The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.  

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Yeah I am not happy.  Lot of money invested in this thing - I have a 5 tool.  I invested in it because they always kept improving and iterating.

Apparently we all bought an experiment that is pretty much being abandoned from what I can see.

My last Prusa.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

There are apparently no plans to bring INDX to XL. Man, that sucks. I guess I should have waited another year to get the better printer. 

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

AND that by far is the weirdest part. Prusa is a SELF advertised "Research" company. But in the 4 years since XLs release, they were unable to make their own toolhead system better for their own printers? An for the Love of God somebody please do not regurgitate the line of " lucrative business partnership." It is kind of like the "Institut Pasteur" asking Johnson & Johson for help.

There is more going on here then just a partnership.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Two comments:

1. There have been no reviews yet of the INDX system, so we don't know where it might be better and where it might be worse than a Nextruder-equipped XL.
2.  No announced plans for INDX on XL doesn't mean no plans.

... and now I'm imagining a hybrid XL system with two Nextruders and 8 INDX heads  ... physically possible, sure -- the three XL PSUs are probably enough juice, and you can add more compute -- but it could easily be a firmware/software nightmare.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Hey guys, don't forget that the XL is an “old” printer. When you buy the flagship product that has had no competition for years, of course it's going to be expensive. Is that a reason to tell Prusa not to release new, more affordable models?

When you buy the latest iPhone for $2,000, do you expect it to still be the best phone five years later?

How could Prusa improve the XL without announcing an “upgrade kit” that would cost half the money already invested? By targeting the professional market with “tools” (other than the FDM print head) that only the XL is capable of handling.

Converting an XL into an INDX system makes no sense; in my opinion, it's more of a step backwards, as it would limit the machine to FDM printing only. There's no chance it would be competitive that way.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

I feel betrayed by Prusa.

Prusa always stood for me as a company that keeps its devices up to date through upgrades; that's what Prusa advertises—that you don’t have to buy a new printer after 1–2 years if it’s a Prusa.

So far, the XL has only had an enclosure, which, to put it mildly, only meets the minimal requirements. Build chamber temperatures above 40°C become an adventure, as it can trigger a temperature alarm, resulting in a ruined print (at a really high price).

Otherwise, there has been nothing throughout all this time. Even the new 400°C hotend is not compatible, and officially, there isn’t even a new spool holder for the new dry boxes.

The Prusa fanboys are now proclaiming that the XL is actually meant for enthusiasts. Prusa, it cannot be that difficult to improve an XL with an enclosure so that a 65°C build chamber temperature is possible (as with most competitors), allowing even demanding technical materials to be processed.

Even the component cooling could use an upgrade. These aren't unaffordable upgrades.

Instead, the XL is declared a playground for enthusiasts, and third-party companies are supposed to develop alternative print heads so that Prusa doesn't have to say the XL is dead.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Because a big part of their rep is doing JUST that.    As for 'they might be doing stuff'.   No they aren't.   They have introduced essentially a far cheaper and more capable system.  There will not be enough XL sales to warrant them doing much more with it. 

In retrospect, should have realized this would be the case - it's a niche printer.  Most people can't afford it.  

But..yeah...I had REALLY expected at least some new heads (like a laser or a cutter) ...I mean it seems like a no brainer...so...yeah...disappointed as hell.  

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

And it's not true I'll never but another Prusa.  I will just never get a printer that hasn't been out long enough to see where they are going with it.  The core is pretty cool.  I picked up a Bambu cause it got cheap since a  new version came out.  It's a nifty little printer.   Got the AMS too.   Maybe I'll add #3 at some point - maybe it'll be a core.  Not anytime soon though...not going to get bit twice.  

The bottom line is I use to hold Prusa in high regard and wouldn't considered buying from someone else.

Now they are just like everyone else.   Their printers get no preference from me.

Please - no lasers, no routers, OK perhaps a drag knife but even that's OTT - these gimmick heads generate smoke, ash and debris that, unless scrupulously cleaned, ruin the machine for 3D printing.

