Prusa MK4 released

[DanceswithUnix]

There goes all my money

https://www.prusa3d.com/product/original-prusa-mk4-2/

It even has RGB! lol

[[GSV]Trig]

A grand tho, think I'll stick with my pair of Ender 3 Pro's for now...

[DanceswithUnix]

A grand tho, think I'll stick with my pair of Ender 3 Pro's for now...

I'm hoping there is a good upgrade deal for Mk3 owners, like there was for the upgrade from Mk2. That wasn't cheap, but cheaper than the kit (which is £790). Sounds like there will be a Mk3.5 partial upgrade as well. Guess I'll have to watch some youtube videos and see if the quality and speed improvements really are that good. Three times faster printing is pretty impressive if that's common, but... benchmarks eh

[Saracen999]

... but... benchmarks eh

Exactly. It look impressive, for an evolutionary revision though, compared to Bambi labs etc, still looking .... dated. I guess Prusa are thinking, don't fix what ain't broke. But, I want t see what a few indepenent views have to say.

I was wavering between Mini+ and the Mk3S, and it's a pretty big jump in price but, given that choice, I suspect it's now between Mini+ and Mk4.

[DanceswithUnix]

I was wavering between Mini+ and the Mk3S, and it's a pretty big jump in price but, given that choice, I suspect it's now between Mini+ and Mk4.

Oh certainly. Given I have a Mk3 and therefore a zero cost option of staying as is, that would seem a reasonable thing to do. But damn, some of those quality of life improvements look amazing.
I want that geared extruder for the improved print quality. There have been mods for ages, and I would have installed on of those if I wasn't convinced that Prusa would do their own at some point. Here it is.
But that first layer demo and the improved print speed. Wow. Getting that foundational first layer down is so important, and now the thing calibrates itself.

So it looks like at the minimum I'm looking at the £500 MK3.9 upgrade kit which gets me everything bar the new uprated stepper motors and the slightly bigger frame.

https://blog.prusa3d.com/announcing-...usa-mk4_76585/

Edit: They have full Mk3 to Mk4 upgrade kits for £568. I will have to start saving

[Saracen999]

I did see the 3.9 u/grade listed but, as I'm working from nothing as a base point, didn't look much closer.

I agree on the fundamental points of change, though. They haven't gone for the snazzy modern look of BambuLabs or others BUT those changes have addressed the fundamental weaknesses , i I can call them that, of the 3S.

the difference, of course, is that releasing modern-looking boxes if startig from fresh is one thing, but if you have one of, if not the premiere model at this prce point already, the 3S, you'd be kinda an idiot to not provide that huge installed userbase with a route forward that doesn't involve simply ditching everything they currently have and buying whole new machines. I'd feel that way if I had a 3S too, so I can guess how a business with a 'farm' of maybe dozens of 3S's would feel about "starting again". If they have addressed the major 'weak' points, that have arisen largely as a result of things moving forward over time, then a pretty box to put it all in is pretty irrelevant. I also prefer tte look of the colour screen and, at least in theory the 32-bit processor etc, BUT, in practice, the old interface was perfectable workable and the old software has the advantage of years and years of tweaking and tuning. Going 32-bit may well mean a complete rewrite, or at least, adaptation from Mini+ etc software.

It wouldn't sueprise me to find that the Mini+ software, written for 32-bit apparently, was written with a view to this move from day 1. If so, at least the software isn't 100% new, 'cos that way probably lies quite a few teething problems. Another point to watch for in reviews.

Of course, for me, it's a different calculation.

Firstly, this purchase is definitely in the 'toy' category for me. I have no specifc need, nothong in the way of problems 3D printing will solve. It's merely having had decades of usually being at the cutting edge of computer tech, and as a journalist, often a smidge in from with pre-release versions too, 3D printing is one of the few aspects I never got around to and it fascinates me.

So, it's a retirement 'indulgence', whatever I buy and indeed, if I buy anything. I have a "fun fund" put aside for such indulgences, and can do Carbon X1, Mini+ or Mk3S/Ml4 if I want to. The 'fund' covers any, comfortably. But it isn't a bottomless fund and the principle of opportunity cost applies - anything I spend on this is less left to spend on some other indulgences, and I'm eyeing up a few others too, not least, new PC, a Canon R7 (and a lens or two), a set of KEF LSX speakers and a few other doodads. I can certainly do any of those but probably not all.

So while Carbon X1 etc appeals in some ways, the rock solid reliabiity of the Mk3S (and presumably, by inference Mk4 too), and Prusa themselves, has an appeal. They're very different prospects and I;m not sure which appeals most. then, maybe I could just scratch the 3D itch with the Mini+. Realistically, it'll probably do everything I'm likely to wat to do. The problem, if I'm completey honest with myself, is that this is an indulgence from the get-go to do 3D printing at all, and it just isn't what I want.

At least, I'm in no screaming rush, so can defer the decision long enough to let the thought process percolate a bit, and for reviewers to get teir hands on them and let us know what they think.

[b0redom]

3d printers fall firmly into, 'yeah that looks like it would be cool, but would I ever use it?' territory.

What are you folks using it for?

[Jonj1611]

To print things I will never use

[Ttaskmaster]

Dunno what this thing is, but I bought it coz you said it has RGB... I assume it's compatible with Aquasuite, yeh?

[Saracen999]

3d printers fall firmly into, 'yeah that looks like it would be cool, but would I ever use it?' territory.

What are you folks using it for?

In my case, as I said, playing with. I mean, there are things I can do. I had a bit break on a device I use recently, and I can design and print a replacement. I could do with a bracket to hold a couple of different portafilters for my espresso coffee setup. A friend is into model railways and I can (maybe will) print so buildings, trees etc for him to paint. I may even dip into airbrushing and do some for shim. And so on.

