Video summary

I dont understand why more people dont MOD their 3d printers...

Main summary

Key takeaways

Product Review

Product reviewed / modded

The video is a review-style comparison of aftermarket upgrades (mostly for Bambu X1 Carbon) plus a long list of free/open-source 3D-printed mods. The host compares one X1 Carbon left stock versus the other heavily modded, focusing on performance and usability.

Main upgrades tested (paid, plug-and-play)

1) Biqu enclosure light bar (magnetic, factory wiring harness)

What it does

  • Adds internal illumination for an enclosed printer to improve monitoring and timelapse quality.

Results / verdict

  • “Pretty huge upgrade” for usability and timelapse look.
  • Caveat: may interfere with lidar on some printers; host’s testing found no issue.

Cost

  • About $20.

Pros

  • Large improvement in visibility/timelapse quality.

Cons

  • Potential lidar compatibility risk (varies by printer).

2) Biqu “Cool Tack” build plate

What it does

  • Marketed as enabling lower bed temps (claims less need for glue) to save power.

Adhesion test findings

  • Initial run: stock Bambu textured PEI released sooner than Cool Tack.
  • Repeat run: stock plate performed better, so adhesion difference is inconclusive.
  • Texture: Cool Tack surface felt smoother.

Power/temperature test

  • Dropped bed temp by 10°C.
  • With a power meter, the host saw almost 50% overall power reduction.

Verdict

  • Worth the cost and may become their default build plate.

Pros

  • Significant power savings at lower temps.
  • Potential adhesion benefit is unclear but performance seems acceptable.

Cons

  • Adhesion advantage is not consistently proven across runs.
  • Surface texture is smoother than Bambu’s plate.

3) Biqu lightweight printhead cover (nylon, claims lower inertial mass)

What it does

  • Lighter printhead cover (claims ~better acceleration/braking for finer detail).
  • Claims: nylon cover 21g vs stock 27g.
  • Includes air ducts intended to help bridging.

Results

  • Print detail test: no noticeable difference; only normal run-to-run variance.
  • Bridging test: ambiguous, maybe slightly better but not convincing.

Verdict

  • “Not worth the money.”
  • Likely to keep installed, but wouldn’t rebuy.

Pros

  • Slight weight reduction.
  • No negative impact; looks cool.

Cons

  • Performance gains not measurable/meaningful.
  • Bridging improvement not clear.

4) Biqu high-flow hot end upgrade (complete hot end + nozzle system)

What it does

  • Higher flow hot end: higher throughput to reduce print time.
  • Includes ~60W heater and quick-change nozzle system.
  • Comes with a brass nozzle (soft; not ideal for abrasive/aggregate materials like carbon fiber).

Installation / out-of-box

  • Setup is straightforward, but no immediate speed difference until tuning print settings.

Measured flow rate

  • Stock max flow (test print): 19 mm³/s
  • Upgraded max flow: 30 mm³/s (test-limited)
  • Host believes Biqu’s 40 mm³/s claim is plausible.

Estimated time savings

  • Typical prints: ~10–15% faster
  • Some prints: up to ~50%

Verdict

  • Worth the cost, especially for larger prints and convenience of quick nozzle swaps (though extra nozzles cost money).

Pros

  • Real, substantial throughput increase with tuning.
  • Potentially meaningful time savings.
  • Quick-change nozzle is genuinely useful.

Cons

  • Brass nozzle limits abrasive materials.
  • Requires parameter tuning to see benefits.

5) Paid extruder upgrades: Panda Claw (metal gear set) + lightweight extruder exoskeleton

5A) “Panda Claw” all-metal extruder gear set

Claims

  • Durability/reliability; gear set targets common extruder failure point.

Host experience

  • Stock extruder jammed during filming.
  • Afterward: reliability is “wait and see” (long-term testing not done).
  • Gear set is heavier than stock.

Pros

  • Potential reliability improvement.
  • All-metal durability premise is appealing.