Cheerio,

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

I placed a large order for the XL, some accessories, and some upgrades and the next day the media of the 8 head? other printer surfaced. I haven't dug into what it is yet, but what floated by on facebook videos was just garbage fanboi squeeing with some video of the tool heads. I also don't know much about the Smaller Core printers. I didn't heavily research the XL, but I did check out its specs. I've been happy with the perfformance (including untapped performance) of my 2 i3 mk3/3.5s, so I trusted Prusa would make a good printer. Evern since I clicked "Buy Now" though, I've see all sorts of grumbling about the XL where it seems to be abandoned or forsaken.

How much of what the OP is saying is doom and gloom banter, how much is legit complaint, and how much is actionable intel?

I asked Grok this, and he told me the new INDX setup is like a better/integrated MMU for the Core and Core L printers. I guess that's good, but can it do multi material well? For example PLA suports for a PETG print or vice versa? Aside from assuming homogeneous materials and number of colors in a print, I don't see why the two are being compared to each other.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Posted by: @kachidoki

How could Prusa improve the XL without announcing an “upgrade kit” that would cost half the money already invested?

If Prusa offered an XL upgrade kit that converted, say, XL toolheads 1 to 3 to an 8-nozzle INDX system and left toolheads 4 and 5 as Nextruders, which is physically possible, and offered that upgrade for say less than US$1400, I'd buy it (conditional on it getting good reviews by the usual YouTube suspects).  

An INDX Core One or Core One L would be nice, and I might upgrade one of my Core One printers to INDIX, but I'm often finding myself doing prints that wouldn't fit a Core One or Core One L and do fit the XL.  

Don't be fooled by forum bias.  Most users only visit forums if/when they have a problem to fix and the vast majority of XL users never visit at all...  You will always see more grumbles than praise.  I have never had any of the problems that reading the forums might mislead you to believe are common.

The XL prints exactly as well after Formnext as it did before Formnext; I expect it to continue to work as well for several years just as my Mk3 continues to work.  You are still getting exactly what you paid for.

Does INDX make a better printer?  No, it makes a different printer.  Which is better for an individual depends on their particular use-case.  I do not expect many people to use it anywhere near it's potential and I anticipate a flood of problems here on the forums as filament drying becomes even more important.

Apart from one early experiment I have never used all of my XL toolheads simultaneously.  I have *needed* four once, three several times and two often.  My use-case is mostly light engineering parts with the most technical being for boatbuilding but recently spares and workarounds  for vintage cars have crept in. This btw is why the new Silicone Printing Toolhead is attractive; it opens the potential for printing seals, gaskets and shock absorbers that have been impossible so far.  I already use TPU for printed-in-place hinges, silicones should be even better.

Could I print what I currently do with INDX?  Probably.  Would it do better?  Probably not.  Will a Silicone Printing INDX head become available? Your guess is as good as mine but don't hold your breath.

Who is likely to (attempt to) max out the INDX?  My guess is that it will attract mostly those who print colourful cartoon-style trinkets.   These users will continue to chase high nozzle counts until a cheap full-colour-mixing head with photo-realistic reproduction becomes available [they are already available for sintered powder printers but in that context 'cheap' means cheaper than your dream car.]

Those who make serious miniatures and cosplay will continue to print monochrome, post process, paint and distress.

Has the XL been abandoned?  Two new toolheads announced, one close to release suggest not (complaints that one is not Prusa designed are daft, neither is INDX.)  

Ah! I see the heat exchanger prototype part has just finished printing, time to see if it works...

Cheerio,

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Now I'm curious. Why is the sky falling?

What can't you print on a 5 head XL that you can print on a 4 or 5 head INDX?

It's not like it suddenly stop working the moment the INDX is released.

I managed to get in on the Founders Edition, but the likelihood of me selling my XL is below nil. It's one of my favourite printers, and it's only getting better.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Honestly, I was half joking with my original post, but now I'm not. This does not change the fact that the XL is a good printer. It is. It is also a 4800 dollar printer which is objectively and completely inferior to one costing about half of that. The Core One has gotten upgrade after upgrade, and the XL gets: A) A silicone nozzle, and B) A pick and place. 

