Looking to buy the prusa i3 mk3.
Has anyone bought the pre assembled version? Of so how well is it put together? Is it worth it to trust them to do it right and take the time to do it? Or am I better off buying the DIY kit and doing it myself?
RE: Looking to buy the prusa i3 mk3.
Do it yourself from the kit. It takes a few hours, but, the video instructions are very good and it helps to understand how it all works.
RE: Looking to buy the prusa i3 mk3.
Do it yourself from the kit. It takes a few hours, but, the video instructions are very good and it helps to understand how it all works.
The build quality of the completed versions is good, however I still recommend getting the kit. You won't need to wait as much (kit: 1-2 weeks, complete: 4+ weeks), but most importantly, you'll learn how the printer works during assembly, which will later be very useful during troubleshooting. And unless you're very lucky, you'll eventually troubleshoot. A blob, a stuck filament, loose belts, grinding roller bearings, all that will happen sooner or later. The printer works very well, but not at the same level of reliability as common consumer electronics. And even if you're lucky, it's good to know how to do preventative maintenance.
RE: Looking to buy the prusa i3 mk3.
I bought it pre-assembled since it is my first printer and I wanted to take my habit of ending up with spare parts (which they don't help by sending spares!!) out of the equation for any problems.
I will say that after learning how to clean the PEI properly, it "worked" right out of the box and allowed me to immediately start learning while seeing results.
The first thing that I found "wrong" was that the Live Z was off by a good amount. Printing worked, but after I started using the "Life Z" process I get so much nicer prints.
Next I noticed that the Y bed was not remotely level (full mm difference from the right rear corner to the left front corner). The result was that I could really only get decent prints from about 100x100mm square in the center of the bed. I finally resolved this by applying the nyloc mod and lots of G80/G81 iterations to dial it in so now none of the outer points are off more than 0.02mm from the fixed center point.
Finally I noticed that my X and Y belts weren't tensioned correctly (the belt status even reported values outside their rather wide recommendations). X I got under control (though I messed it back up during my last extruder rebuild...), but Y has continued to be a pain even after changing the pulley bracket to a mod version that allows more/easier adjustment.
So yes I would whole heartedly recommend the pre-built version for someone that doesn't think they have the ability/time/desire to assemble the kit. It will work and give you a good starting place, just don't assume that all is perfect.
Oh and they don't grease the bearings (but they don't tell you to do that for the kit build either). I ran about 4000 hours with no issues, but I went ahead and took care of that when I tore it apart to fix my bed leveling and upgrade to the MK3S.
RE: Looking to buy the prusa i3 mk3.
Recommend to buy a kit at least to avoid any shipping damage. And be aware that the assembled printer still needs some maintenance and maybe calibration after shipping.
Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram