3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
FlashForge Guider 3 Plus vs Rat Rig V-Core 4
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore FlashForge Guider 3 Plus comparisonsMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisons
| Property | FlashForge Guider 3 PlusINDUSTRIAL | Rat Rig V-Core 4COREXY |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | FlashForge | Rat Rig |
| Class | INDUSTRIAL | COREXY |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | FlashForge Guider 3 Plus[1] | Rat Rig V-Core 4, sold in the US as "RatRig V-Core 4 3D Printer Kit"[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | Not documented | $2,319.99 at Fabreeko for the fully-specified US kit (price includes shipping and duty in the continental USA), Batch 4, checked Aug 2026. 300 mm ABS-parts variant in stock, 400 mm down to one unit. Rat Rig's own base kit is priced separately in EUR[2][3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Larger sibling of the Guider 3 (300x250x340) and distinct from the Guider 3 Ultra, which is dual-extruder, 330x330x600 and 350 °C. Guider 3 Plus is single-extruder and quoted at 250 mm/s[1][4][5] | Three sizes (300, 400, 500 mm cubes) and three motion configurations: Standard CoreXY, Hybrid CoreXY (+$149.99, adds two motors to Y), and IDEX with two independent toolheads (+$450.00). Superseded by the V-Core 4.1. Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels are not included[2][3] |
| Market position: superseded? successor announced? | 3DJake shows it sold out and no longer stocked[1] | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables. Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 owners[3] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 350 x 350 x 600 mm advertised[1] | 300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[2][3] |
| Frame construction & material | Fully assembled professional chassis. Z axis runs on 16 mm guides with 16 mm TBI ball screws on both sides; the platform is rated to carry 30 kg[1] | 30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[2][3] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Enclosed, with HEPA 13 air filtration and two sealed filament chambers of 1 kg each[1] | Open by default; enclosure panels sold separately[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Not documented | CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[2] |
| Z-axis: leadscrew count & type, sync mechanism, anti-backlash | Double Z-axis ball screw, 16 mm TBI on both sides, on 16 mm guides[1] | Not documented |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Not documented | TMC2209[2] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | 250 mm/s maximum (manufacturer claim)[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Direct-drive extruder, single[1] | LDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[2] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Not documented | Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[2] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 mm nozzles available[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Keenovo silicone bed heater[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Not documented | Beacon eddy-current probe[2] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Two sealed filament chambers, 1 kg per chamber[1] | Not documented |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Not documented | Nidec 4028 part-cooling fan[2] |
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | HEPA 13 filtration[1] | Not documented |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | Not documented | BigTreeTech Octopus[2] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Not documented | RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB, Wi-Fi, LAN[1] | Not documented |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Self-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, ABS, HIPS, nylon, PETG, PC, ASA, and glass/carbon-fibre reinforced grades[1] | Not documented |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Less than 50 dB claimed by the manufacturer. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[1] | Not documented |
Manufacturer claims, independent measurements, packages and test conditions retain their source wording. FDM linear speed and resin vertical speed use different units and are not directly comparable. Unknown values are marked “Not documented”. Prices and source dates remain historical snapshots; check the linked guide for product details. Differences highlight text, not a universal winner.
Sources for this comparison
- FlashForge Guider 3 Plus technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- FlashForge Guider 3 technical data table 3djake.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Flashforge Guider 3 Ultra product page (refurbished listing) flashforge.com · 2026-08 · vendor