[IdiotSavage]

I have a problem:

I'm in the market for a new 3D printer. My old Ultimaker 2 is still going strong, but it's from a different generation and doesn't fit my needs anymore. Looking purely at features, I really want a Bambu Lab X2D. However I hate what that company is doing, don't want to give them my money and don't want to lock myself into their increasingly locked down ecosystem.

Features I want:

- 2 nozzles (print parts with a different support material or a combination of solid and TPU)

- make simple 2-color prints without manual intervention (to add labels on parts, only a few layers require two colors)

- hassle-free filament storage (protected from dust and moisture, multiple spools ready to print at all times)

- a choice of different nozzles (e.g. 0.8 mm) which can be swapped easily

- able to print ABS reliably (or another material that is more heat resistant than PLA), the Ultimaker 2 with its open chamber is not good at this (parts lift off and warp)

- hassle-free operation (no tinkering)

Don't need:

- cloud stuff (I print everything locally, my own models)

What should I buy?

[VorpalWay]

You didn't specify a price range, but a Prusa Core One with INDX, or a Prusa XL could work if you aren't price sensitive.

I have heard good things about the Snapmaker U1 that just released, though apparently the slicer software isn't quite there yet, but you could just run stock OrcaSlicer instead.

Time will tell how reliable and more importantly serviceable the Snapmaker is. Prusas are renowned for both of those.

[tda]

But what does Prusa offer for dust and moisture free filament storage? Why doesn't Prusa copy the "enclosed filament storage on top of printer' solution that is so much better then spools dangling on the side? I don;t want to but a BamuLabs I am willing to spend 2k+, but not on a printer that does not have a properly integrated filament solution.

[cassianoleal]

Plastic degrades over time with heat. Filament that stays in an "enclosed filament storage on top of printer" will either have to be hermetically sealed or actively heated to keep moisture out of the plastic. Given the very nature of these boxes (they need to feed filament to the printer through a tube), they can't be sealed - so you're left with either something that doesn't keep filament dry for long, or degrades it over time due to over reliance on keeping it hot.

[VorpalWay]

What is wrong with a set of third party dry boxes, possibly even cheap DIY ones? I seem to remember there is a common plastic box that is made for storing cereal in that is just the right size. Just add some reverse Bowden tubes and put a series of those on top of the printer.

https://www.printables.com/search/models?q=drybox shows plenty of fancier alternatives as well.

[tda]

The filament handling is part of the printer to me. You wouldn't want a car without a gas tank (just strap a jerrycan on the roof), or a table saw without dust collection. Ok, bad examples but to me the filament handling is part of the problem I want solved. And I want it solved in a single machine/ setup. I have an old prima that I made en enclosure for and a bit Ikea tub with silica beads and 5 spools of filament routed through custom tubes to the MMU. That is a messy setup, takes a lot of space, and look like crap. If I spend north of 1k or maybe 2 for an upgrade, I want the entire problem solved. Not 80% with an implied hobby project included. No thanks

[IdiotSavage]

The upcoming INDX looks promising. But I can't see how Prusa solves the "dust and moisture" problem. They don't have something like Bambu Lab's AMS, do they?

Same problem with the Snapmaker U1.

Edit: the Snapmaker U1 also seems to have an open top, which is problematic for ABS, I assume.

[VorpalWay]

Fair, but adding third party dryboxes (possibly even DIY ones, I believe there is a common plastic box for storing cereal that is just the right size, just add some silica gel to the bottom and a tube for the center of the spool) with some reverse Bowden tubes would be trivial.

EDIT: See also https://www.printables.com/search/models?q=drybox for plenty of more fancy alternatives, including some for mounting on top of the printer.

[SAI_Peregrinus]

Instead of hanging spools off the side, get a few Creality Space Pis or similar filament dry boxes you can print directly from.

[cromka]

See if Qidi meets your requirements

[IdiotSavage]

They all seem to be single nozzle.