Both have tremendous situational utility to about 1000 users worldwide. For the rest of us, who know how to print molds and are willing to get up and put parts into a print by hand, there is zero compelling reason for either tool. 

We have wanted hotter toolheads. We need a better enclosure, and better methods for handling the overheating board underneath the heat bed. Frankly, I'd have been plenty happy to buy a nozzle brush kit, as we are STILL dealing with leaking nozzles in almost 2026. This "flagship" product has been largely abandoned. This machine is meant to be a flagship, but we do not even have a high temp tool head. That's crucial for my work. If we did have it, I'd have to re-print the XY motor mounts since they might melt in the chamber. My toolheads still crash into one another periodically. The nozzles ooze and they move around somewhere I can't even get a pair of tweezers in when they pause, not without burning my forearm on the build plate. This thing could benefit from a good deal of improvement. 

I hope Prusa will come out with some system or upgrade that redeems this machine and shows it is a viable choice in 2026. These printers didn't even ship until March 2023. So less than three years in, we have machines much more expensive and much less capable than the new ones. I recognize that sure, that's just the way tech goes, but it's not what I expected when I invested in a printer that costs more than a great many crappy used cars I have owned. And it isn't what I expected from Prusa. 

I've been a Prusa guy since 2016. I brought the first 3D printer in Antarctica with me years later, and it was a MK3S. It made sense due to the robust ability to repair it. And I reiterate that the XL is a good printer, but it is absolutely not up to the level I have come to expect from Prusa. Will my next printer be a Prusa? Yep, so I guess there's no reason to change it. Will I ever be quite as positive as I once was about the company? Probably not. 

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Completely agree (except for the part where the next printer will be a Prusa).

I'll just add, I also want them to get rid of that "extruder is not spinning" bug that stupidly kills prints, and maybe have a spool joining that actually works and doesn't destroy the print. And better first layer.

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Now that my core one MMU is spinning I'm feeling this retro itch "get a XL while they are cheap" 🙂

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

That's because they can't fix all the issues that make this printer a dog. If ya can't fix it build a new one. I have been printing a small XMAS gift box for a diorama, two hours of failures. Fresh calibrations and it's still a junk. That's enough! I printed it on the MK4 and painted it in minutes, don't waste your money on this machine. 

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Why do they keep selling it then?

RE: The XL is done forever, man. Game over. It's all gone to hell.

Very interesting discussion!

Ever since the XL came onto the market, it has fascinated me. The size of the print chamber, the huge print bed and the tool heads were the only pros at the time. The cons were the hefty price tag and the ‘beautiful’ housing.In my opinion, it is so expensive because the costs of development, marketing, manufacturing and materials are simply passed on, just like with cars. Regardless of whether there will ever be conversion kits for the Prusa XL, because Prusa has now focused solely on INDX, the XL is a workhorse that needs to be cared for and maintained just like any other machine that is expected to do a good job. That's why it will stay with me, even if there is a successor. That is to say, the ‘Prusa Core One XL’ with INDX and a larger build volume than the Prusa XL currently offers.

To be honest, it's the disturbance variable that stands in front of the printer. Not everyone is the same. Everyone feels differently, everyone understands (technical) things differently, and everyone has their own opinion about these printers. Okay, at the beginning of the Prusa XL story, some things were not optimal. Why some things or technical errors have not been/will not be addressed is written on a piece of paper that Prusa does not want to or cannot reveal to us.On the other hand, it must be said that if you are technically savvy, you can improve or change some things yourself. Even if you might expect something like that more from Prusa.

INDX system, good or bad. The fact is, it's just as much an advancement as the load cell was back then, and it has its raison d'être. But I see such a system more in multicolour printing. I don't need INDX for technical prints. Even if the moving masses are significantly smaller, the heating and cooling times are better, and the times from start to end of printing can perhaps be shortened, ultimately everyone has to decide for themselves what they want and need.

Diem has already summed it up nicely in his closing sentence, so I will end my contribution there too. My ‘Prusa XL enclosure’ project is waiting, and all the extension profiles from the MK4 enclosure still need to be aligned – see you around!