Original Prusa Mk3 Enclosure: Unboxing, Assembly, and REVIEW. Is a $500 Prusa-box worth it?
If you liked this video please check out my review of the Prusa Multi Material Upgrade MMU2! • Original Prusa Multi-M... (6 minutes)
-Affiliate links-
Magnetic LED light (USB powered) that I recommend - I use two of these in addition to the Original Prusa add-on: amzn.to/41sLkNo
Tent style enclosure recommend to me: amzn.to/3H3lszD
(I haven't personally tried it and would suggest moving the PSU outside the enclosure for long term use)
0:00 Intro
2:02 Unboxing
3:22 Assembly
4:37 Completed Enclosure & add-ons
5:08 Test Prints
6:11 Cons
8:10 Pros
9:30 Conclusion
After almost FOUR MONTHS I finally received the Original Prusa enclosure for my Prusa i3 Mk3s+. In this video I talk about enclosures for 3D printers, I unbox and build the Prusa enclosure, and finally I give a full review of the PROS and CONS.
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Here is a link to the Prusa material guide I briefly mentioned in the video help.prusa3d.com/materials
If you liked this video please check out my review of the Prusa Multi Material Upgrade MMU2: kzhead.info/sun/qNiykZeHg5elnGw/bejne.html
Outstanding presentation. Literally can't think of a single thing you left out. Great job!
Thank you so much for your feedback!
I'll review the Prusa multi material MMU2 as well, video will go out in a few more days
Thank you for a very nice video! Happy printing!
Thanks for your comment! I wish I could tell if this is the Original Josef Prusa or not... If that's you Josef - thanks for all you've done
I purchased one and love it. Another modification you might want to consider is printing and adding the components to make the top act as a door so access to the printer is easier. I did this right away as I also have the MMU2S (multi material unit) mounted on my printer. There is plenty of room in the enclosure but having a hinged lid make for servicing both the printer & MMU so much easier.
Thanks for the comment and great suggestion! MMU2S is on my list to purchase soon - I'll look into the top mod, is there a guide anywhere?
HI. Did you leave the electronics (ie the electronic board) attached to the printer or did you have it outside. I have heard you should have it outside, but I have noticed it produces a lot of heat in itself so could only help to heat the enclosure….just wondering.
The PSU is moved to the outside of the enclosure but the main board (drivers, controllers, etc) remains inside the enclosure.
I haven't had any issues due to heat when printing ASA but some folks have recommended reprinting the printed MK3 components in ASA which I haven't bothered with yet
I preordered when it was first announced. It got delayed due to the adds ons but they shipped out the enclosure first then add ons second. I waited (I think about a month) before I put it together to avoid having to do what you did. Overall, I love it. The cost wasn’t too bad given I purchased my printer a year before getting the enclosure. To buy both at one time would have been a hard pill to swallow. Definitely getting a X1 carbon when funds increase. Edit: great review!
Thank you for your comment! Good to know Prusa shipped your enclosure and add-ons separately, that was the smart way to do it. When did you receive yours? I got my shipment late November. I also am eyeing the X1 carbon, and the elegoo Saturn 2 8K, and a laser cutter, and a million other tools for my shop :)
@@AsaMakes got my enclosure in August and Add ons in October (So it wasn’t a month lol). It wasn’t too bad of a wait given I waited since May for it. I hear you on all the tools! I am the same way. The X1 Carbon has been looking very enticing though.
