Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
Currently I have an Anet a8 it sucks constantly has issues print quality is horrible even with the upgrades I’ve done. Wondering if the prusa mini is worth it at all? Not many reviews online so wondering what people think of it. Also if I plan to buy it should I wait because I’ve heard it’s missing features right now
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
If you are willing to wait, it is worth it.
Disclaimer: (Based on MK3s experience only)
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
I have a Mini. It is definitely worth it even though there have been early release issues. Mine is currently running a 12 hour print and is about five hours in.
If you order a Mini now it will probably be June or later before you get it, such is the order backlog and the popularity. I am confident that by then all of the teething problems will have long been sorted.
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
If you can wait, it is worth the money. You will get a lot of printer in the Mini - in my experience with cheap printers (Anet A6 and others) there is a lot of work (and frustration) in getting the printer to work properly first; with a Prusa printer you can focus on printing right away.
I have the Mini now and it prints a par with MK3S. The bed is smaller and it supports less exotic materials, but covers 90% of all the prints I normally do. By the time you get it, all the "beta" problems should have been fixed.
Have a look at my models on Printables.com 😉
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
YES!
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
Well I have to agree if you do not need it right away its a really good printer judging by the results we have seen so far. Depends on your needs and what sizes are your prints so far. Other than that you have great support and future updates so for this price its a good deal.
Original Prusa Mini + Smooth PEI
Prusa Slicer 2.6.0
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
If you have the money, go for MK3s.
Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
If you have the money, go for MK3s.
Money and space.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
If you can wait, it is worth the money. You will get a lot of printer in the Mini - in my experience with cheap printers (Anet A6 and others) there is a lot of work (and frustration) in getting the printer to work properly first; with a Prusa printer you can focus on printing right away.
I have the Mini now and it prints a par with MK3S. The bed is smaller and it supports less exotic materials, but covers 90% of all the prints I normally do. By the time you get it, all the "beta" problems should have been fixed.
This was why I bought a mini.
But I'll tell you, the out of box experience is not the same quality you get with the MK3. I have a separate thread on it, but my X axis is really out of alignment to the point that (despite following the instructions properly), I have to shim it. I've seen others with the same issue. It's out of alignment both in Z (far end is higher than end near the support) and in Y (far end is closer to the front than end near the support). The Z is now compensated for by bed leveling measurements (initially, it was too far out for that to compensate), but the axis skew is still a mess, resulting in parallelograms when you try to print a cube.
The entire printer has a lot of flex to it as well, so you need to make sure it is firmly supported on a very flat surface. Granite, MDF, something. Don't put it on plywood or anything with even the tiniest bit of warp as you can easily throw it out of alignment.
Additionally, do note that neither Ethernet nor micro USB currently work with the Mini. The only reliable way to get prints on to the printer are via a USB drive, plugged into a blind spot at the right rear of the device. (A short USB extensions M/F cable can help with this). I bought thinking the promised Ethernet would be there, but looks like there's some wait time on that, still.
So the MK3 is older, and has a less sexy control panel, but has better alignment out of the box.
If you order today, these issues may be addressed by the time you get one. I just wanted to be clear that this wasn't quite the same Prusa-level experience as with my MK3 or SL1, and I wouldn't buy it on that past reputation.
Pete
RE: Just came about $350 Is the mini worth it?
@pete-b3
Ok thank you for this in depth review honestly I’m ok with some small adjustments and other things as long as I can reliably calibrate it and it won’t screw up after every print like my a8