Original Prusa MK4

An excellent 3D printer that produces top-quality prints and sets a benchmark for all other 3D printers to follow

- ALASTAIR JENNINGS

SCORE 5/5

PRICE £879 (£1,055 inc VAT) from prusa3d.com

The Original Prusa MK4 is the latest version of the popular Prusa open-source 3D printer. Like its predecessors, it promises fast, reliable 3D printing; it also adds several new features that set it apart from earlier models, and from current competitors.

The printer has a maximum build volume of 250 x 210 X 220mm (which is 10mm wider than the MK3S+) and uses a 1.75mm diameter filament, with a layer resolution of between 0.05 mm and 0.3 mm. The magnetic heatbed has removable PEI spring steel sheets and supports a wide variety of materials, including PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, Flex, HIPS, PA, PVA, PC, PP, CPE, PVB, NGEN, composites and more.

One of the most exciting features of the MK4 is the new Loadcell sensor, which provides automatic bed levelling. This eliminates the need for fiddly manual adjustments: you simply take the printer out of the box, plug it in, load the filament and start printing.

The printer also introduces a new extruder, called the "Nextruder", which is compatible with E3D's V6 hot ends (with an adapter). The filament path through the tool head features an all-metal hot end and aluminium heatsink with no PTFE tube, which all helps with reliability.