Without imperfection, I would not learn the fundamentals - Prusa
I have to admit... and if I look at my life, I always took this road...
Having a not perfect machine, will teach you a gazillion more, then having a perfect machine.
Without ever having to touch fundamental settings, repairing what breaks, adjusting what does not give the right results, you will learn nothing.
It is like having the iPhone... complete closed environment, where within it works flawless, but want and try something outside the scope, because you are unhappy with the current status and results, and it will not be possible.
Through my life I have always been working on machines. As born in a family of farmers, we had tractors, cranes, machines, little motor cycles etc. All was learned by doing, nothing from the theory. I was never good at being in school. I was one of best in class, but was not able to sit there, and thus not coming to school .. kicked out and went back to my machines.
At some moment, I was getting the wrong friends an uncle said: I will pay your school (private school for car mechanics) and you will make it, or I will break your legs.
That was quite motivational, as he was a succesful business man and I always looked up to him.
I became best in school... and got my diploma.
After this I was working in cars, stepped over to IT, became MCSA, admin for Windows Server, stepped over to running IT companies, Oracle DBA's (hard core IT) and in the end ended up in Industrial Environments where I have my company now. Machines always have been my thing...
Hobbies are my 54 yr young tractor, an even older Army Generator with truck engine from the DDR (Eastern Soviet Germany) 500kg and 8KW, my farm with heating systems like a ship, all kind of mechanics. Have a couple of servers, proxmox, Truenas 120TB, etc. I guess if you dont like to solve problems, you will never start with those. And not to forget my 20 families of bees that need constant tinkering.
A load of shelves with boxes with all kind of extra devices and materials and self build solar systems.
I thank a lot of knowledge to internet and youtube, countless forums and nowadays also AI.
Why do I tell these things?
Well ... I just realised my begin busy with getting the perfect extrusion on a little 60x60 square perimeter, that I just love getting the real printing fundaments by trial and error... I just freaking love it. (Topic: https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/prints-troubleshooting/cube-with-pointy-corners-petg/#post-795298 )
Prusa Core One L is my machine, and it has it's quirks, call it charachter. Like my tractor, which have very different moods in summer and winter, but allways runs and do what I ask from it. Needs sometimes attention, but our bond is much bigger and better then putting a modern John Deere up my driveway. I have a Husqvarna R-316 AWD. A perfect machine with twice the price of my tractor. But it will never have the soul of my tractor.
Prusa forces me to learn the fundamentals... I read the Bambu threads on internet and all the people say is: It just runs perfect prints.
Well... great! But what have you learned? Do you know WHY it runs perfect?
What will you do if it does not? Who will help you?
I walk daily in the industrial machinery, and you will only see Bambu type machines in medical environments...
In Industry, packaging for example, you will see the looks of Prusa.
There is a reason I don't like to come in the medical sector... Standardisation SUCKS!
It takes away all the intelligence, initiative and customisation.
You need imperfection, to get better... Winning never leads to growth, losing does... Imperfection gives impulse to growth, perfection does not.
Well.. I guess that is what I wanted to say... And guys & girls here... Thanks a lot! You are really fantastic... I have a new hobby and that is called 3d printing and surfing the Prusa Forum... and I love it.
Just a guy with a Core One L on a 3D Journey
RE: Without imperfection, I would not learn the fundamentals - Prusa
We're the same. I want to know how it works, why it works, how to fix it and how to break it. We're not the same as the majority. They just want it to work and not have to think about it.
Consider that all progress depends on the unreasonable man or woman. If everybody was content, there'd be no further advancement.
RE:
My Core One started life as a MK4 kit build which was upgraded a year later to the Mk4S then another year later to the Core One. Learned a lot about the machine in the process and generally requires some sort of tweaking e.g. checking belt tension or ensuring the heat block is secure before a print. My H2D, I just turn it on and print. Occasionally it will beep at me if there is a clump of filament on the nozzle interfering with bed leveling. Or when the AI warns me of spaghetti when there is none. But that said, if there is an issue with the Core One I pretty much immediately know how to resolve it. The H2D? I dread having to disassemble it if there is something major. It's definitely not a user friendly serviceable appliance like the C1.
As for the forums, the people on the Prusa forums are A LOT more mature than the Bambu forums. I would also say that on the Bambu forums some of the most active users don't seem to even own a printer. Or at least I get that impression. They also tend to be bullies.
To be honest I do a lot more printing now on my H2D, for my use cases it's simply a better printer. That will probably change though when the INDX arrives. But as far as hanging out and giving back to the community, I prefer to do that here.
RE: Without imperfection, I would not learn the fundamentals - Prusa
Was going to add, that on the Bambu Labs forums, the most active topics are people trashing BL as a company followed by days of the same 4-5 people bashing on each other. It's way more civilized over here.