3D Printing Info

Printer comparison

Rat Rig V-Core 4 vs Rat Rig V-Core 4.1

Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.

Rat Rig V-Core 4 guideRat Rig V-Core 4.1 guide

2 selected · all documented properties

Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisonsMore Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 comparisons
Rat Rig V-Core 4 vs Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 — documented properties and sources
PropertyRat Rig V-Core 4COREXYRat Rig V-Core 4.1COREXY
Identity
BrandRat RigRat Rig
ClassCOREXYCOREXY
Identity & Market
Manufacturer & exact marketed model name (verify the exact product identity first)Rat Rig V-Core 4, sold in the US as "RatRig V-Core 4 3D Printer Kit"[1]Rat Rig V-Core 4.1, described by Rat Rig as a large-format open CoreXY 3D printer kit[2]
Street price (USD; dated snapshot per entry)$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[1][2]Not documented
Variants & sibling models — and how to tell them apart (spec-contamination risk)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 Superseded by the V-Core 4.1.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[1][2]Three sizes, all at the same base-kit price. Acceleration is the size-dependent figure and the one most often mis-quoted: 15,000 mm/s2 at 300 mm, 12,000 at 400 mm, 8,000 at 500 mm. IDEX is a configuration option and changes the usable area per toolhead (copy mode 150x150x300 at the 300 size, mirror mode 95x95x300). Base kit excludes electronics. Rat Rig prices the base kit only in EUR (EUR 873.90 on sale from EUR 971.00, Aug 2026); no USD list price is published, so no USD street price is recorded here[2]
Market position: superseded? successor announced?Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables.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[2]Current revision, replacing the V-Core 4; Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 machines[2]
Physical & Frame
Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[1][2]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]
Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang)Not documented623.2 x 583 x 785 mm (300); 723.2 x 683 x 885 mm (400); 823.2 x 783 x 985 mm (500). Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[2]
Net weight (kg)Not documentedKit weight 35 kg (300), 45 kg (400), 55 kg (500)[2]
Frame construction & material30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[1][2]30-series aluminium extrusion; the 4.1 adds a steel X-axis gantry for rigidity[2]
Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lidOpen by default; enclosure panels sold separately[1]Open frame in the base kit[2]
Kinematics & Motion Hardware
Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other)CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[1]CoreXY; Hybrid CoreXY and IDEX are configuration options[2]
Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?)TMC2209[1]Not documented
Speed & Acceleration
Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²)Not documentedSize-dependent: 15,000 mm/s2 at 300 mm, 12,000 at 400 mm, 8,000 at 500 mm (manufacturer claims)[2]
Extruder
Type (direct drive / bowden) & design nameLDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[1]Full-metal skeleton toolhead, new in the 4.1[2]
Hotend & Nozzle
Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?)Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[1]Not documented
Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values)Not documented350 °C maximum nozzle temperature (manufacturer claim)[2]
Stock nozzle size & sizes included in boxNot documented0.4 mm hardened steel and 0.6 mm included[2]
Heated Bed & Surface
Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limitNot documented120 °C maximum heatbed temperature (manufacturer claim). The 400 and 500 sizes get 8 mm thick beds in the 4.1[2]
Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sidedKeenovo silicone bed heater[1]Not documented
Leveling & Z-Offset
Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe)Beacon eddy-current probe[1]Not documented
Cooling & Air Handling
Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting designNidec 4028 part-cooling fan[1]Improved part cooling, listed by Rat Rig as one of the 4.1 changes[2]
Electronics & Power
Mainboard model & MCU (exact chip markings if teardowns exist)BigTreeTech Octopus[1]Not documented
Firmware & Openness
Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary)RatOS, Rat Rig's Klipper distribution[2]RatOS 2.1 (Rat Rig's Klipper distribution)[2]
Calibration Routines & QoL
Assembly level & time from unbox to first printSelf-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[1]Self-assembly kit; the 4.1 ships pre-made cables that need no crimping, with rewritten step-by-step build documentation[2]
Materials Support
Officially supported filament listNot documentedPLA, PETG, ABS, ASA, TPU, PET, PA, PC, PVA, PLA-CF, PETG-CF, ABS-GF, ASA-CF, PA6-CF, PA6-GF, PAHT-CF, PPA-CF, PET-CF[2]

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

  1. RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
  2. Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.com · 2026-08 · vendor