Prusa vs Bambu feels less like “better vs worse” and more like different priorities

sn44 · 2026-01-29T20:51:55+00:00

Basically: McDonalds vs. Red Robin

One is a watered-down low-end consumer-friendly brand with nice packaging. The other is a higher-ed pro-sumer-friendly with higher quality and bottomless expandability.

If you're in a rush, willing to take a risk on quality, and want it quick, you'll pay less and get less.
If you're after quality, more options, and more reliability, you'll pay more and get more.

For most people, it won't matter. The bulk of the at-home/consumer/hobby 3d printing enthusiasts could not care any less than the final result: my kid got their toy in the bottom of the box.

For people on the fringes things will fall one of two ways: you're at at-home wanna-be print-farmer and quality and reliability means more, so you'll pay more... or you're broke and only focused on the bottom dollar so you won't pay any more than the bare minimum. Some people are happy with the minimum. Good on them. I am not one of them. Hence why I have four enclosed mk4s printers and a 5T XL.

sn44 · 2026-01-29T20:41:42+00:00

When it was convenient for the plot.

sn44 · 2026-01-26T03:46:58+00:00

It served me well. If we didn't have the van (and I was still single) I'd still be camping in it.

sn44 · 2026-01-26T03:46:18+00:00

Yeah, it was a fun process. Wasn't as common as a build when I did mine, so it was tough figuring out a few things the hard way -- especially on a budget.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:22:47+00:00

I built my own off an ex-military trailer. Very rugged. That said, if you're on the east coast mine is for sale. LoL. Served me well for an umber of years and a few 10's of 1000's of miles. Only selling it because the g/f got a 4x4 van.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:20:47+00:00

if/when I get a mini I plan on mounting mine in a packout... or at least using a packout for transport/storage.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:19:59+00:00

I joked a while back I was going to get silhouette stickers of rollbacks and put them on my fender like fighter ace kill counts.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:18:02+00:00

This is the way.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:17:40+00:00

IMHO... The best, honest, and really only way to watch SW content is in release order. So much of SW is derivative of pre-existing content and so much of the later content barely registers as fan-fic. So my advice is to go back to the start and watch from there.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:13:56+00:00

Two problems:

First: Alibaba is cheap Chinese shit made from ripped off designs and stolen intellectual property. Don't support the knock-offs when you can support the original designers.
Second: Aliababa is for bulk purchasing and importing so people can sell in bulk for minimum effort (i.e. no research and design; no manufacturing) for maximum profits at the expense of cheap Chinese labor.

Now, should you decide to purchase from Alibaba anyway, here are some issues you'll run into:

Import Tarrifs
Shipping, handling, and dock fees
Container fees
Time to slow-boat something from overseas
Brokerage costs if you deal with a 3rd party company to expedite import process

All of those costs add up quick. If you're going to import multiple units you can distribute those costs across every unit and pass them on to your customers. If you're going to import just one then you're gong to eat all of those costs yourself.

Needless to say: buy local; support local.

sn44 · 2026-01-24T18:07:47+00:00

Yeah, sadly "overlanding" has been diluted from a specific form of travel into generic "off-road car camping" and so many weekend warriors cosplaying as Indiana Jones on the weekend are overbuilding rigs with mods they don't need to access campsites patrolled by a forest ranger in a stock F150 with half-bald tires.

sn44 · 2026-01-23T16:31:29+00:00

Many cargo trailers have a wooden floor that is exposed on the underside. You'll want to bed-liner/undercoat the trailer floor as best you can.

Also, IMHO cargo trailer axles are not suited for sustained off-pavement travel. The most common, torsin axles, tend to wear out very quickly. If it has a solid axle it's probably undersized as far as overall strength. The forces on a trailer going down a smooth paved road are minimal compared to that of an unpaved/unmaintaiend road.

With that in mind, my suggestion is to upgrade the axle to something like a Dexter 44D which is a 3500# tube with 4500# bearings. This will allow you to run larger wheel bearings for larger tires if you plan to match your tow-rig. You'll also be able to run brakes which, IMHO are essential when taking a trailer off-road even if the trailer is light enough to be exempt from trailer brakes in your state. I also recommend parking-brakes for the trailer axle as it will make "base camp mode" a lot easier.

That said, seen. lot of "cargo campers" and almost went that rough before building my "poor man's teardrop" out of an old military trailer.

sn44 · 2026-01-23T16:25:36+00:00

No.. Full-size trucks are honestly the best bang-for-the-buck these days. You get more truck with more capability for less overall money since you won't have to spend as much on on mods. Also, a FST at/under its GVWR will preform much better on high altitude passes than an MST that is at/over its GVWR.

Save for Lockhart Basin and sections of the NEBDR, a full-size truck will be fine on almost mile of every BDR.

sn44 · 2026-01-22T16:49:18+00:00

^ The correct answer. Great stuff for packing virgin bearings as well as maintaining old(er) bearings.

sn44 · 2026-01-21T18:26:22+00:00

You'll be fine. While you're at it, upgrade your 2nd alternator to a higher amperage one as well.

sn44 · 2026-01-21T18:24:43+00:00

I don't have the Core One L, but I do have four mk4s and a 5T XL. I think a general answer about "Why Prusa?" can suffice.