Nice video! thanks for the effort and time
Thanks! I really hope my videos are informative or entertaining or both
Thanks for the video. I ordered one the day after it was announced, but still have not assembled it now. Due to the long wait, I build some Lack enclosures in the meantime, and they work nice. So assembly of the original Prusa enclosure is not a priority at the moment. The most important reason for an enclosure at the moment in my opinion is energy crisis. Personaly I have no problems with +8°C (46°F) inside the house and due to a mild winter here in Germany, I do not even have to turn heating on to archive this at the moment. But while that temperature is not a problem for me, it is for 3d-printing. Below 14°C the mk3s does not even start due to min. temp error. With an enclosure, I just use a hair dryer to heat up bed and hotend a little bit before powering on the printer. Also changed start g-code to first heat the bed and wait for 10 minutes before heating hotend and starting the print. Without enclosure even PLA would warp... I tried ASA, but even with lack enclosure it worped at the moment (works well in summer). While Lack enclosure is a nice DIY alternative, it is not as cheap as many people seem to think. It is still >$100 if you have to order the acrilic panels, have no Ikea nearby (so shipping the tables also or drive a longer distance), calculate the filament needed etc. Also I build the Lack enclosures a year ago (also in winter) and needed an enclosure to print the parts for the enclosure... I ended up buying an Creatity tent just to print the parts for the Lack enclosure. So if you find out you need an enclosure in late autum, the original Prusa enclosure in its basic version is not as expensive as it seems (at least living in Europe with shorter delivery times). Anyway, constantly tinkering on the printers is not cheep anyway. A good rigid enclosure is an investment lasting for quite a time. You might use it for decades. So I consider it a good idea to have at least one rigid enclosure with a reliable printer inside. Esp. if you might swap to a X1 carbon as main printer, you want a reliable, well stored printer available ready to use, if your new main printer has some issues and you need to wait for or print replacement parts. Also with all the other upgrades you might do with an mk3s, the cost of one original enclosure might actually a drop in the water anyway. Revo, Zorbiter, MMU2, SuperPinda+, high end bearings etc. add up a lot. So alltogether the original enclosure (basic version) is just about 20% of the cost already spend for a fully upgraded mk3s+ ;-) Also with multiple printers do not forget the space you need. Of course it depends on where you live. In NY or Frankfurt I would not even wait a second to buy stackable enclosures, as you save a lot of space (and therefore rent), so it is a very good return on investment. Living in the backcountry, the space does not matter as much, so placing the printers side by side taking up more space does not matter.
Thank you for your very detailed response! I definitely recommend you assemble it when you do find the time and I appreciate your insightful points. Especially the min temp error, I stuck a space heater next to my printer for when I leave it off for long periods of time in the winter. I hadn't thought of a hair dryer or heat gun... I will do that next time I hit min temp!
In the video you say that you wished you had read the instructions for the filter and LED light because you had assembled the whole enclosure and would have not assembled the whole enclosure. What parts would you do after installing the fan and lights? The top or the top and clear sides?
This is strange I thought I responded to this last week so sorry for the delay! I think leaving two of the sizes off would be plenty to ease the install
Nice video, thanks. Did you do any tests regarding noise reduction? I've been looking for info (test data or anecdotal) about how much it reduces the sound of the printer when in use vs before an enclosure was used.
Best I have for you is anecdotal, it seems to reduce the noise a decent amount but I wouldn't go as far as calling it a significant difference. I imagine a plywood box, Ikea cabinet, or something similarly solid would do a lot better
Great vid!
Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this I also have a similar review of the Prusa MMU2 upgrade
For me the enclosure isn't about temperature or odor control; it's about cat control.
You put the cat in the enclosure and they can't mess up your prints, brilliant Thanks for watching!
😂
Nicely done video. You briefly showed a table from Prusa web site showing which materials should be used in an enclosure. I searched and couldn't find that page. Can you provide a link?
Thanks for your comment! I forgot to add the link to the description so thanks for the reminder as well Here’s the link: help.prusa3d.com/materials It’s a great resource
how is the enclosure doing in regards to the saw dust, my wife is wanting me to move my printer to my woodshop and i'm worried about the dust...
It's been really good. I am definitely not a wood worker so I'm not generating huge amounts of dust but I use my table saw and miter saw every few weeks. There is very little dust inside the enclosure and I have to vacuum the outside pretty regularly.
Excellent video! I'm thinking of getting one because I'm interested in the air filtration system. How well does it work with ABS or any of the high VOC filaments? My home office doesn't have a close enough window where I can vent out fumes. Any feedback would be appreciated. :)
Thank you! And thanks for watching, I really appreciate it. I've printed a lot of ASA now with the Prusa Enclosure and filter running in my basement (roughly 1000 sqft unfinished space) Even with the filter running the whole basement will smell faintly like ASA though it is significantly better than no enclosure/no filter. I can't comment on the health/safety etc but it would definitely annoy me in a smaller space. I will typically open a basement window and run a box fan to draw out air if I'm working in the basement while printing ASA. I think a home office smell somewhat of fumes while printing. If you're able to pull air out of the office (even if the enclosure itself isn't vented) I think that would help a lot. Good luck and let me know what you end up doing - I'm definitely interested.
Excellent video.
Thanks Gregg!
After months of use, how hard is it to do a proper service and clean up of the printer? Do you need to do un assembly to take it out of the enclosure? Thanks!
Oh great question. I now have 4x Mk3s+ and 4x enclosures and the only time I've taken the printer out of the enclosure was to 1. do MMU2 and later MMU3 upgrades and 2. tension belts as access under the bed is difficult. Otherwise, the printers stay in the enclosures and other normal service items are accessible while in the enclosure. It's also easy to remove the printer when needed (a minute or two to remove). For example: I leave the printers in when cleaning and re-greasing the rods, I disassembled an extruder and replaced the PTFE tube, nozzle swaps - all with the printer inside the enclosure. Thanks for watching!
