Can you really get FREE stuff from Bambu Lab's Maker World?
TLDRIn this video, Mike discusses his experiences with the reward systems of Printables and Maker World, two platforms for 3D model designers. He shares his journey of earning points and redeeming them for free filament, shirts, hats, and printers. Mike highlights the challenges of high shipping costs and taxes, especially for those living outside the EU. He also talks about his positive experience with Maker World's customer service after his design was posted without consent. Mike compares the quality of free bamboo filament with other brands and concludes that it's possible to achieve good results with it. He invites viewers to share their experiences with Maker World as well.
Takeaways
- 🎉 Mike discusses his experience with the reward system of Maker World, an alternative to Printables for 3D model designers.
- 📦 Shipping costs can significantly affect the value of rewards, as Mike's free filament from Printables ended up costing him over $67 due to shipping and taxes.
- 🌎 Shipping within the EU is reportedly cheaper, which can influence the attractiveness of such reward systems for users in different regions.
- 🚫 Mike's design was posted on Maker World without consent, highlighting the importance of respecting creators' rights and intellectual property.
- 🔍 After reporting the issue, Maker World promptly took down the copycat model, showing their responsiveness to copyright infringement claims.
- 🎁 Mike opted to redeem his points for gift cards, which is a unique feature of Maker World compared to Printables.
- 💳 Maker World's gift cards can be used for a variety of purchases, including shipping and taxes, which is a more flexible reward option.
- 📈 Mike's experience with Maker World has been positive, and he was able to order six spools of filament and some spare parts for his 3D printer using his points.
- 🖨️ Printing in color is becoming more popular, but it increases the cost and print time, suggesting a potential area for innovation in the 3D printing industry.
- 🤔 Mike speculates on the sustainability and psychology behind reward systems, suggesting they might encourage additional purchases beyond the rewards.
- 📊 The quality of the free bamboo filament is comparable to other brands, and Mike demonstrates that it's possible to achieve high-quality prints with it.
Q & A
What is the reward system of Printables?
-The reward system of Printables allows designers to earn points for their popular models, which can be exchanged for free filament, shirts, hats, or even printers.
What challenges did Mike face with shipping his free filament from Printables?
-Mike faced high shipping costs and taxes, which made the free filament from Printables end up costing him over $67 Canadian dollars.
How was Mike's experience with Maker World different from Printables?
-Mike had a positive experience with Maker World, particularly noting the quick response to his claim about a copied model and the ability to exchange points for gift cards, which Printables does not offer.
What was the issue with the model posted on Maker World without Mike's consent?
-The issue was that someone took Mike's model, removed his logo and name, and reposted it as an original without any mention of it being a remix or any attribution to Mike.
How did Maker World handle the copyright infringement claim?
-Maker World took down the copycat model within a few hours after Mike made a claim, showing efficient handling of the situation.
What was Mike's strategy for redeeming his points on Maker World?
-Mike decided to redeem his points for gift cards, which he believed would be more versatile than directly exchanging for filament, especially since the gift cards could potentially cover shipping costs.
What was the outcome of Mike's order from Maker World?
-Mike was able to order six spools of filament and some spare parts for his printers without any additional costs, as the order was covered by his gift cards and qualified for free shipping and taxes.
How did Mike compare the quality of the free bamboo filament to the Galaxy black filament?
-Mike found that the gray and blue bamboo filaments printed very closely to the Galaxy black filament in quality. However, he noted that the Galaxy black looked better due to its flexibility and fewer visible defects.
What is Mike's speculation on the sustainability of the reward systems of Maker World and Printables?
-Mike speculates that the reward systems might be sustainable due to the self-feeding nature of the business model, where people post designs, others print them, and thus buy more filament. He also mentions the concept of 'lost leaders', where free or discounted items attract customers who may end up buying other products.
What was Mike's final verdict on the Maker World reward system?
-Mike concluded that Maker World has a great system for rewarding designers, allowing them to get parts and filament for free, and that the setup for reward points is better than Printables, as it doesn't have a cap on downloads and allows for faster point generation.
