MK4 user comtemplating a XL - what do you use your XL for ?
Hi
I upgraded from a MK3+ to a MK4 . I ordered the MK4 the day it was released and sold my MK3+. Now the XL lead times have come down I'm thinking of a XL. I have over 100 print days on my MK4 and there have only been a few times I would have liked to do a multi colour print. And a number of times the larger build volume would have been good. I'm not that interested in the MMU think I would rather the XL.
I really like the idea of the XL but what is going through my mind is: what would I use the XL for. I'm interested to know from XL users.
Seems to me the XL offers
- Larger Print Volume
- Multi Colour - I realise I can get just one tool head but if I'm going to get an XL I would go all out.
- Similar print times as the MK4
- Probably better print quality - but the MK4 is pretty good.
- Advantages of multi heads like different infill materials, no break printing.
I've seen a number of cool prints of figurines , masks etc. Thats stuff I would only do once . Most of the stuff I have printed has been practical stuff for the home, garden or workshop.
Guess I'm looking for an excuse to self justify the XL !
Cheers
Michael
Larger Print Volume
Even if it's just once every few weeks it's a game changer
Multi Colour - I realise I can get just one tool head but if I'm going to get an XL I would go all out.
If you're not printing trinkets you won't use much multicolour. My multi-*colour* use is almost always restricted to the first couple of layers but recently I needed to print a weighted slug inside the end of a part - cue Obxidian nozzle and bronzefill but none of the heavy fill is visible on the surface so you can't call that a colour change.
It's rare to use more than three nozzles at a time so my current nozzle setup is two bronze 0.6, one Obxidian 0.6 and two bronze 0.4
Similar print times as the MK4
Maybe, depends on the filament and the part geometry.
Probably better print quality - but the MK4 is pretty good
Not really, the MK2 hit the practical limits of FDM and all improvements since have been marginal.
Advantages of multi heads like different infill materials, no break printing.
The big plus is multimaterial integration - eg. hard parts with flexible hinges/springs/shock absorbers.
If you have space, keep your Mk4 - I have a Mk3 that is now used almost exclisively for TPU printing - single material flexible parts have to be printed slowly even on the XL - so instead of slowing the XL below Mk3 speeds I slow the Mk3 and let it chug along whilst the XL is working on something else.; but the XL can handle softer filaments than the MK3 so it does print some.
Cheerio,
RE: MK4 user comtemplating a XL - what do you use your XL for ?
The real game changer for me was the actual multimaterial option. Having pla as supports on petg is for me the big plus. And the drastic increase ins speed when handling multicolor/material in comparison with mmu and probably other single extruder options such as pallete or ams. It just picks the head and prints. No need for loading, unloading times, waste, different temps on single nozzles, filament tip shape issues, jamming etc.
RE: MK4 user comtemplating a XL - what do you use your XL for ?
I'll concur with most of the previous posts.
Our MK3S mostly just sits now. But quality between the MK3S & 5 head XL is minimal. The XL may be a bit faster, but not a mind blowingly faster, at least for single filament prints. The wife does a bit of multi-color, but I don't do to much. I mostly use the multi-material, especially mixing PLA & PETG for supports that don't stick. Extra volume gets used a bit. The auto-calibration is probably the killer feature of the XL over the MK3, but you already have that on the MK4.
I keep thinking about upgrading the MK3S to a MK3.9 or MK4S. But I just can't get motivated to spend the money given how little we use it.
I never had a MMU, but friends did. Multi-head may be a bit easier than MMU, but it still has a lot more issues than single filament.
The XL is an upgrade, but not as much as I'd hoped for the price. It generally just works though & does multi-filiment, so it's hard to fault it for doing what it's suppose to.