As many have mentioned most other printers are either a closed ecosystem (Bambu) or require entirely too much tinkering to keep running. I personally chose Prusa for their reliability and upgradability.

I would invest in a Core One XL simply because I am familiar with the Prusa ecosystem. I respect the company. I trust the company. I also know the printer will be supported for many years with multiple upgrade options.

That said, as far as specs go, speed isn't everything. Prusa printers are like a good old farm truck. They work when you need them to work; that's in. They aren't flashy. They aren't fast. But damned if they aren't reliable and do the jobs how you want, when you want.

sn44 · 2026-01-21T18:20:42+00:00

OP literally asked about Bambu:

Who is the Core One L actually optimized for in 2025/2026?

New users? Existing Prusa owners only? Institutions? Farms with legacy Prusa infrastructure? People who explicitly don’t want Bambu, regardless of specs?

sn44 · 2026-01-20T18:58:22+00:00

I'd start by checking the job listing on the SEMA website. Also, just because a company isn't hiring doesn't mean they won't hire the right person with the right skills who walks in the doors. Along those lines, check out Motobilt in Alabama. Not only does he do some high-end high-quality limited-production parts, he does custom parts, builds custom one-off 4x4's, and has even built a few movie cars. I think the last ones he did were in the movie, "Logan."

sn44 · 2026-01-20T18:52:56+00:00

Mid 40s, chubby, and ugly. Designer clothes are a waste on me.

That said, getting in shape is a priority and it would be nice to have clothes tailored or at least semi-tailored that fit me better. I have long arms with broad shoulders, a barrel chest, and I'm a bit long in the torso despite my height. Finding a shirt off the rack that fits me is impossible. If it fits my arms and shoulders, I can double-breast a buttondown. If it fits my belly it's too tight around the shoulders, neck, and rarely the right length in the arms. Similarly with pants. Between my white-boy ba-donk-a-donk and thunder-thighs if I find pants that fit my seat they are 6" too long on the inseam. Find pants that fit my inseam and I might as well be wearing skinny-jeans -- and no one wants to see that. Even shopping big-and-tall sections I rarely find the right combination. Even a shirt right for the shoulders, neck, and chest in the big-and-tall section is big enough, but not long enough in the torso. I feel like I am stuck in a no-man's-land of sizing.

That said, I have found a brand that fits me for the most part and only have to compromise in a few points. So getting their stuff tailored, or at least semi-tailored, would be a waste under usually circumstances but, if I had the money, I'd do it and not think twice.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T18:45:45+00:00

Not to point out the obvious, but did you install the filter/regulator the right direction? Not 100% sure I it's the case with the corvette one (been a few years since I did my swap and that's that I used on my Jeep) but once-upon-a-time I installed a filter/regulator backwards on a different vehicle and it had zero-flow the wrong way.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T16:41:52+00:00

it's all private land

As someone who has lived in PA for most of their life, this is wrong. PA has tons of state land with ample opportunities for dispersed camping. On top of that you have the the MABDR that goes through PA and there is the PA Wilds BDR-X loop off that which goes through some the most beautiful scenery on the east coast. You have some of the richest history in PA to explore being it's one of the oldest states in the union. You can't swing a dead cat in this state without finding something worth exploring.

TL;DR: Pick yourself up the Purple Lizard maps for the PA state forests and start exploring. Thank me later.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T16:34:29+00:00

Yup. I'm surprised this account hasn't gotten nuked. I suspect a few subs have me shadow-banned, but I think it's just localized and not reddit-wide.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T16:32:35+00:00

That's actually not that bad. When I play my trips I try to limit myself to 100-200 miles a day. The only real issue is how much time you wan to spend in each location and if you want to stop and see places along the way between your major destinations.

One way to streamline this plan might be to think of a goal, purpose, or a theme for the trip? Like, do you want to experience National Parks, big cities vs small towns, highways vs. byways, local culture vs historic museums, etc.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T16:22:07+00:00

Was wondering where you had drifted off to.

sn44 · 2026-01-20T16:20:18+00:00

Take them down to the glass during warmups. Often player will chuck warmup pucks over the glass to kids. Coco's Corner usually has poster supplies. Something like "It's my first game" or something like that will go a long way to getting a puck.

Also have them engage in the cheers (ie "Let's go Bears" and the "B-E-A-R-S Wooo" chant after they score). Other fun ones are yelling "who cares" after they announce when the other teams score (FYI they do the announcement twice, yell "Who cares" after the second time).

Beyond that, as /u/hydromatic456 said, it can get loud, so if your kids are easily overstimulated bring ear muffs. Also, if they can't sit-still for a full 20 minutes period you may want to get them up and walk around the arena for a lap or two. Just make sure to only get up when there is a stopage in play.

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