Review: The Original Josef Prusa i3 MK2 🏅 It doesn't get any better than this!
This is where 3D printing is right now! I feel sorry for all 3D printer manufacturers that will have to compete with the Original Prusa i3 MK2.
Get the improved MK2S here shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printe...
Watch the build livestream here • Genuine i3 MK2 unboxin...
Models shown:
Cranium by Dizingof www.3dizingof.com/3D-Printing/...
Adalinda by Louise Driggers www.thingiverse.com/thing:246198
Raspicam Timelapse jig github.com/not-implemented/ra...
Squid Attack by Boldmachines www.thingiverse.com/thing:854890
3DR LCD case by Pablogil www.thingiverse.com/thing:213852
/ toms3dp
Music is Jahzzar - Encedalus, licensed CC-BY-SA
freemusicarchive.org/music/Jah...
Prusa Mendel image by Julianh72 commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
🎧 Check out the Meltzone Podcast (with CNC Kitchen)! / @themeltzone
👐 Enjoying the videos? Support my work on Patreon! / toms3dp
I bought the MK2 after Toms Build stream. It's awesome in every respect. The 'little details' Tom mentioned are just as important as the bigger ones, it shows that Josef (and hes team) have done a fantastic job. Love the Tom Approves badge. Other printers have a real challenge to even reach the new benchmark. Great review as always Tom
Tom, well done! I completely agree with your review and will be echo'ing the same sentiment in my review. This machine is a dream.
Well, in Slovakia we used to say "Golden Czech hands". Although over time this has a bit sarcastic undertone, I think this printer is proof that this phrase does have a reason to survive :)
Hi5
BIAS reviews, no way is this the best printer for $900+$100 for shipping. I would expect better from you guys that have been dealing with 3d printers this long. For example the Monoprice is only $600 and produces just as good results (quieter also) or you could go with a Dremel (non-ABS).
69developer do you own a Mk2? Can you directly compare?
69developer I'm not sure I follow. According your comment, the review is biased because there are cheaper printers (that print ALMOST as good) or ALMOST comparable number of materials. Well, I have $200 chinese I3 clone. I can tell you it was way cheaper. But the results... So, go to somebody that owns the original mk2 and speak to him/her, then compare. I will tend to believe Tom (and like 20 other reviewers). But looking forward to Maker's muse as he noted some problems.
That frog was just FLAWLESS.
LOL
This frog.... ???
You didn't know that frogs have claws?
haha was thinking the same.
That is a German frog, no?
it's one of them horney toads
It is a dragon i think because if you kiss this it wont become a prince
A friend bought one. Without any experience of printers. And his prints looks amazing. Like, better then mine after a year of printing.
I've been wanting to buy from Prusa since I first heard of 3D printing. Too broke for it, so got a Monoprice Mini, but *someday*. I want to support that innovation and dedication to the community.
Tom I blame you for not getting my Prusa MK2! :) From Prusa support: "You order was not sent yet unfortunately due to the high demant (thanks to the positive youtube reviews in recent days) there is a sligh waiting time you should receive your order at the end of this week"
Your live stream is what pushed me over the edge into ordering one, Its been a dream so far!
Tom, I believe your review is spot on. I have an original i3 from Josef and it is a work horse. I will be ordering my Mk2 in a month or so. One thing that you did not mention is their stellar support. The live chat that popped up when I started looking at the site sold me. It was@0am on the west coast of the US, so like nine o'clock pm in Prague. Somebody was working and answered all of my questions. I've used it a few more times and it was past midnight. Somebody is always there. I really think you should mention this. Thanks for your hard work. Lindsey
AMAZING review. You have this talent to make an otherwise boring 3d printer analysis become fascinating and entertaining. Congratulations and thank you for this analysis. Thanks to the Fantastic Josef Průša for all his contributions to the reprap project and ultimately to mankind, I am a total fan!
Thanks for your time in making this and the other i3 Mk2 vids. Persuaded me to buy and it was a good choice. Best printer I've owned to date. Assembled the kit myself and was up and running with solid good quality prints immediately after letting the printer do it's calibration. Awesome piece of kit.