@@AsaMakesthank you very much. You’re the best!!
Does it seal well? Where the doors meet is there a gap? If I were to spend that much cash for an enclosure I want it to seal well. Especially since I'm looking at the filtration upgrade.
It's definitely not air tight or particularly close to air tight but it doesn't need to be for the filter to work well. The filter fan is moving air around inside the enclosure instead of forcing air in or out. So it really doesn't impact the filter if there are some air gaps in/out of the enclosure. Thanks for watching!
I only print in PLA and PETG so I don't need an enclosure for the heat, but I would still like an enclosure to protect from dust and my kids...do you have any recommendations for alternatives that aren't $500, but more solid than a grow tent or cardboard box?
Ikea Lack build if you want a fun project (there are lots of guides including one from Prusa!) Or Prusa-Box from Printer-Box for around $230 shipped to the US Thanks for watching!
You might want to buy a small server cabinet. They are also completely made of metal and cost a third. However, I have heard that some models rattle... If noise is a problem, you should read up on it.
How would you rate the filtration system with ABS? That has to be the worse filament to use when it comes to smell in my opinion.
The smell test tells me there's a lot of improvement but I am printing in a roughly 1500 square foot basement so it's hard to say how effective it would be in a small room. It has definitely cut down on odors significantly for my setup. Hope that was helpful!
Does HEPA filter completely blocks harmful particles and fumes outside the box? Curious because I plan to print in living room during winter days. IMHO, for that price it should include all the accessories.
Good question, the enclosure definitely isn't air tight, there will always be some sort of fume and particle leakage but I expect it's mitigated a lot I'll have to look at some data sheets and papers on the specific outgassing or particle generation to answer with facts! The nose test tells me it does a significant improvement over no enclosure. A test print of ABS stunk up my entire basement before I had the enclosure. It was much better after the enclosure
@@AsaMakes Thanks! I hope there will be fume and particle data sheet. I already have IKEA lack enclosure which is very flimsy, but other than that works fine. Seems that its not right time upgrading to original enclosure, unless its 300$ with all addons.
What are the dimensions of the enclosure?
From the product page: Dimensions with the LCD mounted outside: 530 mm (w) × 545 mm (h) × 715 mm (d). help.prusa3d.com/article/original-prusa-enclosure_347479 Thanks for watching!
I also just ordered one, it's just strange that Prusa doesn't know how often to change a filter or if it can be cleaned and where to buy if necessary.
Interesting - I missed those points. I'm guessing they don't really know themselves as it would be pretty dependent on material used
can you mount a filtration tube to the window to filter the fumes outside?
Thanks for your question - yes, if you look carefully at 4:42 in my video there's a small hexagonal section of the polycarbonate just above the power supply that can be punched out. That could definitely be used to vent out fumes
@@AsaMakes thank you this definitely helps
Do you believe other printers would fit in this enclosure? Such as an Ender3?
You may need to modify the rubber feet inside the enclosure as they're specific to the Prusa What are the dimensions of your Ender3? 3dupfitters makes an acrylic ender3 enclosure that may work
Thinking of purchasing one for myself, but would you recommend the LEDs as a feature that you cannot love without? Additionally, from your experience with it so far, have you had trouble accessing the printer components for maintenance for example? (ie. is it difficult to take the printer out/inspect the printer)
Thanks for your comment! It's annoying but quick to remove the printer from the enclosure - 5 minutes maximum if you're able bodied. You reach into the far corner of the enclosure to release the PSU (thumb screws), disconnect the front LCD panel, and then pull the printer out. The printer itself is just resting on the bottom of the enclosure against some rubber stoppers. Access is pretty good, there is a lot of space in the enclosure to reach in I could definitely have lived without the LED strip. I have some bright overhead LED shop lights that illuminate the inside pretty well. Today the LED strip is +$38 if you already have selected the filtration system. The LED strip is +$76 if you buy it alone with no filtration system! You could get a bunch of battery powered LED stick on lights for that.
I have one of my own and the filter fan sounds like its hitting something when i turn it on. Is that the same with yours or does anyone have an enclosure who could tell me?
I'm guessing something is caught in your fan - it sounds just like a normal fan when running correctly (somewhat loud but not a hitting noise)
Thank You, I will order a replacement. @@AsaMakes
Also this or the competitor which is “prusa box”? It seems like the prusa box is more tight around the printer this box is very big and has a lot of unnecessary unused space it’s super bulky.
