Original Prusa i3 MK3 Review - Best 3D Printer of its class?

The Maker's Muse review of the Original Prusa MK3!
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[@rmdcade1717]

You're the first person I've seen to have both an affiliate and non-affiliate link. That's pretty awesome.

[@vader3t3]

y tho. You pay the same price, just that one more person benefits from your purchase.

[@shroomie108]

@@vader3t3 some people see an affiliate link as partly being an ad cuz the creator benefits when people buy using that link. Which can be seen as a conflict of intrest in a review. By having a non affiliate link which he gets zero benefits from it, it makes it less biased in some peoples eyes.

[@berengamble1882]

Agree - makes me want to reward the affiliate link because he's so transparent. GJ Angus.

[@jakesnack6778]

he's rich

[@MasterBasser]

@@jakesnack6778 ...

[@bmobert]

As someone considering purchasing this printer, I definitely appreciate this review. I've heard little but raves elsewhere. Hearing some negatives from a source I trust has helped me find in favor of the machine, believe it or not. Thank you.

[@AndrewEbling]

bmobert I totally get what you mean here. It also sets your expectations appropriately. If you print the 3D Benchy off the supplied SD card, you will notice that the bow of the boat (which prints facing towards the fan) prints rather better than the bow, which also overhangs, to a lesser extent, away from the fan. I think further improvements may be possible with the part cooling fan duct - or even having different ducts which you swap-on for different prints. I do wonder whether it’s possible to have a one-design-fits-all approach. But you also have to know which is best to use and that only comes with experimentation and experience.

[@willierants5880]

Read my review in the comments.

[@notatpyt1516]

bmobert but you see it comes with free gummy bears tho

[@jacobbeaton5450]

You should make a video on what printers are the best in their respective domains (ex. best cheap printer, best high end printer, best overall/value printer etc.)

[@welbot]

Gummy bear rationing. Probably the best kit building advice ever! ;)

[@thinfourth]

I reached the end of the build and had loads left BUT i did go like stink on the build and got it done in an afternoon

[@ddegn]

I didn't think I liked gummy bears much until I had to ration them. Now I think they're the most delicious candy ever created.

[@beefy256]

I probably watched this review 5 times. I have been agonizing over what printer fits my needs best and was very close to getting a refurbished Lulzbot Mini, but after seeing that it took 3 mm filament, is even louder than the Prusa i3 mk2, and doesn't take an SD card, I had to go with the Prusa. The new build plate looks like it will be a major help for me as I'll be printing small items and tokens for tabletop gaming. Made sure to use the affiliate link. Your channel is by far my favorite as you are very critical and honest with your reviews. Really enjoy the very technical nature of it instead of wishy-washy comments and very dubious testing circumstances on other channels. Tom and Joel are pretty awesome, too. The fact that the community has really adopted your models as the test methods to use is a pretty clear indicator of your knowledge and status in the community. Well done!

[@beefy256]

Sorry to report, I cancelled my mk3 order. They keep pushing the shipping table even further back, and reading the forums, people wait anywhere from 1 month to 6 months to get an order so the shipping table seems meaningless. On top of that, the big extrusion issue seems to be getting worse and worse and Prusa has no idea why it's happening. It's pretty clear that this printer needed at least another year of development and production planning before release. Pretty sad about it, but I'm ordering a Makergear M3ID, which is 3300 bucks, but it'll do whatever the hell I want, will be extremely reliable with killer support, and I don't have to wait months for it.

[@drpipe]

Just finished building mine ...piece of cake no issues anywhere ...mesh bed level wow..first print was like I actually had been a 3D printer for years !, truth is it was my first ever print. Long after you have forgotten how much it cost you will remember the Value of the Prusa back up ...simply amazing. You could spend all the hours fixing a machine or all those hours learning fusion instead so you can design and print your own stuff , the choice is yours. Happy printing and a great channel you have. Thank you.

[@NickLandry]

Well, I saw this review AFTER buying my MK3 and I concur with what I've heard. Note that this is my very first 3D printer, I had ZERO experience with them before, and I ordered the kit and assembled it myself. I'm a software guy and I'm certainly not the *handy* type. What I do have is an ability to pay attention to detail, patience to follow every step, and I know how to RTFM. I'm happy to report that despite the excruciatingly complex extruder assembly, I nailed it on the first try, from assembly to self-check to calibration to successful first print. I did run the first layer calibration like 8 times until I was sure it looked good, that was not so obvious. So even if you're a complete newbie, you *can* build this if you take your time and read everything carefully. I am also seeing some web-like stringing on small figurines (I'm mostly printing D&D minis right now) but I have not experimented yet with the retraction settings, I'm just using the defaults for now. The auto-leveling of the bed is so easy. I did not realize how good I had it until I saw on KZbin videos how many printers require manual leveling. OMG, I never want to do that. Also, having seen people fight with scrapers to remove models from beds, the removable metal sheet is AMAZING. I actually had an issue with a small figurine that did not stick enough and started slipping twice on the bed, causing a failed print, but I easily fixed it by including a brim. problem solved. Wi-Fi would be great, I'll definitely have to upgrade mine with that RP0 kit. I just discovered your channel today and I love the videos, keep up the great work!

[@TheRealJupitz]

I have DaVinci 2.0 and it runs a calibration (10min) and then I have 3 nobs to level it and run it again. It has glass bed so I have to scrape it off and that usually messes bed leveling. So now own after print I have to calibrate and check if bed is alright. So I can’t wait to have this one

[@Nnip9]

I appreciate the honesty of your review. Keep up the good work. Really, honesty does pay.

[@TalbotUtube]

Great review. Has the past 2 years helped iron out the kinks and provide noticeable improvement on this model?

[@Hilmi12]

Thanks for the honest review. I'm tired of reviews that fail to point out any negative points to a product as if it were perfect. My mk2 printer has given me so much grief and some of the problems should have been pointed out by reviewers as they were fundimental design flaws.

