My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I had the 5-tool XL for two years now and my feelings are mixed.
It was my biggest invest in a hobby, ever. It is big, it is reliable, it prints pretty well. But honestly... all in all, I spent more than $5000 on that thing (including enclosure, bed sheets, nozzles and so on), and for that HUGE pile of money I did not expect anything less.
Then, there is the enclosure. Costing more than an entire multi-color printer elsewhere, it still looks and feels more like patchwork than a refined solution. Honestly, some 3rd party enclosures on Printables have evolved better.
I really expected more improvement and development by Prusa on their flagship, but got pretty disappointed in that regard. There seems to be a hard focus on the Core1 series now, which - understandably - is a lot more commercially successful. But I am afraid that with the arrival of INDX, the XL will get to become Prusas neglected ugly child even more. The fact that the XL was the last one of all Prusa models to get the 6.4 firmware finalized speaks louder than any official commitment can. As of now (2026/05), all other models have 6.5.3 already, XL is on 6.4.1. Go figure.
The fact that the Nextruder in the Core1 had 360° nozzle cooling from day one but the XL still has not, after years... well, you get where this is going.In the past, all Prusa Printers got a proper upgrade path instead of a succession of totally new and incompatible models. Seeing that the Core1+ along with INDX is probably better at almost everything except print volume, at a significantly lower price point, while I keep waiting in vain for even basic optimizations of well-known flaws just got me by surprise (unpleasantly so).
Some feature examples I would have expected in the last years are:
- a multi-filament storage solution below the printer with included drying and auto-winding
- improved (auto-winding) loading/unloading solution
- improved nozzle cooling (360°)
- improved enclosure with cheap upgrade path for existing customers
- a seamlessly integrated camera solution (the Core One came later and it already got one, for f*cks sake!)
The XL still is a really good printer, don't get me wrong. But all the above is also why I have problems shaking the bad feeling that I paid more than almost anyone else, and they took my money and used it to create the Core1, instead of improving the XL.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I see it the same way. I hesitated for a long time to spend so much money on my hobby, but then I did it because 3D printing is my great passion and I trusted that Prusa would continuously improve the XL, but I was mistaken, nothing came for the X, even multi-nozzle multi-material was not really further developed by Prusa. Here in Germany, the XL printers are being offered on the second-hand market almost at bargain prices, no one wants this outdated overpriced printer anymore. My MK4 became the MK4S, then the Core One, then the Core One+. I will soon get the INDX founder edition from Bondtech. As soon as INDX runs stably on Voron or RatRig, I will turn my back on Prusa; I am really very disappointed with Prusa.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I have one of the earliest XL's. I wholeheartedly agree with the suggestions made that would significantly improve the XL. I wish Prusa would put some effort into it.
On the other hand, my XL is the most reliable (and fun) printer in my collection. Sure beats the Core One/MMU combo in every way. I mean, my Core Ones are fine machines too but I find them to be less reliable than the XL. I start a print on the XL, it will finish okay. Not always true for the Core Ones. So, yes, the XL was expensive, but it works as advertised for me, and I don't regret spending the money.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- https://foxrun3d.com/
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
Prusa definitely could have done better on upgraded developments as well treat prior purchasers better. IE make us pay for upgrades that come with newer versions. Whether it be nozzles or the more heat tolerant idler/belt parts. As well as not even supply basic parts or developing them ie cameras. Still a good printer but Prusa should treat owners of the XL (more so the early adopters) better rather than dropping us for the new core models etc...
