Prusa Mark III - IV or other Prusa to buy
Hi all.... Our library system may be able to buy a new Prusa for each of 3 of the branches and maybe also the mini for outreach demonstrations.
Would you recommend the Mark III or the Mark IV we would use at each branch? What influenced your decision?
Is the mini a good investment for demonstrations or might there be a better option?
I wondered if any of the Prusa's sold had educational discounts?
Thank you!
RE: Prusa Mark III - IV or other Prusa to buy
Prusa has a support link for educational customers. https://www.prusa3d.com/en/page/price-quote-request_448/
Fill out the form and they should be able to answer all of your questions.
Your main requirement is for someone competent to maintain the printers and to guide users through the process. If you just leave them open for allcomers they will be ruined by the first person to ignore the instruction manual... and by users designing or downloading files that are unsuitable for printing. This needn't be a new hire, this technician's task can be learned by most diligent people.
I would offer the service and the design software at all your branches but hold the machines in a dedicated printer space where they can be run under supervision by a technician who also prechecks the files for suitability. Run a webcam so users can monitor their prints in real time, especially those larger ones that might take a day or two to complete.
Personally I would buy Mk3's as you might then afford an extra machine, the advantages of the Mk4 wouldn't make much difference if you have someone monitoring several machines.
Yes a Mini could be used as you describe. It is an open construction and easily observed from all angles, many of it's competitors are enclosed or otherwise obscured.
https://www.prusa3d.com/page/price-quote-request_448/
Cheerio,
RE: Prusa Mark III - IV or other Prusa to buy
if im honest the mk3 has been going for a while and the mk4 has just come out the mk4 still has a few bugs so id personally go for mk3 if i was in your situation
Please help me out by downloading a model it's free and easy but really helps me out https://www.printables.com/@Hello_474427/models
RE: Prusa Mark III - IV or other Prusa to buy
Thank you ALL for your super helpful insights and suggestions.
I'll check them all out with great appreciation.
RE: Prusa Mark III - IV or other Prusa to buy
To be frank, the MK3 version has been available for quite some time, while the MK4 has recently been released. However, the MK4 still exhibits a few glitches, so based on your circumstances, I would personally recommend opting for the MK3.