[@reasonablebeing5392]

Great review including your honest opinions and comparisons. I agree that the $5 WIFI Raspberry PI should be included or offered as a factory add-on. It intimidates folks who are not electronically inclined but would like the feature. While every printer has its warts, the Prusa line continues to set the standard for overall quality, usability and consistency including groundbreaking innovations out of the box. It definitely is the "go to" everyday general purpose printer. You do not see a lot of used ones for sale except when folks are looking to upgrade to their next generation Prusa model. What's missing in these reviews which I'd like to see is a response from the printer manufacturer to the issues raised during the review showing fixes, improvements or advice.

[@aaronbeckman]

I think that WiFi may cause even more production issues. (RPi Zero W is $10 btw)

[@noahlangseth5196]

Aaron Beckman When did the up the price? I used to grab a Zero W almost every time I went to MicroCenter for $5.

[@AndrewRuffolo]

The zero w is $10, the regular zero without wireless is $5. I honestly think it would be a waste of money for Prusa as I don't think the majority of people are willing to setup the Pi Zero W. You know its pretty simple, I know its pretty simple. But I guarantee you hand it to the average Joe consumer and they look at it as WTF. What would have been nice is a designed electronics cage with a swivel door from the factory so I didn't need to print a new one just to install the pi zero.

[@reasonablebeing5392]

I sit corrected - it is $10 at Microcenter - was just there yesterday. You point about the average Joe is a good one - the KISS principal should apply. But maybe a "professional package" option that includes WIFI and a touchscreen (I'm not very good with the rotary encoder especially going from printer to printer where the menus vary).

[@noahlangseth5196]

Andrew Ruffolo I wasn't saying the Pi Zero W isn't $10 now, but it doesn't negate the fact that I have purchased 4 Pi Zero W's at MicroCenter for $5 in the past. I was just curious when the price change happened.

[@AndrewEbling]

I’ve been running a mk3 for a few weeks. I think the whispy stringing is due to the fact Slic3r PE enables Z-hop by default on the stock profiles. You can obviously switch it off, but then you risk more print collisions. For me the lack of wi-fi is a non-issue, as I’ve rigged up Octo-pi with an external Raspberry Pi. I’ve read some comments online suggesting the internal Raspberry Pi is not the best option - some people have been having issues with the smaller form factor Zero. My kit shipped without the textured PEI bed, although the PEI spring-steel bed is working quite nicely. Still no word on when the textured bed will become available. I would like to upgrade to this when it becomes available - I’ve had a few tall/thin parts warp off the bed, although re-printing with the supplied glue-stick did the trick. I *love* being able to remove parts so easily. Only down-sides I’ve experienced is that sometimes certain filament has been jamming on unloading and I also agree that the extruder was pretty difficult to assemble. Also, sometimes filament leaks out of the nozzle during the bed levelling process, which can result in a messy nozzle right at the start of the print. I probably need to tweak the gcode or use a lower temperature for the first layer. Overall, it’s a completely different world to my previous Anet A8, which has now been retired before it burns the house down (I did most of the safety upgrades too). I really enjoyed the build, a lot more than the A8 build, partly because I was more confident assembling 3D printers, but also the instructions were far, far better and contained no mistakes. Thanks for the excellent and considered review Angus. Personally I would highly recommend this printer, too. P.S. My kit shipped with an improved double-sided injection moulded spool holder. Ultimately I want to get the spool off the top of the printer when I sort out an enclosure.

[@MrGoZiva]

textured bed has been available one e'shop already but they sell out in minutes.

[@willierants5880]

How do you like Octo-Pi. It's on my bucket list of things to set up for my Mk3. I have a Pi3 ready to go. I just need to plug it into the USB port. I typically preheat my bed and let the filament ooze. When it stops I clean the nozzle and start my print. It's an added step, but my nozzle is still very clean after 100's of hours of printing. When I don't preheat I simply wait until the nozzle reaches temp and then use a toothbrush to clean the ooze as the head comes down. Either method works very well for me. Tell me about your Octo-Pi setup and experience!

[@chadcoady9025]

Just a FYI to people reading a 3 year old review, I assembled the MK3s+ (upgrades adfded over the past couple years) and the extruder was not hard to assemble at all.

[@AndrewEbling]

@@chadcoady9025 it's true - I've upgraded my printer to the mk3s and the extruder assembly was much easier and more straightforward.

[@dim1723]

The Prusa machines are incredible work horses and with work horses it does what it is good at. Though when you need a 3d printer to just work without messing around with it so much it is amazing. My college uses 3 of them and were able to go from 3 staff for 6 printers who were regularly fixing problems with the 3d printers in the free student work space to 1 staff for 6 printers because of how reliable they are. For the college that is a very big plus side for running a free program. It is like buying a truck instead of an expensive sports car or a cheap bottom of the market car that you have to constantly work on.

[@spookyseafood7682]

I’m watching this even though I already ordered one

[@Ayankeeinthesouth]

I got my MK3 kit last week and been printing ever since I finished building it. You're lucky getting a powder coated PEI sheet. I got a smooth PEI sheet. Can't wait till I can order an additional print sheet. I have't had any issues yet with mine and already looking at getting another one.

[@GradivusAres]

Jason Chambers 100% of what you said, also discussing getting a second MK3. Only thing I wish is that we would just be getting sent the powder coated bed rather then having to order yet another part

[@yonallb]

Why do you guys care so much about the powder coated sheet? Loving my mk3 as well.

[@GradivusAres]

Terb a co-worker of mine happens to have one, and I have been able to use both (his and mine, with the smooth) and it just works better and gives it a much nicer finish (the side in contact with the sheet) honestly both are fine but the powder coated is better

[@jacobahl8317]

get 5 anet a8's.

[@ScottyMakesStuff]

Thanks for a thoughtful review Angus! My simple MK2 cooling fan does a better job than my MK3 does! The cooling fan duct is the issue with poor overhangs. The duct looks good but there's far too much cooling from the front. I used my 3D pen to add a small barrier to the front section and my prints improved by at least 50%. Still a lot of room for improvement though.