Nothing (in my case) that financially justifies spending several hundred quid, let alone a grand or more BUT, that's not my objective. My objective is, they've always fascinated me so, now I've retired and can do things like this because, a) I have the time, and b) it's a whim and I don't have to make a business case to get it past my financial controller (i.e. wife), and c) 'cos I can.

[Saracen999]

Dunno what this thing is, but I bought it coz you said it has RGB... I assume it's compatible with Aquasuite, yeh?

Ummm .... RGB control panel? Colour screen, not mono.
.
.
.
.
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Good luck with Aquasuite (*).



(*) Assuming you mean the RGB lighting package, not the water and waste water AI system?

Googled it? Me? Nope. No. I didn't. Honestly. I really didn't.

I DuckDuckGo'd it.

[Saracen999]

Hmmm. Now quoting 6-7 weeks delivery. While I'm not surprised, and in fact would have been surprised had this not happened, I'm just not prepared to order and wait that long.

So, it's either back to the Mini+, which now I feel I might well regret, or just shelve the whole idea and Check their deliery estimates every few weeks.

[badass]

To print things I will never use

That made me laugh. I am fighting the urge to buy a 3D printer as I suspect that's what I'll do.

[DanceswithUnix]

That made me laugh. I am fighting the urge to buy a 3D printer as I suspect that's what I'll do.

That was my suspicion, and it actually gets used quite a bit.

Don't get me wrong, it is a hobby not a cost saver. For example, I'm using a £700 3d printer to make bag clips which can be bought from Amazon for 40p each. I printed a coat hook to hang my overalls up in the garage, probably saving me a couple of quid and a trip to Wickes.

But then I can crack out Fusion 360 and draw something, hit print and I'm holding it in my hand which is just awesome. A trim for an Android head unit in the wife's MX5 that fits perfectly. Fan ducting to fit a motherboard in a 1U case because at the time there was no off the shelf 1U blower for AM4 boards. Even an air hose between the air filter and the air mass meter on the kit car because the original hose was 30 years old and you can't get replacements.

Having a quick look on the print server on the 3D printer, the last thing I printed was a couple of drumstick holders from Thingiverse. One that clips to the frame of the drum kit for my sticks, one for the wife's sticks, and a big one amusingly in the shape of a drum that sits on a nearby bookshelf keeps the others tidy.
Before that it was an adaptor to mount a couple of 2.5in SSDs in a desktop 5.25in bay (thingiverse I think).
Before that, one I designed. My wife wanted to tidy the various makeup things in a bathroom cupboard, so I designed something to fit nicely on the shelf with just the right angle to hold things up but tilted forwards to easy access.
Some 85mm bag clips, and some 125mm bag clips.
Another one of my designs... a stand for a touch screen for a raspberry pi.
Doorstop from Thingiverse
Ah, from the end of last summer... the wheels on my cheap drum bbq broke, so I printed some new ones. Being an Alfa owner, I did them in the style of a GTA teledial alloy, complete with big silver disks
A plastic bit from a desktop table football game, part of that sliding bit for keeping score that broke.
Gold star decoration for the top of a small Christmas Tree (thingiverse again).


You get the idea...

Edit: One I can see out the corner of my eye here... a raspberry pi case in the shape of a Tardis. It houses my time server, I downloaded the original design but modified it to take a GPS sensor in the roof for GPS locked NTP.

[DanceswithUnix]

Hmmm. Now quoting 6-7 weeks delivery.

They've done a stream where they apologise for their web site estimate which apparently went wrong and was over estimating shipping. They are ramping up to 100 units a day production and say they have plenty of parts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJApQiF4V3E

[badass]

That was my suspicion, and it actually gets used quite a bit.

Don't get me wrong, it is a hobby not a cost saver. For example, I'm using a £700 3d printer to make bag clips which can be bought from Amazon for 40p each. I printed a coat hook to hang my overalls up in the garage, probably saving me a couple of quid and a trip to Wickes.

But then I can crack out Fusion 360 and draw something, hit print and I'm holding it in my hand which is just awesome. A trim for an Android head unit in the wife's MX5 that fits perfectly. Fan ducting to fit a motherboard in a 1U case because at the time there was no off the shelf 1U blower for AM4 boards. Even an air hose between the air filter and the air mass meter on the kit car because the original hose was 30 years old and you can't get replacements.

Having a quick look on the print server on the 3D printer, the last thing I printed was a couple of drumstick holders from Thingiverse. One that clips to the frame of the drum kit for my sticks, one for the wife's sticks, and a big one amusingly in the shape of a drum that sits on a nearby bookshelf keeps the others tidy.
Before that it was an adaptor to mount a couple of 2.5in SSDs in a desktop 5.25in bay (thingiverse I think).
Before that, one I designed. My wife wanted to tidy the various makeup things in a bathroom cupboard, so I designed something to fit nicely on the shelf with just the right angle to hold things up but tilted forwards to easy access.
Some 85mm bag clips, and some 125mm bag clips.
Another one of my designs... a stand for a touch screen for a raspberry pi.
Doorstop from Thingiverse
Ah, from the end of last summer... the wheels on my cheap drum bbq broke, so I printed some new ones. Being an Alfa owner, I did them in the style of a GTA teledial alloy, complete with big silver disks
A plastic bit from a desktop table football game, part of that sliding bit for keeping score that broke.
Gold star decoration for the top of a small Christmas Tree (thingiverse again).


You get the idea...

Edit: One I can see out the corner of my eye here... a raspberry pi case in the shape of a Tardis. It houses my time server, I downloaded the original design but modified it to take a GPS sensor in the roof for GPS locked NTP.

Stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit