I’ve realized there is another advantage held by Bambu Lab in the 3D printer market.
I’ve operated dozens, well, perhaps over a hundred different 3D printers, and there’s one thing they all have in common: they break. Some break more often, some less, but inevitably you will need some spare parts, consumables, or other bits and pieces associated with the machine.
Getting those parts is relatively easy: just go online, sometimes to the manufacturer’s online store, and order the parts. They show up in a day or two. The worst-case scenario is a longer delay and perhaps some customs duties to pay.
Currently, I operate a number of Bambu Lab devices, and yes, they sometimes require spare parts, too. I had been ordering these parts online like everyone else, but then heard of a local store that apparently carried some Bambu Lab products.
I dropped by and found that yes, this operation was selling equipment, but they were also selling filament, too. In fact, they had an entire wall of spools, stacks, and stacks of them in every conceivable material and colour.
I also saw accessories for Bambu Lab equipment, such as those assembly kits you get with the A series machines, or add-ons made by Panda. The image at the top shows stacks of these items.
They also carried parts — basically all of them. Do you have a 0.2mm nozzle for an A1? Of course, how many would you like?
I took two.
I was back there another day to pick up parts for an H2D. And another part on another day. I found that I would simply drop by this store on my way elsewhere, grabbing whichever parts I happened to need.
I realized that this takes almost no time for me, and there are no shipping costs. The parts are just there, ready for the taking whenever you need them.
This store seems to have gone “all in” on Bambu Lab equipment, parts, and materials. Were there other stores for other manufacturers’ equipment?
One store sold Creality gear and had a limited selection of filament. Possibly they had some Creality parts. A few other places sold random filament, but almost none of them offered parts for 3D printers.
Is there a store for Prusa parts? Nope. Anycubic? Nope. Elegoo? Nope.
I then realized that Bambu Lab, at least in this scenario, had a tremendous advantage over the other 3D printer manufacturers: they were able to deliver parts instantly and locally at good prices. The others required online ordering, shipping, local delivery delays, and possibly customs duties.
While most of us are used to ordering things online, imagine the thought going through the mind of someone new to the technology: a local store with all the parts might be hugely desirable. A 3D printer without a local outlet might be seen as more challenging to deal with.
Bambu Lab has an advantage here, or wherever they’ve managed to persuade local resellers to carry their products.
Does your town have a physical store where 3D printer parts readily available?