[@joepwelling8543]

Hi, I received my MK3 the 9th of April. Ordered it 16th of January. Today i have update my Y-ax to MGN12H linear slider, double block left and single block right. The sliders are 310 mm long it works perfect. I love the results it gives me.

[@chloemcholoe3280]

Thank you for being honest and not being scared of saying the truth or sugar coating it. also i wish people didn't use fancy silky or special filament on reviews. those are VERY good at hiding flaws. white green or lighter normal filaments show flaws very well in my experience. like marble sometimes black and silk filaments hide defects a lot. while white is pretty much a nightmare :P

[@rhettsonpowell872]

I just realized that you create review and Education videos Make Anything makes projects and 3D printing nerd makes tutorials and cool prints.

[@MakersMuse]

I do projects and tutorials too ;)

[@d1v1s1onby0]

Hey Angus - came across this just before I ordered my Mk3 - thanks for the link, make sure they credit you for the sale - Steve

[@MakersMuse]

thanks! enjoy your machine :D

[@Balverin2]

Build mine in 6 hours, still need to do calibration and first print. Real easy guide to follow, my background is quality management and instructions like these are what you can give people that have no technical background. Big thumps up And if prusa wouldn't do the engineering and testing all the clones wouldn't have this stuff. I don't see new things on them till some "premium manufacturers" else does it first

[@Xenoyer]

You're a smart guy! This is the 4th review I've viewed on this printer and yours is better at informing me. Well done.

[@chrisbussey9383]

Hi Angus, You undoubtably have been asked this question many times before. What 3D printer should I buy? I have never used a 3D printer before, I dont have have CAD software or Slicer. Finance will prevent me from upgrading multiple times so I would like to get it right first time within reason irrespective of cost. I tend to do most of my work on reasonably high end Mac's. I guess what I am asking is what should my total workflow be? CAD software, Slicer Software and Printer, I probably dont need to go above a print volume of much more than 180x180x180mm. Output quality, ease of use (as I am a beginner) and reliability are the priorities with speed and multiple materials being much further down the list. I have watched a number of your videos but the number of new terms is bewildering.

[@AndrewRuffolo]

I print a lot of flexible filament on my MK3. Here is what I've done. I dry out the filament before use (it gets rid of the stringing you see on the flexible filaments, seriously try it, its night and day). I raise the z-height adjust by 100 microns. For Ninjaflex, I slow down the printer to 60-70% manually on the machine, not in the slicer. For Cheetah, I print at full speed. That stuff really is amazing and has now been my go-to flexible filament. I print a lot of drone parts for a local guy and this has made me experiment a lot with the flexible. I don't know if Ninjatek filament is available by you, if it is, try the Cheetah!

[@pstasman629]

Hi Angus. For the Z-axis ripple problem (7:00), retry the printing but after the first couple of layers shut down the heated bed.

[@wirekat]

Great honest review!

[@SA8TER21]

There is one thing that you forgot to mention about the MK3 is that alot of people are getting plagued with extrusion issues due to either firmware or something with the drivers. I hope they iron those out in the future and make it so I can get the MK3 upgrade kit so I can have a MK3 like I wanted without all of the extrusion issues alot of people are having.

[@Chargoth]

The mk3 kit I ordered should be coming in tomorrow. Hopefully I can start getting it together once it shows up.

[@TheCarLovingSwede]

Nice video! You should make another video where you compare the print quality on different printers and show them side by side. I have the Wanhao Duplicator I3+ and would like to see how its print quality compares to other printers like the Prusa mk3 :)

[@AcidicVids]

I have the Wanhao i3 (not the plus) and ordered a MK3 though, I'm really close to canceling and just buying the Buildtak removable plate system. really debating because I'd love to have automatic bed leveling as well. Mighty worried about the artifacting he got on straight walls. According to the time table my block is going to start shipping April 30th (yes I know the 30th is over with and its May 3rd) so I'm really close to a ship date.

[@TheCarLovingSwede]

AcidicSights yeah if I would want a Prusa I would buy the mk2 instead 😉

[@Horizoncsafaris]

Awesome to see my Egg making another video. Made me giggle. Have to say Ive had three fully assembled printers now and the Prusa is the only one that actually worked out of the box and prints constantly well. I love, it, well worth the money IMHO. You don’t have to print mod after mod after mod to make it work. I am also confident leaving to print over night whilst we sleep.....oh and we cant here it in the next room which is a massive bonus. I do however agree with some of the points you have made. WiFi for example would have mad a big difference to many. Another great video, thank you Angus 🖖🏼

[@KieranShort]

Angus! if you sent this out on the 16th April, I would've used your affiliate link. doh! already ordered, sorry mate. thanks for the honest review though, I hope they just iron out these little bugs. I saw on their shipping page that so far they've shipped 70,000 of these.. so there's a lot of people waiting for the necessary refinements.

[@MakersMuse]

Don't sweat it!

[@FW190A8UW]

Very happy with mine. Bought the kit and built it over an weekend including gummy bear pause. The only problem I have with it is that the filament cover not fitting right. It prints ok so it is not a big issue. Have to tear down the extruder someday to look at it. :)

[@XanderManCan]

Would you recommend this printer as an upgrade from a flash forge finder? if so, would you recommend the assembled or kit version. This would be my second 3D printer. Great review BTW!

[@Tommy-pv1vh]

Id like to know also since i am in the same situation

[@RonFloyd]

Thanks again Angus. Very detailed review. :-)

[@TheRob2D]

What are you talking about? The MK3 launch was incredibly smooth...............if you're talking about the build plates that is. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh snap. On a more serious note, I totally agree with Angus here. I'd love to see Prusa take a step into the commercial market and make a more high end machine in the 2-3K price range. We use a MK 2.5 here at work, but we recently got a Flashforge Dreamer and it is by far a better machine for our needs than the Prusa. At more or less the same price. We're now looking into higher temp machines and pellet extrusion but there's nothing out there that doesn't cost a fortune. I know Prusa could come up with something amazing but I think Joe is happy enough rolling around in cash for the foreseeable future!