This is a great question! The Prusa-Box made by Printer-Box is around $260 shipped to my location. That's a lot cheaper than the Original Prusa Enclosure I have and reviewed. The unnecessary and bulky used space is good for service and access but definitely is a draw back. Thanks for your comment. So is it worth another $150 for the Original Prusa Enclosure compared to the Prusa-Box? Eh, I'm not so sure it was worth it. I do think the Original Prusa advanced filtration system will significantly outperform the Prusa-Box filter. The Original Prusa version has a much more powerful blower compared to the Prusa-Box 120mm fan. For anyone else reading this: Printer-Box is a company that makes a less expensive enclosure kit for the Prusa printer. I don't have one to review though!
I’m having a helluva time with ASA warping and not sticking to the bottom support. Tried everything lower temp higher temp,etc. guess i have to get an enclosure but $500 WOW! That’s too much
I haven't tried this myself but folks on reddit have recommended tent enclosures like this: amzn.to/3H3lszD I'm able to print in ASA and ABS with relative ease now and I expect you can get a similar level of performance with that tent compared to the Prusa Enclosure. Thanks for watching!
@@AsaMakes thanks i’ll grab one of those
Will this enclosure enable printing PA (nylon) without warping?
I've only done a few Nylon test prints with no issues or warping. When I need something more robust that PLA I typically use ASA (I'm biased :). ) - I've had no issues with ASA warping after dozens of prints.
So i learn now: not only there was there a long waiting time for my mk3s (about a year), i also had to wait a year for the ordered XL (and it still isn’t shipped) … but now i learn that even for this fancy box, one had, has to wait months.
Fortunately their stock and shipping times for the Mk3s+ is really fast now, and the Prusa Enclosure is now 2-3 weeks instead of months. It seems that Prusa's supply chain was really badly impacted - probably due to COVID. I can't wait for the XL but they only started shipping in limited quantities in the last few weeks.... I don't expect to get mine until the 2nd half of this year. Thanks for watching!
It's really is a big downside of Prusa thst I feel they really need to address. I ordered a Kickstarter Bambulab and it came in a shorter time than most Prusa Items take to ship. I think the best way to get prusa products is to hope a local distributer has them in stock. At one point I was at the point of pulling the trigger on the prusa but I just couldn't find anywhere in Canada to buy it within a reasonable timeframe. It all worked out though since I got a Bambu. Honestly, prusa needs to abandon the idea of 3d printing main components and go to injection molding. They can still include stls for them to be printed and design for both processes, but then could increase production capacity. There is also the distribution, where many companies speed up deliveries by having companies that specialize in that warehouse their products in various countries for faster delivery. Prusa certainly had the profit margins so I really hope they do this in the future.
It seems very large, what are the dims ?
And heavy too at 11kg/24lbs! External dimensions are 530 mm (w) × 545 mm (h) × 640 mm (d) or roughly 21 x 21 x 25 inches And that doesn't include the LCD protruding at the front or the space you need for the doors to swing open. Thanks for watching!
How thick is the acrylic windows?
I measured with calipers: the doors are 3mm and the side and rear panels are 1.5mm. Thanks for watching!
Bought one and wish that I had gone with a less expensive, NOT Highly overly engineered, and more user friendly version.
On the bright side you could drop it down some stairs and the enclosure would probably be fine other than a few scratches
How can I instal more spools for mmu?
I'm not sure what you mean - are you asking if the MMU2 supports more than 5 colors/materials? Or where to physically mount the 5 spools?
@@AsaMakes where to psychically mounr 5 spools?
I mount mine on top of the Prusa Enclosure I have, it isn't a perfect solution but it works well enough. I see a lot of people online who will install a cabinet above their printer to store filament and dry boxes - I do want to add more shelving and cabinets around my printer at some point but for now just placing spool holders on top of the enclosure works well enough
all good but at this pricepoint I will buy a Bambulab X1 Carbon. Prusa for 1k + 500 for the box makes this ridiculous.
Yes I agree, if I didn’t already have my Prusa Mk3 printer the Carbon X1 would be very compelling
Or a voron or vector3d if you want to build
I also think that this enclosure is overpriced. Yes, it's nice but overpriced.
That's a fair summary! Prusa sent a survey to buyers of the enclosure earlier this week - I gave them that feedback as well
Lmao with a completely closed ecosystem enjoy your bambulab slicer program and enjoy your bambulab lab filament because that's literally all you get. You clearly don't and haven't ever used a printer or you'd realize the machine is like 1/3 of the battle
I don't agree with your opening statement that enclosures are all about temperature control and stability. Everyone should have an enclosure for their printer, even if you only print PLA. The 3D printing process creates VOCs and fine particles that you don't want to be breathing on a daily basis. All filaments generate these chemicals and particles, including PLA. So an enclosure should be a must for everyone using a 3d printer. In addition, an enclosure with some type of air filtration and /or exhaust system would be the ideal set up in my opinion. That being said, I believe Prusa's enclosure is overpriced.
