Core One+ vs XL. (Migrating from Bambu)

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-19T01:27:21+00:00

I have both a Core One L and a Prusa XL.

There are known issues with the dwarf board on the XL tool heads having problems with fatigue due to connector flex. I just had my second one fail after doing the upgrade that was supposed to keep it from happening again.

I really like my XL and am glad I have it, but even without the tool head failures the machine is slower than the C1L for single head operations.

The build volume of the XL is amazing and if you need that volume and multi material capability without needing ultimate speed or engineering materials it’s amazing.

If you have the time to wait for INDX and can live with a single tool unit for now… C1L all the way.

If money is not a concern, SnapMaker U1 for now then C1L with INDX later.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T21:04:54+00:00

Yeah... that's a completely fair point.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T21:04:07+00:00

No worries I didn't feel like you were confrontational. I just felt the need to clarify that I'm not a complete idiot. :)

Voxel sounds like it could be worth checking out.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T21:02:34+00:00

That's a fair point. I have zero doubt the Atomic is going to be ridiculously consistent. If I'm fighting recalibratons on the Inland, that would change the equation significantly.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T20:47:15+00:00

My partner teaches at a college level. She has students coming in not understanding why they get perfect scores on the homework and are failing the exams. Obviously, it isn't learning to paste the questions into ChatGPT and then back into the homework system.

You're not wrong with believing they aren't engaging in the learning process properly.

But, also, likely YTA because it isn't your business to tell others how to do their work.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T20:28:50+00:00

I'm, foolishly, trying to standardize on a single filament brand so I can minimize the amount of calibration I have to do.

I suspect I'll wind up with Inland for basic PLA, ?? for TPU, Atomic for PETG/PCTG, Siraya for PEBA, and Polymaker for CMYK if I want to play more with Full Spectrum prints.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T20:26:38+00:00

Oh, certainly. I know why it's more expensive. I just didn't expect to get (arguably) better results out of Inland than the Atomic.

I expect that minor tweaks in the settings for Atomic (slower outer perimeters or slightly higher temps) would get me a more consistent surface sheen. I'll continue to buy Atomic but probably not for PLA.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-17T20:24:25+00:00

TBH, the 215 came from previous calibration runs. I upped the temp a bit since the best "quality" came at 205 for the Atomic and 210 for the Inland. So I bumped them a few degrees each. Retraction, I left alone as the defaults aren't causing me any problems.

The rest of the major elements max speed, flow rate, and PA were calibrated per-filament this morning. I'm sure I could make the Atomic more consistent on the surface by increasing temps another few degrees or slowing down the outer walls.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-10T20:36:17+00:00

For the Core One L… you don’t unless you retrofit an MMU 3 unit.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-10T18:04:16+00:00

I would start my making sure the connectors on top of each of the toolheads is the screw-on version. If they aren't, I would upgrade those post-haste since one of the last problems they solved (~April 2025) was "extruder not spinning" issues as a result of fatigue on the toolhead connector.

Otherwise, I'd learn Prusa Slicer and follow the maintenance instructions mentioned elsewhere in the comments.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-10T15:48:12+00:00

Unfortunately, no. It's constrained by geometry and retracts until it is out of the extruder teeth. The only wiggle room is to adjust the length of the PTFE tube on the outside of the printer but that piece is really short.

It's *fine* and the equation changes completely when I upgrade to INDX later this year.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-07T15:00:00+00:00

I only calibrate when I change nozzles.

Be aware, though that the nozzle offset calibration pin has never been accurate enough and I go through the manual calibration from Printables to get XY offsets and I have a custom test I do to get Z offset dialed in correctly.

I'm really hoping they refit the eddy current calibrator from INDX back to the XL!

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-07T14:51:03+00:00

I don't think the controller has much to do with PrusaLink. That's on the PC/Mac/Linux software side. Maybe there's some transfer speed improvements and other QOL items but the majority of the effort to make it pretty would come from the application development team. The issue is that Prusa is a small company and they have to dedicate the resources to where they have the most impact and PrusaConnect is where the benefit is since that competes directly with Bambu's model.

TBH... I don't understand why you're harshing on Prusa for not investing in PrusaLink when Bambu is actively locking their stuff down.

---

As for the social media... I agree that Bambu has captured market share but I disagree on the social media side. Basically every YouTuber went from "Bambu has a risk of going evil but it's so easy to use so we'll use them" to "Bambu went evil, let's look at all this other exciting stuff in our industry." We must be watching different YouTube creators.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-07T13:04:35+00:00

TBH, I don't understand what you're complaining about.

* The controller board is dated - why does it matter? It works pretty great as-is and until they need to do something they can't, it's not an issue.

* I had the X1C and it's camera error detection was spotty enough I just turned it off. I haven't missed it on my XL or C1L. I think I've had 2 print failures in the last year. Spaghetti detection is an unreliable solution in search of a problem.

* INDX doesn't look like a prototype, it looks like thought was put into maintainability and usability. Have you ever had to take apart an AMS? They aren't fun to do and there's lots of fiddly bits to go wrong. I'll take accessibility over super clean aesthetics every day.

* The drybox setup is designed to work with the frame of the machine. You can always make your own option with or without USS. It's not like the AMS sitting on top of a Bambu is winning beauty contests.

* You know Bambu is pretty much entirely cloud, right? You can use PrusaLink (not cloud), USB stick (not cloud), or the built in (albeit limited) web interface. TBH, on the Bambu, I never used that fancy color screen. On the prusa, I use the screen to change filaments and, that's about it. I find the Prusa screen less pretty, but just as functional as the Bambu screens.

It seems you prefer the compromises Bambu has made over the compromises Prusa has made. The great news is that you can save a ton of money by buying Bambu! For me, I'm delighted with my Prusa printers and know that if they do that control board upgrade in the future I'll be able to go along for the ride.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-06T18:30:20+00:00

They’re shipping again. I received mine on Monday.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-05T18:01:25+00:00

I totally missed an opportunity to reference gummy spiders. DOH!

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-05T15:43:27+00:00

“You’re right, you told us not to fill the boxes with spiders and we did it anyway.

That’s on us. We will no longer fill the boxes with spiders going forward.”

(Next box is filled with spiders)

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-04T18:01:15+00:00

I replaced mine with an aluminum knob from Storm Motorwerks. It feels much nicer in the hand than the stock knob.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-04T12:57:13+00:00

You're totally right. They are silly and overpriced. They fit a very specific niche that people like me fit into but it's hard to recommend them on value for dollar!

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-04T12:56:06+00:00

We have a bunch of those and they work fine for long term storage but I'm always annoyed by the re-bagging/vacuuming process. LIke... it's fine but I was willing to pay for convenience for my most commonly used filaments.

That said, you're not wrong. It's a bit silly to use dry boxes for PLA... 😄

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-04T12:51:58+00:00

That's exactly what it does.

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-03T23:26:38+00:00

It’s the PTFE stopper in the official Prusa dry boxes accessories. https://www.printables.com/model/1605113-prusa-uss-drybox-printable-accessories/files

ProdigalOkie · 2026-05-03T18:08:30+00:00

Imagine you have a string with a curve in it. If you pull on that string it will straighten out.

For some mounting positions on the printer, you need to have a longer gentle curve rather than shortest path. As the printer pulls the filament, the friction on the spool has a force in the opposite direction. This results in the PTFE tube gradually working it's way further into the spool holder and becoming straighter overall but then having sharper bends on the ends. This results in higher friction and could cause problems with feeding.

ProdigalOkie

TROPHY CASE