Cons

  • Heavier than stock.
  • Long-term benefit not confirmed in this video.

5B) Lightweight extruder exoskeleton (milled aluminum housing)

Claim / weight

  • Host weighed and found it’s close, but after accounting for metal gears, the system is not actually lighter overall.
  • “Might be a couple grams lighter,” but not enough to matter.

Verdict

  • Host wouldn’t rebuy for weight savings; weight claims are mostly treated as cosmetic.

Overall for extruder section

  • Host would rebuy build plate + light improved hot end, and is cautiously optimistic on gears.

DIY / free/open-source mods (host’s main “value” section)

6) Butyl rubber + closed-cell foam enclosure insulation (noise/heat)

Goal

  • Reduce noise and possibly improve chamber warmth/heat-up efficiency.

Installation notes

  • Tight clearances; must check moving parts.

Results

  • Keeping bed at 80°C for 1 hour used about the same energy.
  • Chamber temperatures remained similar.
  • Slight sound transmission improvement, but mod not worth it due to a leaky enclosure.
  • If doing bigger sound gains: cover both glass panels and improve door sealing/weatherstripping.

Pros

  • Slight noise improvement.
  • Can improve insulation in theory.

Cons

  • Minimal real-world impact; enclosure leakage dominates.

7) Filament moisture control mods (desiccant holders, AMS desiccant bins)

What it does

  • Level 1: 3D-printed desiccant holders for spools (orange desiccant beads).
  • Level 2: printed bins to fit AMS internal voids for “ludicrous” amounts of desiccant.
  • Optional cutout for a humidity/temperature sensor for real-time monitoring.

Host stance

  • Moisture is the biggest enemy; drying helps but filament reabsorbs moisture quickly.

Pros

  • Likely strong usability/reliability improvement for print quality.
  • Enables continuous dryness management.

Cons

  • Desiccant is not a substitute for proper drying (still needed first).

8) Build plate guides

Problem

  • Build plate reinstallation is error-prone; about 1 in 10 times the host doesn’t seat it perfectly.
  • Some errors are caught by printer; sometimes not → can lose prints.

Mod

  • Printable clips that guide the build plate back accurately.

Result

  • “So much better” and quick to print.

9) Cleaner enclosure mods (wedge front, dust covers)

Problems targeted

  • Debris falling off bed and getting trapped.
  • Lips/obstacles preventing easy sweeping.
  • Crud collecting in crevices/openings.

Mods

  • Printable front wedge to keep debris from trapping.
  • Printable dust covers for openings/crevices.

Pros

  • Easier cleaning and smoother operation.
  • Reduces grime in hard-to-reach areas.

10) AMS riser system (access, storage, extensibility)

What it does

  • Lifts arms/raises access to top glass for servicing.
  • Allows repositioning glass/printer for printing certain plastics.
  • Includes built-in plate holders, storage drawers, and side dovetails for future accessories.
  • Host emphasizes an active community continuously adding add-ons.

Verdict

  • Host says it may be their favorite mod so far.

11) “Poop chute / poop bucket” for multi-material purge waste

Problem

  • Switching filaments creates purge waste (“poops”) that accumulate behind printer.

Mod

  • Clips on back; collects purge waste to keep floors cleaner and reduce cleanup time.

Pros

  • Less mess, less maintenance.

12) PETG/stringing improvement: add secondary wiper (A1 silicon grid)

Problem

  • Stringing in multi-material prints (especially PETG).

Stock vs improved

  • Stock X1/P1 has a wiper, but host says it “sucks.”
  • Newer A1 uses a silicon grid wiper; mod adds it to X1/P1.

Implementation

  • Buy replacement A1 wipers, cut to fit; easy install on X1.

Result

  • Works way better than stock due to “twice the wiping.”

13) Better timelapse/video: GoPro-style mount (printed)

Problem

  • Integrated printer cameras are usually inferior to action cameras.

