Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
Hello everyone,,
I am considering buying a Prusa i3 MK3, an upgrade from my XYZ DaVinci Jr 1.0, but I am a little concerned about people in reviews/YouTube videos talking about the longevity of the spring steel plate which it comes with.
At this time, the printer is only available with the standard PEI coated spring steel plate and the optional powder coated plate seems suspiciously unavailable, even 3rd party ones from TheKkiinngg.
My questions are;
is the standard plate good enough? Is the powder coated really that good? Are there any good alternatives? And finally, should I even be worried?
Thanks in advance!
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
MK3S is the best prosumer printer I've used. It is a beast, a true workhorse. Mine is running 24/7 and I rarely ever had a failed print.
Maybe the kit with the PC sheet is not available but the PC sheet itself is and ready to ship now: https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/mk3mk3s/214-powder-coated-spring-steel-sheet.html . Yes, it IS that good. It is super forgiving and I never have to use any release agent or "ready" the sheet in any way. Print whatever material you want, whenever you want. Just clean the bed with some IPA before every print; if it ever loses its adhesion (probably like once a month), wash it in hot water and dawn dish soap and dry. And bonus is you get that sweet texture on the bottom of the print. Only downside with this sheet whatsoever is it is difficult getting first layer calibration nailed down (the standard sheet is more forgiving in this regard).
Standard PEI sheet plate is fine, it just requires more care for materials like PETG/TPU, which stick to it very good. I have a lot of dimples and scratches on mine just learning how different materials work on it but it still gets the job done. And you CAN replace the sheet if it ever gets too damaged (see here) at very minimal cost. Just make sure you read the manual before you print certain materials; most people use a release agent like Windex or glue with these.
No you shouldn't be worried. Awesome printer, either sheet is fine, although I wouldn't be able to live without the PC one.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
I've printed probably close to 10kg of filament by now since I got the printer last year. Still on my first sheet(s), barring a couple of oopsie-marks that were my own fault for not paying attention, they're still good as new. Treat them well and longevity will not be a problem.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
If you can buy only one sheet, buy the smooth. If you can get both, get both. There is some variability in experience with the textured sheet, particularly with PLA. I would not recommend it as your only print surface.
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RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
I wanted to clarify: There is a reason it ships with the smooth by default. It is much easier to get first layer dialed in right and as bobstro mentioned, less variability. That's important: it is completely flat and smooth. There were different versions of the PC sheet. An older fine grain one and one with a coarser finish (later revs). I would only switch to a PC sheet once you have everything dialed in with the smooth, as the others have mentioned.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
You shouldn’t be worried about the longevity of the smooth sheet. I’ve been printing on mine for about 6 months and haven’t needed to flip it to the other side yet. Also if/when it fails, it’s not that expensive to replace. Basically the cost of one roll of filament. There are also cheaper Chinese versions available if you want to go that way.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
I love my printer, I had the Malyan M150 before the Prusa which I had loads of issues with. I have both the textured and smooth steel sheets and i've had no issues with either and printed probably over 9Kg of filament. The only issue I had was my fault as I didn't release you shouldn't use the alcohol to clean the bed when using PETG, so then removing pulled a little of the colour off the textured sheet, still printing perfectly fine though in PETG and PLA. I change between both sheets depending on the item im printing.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
is the standard plate good enough? Is the powder coated really that good? Are there any good alternatives? And finally, should I even be worried?
the standard one is top notch! U dont need powder coated one.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
My opinion is that the powder coated sheet is for PETG use only, and should be used for nothing else. If used for this, it only needs a wipe with IPA between prints, and to be honest mostly it doesn't even need this.
PLA will work once or twice, but then doesn't stick so well anymore and depending on the PLA, leaves a residue, this gets into the pits / voids of the texture and prevents filament from adhering again. Smooth PLA is just that, smooth, it wipes clean, no pits or voids to trap anything.
If you do get this problem then you will need to wash the textured sheet with hot water and washing up liquid then dry thoroughly.
But the smooth sheet can be too good for PETG which sticks better than PLA, and you can end up damaging the surface unless you use in effect a release agent like gluestick / hairspray / talc etc
So it all really depends on what you are going to print. Again, personally I have both, smooth for PLA and textured for PETG.
Here is a print I am doing now, long and narrow, no brim, no adhesive, nothing, and this sheet has never been washed, and no lifting, just perfect prints every time. it is 16 months old, I just make sure I don't put greasy fingers on it and every so often spray IPA on it and wipe off with a paper towel.
Sorry about the rotation, I still haven't figured this out!
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RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
The other secondary consideration is the surface finish you want on the part.
Smooth and shiny - smooth plate.
A really nice textured finish - the textured plate.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
@chocki
I agree with Chocki here. The textured sheet works great with PETG. The parts stick well, have a nice textured surface, and easily release when the sheet cools. I have also had success printing TPU on it.
I have used the smooth sheet with PLA, PETG, TPU, and nylon. PLA sticks with no issues so long as the sheet is clean. I use a glue stick with the others. PETG and TPU stick a little too well to the smooth sheet.
If you can only get one, the smooth sheet is great. As far as life span, I have had the smooth sheet for a year and a half. It has some scratches and small spots missing. It could probably use replacing at this point. For $35 + shipping, I feel like I got my money's worth out of it.
RE: Thoughts on buying a Prusa i3 MK3
For my 2 pence I agree with lots already mentioned. I cut my 3d printing teeth with a Malyan m150, which I heavily upgraded and ended up getting some wonderful prints off of - with a vast amount of work. I then added a tronxy x3a, which I heavily modified and which produced fantastic prints, but it was too big so I sold it and spent 4 times as much on a Prusa mk3. I've never looked back. It's a super machine that's consistent, reliable, quiet, well designed and produces super quality prints.
The smooth pei sheet is great for new users and works really well with pla. It works OK with petg too but it's pretty sticky. Tpu and flexible filaments are super sticky. Abs sticks well at high Temps.
The powder coated pei sheet has a lovely professional textured finish, but it's just a little trickier for newer users to dial in the first layer height so easily. It works great with tpu and many flexi filaments (which are tricky yo print with compared to PLA and petg). Abs is OK too.