I got mine 4 weeks ago and it's a beast ! Superb first layer and speed !
I have a PRUSA Homebuilt. It doesn't come near this quality, and it took me more than 30 hours total to build it...it is currently in pieces because the wood frame warped, the print bed glass over plywood) was so far out of plane I had to shim it by over 4mm in one section to get it even close to flat. Nothing would stick (no heat), and it cost me about $400 back 3 years ago. THIS one looks amazing. I'm pulling the trigger on this in about another month. Thanks for the review!!
I also have a Prusa i3 I built myself, and after seeing the price tag on the MK.2, I really wish I saved my money for this one instead. I spent about $800 on the one I built myself, and this way better one is only $600. I guess I got lots of experience building it myself, if that's any consolation.
You know I entertained that thought. I really did. BUT, I don't have parts, and my existing i2 doesn't have the capability to print a quality part right now (and may never have that capability). For me to buy the laser cut frame, the heated bed, the sensor, electronics, new set of motors, hot end, display and so forth I'm still in for a couple hundred bucks or more, and still need to source the printed parts.This printer seems to be a bit pricey for what it is, but as was stated "this thing rivals a $2500 printer for 1/3 the price"...that's saying quite a bit.
My I2 has many issues. Note that you can't heat the glass bed that is on top of wood with a hair dryer...well, you can, but the heat won't stay for very long...especially in a 62F basement. My I2 also seems to have an issue in the first 4 or 5 layers. It crushes them together. SOME improvement was made when I moved from Slic3r to Cura, but it still does it to a degree...the Z-Axis just doesn't move for those first few layers it seems...nobody can seem to figure out why. Another issue is that it seems to not accept the G-Code correctly. If I use Pronterface and tell it to move 200mm it moves exactly 200mm, X, Y, Z...doesn't matter. As soon as I try to print something the scaling goes out the window...a 50mm box may come out at 48mm or 56mm, I've had a 25mm square test cube come out 22 x 28 x 21 one run, and 28 x 32 x 29 in another run...Again, nobody can figure it out. Belts aren't skipping, threaded rod isn't slipping...yet G-Code wise it doesn't like executing it... So...I'm pretty much over the "homebrew" printer and moving towards a more commercial item. Trust me, the money doesn't bother me...I work hard so I can buy toys.
I saw a 4-Color print in process at World Maker Faire NYC. I was spellbound. It was somewhat chilly, light wind, outside. Printed flawlessly. I'm floored. Also, Josef was highly personable, and informative.
Chatting to you in Birmingham at TCT, seeing the printer there with the four-colour upgrade and this review made it a no-brainer to order one! Excellent review and can't wait for my one to arrive.
Wow, now that is an impressive printer at a very competitive price! Great review Tom! I'm surprised they still use 3d printed parts though with the production volume they must be seeing, the design could definitely be modified to use machined aluminum plates with minimal overall cost increase
Dang that printer was impressive but so was the production quality of that video. It's awesome your mixing up the music which works really well. So many channels just use the same music for every video.
I have had mine for two weeks now and love it
Hey bud. This is a marvelous video. I've had my eye on the original Prusa i3, as well as the other reprap models on the market, for some time now. KZhead has been a tremendous source of my self educating efforts for years now. That being said, I've had plenty of experience evaluating what makes a good review, tutorial etc. My bench mark for evaluation is based on how many questions I'm left with at the end and how strongly I'm convinced of the presenters experience (production quality and aesthetics, notwithstanding). You have met all of my personal quotas, particularly on presentation and information. Very well done. I've been trying to consider any helpful critiques, as I'm very willing to help any youtuber who has clearly put an effort forward, and I'm coming up dry. If anything, maybe provide a link to new updates at the beginning, as Prusa proves to be an ever growing product. Certainly not a necessity, however. Well done, and I look forward to fallowing your videos to keep an eye on your input with one of my favorite fields of tech. Take care and keep up the good work. Cheers :).
been printing with mine for several weeks the prints are nothing short of amazing!
