Original Prusa Mk3 Enclosure: Unboxing, Assembly, and REVIEW. Is a $500 Prusa-box worth it?

--Affiliate links--

(I haven't personally tried it and would suggest moving the PSU outside the enclosure for long term use)

0:00 Intro
2:02 Unboxing
3:22 Assembly
4:37 Completed Enclosure & add-ons
5:08 Test Prints
6:11 Cons
8:10 Pros
9:30 Conclusion

After almost FOUR MONTHS I finally received the Original Prusa enclosure for my Prusa i3 Mk3s+. In this video I talk about enclosures for 3D printers, I unbox and build the Prusa enclosure, and finally I give a full review of the PROS and CONS.

Make sure to like and subscribe!

-

[jeffsram]

I purchased one and love it. Another modification you might want to consider is printing and adding the components to make the top act as a door so access to the printer is easier. I did this right away as I also have the MMU2S (multi material unit) mounted on my printer. There is plenty of room in the enclosure but having a hinged lid make for servicing both the printer & MMU so much easier.

[thejosefprusa]

Thank you for a very nice video! Happy printing!

[stormbytes]

Outstanding presentation. Literally can't think of a single thing you left out. Great job!

[oleurgast]

Thanks for the video.
I ordered one the day after it was announced, but still have not assembled it now. Due to the long wait, I build some Lack enclosures in the meantime, and they work nice. So assembly of the original Prusa enclosure is not a priority at the moment.
The most important reason for an enclosure at the moment in my opinion is energy crisis. Personaly I have no problems with +8°C (46°F) inside the house and due to a mild winter here in Germany, I do not even have to turn heating on to archive this at the moment. But while that temperature is not a problem for me, it is for 3d-printing. Below 14°C the mk3s does not even start due to min. temp error. With an enclosure, I just use a hair dryer to heat up bed and hotend a little bit before powering on the printer. Also changed start g-code to first heat the bed and wait for 10 minutes before heating hotend and starting the print. Without enclosure even PLA would warp... I tried ASA, but even with lack enclosure it worped at the moment (works well in summer).
While Lack enclosure is a nice DIY alternative, it is not as cheap as many people seem to think. It is still >$100 if you have to order the acrilic panels, have no Ikea nearby (so shipping the tables also or drive a longer distance), calculate the filament needed etc. Also I build the Lack enclosures a year ago (also in winter) and needed an enclosure to print the parts for the enclosure... I ended up buying an Creatity tent just to print the parts for the Lack enclosure. So if you find out you need an enclosure in late autum, the original Prusa enclosure in its basic version is not as expensive as it seems (at least living in Europe with shorter delivery times).
Anyway, constantly tinkering on the printers is not cheep anyway. A good rigid enclosure is an investment lasting for quite a time. You might use it for decades. So I consider it a good idea to have at least one rigid enclosure with a reliable printer inside. Esp. if you might swap to a X1 carbon as main printer, you want a reliable, well stored printer available ready to use, if your new main printer has some issues and you need to wait for or print replacement parts.
Also with all the other upgrades you might do with an mk3s, the cost of one original enclosure might actually a drop in the water anyway. Revo, Zorbiter, MMU2, SuperPinda+, high end bearings etc. add up a lot. So alltogether the original enclosure (basic version) is just about 20% of the cost already spend for a fully upgraded mk3s+ ;-)
Also with multiple printers do not forget the space you need. Of course it depends on where you live. In NY or Frankfurt I would not even wait a second to buy stackable enclosures, as you save a lot of space (and therefore rent), so it is a very good return on investment. Living in the backcountry, the space does not matter as much, so placing the printers side by side taking up more space does not matter.

[JCB]

I preordered when it was first announced.

It got delayed due to the adds ons but they shipped out the enclosure first then add ons second. I waited (I think about a month) before I put it together to avoid having to do what you did.

Overall, I love it. The cost wasn’t too bad given I purchased my printer a year before getting the enclosure. To buy both at one time would have been a hard pill to swallow.

Definitely getting a X1 carbon when funds increase.

Edit: great review!

[ElizabethGreene]

For me the enclosure isn't about temperature or odor control; it's about cat control.

[firebloomstudios]

all good but at this pricepoint I will buy a Bambulab X1 Carbon. Prusa for 1k + 500 for the box makes this ridiculous.

[jlemur]

Nice video, thanks. Did you do any tests regarding noise reduction? I've been looking for info (test data or anecdotal) about how much it reduces the sound of the printer when in use vs before an enclosure was used.

[IanYokota]

In the video you say that you wished you had read the instructions for the filter and LED light because you had assembled the whole enclosure and would have not assembled the whole enclosure. What parts would you do after installing the fan and lights? The top or the top and clear sides?

[LimpiezasMyG]

Nice video! thanks for the effort and time

[hoonetic]

Excellent video! I'm thinking of getting one because I'm interested in the air filtration system. How well does it work with ABS or any of the high VOC filaments? My home office doesn't have a close enough window where I can vent out fumes. Any feedback would be appreciated. :)

[brezovprut]

Does HEPA filter completely blocks harmful particles and fumes outside the box? Curious because I plan to print in living room during winter days.
IMHO, for that price it should include all the accessories.

[TheNewBloodDan]

You could get an enclosed printer for $500. A box shouldn't be more than $100, $200 if it comes with wires to move the psu and mainboard for better thermals.

[danit]

Nicely done video. You briefly showed a table from Prusa web site showing which materials should be used in an enclosure. I searched and couldn't find that page. Can you provide a link?

[ludodg]

So i learn now: not only there was there a long waiting time for my mk3s (about a year), i also had to wait a year for the ordered XL (and it still isn’t shipped) … but now i learn that even for this fancy box, one had, has to wait months.

[kylefafnis]

Does it seal well? Where the doors meet is there a gap? If I were to spend that much cash for an enclosure I want it to seal well. Especially since I'm looking at the filtration upgrade.

[marcoderivas]

After months of use, how hard is it to do a proper service and clean up of the printer? Do you need to do un assembly to take it out of the enclosure? Thanks!

[brkat]

how is the enclosure doing in regards to the saw dust, my wife is wanting me to move my printer to my woodshop and i'm worried about the dust...

[Matthew-vzr]

Question is the Transparent material Glass or Acrylic ?

[Schnippen_Schnappen]

I’m having a helluva time with ASA warping and not sticking to the bottom support. Tried everything lower temp higher temp, etc. guess i have to get an enclosure but $500 WOW! That’s too much