3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Rat Rig V-Core 4 vs UltiMaker S8
Compare hardware, build volume, printing specifications, dated prices and sources.
2 selected · all documented properties
Open these two in the interactive comparisonMore Rat Rig V-Core 4 comparisonsMore UltiMaker S8 comparisons
| Property | Rat Rig V-Core 4COREXY | UltiMaker S8INDUSTRIAL |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | ||
| Brand | Rat Rig | UltiMaker |
| Class | COREXY | INDUSTRIAL |
| 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] | UltiMaker S8 3D Printer[2][3] |
| Release date (announcement and actual shipping) | Not documented | Launched March 2025; the technical-specification and pricing announcement is dated 14 March 2025[3] |
| 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][4] | Starting at $8,999 at MatterHackers, in stock, checked Aug 2026. The launch announcement quoted approximately $9,000[2][3] |
| 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 Superseded by the V-Core 4.1.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][4] | Sold as printer-only or as a Pro Bundle. The bundle is not a trim level but a different machine footprint and weight: 495 x 500 x 1210.5 mm and 47.7 kg with the 6-spool Material Station, versus 495 x 585 x 800.5 mm and 30 kg for the printer alone. Print cores AA+ 0.40 x2 are included; BB, CC+ and DD 0.40 are separate purchases[2][3] |
| Market position: superseded?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 | Superseded by the V-Core 4.1, which adds a steel X gantry, a full-metal toolhead, improved part cooling, 8 mm beds on the 400 and 500 sizes and pre-made cables.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[4] | Not documented |
| Physical & Frame | ||
| Build volume X×Y×Z (mm) — advertised vs actually usable | 300 x 300 x 300, 400 x 400 x 400 or 500 x 500 x 500 mm. Sortable value is the 300 mm kit[1][4] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | Not documented | 495 x 585 x 800.5 mm printer only; 495 x 500 x 1210.5 mm as the Pro Bundle[2][3] |
| Net weight (kg) | Not documented | 30 kg printer only; 47.7 kg as the Pro Bundle[2][3] |
| Frame construction & material | 30-series aluminium extrusion with printed ABS structural parts[1][4] | Fully assembled, made in Europe[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open by default; enclosure panels sold separately[1] | Enclosed, with an Air Manager UltiMaker says removes up to 95% of ultrafine particles[2][3] |
| Passive chamber temperature reached (if enclosed; measured values preferred) | Not documented | Build-volume temperature under 50 °C with open-loop control (manufacturer figure)[2][3] |
| Kinematics & Motion Hardware | ||
| Kinematics (bedslinger i3 / CoreXY / other) | CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY, or Hybrid CoreXY IDEX depending on the configuration ordered[1] | Dual-extrusion print head with auto nozzle-lifting, flood detection and inductive probing. UltiMaker's Cheetah motion planner uses third-order continuous motion with corner blending[2][3] |
| Stepper drivers (exact model e.g. TMC2209; UART/SPI; sensorless homing?) | TMC2209[1] | Not documented |
| Speed & Acceleration | ||
| Max print speed (claimed, mm/s) | Not documented | Up to 500 mm/s in XY (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Max acceleration (claimed, mm/s²) | Not documented | Up to 50,000 mm/s2 (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Jerk / square-corner-velocity setting (exact value) | Not documented | Jerk up to 100,000,000 mm/s3 (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Max volumetric flow claimed (mm³/s) | Not documented | Up to 35 mm3/s extrusion flow (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Extruder | ||
| Type (direct drive / bowden) & design name | LDO Orbiter 2.0 direct-drive extruder[1] | Dual gripper feeder with tension adjustment, release function and filament feed-rate control[2][3] |
| Filament diameter | Not documented | 2.85 mm[2][3] |
| Hotend & Nozzle | ||
| Hotend design (proprietary/standard; quick-swap mechanism?) | Phaetus Rapido 2.0 UHF[1] | Swappable print cores; AA+ 0.40 x2 included, BB 0.40 / CC+ 0.40 / DD 0.40 sold separately[2][3] |
| Max nozzle temp claimed AND firmware max temp limit (both values) | Not documented | Up to 340 °C (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | Not documented | Up to 120 °C on a flexible PEI plate (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Keenovo silicone bed heater[1] | Flexible PEI plate[2][3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Beacon eddy-current probe[1] | Inductive probing, integrated into the print head[2][3] |
| Filament Handling & Detection | ||
| Spool holder location & max spool size; drybox compatibility | Not documented | Dual spool holder with NFC recognition on the printer; the Pro Bundle substitutes a 6-spool Material Station with NFC and a dual-geared abrasion-resistant feeder[2][3] |
| Cooling & Air Handling | ||
| Part-cooling fan(s): count, size, ducting design | Nidec 4028 part-cooling fan[1] | Not documented |
| Chamber/exhaust fan & filtration (activated carbon / HEPA) | Not documented | Air Manager, which UltiMaker says removes up to 95% of ultrafine particles[2][3] |
| 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[4] | Not published; print preparation is UltiMaker Cura 5.10 or newer, fleet management via UltiMaker Digital Factory[2][3] |
| Connectivity, UI & Camera | ||
| WiFi (band/standard), Ethernet, USB ports, SD/flash-drive | Not documented | Wi-Fi 2.4 and 5 GHz (802.11a/b/g/n/ac), Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0[2][3] |
| Camera: built-in / optional? Resolution & framerate (verify — marketing often omits real fps) | Not documented | Full HD HDR camera[2][3] |
| Calibration Routines & QoL | ||
| Assembly level & time from unbox to first print | Self-assembly kit; Raspberry Pi and enclosure panels sourced separately[1] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | Not documented | UltiMaker cites 301+ compatible materials including its own PLA, PETG, ABS, CPE, CPE+, PC, TPU and PET-CF, plus third-party grades[2] |
| Noise & Power Consumption | ||
| Noise: claimed dB and independently measured dB (distance/method) | Not documented | Under 50 dBA operating sound, manufacturer figure. No independent measurement; distance and method not stated[2][3] |
| Reliability, Support & Ecosystem | ||
| Warranty length & support reputation (evidence, not vibes) | Not documented | 12 months, extendable to 5 years with an UltiMakerCare plan[2][3] |
| Independently Measured Performance | ||
| Dimensional accuracy measurements (third-party, with numbers) | Not documented | Dimensional accuracy +/-0.15 mm +/-0.15% of feature nominal length (manufacturer specification, not an independent measurement)[2][3] |
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
- RatRig V-Core 4 kit (US distributor listing) fabreeko.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- UltiMaker S8 3D Printer listing matterhackers.com · 2026-08 · vendor
- New UltiMaker S8 high-speed 3D printer: technical specifications and pricing 3dprintingindustry.com · 2026-08 · review
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.com · 2026-08 · vendor