This is a fair point, I'm fortunate that my printer is in a large and ventilated basement without people or pets so I didn't worry about VOCs and particulates. Many people have their printers in living areas and I completely agree. Thanks for the comment
Fun fact: Did you know that the far majority of microplastics in our body comes from car tires? Cars are everywhere and wherever they drive they create tiny particles as the tires wear against the ground. Those get into water, into food, into animals, and straight into our lungs as they become airborne. Unless you print nasty filaments the printer isn't worth worrying about.
Extremely overpriced.
Yes, but one thing I forgot to mention is I do expect this to last with years of regular use where a soft enclosure from Amazon will probably have a broken zipper after too long (of course that can get repaired but you get my point). Thanks for watching!
Terrific video. One thing you might add in the future: a section that appears when you click "show more" that has links to all the products you use. I realize this video involved only one product, but in the future you may add more. A good example of what I'm suggesting is 3x3Custom - Tamar - kzhead.info/sun/patuhpmEqqyafYk/bejne.html Love your workshop, by the way - I'm jealous!
Thanks Tom, I certainly will! I love building out my shop - I spend a lot of time searching marketplace and craigslist for used tools and equipment
5:36 "Im freeee"
Hahaha
My 1st layer height was off, since then bed adhesion is much better
It’s pretty underwhelming. I’ve got one and I think it would have been a much better decision to just build one out of plexiglass and basic parts for a fraction of the cost. You can even buy all the tools necessary to build your own custom enclosure and still have money left over for more filament. I guess I’ll look at upgrading to smoked plexiglass on mine in the future at least…🎉
I like the smoked acrylic idea - are they sold online somewhere or will you have to laser cut them yourself/send out to a shop?
Say what?? Mine was $639 shipped
Oof! With which add ons? When I ordered mine in mid 2022 I think it was $530 shipped with the filtration system and LED lights. Another $100 is really getting unreasonable in my opinion. Fortunately of the 4 Prusa enclosures I have - three of them I bought used at great discounts. My most recent purchase a few months ago was three Mk3s+s and two enclosures for $1200, all in great shape. I had to spend most of a Sunday driving to and from the seller but it was well worth it. Thanks for watching and commenting on another video!
Enclosure is $1000 in Canada so probably not.
Seriously?! That is far too expensive...
8 minutes in and you finally stop talking about how much it costs!
When Prusa releases an enclosure for the XL I'll make sure to blab on about cost until the 10 minute mark, lol Thanks for watching!
@AsaMakes Much appreciated. I'm just getting started and doing a ton of research. I already know the cost before I search YT. Thanks for the content.
If you don't mind the high cost and space they take up - I still definitely recommend to buy one of these enclosures. I even bought a 2nd Prusa Mk3s+ off Facebook marketplace last month and connected with a viewer from this video to buy a 2nd enclosure at a good discount. So I've put my money where my mouth is!
@@AsaMakes Yeah I'm heavily leaning towards buying the Mk3s+ with enclosure combo. This should do it for my first 3d printer. Not liking some other popular brands due to cloud connectivity.
You can't go wrong with a Mk3s+, it was my first printer - it's good for beginners and experts, as I'm sure you already know
from what i see all these years , Prusa like apple , but the $hitty EDITION of it , i transform my ender 3 to Voron style with core XY and with 7075 aluminum Enclosure with 5mm PMMA windows , and it cost me 480$ with electronics and rasberrypi4 and fire protection , in my country .... in IRAQ ! ....
Good analogy, Prusa is like Apple in the sense that they sell a premium product with good design, packaging, usability, ease, and performance. But you have to pay for it! Prusa is unlike Apple many ways: Prusa is open source, supportive of makers, supportive of nodders, etc. Do you have videos of your setup? Sounds excellent for the cost!!
@@AsaMakes if i made a channel I'll show it and ill show the source of the material also , but im from iraq and you know iraq is synchronized with china and everything look like black market here so no taxes no shipping fee . But worst country ever in the entire world lol 😆
Good luck and thanks for watching
This voice correction is killing me.
What do you mean exactly? There isn't any audio post processing - just jump cuts in editing
If you're able please do let me know what you're hearing. I want to make sure the sound/video is as good as I can manage! Thanks