3D printing no longer belongs to a few hardcore geeks. It’s become a popular tool among the mildly nerdy and artistically inclined makers. Cheap 3D printers and cheaper filament are making it easier than ever for people to crank out functional parts, toys, and buckets of silly knick-knacks. But the thrill of having one of the best budget 3D printers in every home workshop has come at an unexpected price: overflowing bins of wasted filament and scrapped prints.
The rise of Bambu Lab’s AMS system made four-color 3D printing the norm for casual makers. Why spend time painting your models when you can have the printer do it for you? But despite recent innovations in tool changers and swappable nozzles, many budget-minded makers find it cheaper to throw spools at their ravenous 3D printers than upgrade to a filament-sipping Snapmaker U1 or Bambu Lab H2C.
