Prusa i3 MK3S reviews often come from YouTubers who receive 3D printers for free, sometimes directly from Josef Prusa himself. This review is different. I’m not a YouTube celebrity, and I purchased my Prusa i3 printers (Mk2, Mk3s) and my Prusa Mini with my own money.
It’s safe to say I wouldn’t have invested in a second Prusa I3 3d Printer if I wasn’t satisfied with the first. However, even with their strengths, Prusa printers are not without their flaws.
So, what’s the long-term experience like with the Prusa i3 MK3S? And in today’s rapidly evolving 3D printing landscape, is the Prusa i3 MK3S still a relevant choice, or has it become outdated? Let’s dive into a detailed look.
Prusa i3 MK3S: Kit vs. Assembled – Which is Right for You?
The first major decision you’ll face when considering the Prusa i3 MK3S is whether to purchase it as a kit or fully assembled.
The Prusa i3 MK3S kit is priced at $749, while the assembled version costs $999. The assembled printer typically has a lead time of around 3 weeks, whereas the kit is generally in stock and ready to ship sooner.
It’s crucial to remember that these prices don’t include shipping and import duties, which can add an additional $110-$130 to the total cost. For example, the Prusa i3 MK3S kit ended up costing me CAD$1,227.94 delivered to my door.
Both the kit and the assembled versions are packaged securely. Presumably, the assembled version simply comes in a larger box to accommodate the pre-built printer.
The well-packaged box of the Prusa i3 MK3S kit, ensuring safe delivery.
Building the Prusa i3 MK3S kit is a significantly more involved process than assembling something like an Ender 3, which comes largely pre-assembled.
With the Prusa kit, you are essentially starting from scratch, assembling virtually every component. It’s a demanding task. In my experience, it felt even more complex than assembling the older Mk2 model, primarily due to the redesigned extruder assembly.
Assembling the Prusa i3 MK3S kit is a detailed and time-consuming process, requiring careful attention to each step.
Balancing a full-time job and family commitments, the assembly process stretched out over weeks for me – 25 weeks to be exact, which is admittedly an extreme case! Most builders will likely complete it much faster, but it illustrates how easily the build can be drawn out when time is limited. I could only dedicate short periods, 10 minutes here and an hour there, to the build.
The process is undeniably fiddly. Many of the parts are 3D printed themselves and feature rough overhangs, which can sometimes make assembly less smooth. Be prepared for small nuts and bolts to frequently escape and hide in inaccessible places.
Interestingly, while I found the build frustrating, some individuals actually report enjoying the assembly process. Your mileage may vary (YMMV).
Important Consideration:
It’s crucial to understand that while the Prusa i3 MK3S kit build takes a considerable amount of time, it is not necessarily difficult. The instructions are clear and well-documented.
Discussions within the Prusa Facebook Group suggest that an uninterrupted build can be completed in around 8-9 hours.
The key is to meticulously follow the online instructions provided by Prusa. These instructions are regularly updated with helpful comments and clarifications from the community.
Having a dedicated workspace for the build is also highly recommended. This prevents the need to constantly set up and pack away your tools and components if you need to spread the assembly over several days.
The Benefit of Building It Yourself
One significant advantage of building the kit is the intimate understanding you gain of your 3D printer’s inner workings. This knowledge can be invaluable for future maintenance, troubleshooting, and modifications.
However, if your primary goal is to save money and you highly value your time, opting for the kit might not be the most economical choice. The extensive build time could lead to frustration, especially if your free time for hobbies is limited, potentially causing you to resent the printer itself, as I initially did.
Prusa i3 MK3S: Features and Specifications
Once assembled, what exactly does the Prusa i3 MK3S offer?
- Build Volume: 250mm x 210mm x 200mm.
- Heated Bed: Reaches up to 120ºC, removable, PEI coated (I chose the smooth PEI sheet; I’m unsure why anyone would prefer a textured print surface for most applications!).
- Extruder: E3D hotend (maximum temperature 300ºC) with Bondtech extruder gears for reliable filament feeding.
- Filament Runout Sensor: Detects when filament runs out, pausing prints for easy spool changes.
- Power Loss Recovery: Resumes prints after power outages, preventing wasted prints.
- Trinamic2130 Stepper Drivers: Quiet operation and reliable layer shifting detection.
- Noctua Fan: Contributes to the printer’s remarkably quiet operation.
- Automatic Bed Leveling Compensation: Ensures consistent first layers across the entire print bed.
The Prusa i3 series has a long and respected history within the 3D printing community, building a solid reputation for reliability and print quality. While the initial Mk3 release had some early issues related to print quality, bed adhesion, filament runout sensor reliability, and power supply noise, the Mk3s revision appears to have effectively addressed these concerns.
Visually, the Prusa i3 MK3S maintains a distinctly “hobbyist” or “maker” aesthetic. It has a somewhat home-built appearance, which is partly due to its origins in the RepRap movement and the use of 3D printed parts in its construction.
In 2019, and even more so today, many printers in this price range feature color touchscreens. The Prusa i3 MK3S, however, sticks with a more traditional monochrome LCD and button interface.
In some ways, it could be considered a bit old-fashioned, with its 3D printed components, open frame design (no enclosure), 8-bit mainboard, and monochrome display.
It’s certainly not going to win any awards for cutting-edge design in the current 3D printer market.
Among the 3D printers in my workshop, the Prusa i3 MK3S looks arguably the least visually impressive, despite being the second most expensive after my large-format Craftbot XL.
The Prusa i3 MK3S, showcasing its functional design and use of zip ties in its construction.
However, beneath the surface, the Prusa i3 MK3S is built with high-quality electronic and motion control components.
