The Prusa Mini provides a hassle-free experience for beginners but this comes with an increased price tag.
One cheaper alternative is the Artillery Genius Pro, which is the middle of the road printer for Artillery. The Anycubic Kobra and Sovol SV06 are also good options for under $300.
The Genius is cheaper than the Prusa Mini, sports a larger build volume, and has a direct drive extruder but at the sacrifice of higher temperature printing.
Artillery Genius Pro
$350 Kit
Assembly: Partial
Extruder: Direct Drive
Auto-Leveling: Yes
Max Nozzle Temp: 230°C (240°C)
Max Bed Temp: 130°C
Print Volume: 220mm (L) 220mm (W) 250mm (H)
Prusa Mini
$429/459
Assembly: Kit or Fully
Extruder: Bowden
Auto-Leveling: Yes
Max Nozzle Temp: 280°C
Max Bed Temp: 100°C
Print Volume: 180mm (L) 180mm (W) 180mm (H)
Photo credits: (c) Prusa Research - prusa3d.com
Artillery Genius Pro and Prusa Mini
- Both printers can have filament runout protection - the Genius Pro has it included, the Prusa Mini it is optional.
- Both printers can be connected locally and networked. The Artillery Genius has a micro-SD and USB A - the Prusa Mini has a USB A, micro USB, and Ethernet port.
Prusa Mini
- The Prusa Mini comes with a build volume cube of 180x180x180 mm.
- What filaments can it print at 280°C? PLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, PC (low temps), and even flexibles like TPU.
- The printer comes with automatic mesh bed leveling.
- The Mini has a magnetic PEI steel sheet for the print surface.
- Prusa has a fantastic track record for customer service and quality - any issues you have should be solved by their 24/7 support + their warranty + the community.
- The Prusa Mini is the printer for you if: you are new to 3D printing and want to avoid tinkering, are wanting to start a print farm, or are an institution that wishes to implement FDM printers in the classroom or lab.
Prusa Mini Specifications
- Release Year: 2019
- Assembly: Kit or Assembled
- Build Volume: 180 x 180 x 180 mm
- Extruder: Bowden
- PTFE-Lined: No
- Max Nozzle Temp: 280°C
- Max Bed Temp: 100°C
- Bed Material: PEI Spring Steel Sheet
- Auto-Leveling: Yes - Induction
- Z-Axis: Single
- Connections: USB Type A & Ethernet
Artillery Genius Pro
- The Artillery Genius Pro comes with a build volume of 220x220x250 mm.
- There is not an all-metal hotend, which means that the PTFE tube will begin to off-gas above 230°C. It is recommended to replace the heatbreak or hotend if you want to print at higher temperatures.
- The direct drive extruder makes printing flexible filaments a breeze and increases print quality with more reliable retractions.
- What filaments can it print at 230°C? PLA, PETG, ABS/ASA (low temps), and flexibles.
- The printer comes with a non-removeable, tempered glass bed attached to an aluminum plate.
- Avoid buying this printer on Amazon as the majority of the listings are resellers not Artillery. One of the official channels for purchasing is AliExpress.
Genius Pro Specifications
- Release Year: 2021
- Assembly: Partial
- Build Volume: 220 x 220 x 250 mm
- Extruder: Direct
- PTFE-Lined: Yes
- Max Nozzle Temp: 230°C (260°C)1
- Max Bed Temp: 130°C
- Bed Material: Glass
- Auto-Leveling: Yes - Touch Probe
- Z-Axis: Dual
- Connections: microSD & USB Type B
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