Thanks for the info, that did it for me, placed an order and am eagerly waiting for my kit to arrive :)
I plan on buying this kit as a second printer, and building it with my kid. thanks for the another excellent review.
Your videos about it were what sold me on it. Just waiting on my order fulfillment now (the black only parts were not on stock).
Thanks for the review Thomas San, after finally seeing the frog and all the other examples in closeup, I´m also convinced that it doesn´t need linear rails. I really wished there had been a discount on that one also, I might have bought two of them just because of that. You know, feeling special and stuff :D. Keep up the good work.
Great Review! You covered all the important bits. While I was already seriously considering this printer kit (to be my second printer) when your live stream aired, after watching over 6 hours of the live stream, I ordered my kit. I spent about 16 hours building it over 9 days. I'm sure it would have been quicker if I wasn't starting and stopping so much. The print quality is much better than that of my first printer, even right out of the box! I love the pre-tuned version of Slic3r. Finally a decent version for the Macintosh!
Got one . Love it. Thanks Tom 10 stars for Tom and Joseph Prusa.
I was close to pulling the trigger, but this review pushed me past the threshold. Hopefully it will be here for a fun build on Friday.
Tom, thanks for the review. I love the bed calibration and would like to add this feature to my Anet A8. Yeah, by the time I am finished tweaking and modding my A8 , I could have bought a Prusa and saved all that energy for more useful pursuits. Thanks again, Ken :)
That print quality... O.o How are new users going to learn how to troubleshoot if everything works perfectly out of the box!?
The trouble of a great 3d printer indeed! I still remember my first printer, the qubd two-up. My what a learning experience that was!
I'm still tweaking my knock off Hictop Prusa from last fall. After switching to E3D Titan / V6 / Azteeg X5 and various other improvements it's finally punching above its weight class as well!
Ah, I'll never forget my first, the Solidoodle 2. Poorly designed mess of a product, stock extruder assembly was layered acrylic, one side of the Y carriage just had 2 nylon blocks ...
jeremy bryson Do you have the acrylic one
I still have my doodle...its still printing...but about to get ripped apart and upgraded
It’s awesome. I’ve got the mk2S in 2020 and part of 3Dcrowd . About to push out my 100th RC3. Most made in PETg. Solid engineering .
hi! i am also part of 3dcrowd UK :)
I really appreciate your work in this technology and especially this review. As a newbie in the 3D printing world this is so helpful. I've had a bit of a rough start however in even getting a printer. I decided to buy this printer as a result of the good reviews especially this one. My experience so far has been very disappointing with Prusa Research. I ordered my kit the second week of February and it has still not shipped. They listed a 7 week lead time which is way too long for one to wait but after another failed attempt to buy a copy version from China I decided it would be worth the extra money and time to get the real deal. Prusa has not bothered to notify me of why I am still waiting 9 weeks later. I sent an email and received no response. Its to bad they don't seem to care about how poorly they are communicating with their customer base. And why should they care if everyone who writes reviews has immediate access to their products while the rest of us have to drop almost $800 USD and sit and wait for 10 weeks or more just to get a kit? Matt
I bought a MK1 almost a year ago now and it is awesome. I haven't used it hardly enough as I should but it has totally been worth it. Super jealous of the MK2. It has all the upgrades I was thinking the MK1 should have came with. Really tempted to get the upgrade kit soon.
Great review! Just ordered one.
You deserve way more subscribers!!! GREAT content, ty! Keep it up!
A very interesting and comprehensive review.
That's the strangest looking frog i've ever seen! :-) I bought a MKI kit just a few days before the MKII came out, and upgraded mine immediately. I agree with Tom's review, the printer is awesome and prints are super good looking, even at 200um layer height.
I love the original Prusa i3, i've had the mk1 for a year and can't wait to get this mk2 upgrade.
Great review. I have a lot of respect for your reviews. the pre made profiles is great. I have a k8200 and a home made pursa of my ow random design. setting up the profile has been the longest job to get right.