[@cupbowlspoonforkknif]

I am happy to use the affiliate link today because I support your unbiased reviews and great overall content!

[@ArdjanVideo]

Thanks for the review! I've watched already a few of them, and ordered my MK3 kit 2 weeks ago :-) Wifi: It's rather easy to add a Raspberry Pi Zero W onto the back of the EINSY board (but I would recommend using an adapted electronic case from Thingiverse: the one with the back door for the Pi Zero W), but if you're going to use video for monitoring or timelapsing, the Zero W quickly comes to ist limits. I will take a Raspberry Pi 3 with OctoPrint, using the same cable connection to the EINSY board and the Pi cam. This should give me the best of both worlds: an integrated Raspberry Pi, but with enough power to do what I want… In 3 days I will visit the Vienna Maker Fair, and maybe have a chance to meet Josef Prusa himself there :-)

[@rheller_82]

Spot on review and thanks for the ideas on what to do to my mk3.

[@jonpoland2705]

The "wobbly artifact" in the Easter Egg is a Slic3r issue. I printed the egg using Slic3r and also Simplify3D. The wobble only came up with the Slic3r model. I have not attempted to understand the difference between the slicer to explain why this is. Also, for the plastic I use, the Z-hop in Slic3r is WAY too high - especially for PET-G. Increasing retraction distance (again especially with PET-G) and reducing Z-hop to 0.06mm (or lower) produces a much nicer print.

[@willierants5880]

Man I need to write this shit down. Hold on, let me grab a pen... :P

[@willierants5880]

Sir Jon, fuck it, why aren't you making videos? Help us out man!

[@willierants5880]

Excuse the language it was for effect not crudeness or lewdness.

[@odyss160]

Well you do a review of the prusa mini and compare it to the prusa mk i3

[@Chilternflyer]

I've got an early(ish) Mk3 Kit. I've been running mine since early Feb 2018. I was using a raspberry pi with wifi but now I've got it on ethernet. it is so much faster to respond and more reliable. I had some stringing on PETG. that was cured by using a faster retract and disable the z hop. PLA and ABS have been fine. One thing that DOES annoy me is that even after 6 months, we still cannot buy a replacement steel print sheet (not even a blank or a smooth one). I thought that the whole idea of swappable sheets was to have more than one! So how about it Josef??

[@ShaneGadsby]

Regarding what might be causing the texture (sans the normal ghosting, blah blah blah): The 50mm blowers have a strange resonance that I've found can produce that EXACT texture (ever so slight, but perfectly aligned ripple). I must have stripped and rebuilt my Wanhao three times (checked rod accuracy/curvature, check bearing wear, check lubrication, check dimensional accuracy of the frame, etc, etc, etc) before I switched extruder fans (purely by coincidence, as the blower was on a desk just out of reach, but a couple of 40mm standard fans where next to me, me = lazy...) and finally got it to disappear. The blower wasn't by any means off balance (certainly not audibly), so my guess is it's just an intrinsic part of blower design.

[@inaoifeble]

Shane Gadsby I actually was thinking about this today. I was wondering if gyroscopic precession is more of an issue with the blowers. Blowers are typically mounted further from the center of mass, and their attachment points are not as sturdy as the ones for the 40 mm fans. I was actually thinking about trying to move the fans off my hot end and use tubing with a high pressure air source to see if that improved matters. It would also allow me to use more powerful fans.

[@ShaneGadsby]

That's a great idea, I hadn't even though of that! I was just resigning myself to having to buy a 40mm Noctua (sick of the cheapy ones getting loud after a month or two), but a bit of tubing would be a lot quicker and cheaper!

[@pyalot]

It seems unlikely to me that gyroscopic precession could cause any large movement in this case. In order for it to have any great effect it'd need to have considerable moment of inertia. The mass of the moving part of the blower that's say 60% out from the hub is just a few grams, even if it spins at fairly high rates, the forces would be miniscule. You'd need to spin it at ridiculous RPMs to get any noticable effects (RPMs that'd disintegrate the fan on the spot).

[@ShaneGadsby]

Florian Bösch I completely agree, except switching from a blower, to a fan, and back removed, then put back, the ringing...

[@inaoifeble]

Florian Bösch it doesn't need to weigh much, just enough to cause a vibration. This could easily occur with how flexible the mounts are for the blowers. The gyroscopic effects of the fan combined with the flexible mount could easily cause or exacerbate ringing or artifacting in the print. Even a 40mm fan has enough mass to mess up a print. I accidentally broke one of the blades of the hotend cooling fan while a print was going, and the vibration of the fan absolutely destroyed my print from that point forward.

[@willierants5880]

Kit assembly was brutal. Do not cut corners and do not try to fly through it. Take your time and do it right. If you don't you will hate life. [edit] Save yourself time and frustration and just buy the assembled printer. PRUSA isn't making anything off you, trust me, and they test every printer before it leaves their facility. I think time saved and piece of mind is well worth the extra expense.[/edit]

[@ChrisNelsonartwork]

I missed one step and broke a piece...so yes. take your time.

[@NickLandry]

Agreed, take your time. The only reason why i bought the kit was the lead time. Mine shipped in 2 days, vs the assembled version had a 3-week lead time. I don't care about the $250 I saved, it took a long time to build it. At least now I have a better understanding of how it works in case I need to debug something or upgrade it.

[@unimprezzedmclastname4220]

For me, I bought a kit because I wanted to assemble it myself. I was pleasantly surprised that Prusa did Q.C. on their kits (most don't, and it shows), and assembling it made me realize just what a marvel of engineering the printer really is. I managed to assemble mine in two full nights, and there's something special when you take a step back and realize that it looks and works exactly like it's supposed to.

[@NewShockerGuy]

I am looking to buy this kit now. I can't decide between the orange and black or all black...hmmm. This would be my first 3d printer and it just seems so awesome.

