You could call Prusa the Blackberry of the 3D printing world. They're famous for incredibly high-quality printers, amazing customer service, and a strong commitment to open source. The catch? Their prices are just as high as their reputation. But what if you want that Prusa quality and open-source goodness at the lowest possible cost? That's where the Prusa Mini comes in. The question is: does it actually deliver as a good, affordable Prusa printer? Let's find out.
Specs of the Prusa Mini
The Prusa Mini is, well… mini. With a build volume of just 180mm × 180mm × 180mm, it's a small printer. But small printers can still be good.
To hit a lower price point, Prusa made some cuts — mostly on speed. It's a bed slinger with a max speed of 200mm/s. That said, it does come with a removable enclosure, so you can print ABS, ASA, and even some of the easier nylons. Nice touch.
The catch? It's slow compared to what's on the market today. The print quality is good — just not that much better than cheaper competitors. In a video by Loyal Moses called "Bambu A1 mini vs Prusa MINI — Which 3D printer is the clear winner?", he showed a model printing on the Prusa. I'll just say this: it took so long he actually stopped the print. If that's not saying something, I don't know what is.
Is the Quality Really That Much Better Than the Speed?
The Prusa Mini has that famous Prusa quality. Everyone says it's the highest. But is it really worth it if the printer runs two or three times slower than a modern competitor? Let's look at the pros and cons.
- Genuinely great print quality you'll be happy with
- Accurate dimensions — ideal for functional parts like gears
- Removable enclosure for ABS, ASA, and easier nylons
- Open source hardware and firmware
- Genuinely frustrating speed — much slower than competitors
- More prone to stringing despite good overall quality
- More cleanup work on finished prints
- $549 with partial self-assembly required
So no, the quality isn't so amazing that it excuses everything else. Good? Yes. Worth the wait? That's harder to say.
What Else Does Prusa Bring to the Table?
Okay so Prusa brings a lot more to the table than just the printer and some filament.
First off, you get what is probably the best customer service in the entire 3D printing world. If something breaks, they actually help you — no AI chatbots, just real humans. That alone is worth something.
Also, a lot of the assembly and manufacturing is done ethically in Europe, not in some sketchy factory with questionable labor practices. Yeah, that drives the cost up — but honestly, I'd rather pay more for something made ethically than save twenty bucks on something made unethically. High price with good morals beats low price with bad morals every single time.
Then there's the software. PrusaSlicer is amazing, and Printables.com makes it super easy to find models, download files, and start slicing without any headache. With remote printing over your network it gets even easier: no USB sticks, just click and print from your computer.
Oh, and did I mention it's all open source? The files, firmware, and designs are all out there for anyone to use. That's rare these days, and for tinkerers and hobbyists that's a huge plus.
Who Is This For?
This printer is for people who want to tinker and want an open-source printer they can modify and repair. But at that point, just buy a Sovol. The Prusa Mini is just too slow and high-maintenance to be worth it unless you really know what you're doing.
Final Verdict
The Prusa Mini is a slow, overpriced printer. It is not worth the cost even with the benefits mentioned above and even with the enclosure. It's too slow and needs more maintenance than other printers. There are cheaper, faster, and easier options out there right now. Unless you really love tinkering and really love Prusa specifically? Skip it.