Woah... I appreciate this review. I would like to upgrade my Makerbot Mini (yes, a purchase mistake, but one I have had to live with). -- I think having a "Tom Approved" badge is a good idea for the 'over the top great' products you find. You might put a year on the badge, so as consumers we can see how you have seen the market over time, and know the latest 'best of class' in the price range products. ... but hey, that is just my thoughts on the process.
Staring at my MK2S right now taking it to a squirtle...even the squirtle's got his O face on. Love this printer
Thanks Thomas, Very great review !
Awesome video. Thanks. Got an original Prusa because of it!
Thanks for providing the great review! I just ordered one after doing quite a bit of reading on the current crop of machines on the market. I've been wanting a 3d printer since first seeing one in college during the early days of Makerbot but just couldn't make it happen financially 'till now. I look forward to making my very own frog, among other things, soon! :p
Great presentation , you are a VERY good speaker!
Completely agree with Tom's enthusiasm. I bought a pre-built i3Mk2 from Prusa and have been printing with it for more than 2 months, loving the results. I print mostly in PETG, using Simplify3D as a slicer. Prusa & company have nailed the details, both in hardware and software.
My short Summary of the original Prusa Research i3 MK2 so far ... I had to wait longer than promised, the guys are not communicating actively and your mileage in the online chat might vary. However, after printing a bit more than 1 kg material so far, I must admit that it is worth waiting. I printed PLA and ABS of different colors and brands with stock settings and it all really worked perfectly. I often increase print speed a bit in Slic3r and it still prints very nicely and very very reliably. I never even wanted to connect a computer. I drop in a card with the g-code and print. No need to fiddle around with the printer at all. This is just amazing. I love the heat bed. It heats up quickly and is easy to handle. I just clean the PEI sheet with alcohol. That's all you need to do for PLA. I apply a bit glue stick for ABS. Both worked great so far. Thomas is right. This printer really raises the bar for what you can expect from a printer for less than 1000 bucks.
Got one of these and my experience is as positive as yours!!
I have an XYZ AIO that I have hardly used as a friends shop broke the unit they have. Plus I wasn't the most thrilled with the output at the time. After watching this I am impressed with the quality of the print. Beeing a Machinist I don't like buying already made kits but, this one makes me want to pull the trigger.
Thank-you! I just ordered mine! :)
I have a mk1 that I love a nd prints great, albeit a pretty bad z issue from a bent up rod. After all the great reviews, and of course your seal of approval I'm going forth with my plan to purchase the mk2 upgrade kit.
Excellent video, and very informative.
i am ordering one with the 4 color kit i can not wait
This review is what made me click the "order button" on Josef Prusa's webshop.
I think this has pretty much sold it for me, was looking at which printer to get, and it looks like this is it. Going to order in a few weeks, going to go well with my metal furnace in making stuff I really do not need lol
Well tom you made me spend a grand on this hope its as good as you say. Love the videos keep going.
great review, my own printer is looking lonely so it only seems right to get him a friend
Awesome review!
Thank you very much this is the best video and outstanding quality and very well explained about the fine details of the printer and I am very interested to buying this model with the extras if I can get the right deal thanks again for your excellent detailed information about the printer
Just saw your video on dual extruders and days later Prusa announces the 2/4 color add-on. I hope you get to cover this soon cus I'm curious on your thoughts on how they handle the smart waste tower (and a comparison to that Kickstarter's dual color system). Great video! I'm almost feeling like I don't need to be some sort of electrical engineer (for maintenance) to get into 3D printing.
Great review. Would like to see review about the prusa multi material upgrade .... comparison between Sigma and UM3.
Yes It took you way over 5 hours, not because you needed to entertain 500 people but because you refused to follow the manual! It was Josef in the chat that did the entertainment by shouting god help us all! when you tried to skip steps in the printer calibration :-) And yes that is the best Fire Breathing frog I have ever seen. It seems you do have a bit of humour from time to time :-) @ Josef I hope you can stop using your anxiety pills now, you made a wonderful product and even people on the dutch 3d printer forums now point people to your printer ;-)
Voyager i used to point people to other printers but this thing is awesome
Great review! I instantly started looking at how I can fit one into my apartment. =P 3d printer are like good beer. It's impossible to only have one.