How does Mike suggest improving the process of using colored filament?
-Mike suggests a better system would be to mix paint with a paint base and then add the color as needed, instead of using multiple spools of pre-colored filament, which slows down print time and increases cost.
Outlines
🌟 Introduction to Reward Systems and Experience with Maker World
The speaker, Mike, introduces the video by discussing the reward systems of 3D printing platforms, specifically focusing on Printables and Maker World. He shares his experience with Printables' rewards, which include free filament, shirts, hats, or printers in exchange for popular designs. However, he highlights the downside of high shipping and tax costs, especially from his perspective in Ontario, Canada. Mike then transitions into his exploration of Maker World, a platform by Bamboo Labs, to see if it offers any advantages. He recounts a positive experience with Maker World's response to a copyright infringement issue, where they promptly removed a copied model from their platform. Mike expresses his intention to order three spools of filament using his points and compares the process to that of Printables, noting the differences in their reward systems, particularly the option to exchange points for gift cards in Maker World.
🛍️ Redeeming Points and Ordering Experience with Maker World
Mike details his experience redeeming points on Maker World, aiming to get the most value without spending any additional money. He successfully redeems his points for gift cards and uses them to order six spools of filament and a few spare parts for his 3D printers. He mentions the addition of tax to his order and the expectation of free shipping, which remains intact. Mike also discusses the potential of ordering systems that allow for color printing, noting the increased cost and slower print times associated with it. He invites viewers to engage with the content by liking and subscribing for weekly updates. Upon receiving his order, Mike finds no additional fees and is pleased with the quality of the free filament and parts he received. He also shares his thoughts on the sustainability of such reward systems and how they incentivize users to print more, thereby promoting the purchase of filament.
🔍 Comparative Analysis of Free Filament and Printer Experience
In the final paragraph, Mike compares the free Bamboo filament to another brand, Print, focusing on the quality of the prints produced. He notes that while the gray and blue filaments from both brands produce similar results, the Galaxy black from Print appears superior to the flat black from Bamboo. Mike also discusses the concept of 'lost leaders' in marketing, suggesting that the free filament may encourage users to buy additional items. He shares his thoughts on the sustainability of the reward system and invites viewers to share their experiences with Maker World. Mike concludes the video by expressing satisfaction with his experiences and reiterates his gratitude to his patrons for their support.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Reward System
💡Maker World
💡Filament
💡Shipping and Taxes
💡Intellectual Property
💡Gift Cards
💡Account Review
💡3D Printing
💡Community and Sharing
💡Freebies and Deals
💡Customer Support
Highlights
Printables has a reward system for designers based on the popularity of their models.
Designers can earn rewards such as free filament, shirts, hats, or even printers.
Shipping and taxes can make receiving free rewards from Printables expensive for some users, depending on their location.
Maker World is a platform similar to Printables, but it operates under a different reward system.
Mike, the speaker, had a positive experience with Maker World when they addressed an issue of plagiarism.
The plagiarized model was taken down by Maker World within hours after Mike made a claim.
Maker World offers gift cards as rewards, which can be used for a wider range of purchases compared to Printables.
There are instances where users have been flagged and unable to redeem points on Maker World.
Mike successfully redeemed points for gift cards and ordered filament and parts without any additional costs.
The shipping for Mike's order from Maker World was free, and no unexpected fees were incurred.
Mike compared the quality of free bamboo filament to other filaments and found them to be of good quality.
The Maker World reward system encourages designers to post models, promoting the use of their filament, which they sell.
Mike speculates that the reward system might be a form of 'lost leaders' strategy, attracting customers to buy more.
The reward system on Maker World does not have a cap on points and does not reset monthly, allowing for continuous earning.
Mike's experience with Maker World has been positive, and he suggests that having a YouTube channel might have influenced this.
Despite some minor issues, Mike believes that high-quality prints are possible with the free bamboo filament.
Mike invites viewers to share their experiences with Maker World, questioning whether his positive experience is common.