3D printer guides, comparisons, and workshop tools
The Crafty Catsman’s 3D Printing Hub
Everything you need to compare 3D printers, understand filament and resin, price the complete setup, and turn a first print into something useful—all in one place.
The short answer
In my shop, filament printers make jigs, trays, brackets, organizers, and quick prototypes. I do not own a resin printer; the resin guidance here follows current manufacturer instructions. Start with what you want to make, then budget for the printer, support equipment, materials, room, failed prints, finishing, and maintenance.
Printers I ownP2S Combo
Published owner reviewsA1 + P2S Combo
UpdatedAugust 24, 2026
What's been in our shop
Two printers.One still at work.
The A1 made 3D printing useful fast. The P2S Combo came after it, and I have since sold the A1; they solve different jobs.
Both printers were owned and reviewed here; the A1 has since been sold. The A1 review stays at model level; the P2S review covers the exact Combo with AMS 2 Pro.
Fresh from the 3D desk
3D Printing News
Launches, software changes, service incidents, and material news—each card keeps its original date attached.
01 / 06
- Factorio diorama
Official Factorio Models Reach Printables: 65 Models, Two Ways to Assemble
Wube has released 15 Factorio model sets containing 65 models and 247 STL files. Choose push-fit or glue-clearance variants before printing a tabletop factory.
Read the update - Official Liber launch artwork
Snapmaker and Phaetus Introduce Liber High Flow Hotend for U1
Snapmaker introduced the U1-specific Phaetus Liber High Flow Hotend, listing $34.99 for the hotend and $119 for a bundle, with prices varying by market.
Read the update - Anycubic Software 2.0 update
Anycubic Software 2.0 Connects Printer Settings and Filament Profiles
Anycubic Software 2.0 brings more printer controls and shared profiles to its app and slicer. Supported models and version requirements still need confirmation.
Read the update - Flashforge CJ270 printer
Flashforge Announces the CJ270 Full-Color MJP Printer
Flashforge’s CJ270 announcement brings full-color MJP printing to a desktop format. Evaluate the build area, support workflow and running costs before buying.
Read the update - Snapmaker CMYG filament
Snapmaker Adds CMYG Filament for U1 Full-Spectrum Color Printing
Snapmaker’s CMYG filament bundle pairs translucent material profiles with the U1. The color comes from optical layering, with batch variation still relevant.
Read the update - Bambu Lab Bug Bounty Program
Bambu Lab Adds a Public Security Update Log After a Year of Bug-Bounty Work
Bambu says its bug-bounty work has involved more than 100 researchers, paid awards up to $52,000, and now adds a public Security Update log. Those are process and certification claims, not proof that every printer, firmware version, cloud feature, or local-network mode is vulnerability-free.
Read the update
How-tos and workshop guides
3D Printing How-To Guides: Setup, Filament, Resin, and Troubleshooting
Price the complete setup, follow a filament job from file to fit, or see what a resin print still needs after it leaves the build plate.
Materials and troubleshooting
Two deeper guides for the spool and the finished part.
Explore the printers
Put the printers side by side.
Filter by process or machine style. Flip a card for build volume, the exact setup pictured, and a link to our relevant guide or the manufacturer’s page.
8 printers
Hover on desktop. On mobile, tap a compact card to open it across the deck. Filters reshuffle the collection.
FilamentEnclosed CoreXY
Anycubic
Kobra S1
Kobra S1 with one included ACE 2 ProFilamentOpen-bed
Bambu Lab
A1
Bambu Lab A1 U.S.FilamentEnclosed CoreXY
Bambu Lab
P2S
P2S Combo with AMS 2 ProFilamentEnclosed XY gantry
Creality
K2 Plus
K2 Plus Combo with one included CFSFilamentEnclosed CoreXY
ELEGOO
Centauri Carbon 2
Centauri Carbon 2 Combo with one CANVAS systemResinDesktop resin
ELEGOO
Mars 5
ELEGOO Mars 5 U.S.FilamentOpen CoreXY
Flashforge
Adventurer 5M
Adventurer 5M U.S. base printerResinResin system
HeyGears
UltraCraft Reflex RS
Reflex RS ComboStart with the part
What do you want the printer to make?
Choose the closest job. This does not pick a printer for you; it opens the guide, comparison, or tool that should answer the next question.
Not sure what the complete setup costs? See the seven-part checklist.
Want a little more help?Answer three practical questions
Filament or resin
Filament and resin ask for different work before and after the print.
Filament usually moves from slicing and loading to printing, removal, and fit. Resin continues through removal, washing, drying, curing, and cleanup. Use the instructions for the exact printer and material in front of you.
01Guides available
Filament / FFFJigs, brackets, organizers, and practical prototypes
Making useful parts that need size, strength, or repeatability?A nozzle lays down melted thermoplastic filament in layers. Material choice, enclosure, build size, filament handling, and tuning shape the daily routine.
- 01Slice
- 02Load
- 03Print
- 04Remove
02Guides available
Desktop resinThe print is only the first part of the job
Can you make room for part removal, washing, curing, and cleanup?The print is one stage. Finished parts leave the machine for removal, washing, curing, and support cleanup before they are ready to use.
- 01Print
- 02Remove
- 03Wash
- 04Dry
- 05Cure
Before you buy
The printer is one line in a seven-part budget.
Write down the machine and hardware, space, materials and failed prints, setup, attention, finishing and cleanup, and maintenance. Add current prices only after the list is complete.
01Printer and the hardware it needs+
What has to be on the bench before you can make the first useful part?
02Bench space, access, and room conditions+
Where will the printer live, and where will the rest of the job happen?
03Materials, consumables, and failed prints+
What will you keep buying, cleaning, or replacing?
04Work before the first layer+
What has to be sliced, prepared, checked, or calibrated?
05Watching the print and recovering from failure+
What will you do when a print goes sideways?
06Work after the printer says it is done+
What still has to happen before you can use the part?
07Cleaning, wear, and replacement parts+
What will need cleaning, inspection, or replacement after regular use?
Comparisons and workshop tools
Compare a shortlist or put a printer to work.
Open the Bambu family guide, compare four enclosed multicolor systems, or build a repeatable laser jig.
Start from the P2S owner review
Choose the comparison that matches your real constraint.
Stay at the same build size, move into a larger heated chamber, or compare one-nozzle switching with dedicated tools. Each guide keeps unknowns visible and routes back to the full P2S owner review.
What comes from my bench
Use my experience where it applies—and check the date everywhere else.
The exact P2S Combo with AMS 2 Pro is a workshop machine; the A1 was one until I sold it. The A1 review stays at model level; the P2S review covers the exact Combo. Comparison facts use official specifications, and the resin workflow follows manufacturer instructions.
Bambu Lab A1
I owned and used the A1 before the P2S and have since sold it. I published why it changed my mind about 3D printing and where it fits as a first printer.
Exact scope
Read the A1 owner review The model-level review does not establish the owned bundle or accessories, a numeric rating, or a verdict on every open-frame printer.
Bambu Lab P2S Combo with AMS 2 Pro
I use this exact P2S Combo with AMS 2 Pro and published the setup, daily-use notes, shop projects, and limits on the review page.
Exact scope
Read the exact owner review Those observations do not automatically apply to the P2S by itself, the AMS 2 Pro by itself, another bundle, or another printer.
Ownership and review evidence stays with the exact machine or bundle it describes. It does not automatically transfer to another model, configuration, or brand.