3D Printing InfoPrinter comparison
Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 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 4.1 comparisonsMore UltiMaker S8 comparisons
| Property | Rat Rig V-Core 4.1COREXY | 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 4.1, described by Rat Rig as a large-format open CoreXY 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) | Not documented | 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, 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[1] | 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| Market position: superseded?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? | Current revision, replacing the V-Core 4; Rat Rig sells a 4.1 upgrade kit for existing V-Core 4 machines[1] | 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] | 330 x 240 x 300 mm[2][3] |
| Machine footprint (mm) & clearance needed (cable/spool overhang) | 623.2 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[1] | 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) | Kit weight 35 kg (300), 45 kg (400), 55 kg (500)[1] | 30 kg printer only; 47.7 kg as the Pro Bundle[2][3] |
| Frame construction & material | 30-series aluminium extrusion; the 4.1 adds a steel X-axis gantry for rigidity[1] | Fully assembled, made in Europe[2] |
| Enclosure: open / enclosed; panel material; door/lid | Open frame in the base kit[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; Hybrid CoreXY and IDEX are configuration options[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] |
| 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) | Size-dependent: 15,000 mm/s2 at 300 mm, 12,000 at 400 mm, 8,000 at 500 mm (manufacturer claims)[1] | 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 | Full-metal skeleton toolhead, new in the 4.1[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?) | Not documented | 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) | 350 °C maximum nozzle temperature (manufacturer claim)[1] | Up to 340 °C (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Stock nozzle size & sizes included in box | 0.4 mm hardened steel and 0.6 mm included[1] | Not documented |
| Heated Bed & Surface | ||
| Max bed temp claimed AND firmware limit | 120 °C maximum heatbed temperature (manufacturer claim). The 400 and 500 sizes get 8 mm thick beds in the 4.1[1] | Up to 120 °C on a flexible PEI plate (manufacturer claim)[2][3] |
| Bed surface (material, texture, coating), single/double-sided | Not documented | Flexible PEI plate[2][3] |
| Leveling & Z-Offset | ||
| Auto bed leveling: probe technology (inductive / strain gauge / load cell / touch probe) | Not documented | 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 | Improved part cooling, listed by Rat Rig as one of the 4.1 changes[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] |
| Firmware & Openness | ||
| Firmware base & current version (Klipper fork / Marlin fork / proprietary) | RatOS 2.1 (Rat Rig's Klipper distribution)[1] | 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; the 4.1 ships pre-made cables that need no crimping, with rewritten step-by-step build documentation[1] | Not documented |
| Materials Support | ||
| Officially supported filament list | PLA, 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[1] | 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
- Rat Rig V-Core 4.1 product page ratrig.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