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New 3D Printer, November 2025
We've been talking about getting a new 3d printer. This is a wiki page to store ideas, thoughts, views and stuff. Hopefully we can decide and maybe pick up a deal on the chosen one in the black Friday 2025 sales.
Elgoo Neptune 4 max
- £285
- 420 × 420 × 480 mm Build Volume
- Maximum Acceleration 8,000 mm/s²
- Filament Diameter 1.75 mm
- 500 mm/s Max Speed
- Filament Compatibility: PLA / TPU / PETG / ABS / ASA / Nylon
Pros
- Some members ones from this range already, so in-house knowledge
- Big print size, so useful for people who have a smaller one at home
- Open source software for the printer
Cons
- My (Alex) experience of Neptune Pro 3 - making sure the bed is evenly heated before calibration else it doesn't work. So a bigger bed on NP4 might make this more of a hassle?
Elgoo Centauri carbon
- £240
- Build Volume 256 × 256 × 256 mm
- Maximum Acceleration 20,000 mm/s²
- Filament Diameter 1.75 mm
- Filament Compatibility: Carbon/Glass Fiber Reinforced Filaments/PLA/PETG/ABS/ASA/TPU/PET/PC/PA
Pros
- Faster
Cons
- TBC
Bambu Lab X1C
- £950, maybe £870
- 256 × 256 × 256 mm
- Maximum Acceleration 20,000 mm/s²
- Filament Diameter 1.75 mm
Pros
- Fast
- Reliable
- 4 colours at a time
Cons
- Expensive
Bambu Labs P2S
Store page. I'd suggest this over the X1C, this is a new printer and part of Bambu's second gen. series. I think it would be a better buy, plus a little cheaper. If a X2C ever comes out then that'll be better but until then not sure the X1 series offers much over the P2.
- £699 including the AMS 2 Pro (4 colours and heater), or £479 for single filament.
- 256 x 256 x 256 mm³ Print Volume
- Quick swap nozzles
Same Pros and Cons as X1C probably. Bambu labs has built itself a reputation of “it just works” - with auto everything and now even some AI thrown in for good measure. Although at the expense of becoming more and more closed source. If you want to just print stuff, it's good, if you want to play 3D printer - it's not the one.