MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
Hi all,
As per the title really. I have a MK3S and it's great, never had an issue, currently print away happy as you like. I am the kind of person who doesn't use their printer all the time. Sometimes I will have a project ongoing and it will be printing 24/7 for a few weeks solid, then it will sit doing nothing for several weeks or months, then back at it.
So I am wondering, is the upgrade from the MK3S to the MK3S+ worth it? I have read the upgrade instructions and really it just looks like the SuperPinda is the main upgrade, the other things like replacing U-clamps on the bed and new mounts for the X-axis rods are nice, but I don't see them having any real benefit to the printing or print quality.
So whats the deal with the SuperPinda vs the one that comes with the MK3S? In what way is is better and like I said, is it worth the effort of upgrading when mine is perfectly fine and can sometimes sit idle for months??
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
The SuperPinda isn't sensitive to temperature and should be more precise.
But this is what Prusa says about the upgrade in the shop:
A number of minor changes were done to the extruder plastic parts to improve overall reliability
Otherwise, if your MK3/S runs without any issues, you will not gain any significant printing quality improvements.
So if your printer is working fine, there is no need to upgrade. You could buy the SuperPinda and install that. That is the major change in the upgrade. But looking at the price the kit looks like the better choice to have spare parts.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
Cheers, think I will give it a miss. The old adage “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” seems to apply here. I have found that if I begin a pre-heat of the printer and then do an “Auto Home” it kind of heat soaks the PINDA and I get very good auto levelling every single time.
If the upgrade will do nothing more than eliminate this step due to the PINDA not having a thermistor then it’s not worth it for me. Maybe if I used these printers in a production line, but not for how much I actually use it.
Thanks for confirming what I was thinking.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
They also added new Y-axis parts - bearing clips and Y-rod holders.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
I would tend to keep updated simply because at some point if there is an upgrade you DO want, they may not have an upgrade path if you are far enough back in your rev.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
I would tend to keep updated simply because at some point if there is an upgrade you DO want, they may not have an upgrade path if you are far enough back in your rev.
That is a good point. They did that with all the MK2 upgrades. They stopped selling those at the start of this year. You can still do most of the upgrades, but not with a complete upgrade kit.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
@baklin
if you you keep updated they'll always release an upgrade kit to get you from the previous to the current. seems like a cheap way to keep your investment up to date. I think the MK3S to MK3S+ was only 50 dollars.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
[...] As per the title really. I have a MK3S and it's great, never had an issue, currently print away happy as you like.
I'm in the same position. My Mk3 has been reliable and nothing in the upgrades has been compelling. I might upgrade at some point, but the tool is doing its job just fine for now. I'm sure in 2-3 years, newer technologies will be out that will make replacement worth considering.
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
I would say that if it is print well, just buy the SuperPinda Prove.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
I would tend to keep updated simply because at some point if there is an upgrade you DO want, they may not have an upgrade path if you are far enough back in your rev.
Hmm, that is a good point! I think I might order the upgrade kit just for that reason alone the next time I need more filament. I've noticed there is no more cheap Hermes shipping option to the UK (guessing Brexit related), only DHL, so best to just order a few things at the same time and as long as the total inc delivery is under £135 the VAT is charged at checkout, so hopefully no messing around with DHL courier fees, etc.
Probably wont need more filament until Sept / Oct, so will just order it all then. Think that is the most compelling reason to upgrade! To ensure a valid upgrade path is possible should a nice proper big upgrade become available.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
@mario87
Yep, it's what I'd do. keeps the changes small from rev to rev. I bought my first printer last nov as an MK3S and upgraded it to a S+ in march when I got the MMU2S since it was mentioned as a requirement. The upgrade from S to S+ did require a good number of modifications and I had the print the parts out ahead of doing the upgrade.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
I agreed with @ssill2. When I first got my MK3, I upgraded it to MK3S and now I just upgraded to +. I thought it's worth it IMO.
Now, I'm going to upgrade my other MK3S to + shortly.
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
Bought the upgrade kit. All ready to go, but waiting until I have to do a major maintenance or repair.
Why mess with it when it's working well.
REPAIR, RENEW, REUSE, RECYCLE, REBUILD, REDUCE, RECOVER, REPURPOSE, RESTORE
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
@richnormand
Nice!
RE: MK3S to MK3S+ Upgrade - Is it worth it?
Bought the upgrade kit. All ready to go, but waiting until I have to do a major maintenance or repair.
Why mess with it when it's working well.
Great idea!