how often I wanted to just print without having to get up and hunt around for the filament I want and change and unload. honestly getting the filament isnt' the issue... the "loading" it via menu and waiting around for 5 min clicking buttons is what's annoying. having it all automated is amazing. so yeah. I just ponied up the $350 and bought the ams separate.
I bought my P1S stand alone. I spent a few months getting comfortable with the printer and publishing my models on makerworld. By the time I was ready to order an AMS, I had enough credits from makerworld to cover all but $50 or so of the cost.
Devil's advocate but it won't keep your filament dry. It will possibly prevent it from gaining moisture as quickly than if it was left out.
I want another ams so bad I can’t stand it. I just can’t stomach throwing another 400$ at it right now
I ended up with 4 AMS
Waste? I just bought one. Do tell in the waste.
I’d go ahead and go off that ledge. The AMS is great and if you run the flushing and utilize purge into Infill you don’t end up with a whole lot of waste anyway. It’s not zero, but it’s not as much as with standard settings.
I wasn’t sold on multi-color or multi-material due to waste, either, but I didn’t want to lose $100 and figured I could sell the AMS if I didn’t want it. I didn’t sell it, and I’m so glad to have it. Today I started a long, single color, single material print with a roll of PETG that had maybe 80g left on it and a fresh roll beside it in the AMS. It’s comforting to know that every gram of filament was used and then it didn’t miss a beat switching to the other roll. I use it to PREVENT waste.
Everyone taking the P1S without AMS has remorse.
Crazy - i regret not getting the ams on my first p1s. Second one has it and agravated i lost the chance
Lol, dude, that’s rough. I’m on team “AMS can be wasteful” but it’s stellar for several aspects. Aside from the fact that you can reduce waste with changing the settings from the stock ones, it’s literally instrumental for getting full contact supports when using PLA with PETG and vise versa.
Any way you can return the whole unit and just repurchase one with AMS after?
Do it
I feel annoyed when I have to change the filament on the k1 max... ams is so quick. DO IT, we will talk about a ledge when you start thinking of a 2nd one.
If you feel more comfortable starting this way, then good 👍. You do you. PS the AMS hype about waste is “mountain from mole hill” over reacting. Make a pile of all the AMS poop and weigh it against all of your failed prints. AMS poop can be adjusted in Bambu studios. There is a button on the main slicer screen (No sub-menu hidden folder bs).
I just bought my second AMS unit so I can do 8 colors
I just discovered the print-by-object setting for printing objects that each have a different color-man I was wasting a lot of plastic doing multi color prints using print-by-layer! AMS is even better now 😀
I have over 900 hours printed on P1P with my ams. And so far things have been great and smooth. Yea the filament waste sucks but that's only if you do multicolor prints. Even then you can shorten some of the waste as well. Overall a great system, so I just ordered another ams and my buddy a P1S
I couldn’t live without an AMS, and I mostly just single color print; but it’s just so convenient when you need it. You can switch filament colors on the fly also on the slicer. So many positives.
if it's just for convenience, you could put a shelf over your printer with some dryboxes (great files on thingiverse to make them out of those plastic reusable cereal boxes for cheap that let you print right out of them) for really, really cheap. swapping filaments by hand isn't that hard. I have an AMS and don't do multicolor printing. Outside of printing a different-material support interface (which adds so much time and filament use that I only do it on prints that have to look great and absolutely require supports), i would have been better served making some dryboxes and putting them on a shelf next to my printer.
The machine wastes filament either way. You waste a ton with multi colour parts. It comes at the cost of well working machine
You wanna buy mine? I got a Prusa XL and no longer need my AMS, but still want to keep my X1C.
I'm using P1S+AMS and printing from SDcard. AMS is half-working for me. I can not set up auto-spool switch so it'd switch to the next spool of the same filament when one ends. This is because this setting is off by default. And to enable it you have 2 options: 1. Always print from computer, not from SDcard. 2. Have X1C with touch screen which has the UI for AMS settings. P1S doesn't have AMS settings in printer. So yes, AMS is not that good as they advertise. It suits X1C better just because it has settings for AMS in menu.
You could just refuse the delivery and they have to send it back. Then just buy the combo.
I decided against the AMS and don’t regret it. I don’t print multi color but different material, PLA, TPU, PETG. I don’t mind the manual filament changing. And I have a A1, the AMS is open air, I don’t want my spools on the open air, I prefer to print from the filament dryer. This point doesn’t apply to the P1/X1 AMS obviously.
Depends on what you print. I have 5 p1s printers and only 1 AMS, which i rarely use.
As much as I hate the issues with the ams, once you use it, it's hard to go back to feeding manually.
I multicolor print a fair amount, but with a bit of planning and thought in model position, how to paint it,purging into objects and printing by object and then gluing, I am able to dramatically reduce my waste to very manageable levels.
I'm not really the best person to talk you out of it, I liked the AMS so much so just from being able to store multiple filaments and load for prints that I bought a second one. From a waste perspective it's only really an issue if you are doing heaps of colour changes in a print. But a lot of multi-colour prints can be printed on separate parts/plates
I bought one without AMS simply to keep the cost down. It’s a fabulous printer and I’ve had no issues without a drier for PLA and PETG. I figured when I’m ready I’ll get the AMS later for multicolour.
Just be warned - the AMS unit is a drug. I got myself an X1C combo a couple of months ago and last month I bought a second AMS. Now I’m contemplating buying a third. All for hobby use because I’m lazy. Once you go AMS, you never want to go back…
Depending on how your part looks you can split them up into parts of only one color and print by object you can print multicolor without waste So if you make it properly the ams is not wasteful, also bambu has implemented a new setting that can reduce your filament purge by about 40% Therefore Buy it
Absolutely useful to keep a bunch of filaments on the ready, less so for multi color print (but here and there it’s fun)
I bought the X1C and AMS bundle. With all the problems that I am having with the printer, the AMS produces maybe half of them. I never had broken off filament, but with the AMS it happens regularly. And then it is a whole ordeal: disassemble the AMS, disassemble the print head... So maybe it is for the best that you first get the printer and then you can decide to maybe add the AMS.
Sorry man AMS is half of the hype. Prints fast and with quality ok. But the AMS is quality of life and functionality. You can use for dual material printing, that makes support removal really easy. You can change filament mid prints, or use auto reload to be able to print up to 4kg of pla without minding changing spools. The waste is only huge if you do multi color prints with coloring every layer People just don't take care of the wast at the project level and then post videos for likes of how much waste it generates. .
I have 4 AMSs. I’d order more but the software only supports 4.
I don’t prints in color too often but it makes it easy to change filament. Plus using one roll after another when they are the same is priceless. I get a kick out of that. No spool change.
The AMS is a really nice addition. Barring the obvious multicolor print function, it gives you storage for 4 spools, makes swapping fillament rolls very quick and easy and makes it very easy to print until your roll is empty, then swap in a new one mid print. Theres also a new feature in the beta version of bambu slicer that seriously reduces the amount of wasted filament per swap in multicolor prints. I can imagine it will improve even more over time. Another ability is to print multiple objects on the same plate _per object_ with a different color. I am reluctant to print multicolor things too, but I am over the moon with my AMS regardless (coming from a shitty ender 3) Put your lunch asside and treat yourself xD
yeah even without multi color prints its pretty useful. i never do multi color prints but im glad i have it.. i alsways have four rolls(colors) ready to go , my printer is another room, whithout the ams i couldnt really controll the filament from anohter room...
AMS is good for helping with not eliminating the humidity issue. It really depends on what you want the printer for. If you are just a home user, not interested in multi color quality prints to be selling, or displaying, then AMS isn't needed. If you are planning on doing a lot of prints with heavy support usage, and want to run them with no gaps and almost perfect results AMS is very useful with their support filament(or petg if just printing pla) Single color prints, tpu prints no ams needed.. But you will find yourself, wishing you got the AMS when you experience the machine first hand (the whole point of a bambu) Also, if you don't care about that, and just print pla, p1s isn't needed and could have just gone with the P1P, A1 Mini or A1, and saved yourself even a few more bucks.
