Printer comparison
LulzBot TAZ Pro vs Original Prusa MINI+
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore LulzBot TAZ Pro comparisonsMore Original Prusa MINI+ comparisons
| Property | LulzBot TAZ ProBEDSLINGER | Original Prusa MINI+BEDSLINGER |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | LulzBot | Prusa Research |
| Class | BEDSLINGER | BEDSLINGER |
| Identity & Market | ||
| Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first) | LulzBot TAZ Pro (LulzBot's own store lists it under Legacy LulzBot printers)[1] | Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer[2] |
| Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry) | $4,950.00 on buy.lulzbot.com, in stock, checked Aug 2026[1] | $508.33 on prusa3d.com, Aug 2026[3] |
| Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk) | Several TAZ Pro derivatives exist and their specs differ substantially: TAZ Pro S, TAZ Pro XT+, and TAZ Pro Long Bed (282 x 582 x 285 mm, 1.2 mm GammaMaster steel nozzle, 80 °C bed cap, 150 mm/s travel, BLTouch 32-point mesh). The base TAZ Pro is 285 mm cubed with a 0.5 mm hardened-steel nozzle, a 110 °C bed and 300 mm/s travel — do not mix the two spec sets[1][4] | Sold semi-assembled and, historically, as a kit; also offered in an Enclosure Bundle. Distinguish from the larger i3-family machines - the MINI+ is Bowden-fed with 2209 drivers, a 280 C nozzle ceiling and a 100 C bed, all lower than the MK3S+/MK4S. Note that Prusa's own MINI+ page carries an "Awards & Press Reviews" paragraph that is entirely about the MK3S, not the MINI+[2][5] |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 285 x 285 x 285 mm[1] | 180 x 180 x 180 mm (manufacturer figure)[2] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | Not documented | 380 x 330 x 380 mm (X x Y x Z), stated without the spool holder and external PSU - the external PSU brick needs additional desk space[2] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 4.5 kg without spool holder and external PSU[2] |
| Frame construction & material | Open frame; movement on GT2 belts with Igus SST rods and polymer bushings[1] | Not documented |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame, no enclosure[1] | Open frame; sold with an optional Enclosure bundle[2] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | Cartesian bedslinger[1] | Not documented |
| Belts (type, width, e.g. Gates?) | GT2 belt drive[1] | Not documented |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | Trinamic TMC2130[1] | Trinamic 2209 silent stepper drivers, with sensorless homing on the X and Y axes[2] |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max travel speed | 300 mm/s maximum travel speed (manufacturer figure)[1] | Not documented |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | Pro Dual Extruder tool head — two active-lifting hot ends for true dual-material printing[1] | Bowden extruder with 3:1 gearing - the only current Prusa FFF machine that is not direct drive[2] |
| Gear ratio & drive gear material | Not documented | 3:1 extruder gearing[2] |
| Filament diameter | 2.85 mm standard, 1.75 mm optional[1] | Not documented |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | 290 °C maximum hot end temperature[1] | 280 C claimed max nozzle temperature - lower than the 290-300 C of the i3-family machines[2] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.5 mm hardened steel[1] | Not documented |
| Stock nozzle material (brass / hardened steel / plated copper / composite tip) | Hardened steel[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 110 °C maximum bed temperature[1] | 100 C max heatbed temperature[2] |
| Bed heater type (DC/AC mains) & wattage | 360 W, 24 V silicone bed heater[1] | Not documented |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Dual-sided borosilicate glass with PEI film[1] | Removable magnetic steel sheets in several surface finishes; heatbed with cold-corner compensation[2] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Automatic 4-point mesh levelling using a 5 V contact circuit, plus automatic X-axis tramming, Z-offset and backlash compensation[1] | SuperPINDA inductive probe with no temperature drift, driving automatic mesh bed levelling[2] |
| Mesh grid size (probe point count — firmware evidence) | 4-point mesh[1] | Not documented |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Filament runout sensor (type, location) | Filament sensor with both runout and stripping detection[1] | Not documented |
| Electronics & Power | ||
| Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist) | 32-bit Archim 2.2b with Trinamic TMC2130 drivers[1] | Custom 32-bit board of Prusa's Buddy family; the MINI/MINI+ is covered by the same Prusa-Firmware-Buddy source tree as the MK4, XL and CORE One. The exact board revision is not given on the product page[2][6] |
| PSU (brand, wattage, rail voltage) | 500 W 24 V Mean Well, auto-switching, 100-240 VAC input[1] | Not documented |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | Marlin[1] | Open-source Prusa Buddy firmware. The source tree (prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy on GitHub) explicitly covers the Original Prusa MINI/MINI+, MK4, XL and CORE One and was last pushed to in August 2026. Updates are applied from a USB drive, through Prusa Connect or through the Prusa mobile app[6][7] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| Display: size, type, touch? | 5-inch full-colour resistive touchscreen[1] | 2.8-inch 65k-colour graphic screen with G-code preview[2] |
| On-device UI capabilities (model preview, per-object controls, etc.) | Not documented | On-device colour UI with G-code preview; remote print management through Prusa Connect[2] |
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | USB serial; a 16 GB flash drive is included for standalone printing[1] | USB port, RJ-45 Ethernet, optional ESP Wi-Fi module (sold separately); compatible with Prusa Connect[2] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Not documented | Semi-assembled: Prusa ships it in a small number of pre-built sections; also historically sold as a full kit[2] |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, TPU, ABS, PETG, PVA, PVB, nylon, PC and other materials below 290 °C[1] | PLA, PETG, ASA, ABS, PC, CPE, PVA/BVOH, PVB, HIPS, PP, Flex, nGen, Nylon, Woodfill and other filled materials (Prusa's own list; the 100 C bed and open frame are the practical limit for ABS/ASA)[2] |
| Safety | ||
| Thermal runaway protection (verify in firmware source if at all possible) | Not documented | Three thermistors and fan RPM sensors are fitted, and the firmware is open-source and auditable (Prusa-Firmware-Buddy); Prusa does not describe the thermal-runaway implementation on the product page[2][6] |
| Certifications (UL/ETL/CE/FCC — verify, don't assume) | FCC, CE, RCM, ETL, CSA, OSHWA and WEEE. The OSHWA listing is the open-hardware certification[1] | Not documented |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | 1 year standard, with extended options. Made in the USA[1] | 2-year warranty for consumers in the EU, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland; 1 year for EU enterprises and 1 year for the rest of the world, which includes the United States. A printer bought from a reseller or privately carries 1 year from the original delivery date and is handled by the reseller. Prusa advertises 24/7 chat and e-mail support in seven languages[8][7] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | Positional resolution 0.01 mm in X/Y and 0.002 mm in Z (manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement)[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
- LulzBot TAZ Pro product page buy.lulzbot.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa MINI+ Semi-assembled 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List, January 2025 Edition) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa 3D printers category listing with live e-shop prices, Aug 2026 prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- LulzBot TAZ Pro Long Bed 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 10th Anniversary Edition product page (Technical Parameters + Full Features List) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- GitHub - prusa3d/Prusa-Firmware-Buddy (firmware for MINI, MK4, XL and CORE One) github.com · 2026-08 · doc
- Original Prusa MK4S 3D Printer product page (Technical Parameters + CORE One+/MK4S/XL comparison table) prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- Prusa Knowledge Base - Warranty help.prusa3d.com · 2026-08 · doc