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
<p>I agree completely. Having spent the same amount of money as you and fully equipping all tool heads, everything about the way Prusa has treated the machine looks like an afterthought. The XL is basically an abandoned platform. At these prices you expect a certain level of commitment to the product by the company. This is everything but. This will likely be my last Prusa.</p>
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I cant agree more with this post. Im still waiting for a proper cooling upgrade kit and not relying on mod for mainboard and heatbed on a 5k printer. A 5k printer with petg parts lets add. Also a crap dust cover for an enclosure (that took 3 years from the initial presentation back in 2021) which at least they could offer an upgrade with a couple of actual heat sensors. Active heating is out of the question since i feel Prusa never actually put enough thought on enclosing this thing, and im not sure how all the electronics and petg parts will cope. Ive printed mods for part cooling, heatbed (which like an oxymoron overheats in an enclosure full of airgaps) and mainboard cooling, mod for tpu not to be tangled in the gears, to hold brasss brushes to clean nozzles etc. I mean you put a hefty price tag, because its a .. Prusa... and then neglect it. And then you come out in a blog and say its not neglected we will offer you a silicon head that someone else developed that will cost as much as a snapmaker u1. Which by the way have good reviews , people attached a panda breather on it and costs a fraction of the price.Not to mention the spare parts cost.
INDX is not Prusas and honestly i see it finding its way to other brands also. A few brands have multi material solutions now and more are coming, Creality KlitTech (yes i know how it sounds), AtomForm, Elegoo is unveiling something, there is the snapmaker, flashforge etc. Prusa's name doesnt mean much nowdays and im afraid if the dont get their sh*t together they will keep losing customers.
There is absolutely no reason, except from volume, for someone to buy the XL. Upgradability? Thats funny. Even if it is offered tomorrow is still too late. Support. My heatbed generated overheating messages after i bought the enclosure and after chat and email i got a send an extra board. And the problem persists. I dont want to collect spare parts i want for my expensive printer to work properly so i just print with the door open (that negates the enclosure).
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I can only wholeheartedly agree with everything that has been said so far. The main reason for my decision to buy a Prusa printer was its continuous development and upgradeability. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the XL, which is a bitter disappointment for all XL owners.
In my opinion, with their current product policy, they are well on the way to ruining their good reputation and getting lost among all the other 3D printer manufacturers.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I agree completely. Having spent the same amount of money as you and fully equipping all tool heads, everything about the way Prusa has treated the machine looks like an afterthought. The XL is basically an abandoned platform. At these prices you expect a certain level of commitment to the product by the company. This is everything but. This will likely be my last Prusa.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
Basically echoes my experience. Sorry, but I don't really buy any of the placation given to us on the recent blog post. I'd rather have a proper enclosure and wait five more seconds for INDX to heat up. Silicone toolhead is neat for the like, 300 people worldwide who want it.
Think it's time to accept that we should dump these printers while we still can.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
Think it's time to accept that we should dump these printers while we still can.
And a question arises. Why should i still trust Prusa? Why should i still pay the premium they ask for "upgradability" and "quality" products? I like INDX but nobody said that is going to be Prusa exclusivity.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
Well Said, sad but true. Good printer, was beyond ITS capabilities. Firmware Updates Always feels Like a Joyride. I took a very Long learning curve with this printer. Chatted multiple Meters to scroll with Support. I have a whole collection of Red and blue Screen. And spare parts.... Damn.
2 years later i mostly use single nozzle because for Projects over 24h i dont Trust the toolhead. I Like the build Volume, Print quality ist good. But after my Delta printers i would Like to have Something that Just Work.... Then i bought the prusa XL... Guess what. Delta ist much easier to maintain. Or the Method for the tensioners.... , Planetary Gear.... Click click, cooling, accelerometer?, etc .... So not working
Ooh, quality.. they have some serious Problem in quality Management. I Had to Change 2 heaters and know the 4 thermistor. All where screwed muuuuch to tight. The nearly broke the capsule and IT was very hard Work to get them gently Out because of the bending.
... There is so much more. You get the Idea.
Would i buy prusa again...?
no
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RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I took a close look at the Prusa XL's toolhead today, and I think it can be modified to use an INDX. So in my personal opinion, Prusa will release upgrade/retrofit kits for it later.
think it can be modified to use an INDX. So in my personal opinion, Prusa will release upgrade/retrofit kits for it later.
INDX would be a downgrade I cannot imagine a use for it...
OK, the silicone mixing toolhead will be extremely useful and I would like the option to explore more upgrades but my 5H is reliable; the only non-nozzle spares I have needed were due to my own carelessness and I have seen none of the problems others are complaining of here. Like my MK3, it just works.
