Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?  

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

there are many Mk2 printers still in service, 
I Personally have a Mk2 with MMU1 attached, (4filament multimaterial device)
the primary difference between the Mk2 and later printers, is, in my opinion, the removable print bed. 

Mk1 printer has flimsy PCB heatbed with a clip on  Glass print bed, which could be difficult to use manual bed levelling  8 bit processor  Allthread Lower frame  assembly
Mk2 Printer introduced  a more robust PCB Heatbed, with a  fixed PEI build surface this was a distinct improvement in usability. Pinda Bed levelling  8 bit processor
Mk2S as above with Better Smooth rods 
Mk3 introduced extruded aluminium lower frame, slightly wider main frame, removable Build plate,  Laser filament sensor, switchless X and Y endstops. Collision detection and Power panic Better Pinda   8 bit processor
Mk3S replaced the Laser Filament sensor, with an infrared filament sensor and simplified assembly   8 bit processor
Mk3S+ as above but further simplified assembly
Mk2.5 /s updated the Mk2/s to most of the above capabilities
Mk4 gave us Nextruder with improved nozzle to prevent Filament leaks, Colour LCD, 10mm Z rods and bearings, Strain gauge mesh bed levelling, New hall effect filament sensor   0.9 degree X and Y <otors32bit processor, Prusa Link Prusa connect
Mk3.5 some of the above keeps old X&Y Motors,  keeps old extruder Keeps 8mm Z rods
Mk3.9  As Mk4 but keeps old X&Y motors

there may be different things that I have missed but this is a simple comparison  to date
I Hope it helps

regards Joan

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

Hello Joan, thank you for your time and the detailed description. Last question: in your opinion, does the print preparation time (calibration and so on) takes a really long time compared to a newer printer? A colleague told me about Automatic Plate Levelling as a “must have”.

I need the printer to create small objects from scratch. I would like to invest my time in learning 3d modelling software, not on the printer

At a second stage I would like to learn well how to do maintenance and modifications to the printer.

Thank you for your helpfulness 😀 

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

the Mk2 has a Pinda probe which helps with automatic mesh bed levelling. 
I found it a bit fiddly at first...the Pinda is thermally sensitive. 
but I Quickly found that if I moved the extruder up to about 60mm, every time I started a print, the thermal sensitivity was not a problem
thermal sensitivity becomes a problem, when you are initially setting the printer up, if the pinda is right next to the heatbed whilst the printer is heating, it will also heat the pinda... 
so you do your live Z setting, and get a wonderful first...     and... you can't help yourself, you print a benchy or a Buddy dog... 

All is fine. 

Now you heat the printer up to do your second print, BUT the pinda is no longer near the heatbed, so it doesn't get heated as much, and... your live Z is wonky...

I found that starting with the extruder (and therefore the Pinda) about 60mm high, resolved this issue, and saved messing with Live Z all of the time. 

by the time better Pinda's became available I was so used to the old way... I never bothered fiddling with new versions. 

the Supa Pinda, may be a more stable version. BUT it has a different connector, so it would be a bit fiddly to replace... 

regards Joan

in the comparison videos talks about speed and quality

Speed and quality trade off - if you go fast you lose quality and the reverse.

The Mk2 solved most of the FDM fundamentals; prints from a well set-up Mk2 are indistinguishable from the same source files printed on Mk4, XL and Core One ...

In the intervening years printers have got faster for the same quality, more convenient and have gradually moved from 3D printing as a geeky hobby to 3D printing as a tool.  Of the features @joantabb listed the biggest for most users is the removable/switchable print sheet so if you can source one a Mk3 would be my suggestion for a minimum first printer.

That said, a well maintained Mk2 would be better than an abused Mk3...

Most of the spares are still available - some through third-party suppliers.

I don't understand if the 3d models downloadable from the sites are also suitable for the mk2 printer,

The vast majority (of those that are actually printable, there's a lot of rubbish on-line) will be OK.  A tiny percentage will exploit improvements in printable overhangs - OTOH improvements in slicing software make possible now on a Mk2 some prints that would have been a pipe dream in its heyday.

Cheerio,

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

Thank you Joan and Dien for your answers. The Mk3 is definitely the best choice, but it costs double or triple the price of the Mk2.

The advantage of mk3 (if I read it correctly) is the fact that I would probably be able to update it more easily, with newer components (i.e. mmu3 ).

I will continue to read up on both printers to find out what to do.

Thanks again for your time 👍 😀  😀

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

MK2 has limited upgrades now. I got mine about 2016

Other manufacturers would have abandoned it. Ages ago

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

I don't understand if the 3d models downloadable from the sites are also suitable for the mk2 printer, or do I risk having compatibility problems (a bit like some software that works from a certain version of Windows or Android).

You probably need to read a little into this, but the short version of a 3D printer workflow is: 

• Someone identifies a need for a 3D print.
• Someone creates a 3D model somehow, for example using FreeCAD or Blender. Or someone finds a suitable 3D model on Printables.com or somewhere. At this stage, the 3D model is compatible with all 3D printers (technically, it still needs to be designed to be possible to 3D print but it's not tied to a specific model of 3D printer).
• Someone slices the 3D model using Prusa Slicer (slicing = preparing instructions for a 3D printer on what to do in order to print a 3D model). Prusa made shared some news about being able to slice directly in the Prusa smartphone app soon. The sliced file is now tied to a specific model of 3D printer. You can use the same slicing software to slice a 3D model to whatever 3D printer you like, but after you've sliced it, the sliced file can only be used for the 3D printer it was sliced for.
• Someone sends the sliced file to the 3D printer, and the 3D printer prints it.

In regards to your main question: My first 3D printing experience was a Prusa MK3 printer, an old neglected 3D printer sitting in the office of my former company. I worked and struggled with that printer for many hours and weekends. 1 year later I bought a MK4 kit and assembled it myself. Comparing and old MK3 and a new MK4, the difference in ease-of-use is enormous. I would imagine that the ease-of-use on the Core One might be even better than the MK4. 

For those reasons I can't recommend getting a MK2 as a beginner (which I imagine is more difficult to work with than a MK3). If money is an issue and you simply can't afford an MK4 or a Core One, I at least feel obliged to warn you that it's going to take quite some time, effort and patience to learn 3D printing with an old printer. Especially without having like an IRL mentor by your side (that said, generative AI, forums and YouTube videos are very helpful but it's still going to take effort). 

All that said, 3D printing has grown to be a wonderful hobby that I sincerely love, so I would say that it's worth it!  

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

Thank you for your time. 😀 😀 I really needed some feedback from those who have been down this road before me 👍 Thanks to the links in this forum I also found more interesting videos than the Tube to actually see how both printers (Mk2 and Mk3) works, especially in setup and calibration. Thanks again for your time... 😀 I look forward to returning to this forum as a printer owner and not just as a ‘tourist’ 👍 

RE: Mk2 as first printer. Good idea?

Good luck, and Best wishes
regards Joan