[@Robothut]

The random skiping stepper steps "layer shifts" seem to have gone away with the many firmware updates since Feb 2018 when I got mine, but the hot end design still likes to jam when printing in PLA on complex designs that have a lot of retractions. The old MK2 never gave me a filament jam.

[@Velocity_AU]

When i get the money im so buying one myself, i love my Anet A8 but i want something quiet that i can run over night in my room!

[@aaronbeckman]

dvanw6 also with a smaller fire hazard 😀

[@Velocity_AU]

Ive actually fixed my Anet a8 up enough that it aint a huge fire hazard any more

[@carbide1968]

dvanw6 have you thought of replacing those linear ball bearing to plastic bearings? I did it and its almost silent.

[@EvilBambo0]

for quietness, you can try Drylin Igus bearings or clones, add suspension springs to the base of the printer, substitute stock fan with Noctua, or just simply install Octoprint and relocate your A8 to a quiet place in your house that you can't hear the noise. Re thermal protection you can Install Marlin firmware for functions such as thermal runaway etc, as well as soldering some cables, shielding some critical junctions or upgrade PSU. Hope it helps ;)

[@michaelyoung6614]

I'm happy with mine, mainly due to the bed and auto level feature, which is much better than my Cocoon Create V2. Great review Angus!

[@ssbmfan4]

I couldn't print with TPU no matter how slow I set the print speed. It kept spilling out the side of the extruder. Never thought my extruder might be too tight. Thanks for mentioning that, I'll definitely try that and see if it helps.

[@thebob94547]

Really like your honest videos and opinion. Would you recommend it still today? Lets say for a experienced Ender 3 Pro user (with tons of mods)?

[@GrowMau5]

The most valuable mk3 video I’ve seen today. Great job ✌🏽👍😜

[@partsdave8943]

I Love the precision of my Mk3. I just received my fully assembled on 04/13/18. They are assembling so fast that the X carriage belt tensioner bolt was completely loose and the PINDA probe was set too high. Strangely it worked great for 4 days and then crashed. I tightened the bolt, then did a firmware re flash and lowered the PINDA probe to the correct spacing and it's been running great since!!!!! Again its precision is awesome. My other printer is a Monoprice Select Mini V2. Good starting printer with decent quality. Just not as accurate.

[@gork42]

The MK3 is an interesting machine; I have one of the initial machines shipped to the US. The 8bit control board is really holding it back; the CPU is overloaded at times and it's going to take a lot of great care to fix up. Because Prusa has not kept up with merging from Marlin the repos are so far diverged they bear little resemblance to one another today and despite Prusa's improvements to Marling greatly improving the project a few years ago, many improvements to Marlin have not made it back to Prusa's firmwre. What you are calling "artifacting" on the outer surface is part of this trouble. It is a universal problem on all MK3 machines. I really hope they can work it out with the help of their community because it ought to be the pinnacle of 8bit cartesian machines. The other thing you should have really mentioned is that NOBODY except for youtubers have received the nice powder coated beds. Their current yield is about 5/day and its looking unlikely that they will ever be able to ship them at scale.

[@taerog]

How it the 8bit control board holding it back? Specifically.. how is it overloaded? There is no indication of that and am wondering if that is a opinion or is it based on some data?

[@Lysergesaure1]

I don't like the "in-your-face" design with all the Prusa branding on essentially every part. We get it, it's the name of the product. Don't shove your own name every time I look at it, it's a little pretentious. It also seems to have some 3D-printed parts, which is probably fine but for a $750 printer you would expect something a bit more serious. I also feel, but this is entirely subjective, that the kinematics have reached their limit. I believe CoreXY is superior in terms of achievable speed (lower moving mass, especially Y axis), compact size (no need to have huge supports for a bed that moves around) and easiness to build an enclosure.

[@noway8233]

Yeah , yuo are right in evrything, corexy its superior in speed aceleration, etc.. Yuo have a point on every place "Original Prusa", the funny thing , in china are making Clones, and they said "Original Prusa"

[@johnhodgkiss9882]

Really good honest review. Its fresh to hear a review that does not constantly kiss Josephs ass, like you said at a religious level

[@NikolaosTsarmpopoulos]

Hi Angus. This is yet another good video of yours, but I have two complaints to make: 1. I'm surprised you presented the product with the powder-coated heatbed, at a time PRUSA still ships the printer with the older PEI-coated spring steel sheet. It's kind of... false advertising. 2. I'm surprised to hear many vloggers say that they don't get paid for their reviews. I'd challenge you to tell that to the Inland Revenue! Typically, tax needs to be paid on the retail value of a "gift". My experience from assemblying the printer kit was smooth. It did take me a weekend, with minor issues, like a blocked hole that I had to drill through and the printhead cover not fitting perfectly, but the printer worked straight away, so I'm generally very happy with that.

[@2684dennis]

what cad software is used for these printers to draw 3d models?

[@3DSteveM]

I have had mine about 6 weeks and had a bearing failure, I replaced them myself, they failed again, I wrote to Prusa 60 hours to get a reply, they offered to send out the parts - never arrived. I line bored the parts properly and replaced the bearings, 20 hours printing later a fan failure, I just ordered a new one from Prusa, the order just sat there for 2 days so I sat and waited 15 minutes on live chat to be told it would not even go out this week, My printer is back in the box on its way to the Czech Republic sorry guys great design poorly produced and no backup. Disgusted and never again. I have a CR10 and got a reply in 7 hours from China when I had an issue, given the time difference that's impressive.

[@pyalot]

If you used Slic3r prusa edition, the mk3 profile uses less agressive retraction settings compared to the Prusa Control slicer which achieves much better results in regards to webbing/stringing. If you tune the Slic3r mk3 profile to similar settings, the results improve noticably. I opened a github ticket commenting this a couple weeks ago, as of yet no reaction.

