Prusa MK4

Logan F.

Prusa Research AU $1,200–$1,600

The Prusa MK4 represents Czech engineering at its finest, a refined, reliable workhorse with Input Shaper, a next generation extruder, and the trusted Prusa ecosystem behind it.

The Prusa MK4 is the latest evolution of Josef Průša's original i3 design, but it's a fundamentally different machine to its predecessors. The Nextruder is a load cell based direct drive system that eliminates the need for traditional Z-offset calibration: it physically feels the bed surface and adjusts automatically. Combine that with Input Shaper (resonance compensation), and you have a machine that produces excellent first layers with minimal fuss.

Prusa has earned its reputation for reliability. The MK4 ships fully assembled or as a kit (the kit version is meaningfully cheaper and an excellent learning exercise). Either way, Prusa's documentation is world class, and the Prague based support team is responsive. For Australian buyers, Prusa ships directly from Europe and through local resellers, lead times vary but have improved significantly.

The 120°C max bed temperature opens the door to a broader range of materials than many competitors. ABS, ASA, and Nylon all benefit from a hot bed, and the Nextruder's 290°C nozzle is sufficient for most engineering grade filaments from OzFDM's engineering range.

The MK4 is also compatible with the Prusa MMU3, a multi material upgrade unit that enables up to 5 filament swaps per print. Unlike the Bambu AMS, the MMU3 works on an open frame machine and can be added later. PrusaSlicer, the open source slicer developed by Prusa, is one of the most feature rich slicers available and is the basis for several other popular slicers including Orca Slicer and BambuStudio.

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