As with @foxrun3d, for me it works as advertised and remains good value for the money.
Cheerio,
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
I took a close look at the Prusa XL's toolhead today, and I think it can be modified to use an INDX. So in my personal opinion, Prusa will release upgrade/retrofit kits for it later.
Honestly... Why??? Even if they EVENTUALLY make a kit for this it will just make a complex machine even more complex. I mean if you want an INDX what the point of mixing it with the active toolheads. The XL has still issues that a few people mentioned and some of them you can attribute them to its complexity. I mean even a few of the firmware versions were a hit and miss for some owners. And add to all this a completely different set of variables, you ll have to adjust with toolheads. It will be a programming and troubleshooting nightmare. IF it works properly. And honestly i would prefer for them to polish the current issues before adding new ones. Whats the point of extra filaments if i still cannot print succesfully some more advanced material, if my nozzle cannot reach higher temps and my enclosure is a just a dust cover?
And im not sure if it will worth paying a hefty ammount to add it to the XL. It will propably cost as much as a brand new multi material printer and with subpar quality. Finally Prusa and bondtech , as always, take their time with the INDX. By the time the bring it to the XL , the XL itself it will be as relevant as MK3 is today. Probably not so depentant though.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
That’s a tricky subject. INDX would make the XL much more affordable and attractive; a Nextruder print head alone costs over €400. The XL could benefit massively from INDX: it would gain auto-calibration and allow for easier, faster, tool-free nozzle changes. It would also mean better nozzle cleaning and huge cost savings. Here in Germany, many 3D printing enthusiasts are selling their XLs at very low prices, because several printers are hitting the market in the coming months that offer more for much lower prices. I can't imagine the silicone print head (announced about eight months ago—and who knows when it’ll actually launch) will help the XL much; then again, perhaps the XL is destined to become a printer designed for specialized print heads. I can't imagine anyone wanting to spend €4,000 on an XL5T with its current specifications six months from now, given the arrival of newer, much more affordable printers. I think INDX could revitalize the XL; it would enable the machine to handle swappable heads—including INDX. But you're right, that would be very complex. Considering it took over a year for the Buddy camera to work the way customers expected, I’m not optimistic about Prusa’s chances with this.
RE: My (slightly disappointed) summary after two years of owning a 5-tool XL
NDX would make the XL much more affordable and attractive; a Nextruder print head alone costs over €400. The XL could benefit massively from INDX
What you are actually saying, if i understanding correctly , is let say ditching the toolheads and adding the INDX. Well again that's a huge overhaul just to keep the frame and some electronics , which by the way are one of the things that make the XL a bit subpar from its competitors. An open frame, no proper heat distribution, PETG parts etc (things already discussed multiple times). I think it would be more cost efficient to make a core XL with dedicated INDX. I remember the kit to transform your mk3 to mk4. It was better to sell the mk3 and buy a brand new mk4. The kit was expensive and there just to justify the "upgradability" claim. And it was a FAR simpler machine than the XL.
And IMO the silicon head is a joke. Its a 3d party 900E prop , a lame excuse that prusa uses for not admitting that until now they neglected the XL. And the now is already too late. In summary Prusa proudly declares that there is an upgrade path for their printers. Well they had to say something to justify this claim. And if you are a bit open minded someone has to admit the recent price of the upgrade paths for their printers are like buying a brand new printer ... which you have to build yourself. But honestly after 5 years (yes im counting from the first revelation of the XL back in 2021), if they didn't manage to think and offer something average buyer would find interesting as a different toolhead, im not sure that they can now.
All in all XL may work properly for most of the owners. My MK3 works great too (MMU2Suck is just there because im to lazy to remove it) and my SLS its ok..ish (a fan problem but goes away if i ignore it). But honestly that doesnt mean they worth their price tag. After my MK3S i said my next printer will be prusa, after my SLS i said well.. its a bit expensive for what i get but its a Prusa and after the XL i said my next printer will ... PROBABLY.. not be a Prusa. And went for an Elegoo saturn ultra 16k.