[@pyalot]

Github issue: github.com/prusa3d/Slic3r-settings/issues/32

[@JamesSaga1]

Just ordered a Mk3 hope that goes through for you :)

[@THE-BIG-JP-REILS]

Me too! I’ve gotta wait a month

[@JamesSaga1]

THE-BIG-JP- REILS AHH I know :) , my wanhao i3 died and now I have no printer :(

[@THE-BIG-JP-REILS]

James Saga this prusa will be my first ever printer, I've been watching all these 3d printing channels for a while so i thought why not

[@JamesSaga1]

THE-BIG-JP- REILS very nice, can I recommend learning some basic CAD if you don't already, v useful

[@THE-BIG-JP-REILS]

James Saga learning CAD would be usefull so i dont depend on thingiverse! Thanks for the tip!

[@jaysprenkle1026]

I've really liked the machine I got. I have had two major failures since in four months though. The first failure the wires to the print bed heater were damaged when the insulation was stripped. The wire broke at the solder junction in spite of the strain relief. The second issue I have not fully debugged. The print cooling fan failed and it's looking like the electronics are to blame. My power supply is now singing to me after it gets warmed up. It feels like delivery promises caused them to rush it too much.

[@jeffb5798]

I own a Lulzbot Taz 4. It doesn't have any of the modern features (like auto bed leveling) and I've been thinking about buying a new printer. I was looking at the MK3 but am going to hold off (made this decision before your video). WRT your list, here are my thoughts: * WiFi. This isn't important to me, I run w/a PC tethered to my Taz 4, and I run Simplify3D or Cura. If I wished to run untethered, I'd buy a Raspberry Pi and run Octoprint, so WiFi (for me) isn't very important. * V rollers for Y-axis. Probably, I wonder how much it would add to the cost. * Linear rails for X-Axis. Yes! If this were an optional upgrade, I'd order it with this option. * Color touch screen. This isn't important to me, mostly because I spend most of my time in S3D or Cura. Not only are graphic touch screens more expensive, but the cost to design and develop the interface is order of magnitudes more $$$ to develop. My vote would be to leave the LCD as-is. * Easier printing with flexible filaments. YES! I wish there was an option to order one w/a print head specifically for flexibles, like a flexion. Other thoughts: * I wish the print head was easily swapable (kinda like the Taz4/5/6), and there were different print heads - one for PLA and ABS, one for flexables, one for abrasive materials, etc...) * I really like the option to either buy one fully assembled, or buy one in kit form and save some money. I hope they continue to do this for future models.

[@f_bomb_3000]

Great video Angus! Have you printed and installed the updated X-Motor Holder and X-Carriage Backplate yet? I've printed them out for my MK3 but haven't installed them. Wondering if there is any improvement in print quality if at all.

[@Funkotronimus]

I was sold almost completely by the level of excitement in your voice 😜

[@bigfilsing]

Having the spool where it is and specifically on the new single arm spool holder can actually dampen vibrations much like a passive tuned mass damper. This would be very dependant on the jerk/accelleration/print speed settings, the flex in the spool holder arm & the weight of the spool but dismissing it as a bad idea/design isn't necessarily correct

[@MakersMuse]

That's actually a fair point I didn't consider that. My concern was it flexing the frame like a pendulum or something along those lines

[@owensparks5013]

I remember a hifi enthusiast friend filling the hollow legs of his speaker stands with sand, perhaps we could do something similar with printer design.

[@bigfilsing]

I'm pretty sure it wasn't designed to function as a mass damper ( food for thought thou) The flip side of the damping theory is it could, under the right circumstances, in principle, amplify the resonance. Time to strap an accelerometer to the frame and see what effect, if any, the spool holder and a 1 kg spool has.

[@willierants5880]

bigfilsing, if you do this please let us know the results. I'd watch that video (if you made one)!

[@johnheaney4203]

Obviously, the weight of a spool changes by 1 kg over its life, so using it for vibration dampening seems unreliable.

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

Well good review...my take away is that the only real "wow" is the build plate/spring steel PEI coating. You have some sort of ghosting going on and it's failing your challenging prints. I would really like to see him offer a Bowden setup and lighten that enormous/heavy print head. Still...those printers have quiet a reputation and I would still like to try one out!

[@JulienTJ]

I use mine 24/7 and while I agree that the first killer feature is the removable build plate, I also love how quiet it runs, even on normal mode. I also love the filament sensor which makes it so much easier to change filaments.The other features are just about reliability which is also nice when printing a lot. Ghosting can be reduced a lot by moving to an external spool holder and removing the damper feet.

[@StopChangingUsernamesYouTube]

Thanks for sharing your gripes with this! I've seen so much glowing praise for the MK3 while the Prusa forum was full of "WORLD ON FIRE. EVERYTHING WRONG. HELP." threads on a lot of the teething troubles the printer had. A removable build plate, power loss resume, and a filament sensor are game-changing, but reviews like this might help some people avoid early adopter syndrome.

[@Streaml1neJMoose]

I added a magnetic spring steel removable bed to my Qidi Tech 1, best $50 ever spent. Ever.

[@OzFaxFlyer]

Where did you get it?

[@IgnoreMyChan]

I received my MK3 last weekend! I love it. But I struggle with the UI of Slic3r. Do you have a good Simplify3D profile for it? Especially for PETG.

[@hackawayjr2590]

If you don't need all the settings give PrusaControl a try, very simple interface but lacks settings yet still produced great prints 90% of the time on my dilapidated MK2.

[@chandlervoit4630]

IgnoreMyChan go to the original Prusa Facebook page and check those profiles. I use them and are fantastic

[@JonathanKayne]

I think I posted a Simplify3D profile for PETG on the Prusa Forum a while back. Works perfectly for eSun PETG.

[@IgnoreMyChan]

Chandler Voit, I don't have facebook. Apparently that is mandatory to view those posts.

[@IgnoreMyChan]

Jonathan Kayne do you have a link or thread ID? Thanks in advance!

[@KieranShort]

Question Angus! -- What is the difference between the smooth spring steel PEI sheet that we're all getting, vs the powder coated version you've got?? Is powder coated (a) easier to remove prints from? (b) harder for prints to stick to? (c) leave a rough finish on the under side of the bottom layer?