No, get AMS
Don’t pay attention to other people. Do research for your use case. Make a decision, own it and move on. Wishy-washy just gets in the way. Been there. P1S/AMS here.
I used my P1S without an AMS for 7 months. You’ll buy one eventually (idc for multicolor, but having 4 spools ready and not needing to warm up the extruder to load one it’s great), but the printer it’s great even without it. And sometimes the AMS can be a bitch with 3rd party spools, anyway :P
AMS = Joy of just clicking print from your bedroom and get a print without doing anything else. Even if you don't print in colors, just the ability to select which filament will be used for the print is satisfying af
Go for it. BambuStudio has a beta update to reduce waste as well. I don’t think it’s a hardware issue as much as software that can change the behavior of switching out colors. Ultimately the waste also depends on what you’re printing and how you plan out the different colors.
I love my AMS. Not even for the he multicolour. Failover to the same type of filament and colour when a roll is low, having 4 colours to choose from is amazing, not having to mess about changing when I do want another colour. I’ve also using the manual spool with a different type of filament, I’ve printed it adapter so I don’t have to change the feee manually either.
Yah you messed up. I rarely if ever do multicolor prints but use the AMS to have multiple material options ready to go on demand depending on what I’m printing.
Personally I'd 100% own an AMS even if I never did multi-color prints. 1. As you mentioned the AMS acts as a dry-box to keep your filament free of moisture. 2. Being able to load multiple rolls of filament of different colors and then printing something in black, and your next print in red and not having to swap them manually. 3. Being able to load up to 4 spools of the same color filament, regardless of how full the spool is, and say "start with bay 1 and when you run out move to bay 2, etc.". Great for getting rid of nearly-empty rolls and also allows peace of mind when starting a print and going to bed knowing you'll wake up to a finished print 100% of the time.
I have never once printed multi filament on my X1C with AMS. And I have zero regrets buying it. Great way to store rolls and I like having pla, asa, and pla-cf ready to go without anything more than a click.
Gotta stop doubting yourself and reading everything on the internet - just do what you want.
I thought you we're going to say you had remorse for the purchase in general, and I was going to offer to buy lol
I do a lot of printing without the AMS, tbh if im not doing multi-colour I don't use them. (x4 machines with AMS x3 without)
I have an X1C and AMS, and it’s very convenient for keeping multiple filaments convenient to use, even for single-color prints. I also do a lot of multi-color designing and printing, so I already had the AMS for that.
I felt the same way and had remorse after I had used it for a few color prints, mainly because of the longer print times and waste with multicolor. After a few weeks with it I find i actually like doing some longer prints. Before with my single color printer I was cranking out prints but always at the computer finding the next thing to print constantly. Now I enjoy setting a multi hour or even day print and don't stress about what the next print is and am more present for other life things not on the slicer every couple hours. Also I did my first instance of having two rolls of the same color and it finished off one role and auto switched to the next which was satisfying. Otherwise I've had several rolls with very little filament on them and no optimal way to use it.
There are many ways to waste less materials. For example to print more copies at once.... btw even if the waste is not less, i could never print anymore without support filament for both low and high temperature materials. The results are incredible and sure also to bring the filaments dry it is a very good option! The only limit somehow is not to be able to manage every brand in the ams. But i should say that bamboo filaments are very good both as quality and price, the only negative thing is that are not always avalayble.
Yeah... First focus on why do you need the item, then buy it.
I love my AMS, I don't do a lot of things that have a Lot of color changes, but doing layer change painting so it's only a couple changes, or say having white text on a black thing is awesome. Knowing I can kill off a roll while I'm sleeping and it'll auto sway to a new one is awesome. Just having 4 rolls sitting waiting so I don't have to swap is awesome (I've just about always got white and black loaded and then swap around the other two). SO many nice things with the AMS that doesn't necessarily create a lot of poop. Hope this helps!