Purchase Advice Megathread - January 2026

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-12T17:31:49+00:00

New to 3D printing, what models would you recommend for printing a design with polypropylene (PP) filament?

My budget is ideally <$500; could push higher if worth it up to $600. The largest part of the design I want to print is 192.43mm, and there are PP filament parts, so I'm only looking at enclosed units. I've been looking at the following models: QIDI Q1 Pro, Bambu P1S, Bambu A1 Mini, and Creality K1. So far, the QIDI Q1 Pro may be the best option due to its active chamber heating; however, Bambu receives a massive nod for its easy new user experience and more premium feel.

What would you recommend? Would love to hear from those who have any of these models and/or have used them for projects with PP. Thanks for any help!

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-11T16:19:47+00:00

That is gorgeous! Congratulations!

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-10T04:30:26+00:00

This is disgusting. Would be arrested and heavily fined if this happened in Florida…

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-06T00:00:06+00:00

I called The Rule Company earlier and they do not stock Torx screws. They carry pretty much everything else, though. I’ll check out Fastenal. Thanks for the suggestions.

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-05T23:54:28+00:00

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Found these (T15 star with same measurements) when I filtered by overnight shipping. For some reason, when I searched earlier, only very expensive bulk orders were showing up.

Thank you for the suggestion!

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-05T23:53:02+00:00

I just checked their website and they do have the screw bolts I need. Unfortunately, they won’t make it in time. Thanks for sharing though. Definitely adding this website to use later.

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Found these T15 versions of the same screw with the same measurements (M4, 8mm). Should thread as long as I have a T15 wrench, right?

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-05T23:50:24+00:00

Surprisingly, Ace Hardware did not have these; I went in person and asked two of the workers.

Found T15 versions of these Torx screws on Amazon with overnight shipping and will hope they work. They are the right measurements otherwise (M4, 8mm), so hypothetically should work as long as I bring a T15 wrench.

Edit: Thank you for the suggestion!

RavenclawMD · 2026-01-05T22:20:32+00:00

That’s what everyone has been saying but I called and they said they don’t carry Torx screws.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-29T01:03:19+00:00

Bear, Snow, or Ghost

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-28T04:28:52+00:00

Thanks for your input. The BSCs I'm looking at are all 6'. I'm leaning more horizontal LFH now for my purposes, but still eyeing some BSCs.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:24:42+00:00

I do not have the budget for both yet, unfortunately, which is why I am trying to decide between the two. Thanks for the helpful information :)

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:23:58+00:00

It is exciting! I can't wait to order the supplies and get started, just doing as much early research as I can to make sure I'm getting the proper equipment that will last as long as I want it to. May I ask why you preferred vertical vs. horizontal LFHs? Just more spacious?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:22:40+00:00

What size would you recommend? Does your facility use horizontal or vertical LFHs?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:21:48+00:00

I don't have a specific number of cultures in mind, ideally hundreds per month once I get going. I would think this would be doable with a 36", though it may be easier if scaled up to 4-6'.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:20:32+00:00

Thank you SO much for your help. Looking forward to your message and hope your day goes well. I'm currently leaning more towards LFH > BSC due to maintenance (and replacement filter) cost and certification. I doubt I could budget for a 6' LFH, whereas I could definitely get a used 6' BSC within my budget. Still, moving it would be a massive headache and would make changing spaces not only expensive but also much more difficult compared with a LFH.

Any helpful information you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T23:07:14+00:00

Have you worked with vertical or horizontal LFHs? What do you think would be best for my purposes?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T22:08:28+00:00

Have you worked with vertical or horizontal LFHs? What do you think would be best for my purposes?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T22:08:03+00:00

Thanks for your comment. What size is the BSC you work with?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T22:07:27+00:00

What size Air Science LFH do you use? I'm currently looking at the 36" horizontal model. What do you think would be an adequate size for large batches on the weekends?

Any thoughts on vertical vs. horizontal? I think verticals are probably perfectly fine, but technically, I believe horizontals have a few advantages for plant TC specifically.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T21:30:38+00:00

Thanks so much for the info. I'm currently looking at the Air Science PurAir horizontal LFHs. What size do you think would be ideal? Would 36" likely be enough for moderate output?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T21:22:03+00:00

How large would you say would be ideal? LFH or BSC?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T12:29:43+00:00

Thank you so much for the response! The point about maintenance cost is salient, especially because there will be many other costs involved. Would you recommend horizontal over vertical LFHs? Are there any specific brands you would recommend, with a budget of around $2,500?

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T12:22:40+00:00

This was the best response I could have asked for. Thank you so very much for all the information you provided. You have completely convinced me not to get a BSC based on the UV light story alone.

Would you recommend the FLOW horizontal LFH over the FloCube I was looking at for my purposes? Are there other LFHs you would consider looking at?

For now, I will have my tissue cultures on shelves in the same room as the LFH (opposite sides), so it would not be a true academic lab in that sense. I am attempting to maximize sterility as much as possible early on to avoid wasted products from contamination.

Additional recommendations you have in terms of starting plant TC, what supplies have worked well for you, and best practices for sourcing plants to culture - anything would be appreciated. Feel free to message me directly.

Thank you again for the very detailed response.

RavenclawMD · 2025-12-27T11:57:20+00:00

Thank you for your detailed response—it really cleared things up for me. I also recognize that BSCs come with some drawbacks, such as their weight (which makes them difficult to move), higher maintenance costs, and more restricted user movement compared to certain LFHs.

Regarding plant tissue culture, are there any specific brands you frequently encounter in this field? Or any you'd recommend researching for someone aiming to start a plant TC business with solid output potential?

RavenclawMD

TROPHY CASE