[@MakersMuse]

Both work well but I prefer the texture, shame it's proving difficult to manufacture for Prusa!

[@willierants5880]

I have the smooth sticker PEI sheet and it works very well. The main difference is in the surface texture. The textured sheet will grab parts better no doubt, but it leaves a texture, which I actually find very pleasing. All the Mk3 parts are printed on the textured sheets and they are lovely and feel awesome. You can see the texture on Angus' models he showcases in this video. The smooth sheet on the other hand being smooth will not grab parts as effectively and will leave a glass smooth finish on parts printed directly onto the sheet (no rafts). Tips: Be sure to clean the PEI sheets very well using 90+ Iso Alcohol. Otherwise parts may not stick well. After every 100 hours of prints clean the PEI sheet with Acetone. This is all spelled out in the docs, forums and start-up videos produced by PRUSA. Thus far I'm very happy with the smooth sheet. When I take PRUSA up on the compensation offer I'm going to get a textured PEI, but also another smooth one. The sheets are consumables.

[@KieranShort]

WillieRants thanks Willie

[@wilsonmura5930]

I just bought a MK3, but funny thing is I was between the MK3 and Cetus. If the Cetus guys get the features of the MK3 on there printers I'd totally give them a try.

[@aaronbeckman]

wilson mura it doesn’t have a heated bed, right? If the Cetus people added a heated bed, I would totally buy that machine (I’m good right now though...)

[@wilsonmura5930]

It's a little more than that say if you where compering it to a MK2 yeah sure just a heated bed But with the MK3 it's more: filament detection, flex plate, bondtech, the new probe. Plus were I live customs is a pain so Cetus using there own hot ends it a big turn off, the more open and easier the parts are to get the better for me.

[@wilsonmura5930]

Just checked they don't ship to where I live so yeaaaah no Cetus for me.

[@aaronbeckman]

wilson mura :(

[@willierants5880]

Oh you and me both, but they don't so I went with the Mk3.

[@gonzostwin1]

Would it be conducive to do a video say, 6 months after release of machines to print the same item to see how through firmware the models have improved

[@khalilburno9713]

Angus ,The texture you mention at 7:00 it is a micro stepping ,i am kind of sure ,Thank you for the great KZbin channel ,i am a big fan .

[@peekpt]

Nice honest review. Prusa has reputation but I hope next printer will be a different design. If you look at the competition today they are very advanced with very good if not better quality printers, touchscreens fine printing. I think prusa mk3 missed the most important thing trying to bring features that are not so important to the user, unless you live in a city that the energy is always failing or you are so distracted person that don't look at your filament spool, or you need a quiet environment. The most important thing ever: the print itself, the quality I mean for that price it must be flawless no artifacts whatsoever. I love Prusa concept, they start tiny and now they got big, big responsibility also, with all that infrastructure it's time to an overhaul on the design and quality, a printer that can shoot the competition off for a long time. Cheers

[@blafaselbubu]

Prusa is successfully filling the gap between low cost clones and the $2k+ printers. In my opinion they should stick to this price range and don't get more expensive.

[@1koenner]

Super pissed off with my Prusa at the moment.. their customer service could learn a thing or two about respect and long-term retention. They cut a few corners in terms of reliability testing with the Mk3 and it's showing up in print fan failures. So far they've refused to do anything to compensate me for mine. It's more expensive, but I'll be going for a Zortrax next time.

[@jamesthorogood1479]

Hi Angus, do you recommend the Cetus MK2? How does the print quality compare to the Prusa MK3? Thanks.

[@benitron1]

I disagree adding a touch screen would make it harder to use. Yes, I am aware I am probably in the minority, but my experience with touch screens is nothing but frustration even on smartphones.

[@keco185]

I agree. Unless it’s a super high quality and large touch screen with well designed software, it’s just a pain to use. And the added cost necessary to make a quality touch screen/interface isn’t worth it.

[@owensparks5013]

I would have to disagree, the screen on my up mini 2 and Markforged printers are so easy to use, and display more info at a glance than an LCD with 4 lines of plain text. Sorry but are you seriously saying it would be an upgrade to your phone if it only had one button? All the test equipment I build at work now have touch screens, so much easier than faffing around with KB and mouse for simple operations. Much as I like many of the MK3 features this part looks 5 years out of date already.

[@ch3fxexcell3nce]

I really like the touchscreen on the Flashforge Finder, but I could see it getting weird when you have all the extra options that the Prusa would have. Namely, live adjust Z would be a pain in the ass

[@benitron1]

For me, it is harder and slower to use a touchscreen than keyboard and mouse. As for my phone maybe not only one button, but buttons would be preferable.

[@TacBlades]

benitron1 a touch screen with a rotary knob is the best solution best of both worlds. Different features work better with different input devices.

[@VenomTheCat]

I agree except for the touchscreen.

[@greyspot00]

There seems to have been a lot less testing and quality control with the mk3. Slapped on some "upgrades" and tada, new model! My mk2s is looking like a more solid and less finicky machine.

[@nigelmdl]

orderd mine as a kit (with the powder coated spring sheet) ^^ for what I have seen this is going to be a very long wait untill its here :D Also nice review, started watching and like the style of vids you make!

[@TD3DPrinting]

Love your channel man!

[@dustindaily4328]

Ever thoughts about reviewing a QIDI (Like maybe the Qidi X-Plus)? Look like an upcoming underdog...

[@MakersMuse]

I reviewed the X-One back in 2016, great little machine.

[@AndrewAlexander76]

After using the flex bed surface on the MK3, I'm ruined for my other printers with non-removable beds!!

[@TheTmw86]

Once again a honest unbiased review. Fantastic video Angus. You are hands down the best KZbin creator when it comes to 3D printing reviews. I honestly think Josef Prusa would be happy with this video since it highlights all the good and bad things honestly.