While it may lack features like linear rails, often found on similarly priced machines, and still relies on zip ties for securing some critical parts – yes, zip ties in 2019 and beyond! – the quality of its core components, especially its firmware, are among the best in the sub-$1,000 3D printer category.
In operation, even in its standard “normal” print mode, the Prusa i3 MK3S is remarkably quiet.
Interestingly, despite Prusa’s marketing efforts around their premium Prusament 3D printing filament, the filament included with the printer is often a generic, unbranded type that has received complaints from users in the Prusa community.
PrusaSlicer: Software Powerhouse for the Prusa i3 MK3S
Prusa, much like Ultimaker, adopts a vertically integrated approach, controlling both hardware and software design, and even offering their own filament (Prusament) at a premium. This allows for tight integration and optimization across the entire printing ecosystem.
PrusaSlicer, their slicing software, is based on a fork of Slic3r and is widely considered to be excellent. However, I initially encountered some issues with the built-in profiles for the Mk3S. These profiles resulted in problems like stringing and excessively strong supports that were difficult to remove and left behind poor surface finishes.
An example of a 3D print produced on the Prusa i3 MK3S, demonstrating its capability for detailed prints.
Even the Marvin test print file included on the SD card printed with less-than-ideal quality. I suspect this might be due to the g-code being optimized for Prusa’s own Prusament filament rather than the generic PLA included with the printer.
The Marvin test print, a common benchmark for 3D printer performance, printed on the Prusa i3 MK3S.
Fortunately, the Prusa community is incredibly active and helpful. I discovered and started using the Pretty PLA profiles by Chris W, which significantly improved my print quality and resolved the issues I was experiencing.
PrusaSlicer includes a helpful feature: when you slice a model, it adds a message to the G-code reminding you to update your printer’s firmware. While this reminder might be seen as a minor annoyance on printers where firmware updates are less frequent (like my older Mk2), it’s a valuable feature on the Mk3S. Regular firmware updates for the Mk3S often include incremental improvements and new features, so the reminder encourages users to keep their printer up-to-date and benefit from these enhancements.
Prusa i3 MK3S Print Quality: Excellent Out of the Box
As you would expect from a 3D printer in the ~$1,000 price range, the Prusa i3 MK3S delivers excellent print quality.
Examples of high-quality 3D prints produced by the Prusa i3 MK3S, showcasing detail and smooth surface finish.
The Prusa i3 MK3S is reportedly capable of achieving print speeds of up to 200mm/sec. While it does seem to handle higher speeds effectively, more rigorous testing and scientific analysis would be needed to definitively confirm its practical speed capabilities.
What truly distinguishes the Prusa i3 MK3S in this price bracket is its ability to consistently deliver this level of print quality without requiring extensive modifications or complex tuning.
Essentially, you are investing in ease of use and convenience. While you could purchase multiple Ender 3 printers for the same price as a single Prusa i3 MK3S and achieve comparable output quality with enough effort and tweaking, the Ender 3 will inevitably require more ongoing maintenance and adjustments.
It’s important to have realistic expectations. The Prusa i3 MK3S, being an FDM printer, won’t produce resin-quality miniatures straight out of the box, although I did experiment with trying!
A demon miniature printed on the Prusa i3 MK3S, illustrating the detail achievable with FDM technology, though not quite resin-quality.
Who is the Prusa i3 MK3S Best Suited For?
The Prusa i3 MK3S occupies a somewhat unique position in the 3D printer market. It’s not a budget-friendly entry-level printer; for that category, I would still recommend the Ender 3.
For the cost of one Prusa i3 MK3S, you could acquire several Ender 3 printers, creating a small print farm or makerspace setup, and likely receive them more quickly due to wider availability through local retailers or Amazon.
If your primary interest in 3D printing is as a hobbyist who enjoys tinkering, learning, and modifying your equipment, then the Ender 3 is again a compelling choice. This is especially true if you are involved in the 3D printed tabletop gaming community and need FDM printing for terrain and scenery.
However, the Prusa i3 MK3S also isn’t ideally positioned as a prosumer or educational printer, at least not without an enclosure. For those applications, printers like Craftbot and Ultimaker, which often include or offer enclosures, might be more suitable alternatives.
Another consideration for makerspaces or environments where printers experience heavy use and potential wear and tear: official Prusa replacement parts are exclusively available from Prusa directly. Harry Brookes from the Prusa Facebook Group recommends Triangle Lab on Aliexpress as a source for third-party compatible parts. I haven’t personally tested them. Joseph Tam also runs a Tindie store offering compatible bed leveling probes and heated beds.
For applications demanding the highest level of detail, such as printing intricate tabletop miniatures, I wouldn’t recommend FDM printing in general. For that purpose, resin printers like the Elegoo Mars (now Elegoo Mars series) are far superior. Prusa does offer the Prusa SL1 resin printer, but it represents a more significant investment, especially for newcomers to 3D printing.
The Prusa i3 MK3S is, however, perfectly capable of producing excellent-looking props and cosplay items, particularly when you utilize techniques like Meshmixer to split large models into printable sections. For printing very large cosplay pieces in a single print, such as helmets or full armor components, where seamless prints without glue are desired, and given the Prusa’s bed size limitations, the Creality CR-10 range with its larger build volume would be a more suitable choice.
In short: The Prusa i3 MK3S excels for users who prioritize a “just hit print” experience and don’t want to spend excessive time tinkering, maintaining, or modifying their printer, but still demand high print quality and reliability without reaching the ultra-premium price points. For these individuals, the Prusa i3 remains an outstanding choice.
Original Prusa i3 MK3S – The Verdict
Check out the Prusa i3 MK3S at Prusa Research directly:
Explore the Prusa i3 MK3S