Mod

  • Printed mount for an action camera; host printed two setups (front-facing and top-down).

Pros

  • Better footage quality and more creative capture control.

Overall pros/cons across the video

Key pros (what worked well)

  • Usability upgrades (light bar, guides, cleaning mods, AMS riser, wipers, better mounts) effectively make it feel like a “new printer.”
  • Cool Tack build plate: especially strong for power reduction (~50% at -10°C).
  • High-flow hot end: meaningful throughput increase when tuned, with potential large time savings.

Key cons (what didn’t)

  • Some paid upgrades are questioned as “snake oil” for performance:
    • Lightweight printhead cover: no clear benefit
    • Extruder weight savings: mostly not realized
    • Insulation mod: minimal impact due to enclosure leakage
  • Brass nozzle limitation for abrasives (carbon fiber, aggregates).

Comparisons made

  • Direct comparison: stock X1 Carbon vs heavily modded X1 Carbon (performance/usability).
  • Build plate comparison: Biqu Cool Tack vs Bambu textured PEI (adhesion tests + power measurements).
  • Camera comparison: built-in printer camera vs action-camera footage.

Unique points list (all distinct product/mod points mentioned)

  1. Enclosed printer needs illumination; light bar improves monitoring/timelapse.
  2. Light bar potential lidar interference on some printers.
  3. Cool Tack plate aims for lower temps and less glue use.
  4. Adhesion test results between Cool Tack and stock plate were inconsistent across runs.
  5. Cool Tack surface texture is smoother.
  6. Lowering bed temp by 10°C reduced power use by nearly 50% (power meter).
  7. Lightweight printhead cover reduces inertia claims; nylon cover 21g vs stock 27g.
  8. Print detail test showed no noticeable difference.
  9. Bridging improvement from printhead air ducts was ambiguous.
  10. Lightweight printhead cover performance not worth the money.
  11. High-flow hot end upgrade reduces time by increasing flow; includes 60W heater and quick-change nozzle.
  12. Out-of-box speed doesn’t improve until print settings are tuned.
  13. Stock max flow measured 19 mm³/s; upgraded reached 30 mm³/s (test-limited).
  14. Claimed higher flow (Biqu 40) believed plausible by host.
  15. Time savings estimated 10–15%, possibly up to 50% on some prints.
  16. Brass nozzle is soft; not suitable for abrasive/aggregate materials (e.g., carbon fiber).
  17. Panda Claw all-metal extruder gear set targets reliability; stock extruder jammed during host testing.
  18. Gear set is heavier; weight savings not achieved overall.
  19. Lightweight extruder exoskeleton replaces housing but overall ends up slightly heavier due to metal gears.
  20. Butyl rubber + foam insulation did not significantly reduce energy use and only slightly improved sound.
  21. To meaningfully reduce noise, seal/cover glass panels and improve door weatherstripping.
  22. Moisture is a major print quality enemy; filament may arrive damp even fresh.
  23. Desiccant holders help keep spools dry after drying.
  24. AMS desiccant bins allow much higher desiccant capacity; optional sensor adds real-time humidity/temperature monitoring.
  25. Build plate guides reduce mis-seating; host estimates ~1 in 10 reinstall attempts are imperfect.
  26. Cleaning wedge prevents debris trapping at front of case.
  27. Dust covers keep crud from accumulating in openings/crevices.
  28. AMS riser system improves access to top glass, allows positioning adjustments, adds plate holders/storage, and supports accessory community add-ons.
  29. Poop chute/bucket collects purge “poops” to keep floors cleaner.
  30. Wiper adapter adds A1 silicon grid wiping as a second wiper for X1/P1 to reduce stringing.
  31. GoPro/action camera mounts improve timelapse quality and creative filming angles.

Speaker breakdown

Only one main speaker/host is present in the provided subtitles, so there are no separate speakers contributing distinct viewpoints.

Original video