[@A1N0]

I think I will wait a bit having been burned by other Prusa offerings that weren't ready for Prime Time. My MK2 is OK but has a problem with auto calibration in that the set Z height varies depending on how hot the bed is. Yes, the MK3 supposedly fixes that with a temp sensor next to the height sensor, what about all those people who bought the MK2? I guess that is the Prusa way, just fix problems as you go and forget the people who bought the previous products. Printers like the Raise3D don't even have adjustable beds anymore, so Prusa has created a complex solution to a problem that doesn't really have to exist. Then there is the multi-material upgrade. Yeah, it works so well that Prusa discontinued it after 6 months and now has a "better" one. Another $250 down the drain. I guess I feel more like a beta tester than a customer. But there is an elephant in the room. Any high-quality printer needs an enclosure, to keep the heat in to stop warping and to provide air filtering. I guess maybe the MK8 or MK9 will have that feature.

[@Seraphic85]

Lol, Raise3D are also 3x the price...

[@ryanschweitzer1494]

I don’t know if you still read comments, but would you recommend this as a first 3D printer ? I want high quality right out of the box. Does the ender 5 or ender 3 even come close to this?

[@thommcc2779]

2022 Prusa check in from MakerMuse??

[@MakersMuse]

I donated it, and they still use it all the time!

[@ferdinandverkaart9497]

@Maker's Muse Im thinking of buying my first 3d printer and your video's influenced me a lot. Would you recoment the creality 10s or this printer? Thanks in advance Fekke

[@jamessinclair6829]

these "bugs" you speak of (and obviously some of them were physical parts so not incl) but are you talking possible software fixes for them or are you saying that those bugs will be worked out in future versions of the printer?

[@HelloNotMe9999]

Hi there! I'm looking at picking up a Prusa Mk3S soon. Do you think that it might be able to print using nylon filament (website says it can), and can you do some testing with nylon for higher strength prints? Thanks.

[@richardgonzalez2164]

Hey! I want to get into 3D printing and I’ve never done anything like it, I’m completely new to this but this printer really caught my attention. Any suggestions? Is this good for beginners? Or Should I start with another printer first

[@DJXaevo]

Would you recommend the MK3S+ kit for the price, or is there something better for the same amount of money?

[@ulesnoble7150]

Hi Angus, F.Y.I my Prusa I3 MK3 prints Ninjaflex filimant fine as stock, the only mod I did was to V the PTFE tube to meet the Bondteck Gears. Cant wait to see what Prusa have for a MK4, Colour touch screen and WIFI???? :-)

[@wouldbabyhitlerkillyou4217]

Honestly the print quality could be better as this price point. I've seen consistently better results from printers half the cost of this one, with even larger print sizes (CR-10S/Tornado). One issue you didn't mention in this video is the major "extruder problem" that many people are having, and it still hasn't been fixed (no one knows what causes it). Search on youtube and you'll see the issue I'm talking about! So all in all, I'm sorry but this printer is overpriced at the moment! The print quality should be damn near perfect for spending nearly $1000!!!

[@user-qx7tm5df8j]

3:43 "no heavy mass on top of the machine" **whole table wobbles**

[@MakersMuse]

Classic shake test here on Maker's Muse lol . My furniture is so budget >_>

[@user-qx7tm5df8j]

there are other priorities :D

[@jbatic8094]

a good table might improve print quality

[@MakersMuse]

It actually lives on a sturdy workbench on top of a thick concrete tile, I just had it on a crappy table for the video :D

[@willierants5880]

The printer wasn't even running during the supposed "wobble". Overly critical or just some laughs? I take it as the latter. :D

[@willierants5880]

For me WIFI isn't an issue. The printer works very well with OctoPrint which also provides other benefits generally not seen in WIFI enabled printers. OctoPrint rocks and I now use it all the time. I can't see going back to using SD cards, though it's still an option if I choose it. Setting up OctoPrint couldn't have been easier. It took about 15 minutes. It's really a non-issue. CAUTION: There have been reported issues using the PiZero on the Rambo (over heating perhaps others). I'm not sure how big a problem this is if at all since I already had a Pi 3 laying around doing nothing so I employed that instead. It's currently running separately, but I do plan to connect my Pi to the Mk3's PSU and mount it to the printer so it's out of the way. I'm using an older LogiTech 1080p web cam on it as well. Plug and play.

[@Backyardwrenching1243]

honestly i like the noise... i think the whirring an humming would be neat amirite?

[@treasuretotrash2067]

Your standards are pretty high for those lattusssss (spelling mistake) cubes. I think it did a decent job on it.

[@Maverick7r]

Great review!! It makes me feel better about some of the issues that I've been having while trying to print, (like the stripes on the torture egg). I definitely love it but, (and I hate to say this but) I tend to get better looking prints from my $200 Monoprice Select Mini V2 right now... :-(. Don't get me wrong, the prints are acceptable and again I definitely love my Prusa MK3 but hopefully Josef and his team will get all the bugs worked out soon!! Love your videos man, keep up the great work!!! :)

[@SkiidMark]

I also get better prints from my Monoprice Select Mini V2 still.

[@mitchell3789]

Angus, I'm looking to purchase a printer for minis, taking the appropriate steps (IE slightly smaller nozzle, layer heights ect), would this machine be a good fit? Thanks for the review, always looking forward to the next video! Best, Jake

[@ivanperez8200]

Mate what Pla did you use? The black one that looks like stone, is amazing, also I'm from NZ and usually buy from Australia, is there any websites you recommend? I usually buy Esun as is pretty economic and good quality. Btw are the new bed sheet powder coated available yet? Thanks for your amazing videos, I have been seeing you for more than a year now, it would be awesome meet you one day in a fair. Regards from NZ Btw I love my MK3 so much, after owning a cheap Chinese i3, Wich was a pain to put together, but fun to upgrade, then a Qidi tech 1, Wich gave me a few problems, MK3 has been amazing since day 1, so much fun to put it together, and it's so fun to use!

[@helicrashpro]

Do you think the artifacting could be due to poor temp control? If the temperature swing is to great, I have seen artifacting just like this on a machine with poor temp control with temp swings of about 10 degrees.