Thomas, this is super helpful. I'm a teacher that has opened a FabLab with multiple 3D printers from various vendors. I have specific ones I don't like, but I'm still looking for the best fit for a school. I am leaning toward this Prusa i3 Mk2 for a big project. I have to buy 60 (yes sixty) 3D printers for middle and high schools and I don't want to get the wrong one. I can spend up to $1000 on each one and they be going into labs with teachers who have limited (if any) experience. Judging by your video, I assume this is the way to go but I'd love any other insights you might be able to share (particularly with regards to accessories like should you use tape, glue, etc). I'm looking at buying each school 3 assembled printers and 1 kit so the teachers and students can learn by assembling.
Thank you Thomas Sanladerer! Your review has helped me to be sure that this is the printer I need. Hello everyone. I know this may fire back but I am doing a fundraising for this printer. I want to start a hobby with it and make prints for people I know it's a long shot. The printer at our work is pretty good and costs 5,000$ so that is way out of my budget. I'm saving up on my own too. My wife's college cost comes first though, so its a slow fund. Anything helps whether its donations or sending the link to someone else. I will update it with the website that people can use to order prints. Ill sell the service and not the design. I think it's so incredible to have this, and for people who don't have one but just want a print done, they can have that at a reasonable price. It's a hobby, not a business. As I said anything helps. Even a "Good luck". Thank you again Thomas Sanladerer. I'm sorry if this is not the place to post this, if you want me to take it down I will. This is your channel after all. Thank you! www.gofundme.com/3d-printer-hobby-start
Well that settles it, i've ordered two based on your review!
Wish I had €1000 s to spare. Great work as usual Tom. Hope to see you Sunday.
I've been using the mk2 for almost 2 months now. I must say it's simply amazing! I'm busy printing my first custom print, 120x wedding favor bottle openers with a hole for fridge magnets. It's an absolute workhorse of a printer :-)
Also added on an Octoprint pi case, and camera attached to the bed. Oh and a must if you have some filament with odd hubs is a spool shaft for the filament. www.thingiverse.com/thing:1666699
Personally, I took a note from Thomas and put a spool holder above my printer (see his wall). ColorFabb 2.2kg spools just won't work with the exiting spool holder.
Great connect as usual, Thomas. Can you provide some flexible filament related content with this great printer? Thanks and cheers from Canada.
Well then I am really glad to have gotten this as my first printer
This tipped me over the edge. Purchased
Un grand BRAVO et merci !
When the dagoma disco 200 comes out this summer I would love to hear how it compares to this printer, I'm looking for a good starting printer and don't really want to spend over 400$ but would like to know what i would be losing for the cheaper price.
Been looking around and this printer seems to blow all the rest out of the water when it comes to the budget category. This will definitely be my first printer, hopefully I can scrimp away for it and pick one up this year!
Please could you do a livestream follow along for setting up Octoprint for the Mk2 including all the stuff to buy before hand (including a camera)? I can't find any complete guides anywhere
dannnngg!!!! Those prints are amazing!!!
Prusa is cheap because they don't speculate with the price. Some 3D printers are overpriced because people pay for it.
The Prusa isn't cheap, it's just that they save on cost because you assemble it. The build area helps, but it's actually not a lot of extra cost to increase build area when you have the basic components there. All it calls for is a few inches more material, longer pipe here and there, etc. You could probably build it much cheaper if you bought the individual components yourself, but this is basically a put together kit that makes the ease of use by having all the components together and telling you exactly how to assemble them. So they're not soo much selling a 3D printer, rather they're selling you the supplies and design, and making a profit off of that.
Fantastic review, i've never had a 3d printer and i wanted to buy the prusa i3 pro b,but i don't know what to do after assembled it. Can someone tell me what to do to make a 3d model and the step to follow for 3d print it? Thanks a lot,and great channel!!!
Subbed! Thank iltms and yourself!
Well Tom, that was an expensive video for me. Mostly because I watched it right after your interview with Josef himself... I like your videos by the way! keep it up!
