Prusa i3 MK2 versus its clones and i3

[Jeff B]

Hi Folks - I have seen some fabulous reviews of the Prusa i3 MK2, and the price is great - but I've also seen that there's currently a 7 week wait for delivery, and I have a project that won't let me wait that long.

I've also seen that there's any number of clones of this machine - Geetech and others whose names I currently forget - that are available but don't get the same glowing reviews as the Prusa.

And then there's the original Prusa i3 which also seems to be available.

What do you think - are any of the clones worthwhile? Reliability and availability of replacement parts are very important to me - not to mention excellent print quality.

And is the MK2 really that much better or different than the original Prusa i3?

Your feedback would be much appreciated - thanks!

[LetsPrint3D]

The original Prusa i3 is about quality. They don't cheap out on parts, they do everything right and that is evident in the price (as well as the current wait time). Clones such as Monoprice Maker Select and Wanhao Duplicator i3 (NOT Wanhao USA) are good substitutes at a lower price.

If you don't mind doing upgrades and tinkering, good clones will be fine. Most modifications can be printed on the printer itself, and anything else can generally be bought for a couple dollars on Amazon or a Hardware store. Print quality out of the box is usually really good, most upgrades will be done so you can print more exotic filaments, print faster, etc. If you just want to get the printer and not worry about making any changes to it, the Prusa I3 MK2 is the way to go.