Hey Thomas, greetings from Romania. Another great video. Thank you for another honest review of a great printer. Is there any chance that you will review a Folgertech FT-5 3D printer in the near future? I ordered an FT-5 and waiting for it to be delivered this Friday. It's very solid and has a generous build volume of 300x300x400mm. There are enough things that could be improved, but for a 500$ printer I would really love to hear your opinion about Folgertech FT-5. Thank you and please keep these great videos and especially the live builds coming. Thumbs up! :)
Thomas I have a question regarding this review of original Prusa i3 mk2 and ask your personal opinion. Is this printer suitable for commercial use and prints out of it could compete with prints that are comming frome ultimaker (or zortrax) or any other professional machine used by 3d printing service companies (of course in terms of FFF or FDM technology)? So in other words: would you buy it to sell prints out of it to individual customers and business customers? Best regards and have a great day! Peter
Never thought about bed cool down time, that's a good point. How long does it take to get the bed to 110 degrees Celsius?
I just ordered a Makergear M2 a few weeks ago. Sunk $1800 into it and feeling a bit regretful, even though it is an excellent printer. It's missing auto bed leveling, which I would say would have made it worth the price considering its performance.
Ordered a kit, due to this video, and it will replace my Robo3D R1
Hi Thomas, great video! How much of this information is MK2 only? There are a lot of 'Prusa i3' on eBay / Amazon UK with cosmetic differences / no heatbed grid etc
Tom, good videos you make. lots of great info. Since you like Prusa i3, I was wandering if you would like to make a video on flatness of the bed, cause looks like a lot of them are warped. Also what good PINDA sensor is if it can't compensate for uneven bed? To what extent it can compensate unevenness? Its a critical component that Prusa didn't got right I think.
Really like your review straight to the point and no names calling no trash talking, bashing, love how you cleverly mentioned far East instead of saying China like a lot of people on the net. I was so close to buy this Mk2 but decided not to order it last min after saw one of Prusa's video and he himself was trash talking about China copy machines saying "Crappy China Shit", we all know the original Prusa is par to none compared to other cloned so there's no need for the CEO of Prusa to lower himself and trash talk other competitors like that.
I understand your point :) I cut Joseph a little slack though with the fact that alot of those companies take his awesome and excellent design, and make horrible copies of it using the most sub par parts, (which was the main reason he started offering his own) Id imagine if i had a design with my name on it, and a bunch of companies were using my name on their bad products, i might be a little upset once and while :P
They are not competitors they are stealing his name and ideas to undercut him - id be pissed off too
Awesome review! As I own and use 3D printers, my high school principal has tasked me with buying one or more printers with a 4,000 usd budget! Would you recommend this printer for a school setting? I think at this price point it would be awesome to have a small print farm at school!
Are you going to test the multicolour upgrade for this Prusa printer? They are supposed to ship preorders at the end of the month.
hey man, as am waiting for Prusa can You recommend which filament pla and stronger to buy, and is it good to replace linear bearings? keep it up
Sounds pretty good.
I am new to your channel and thinking about getting into 3d printing. Do you have a current video of you top pick machines by price pts?
How well does it print ABS (not having an enclosure) and flexible filament (you didn't mentioned it)? Is there a 2nd extruder option?
"Will be able to use it directly, very very nice" shows screen with status "failed" lol at the irony. great review. this totally would be my next machine, unless theres a mk3 when i go out looking for another printer
Thomas, what's that silver filament you're using? You mention it in the video but I didn't quite get it. Thx! j
Tom, how is the Prusa at handling flexible filaments? Have you ran any test prints with flexibles yet?
Great review! Havn't find any info about the E3D V6.1.. is it out yet? Also can't manage to find that "open source" info about bed leveling
It's still marketed as the v6, it is the version with the new cartridge style thermistor and its what's being sold right now
I am curious how well this prints ABS without an enclosure. I am frustrated with lifting from the bed and the delamination due to warping!
Just got my first £d Printer the "XYZ junior 1.0" Good for begginer like me but hate the DRM filament, This Prusa will deffo be my upgrade in the future. So this Prusa can only use the 1 Colour ?
Well I guess its time to go into 3d printing. I want one....now!