Prusa CORE One+ Review

I’d consider the Prusa CORE One+ if you want an enclosed printer for useful parts, want to print without an internet connection, and are willing to take care of the printer yourself. I’d choose the assembled version for a beginner who values those things. Its main drawback is cost: cheaper enclosed printers can already make attractive prints, and the standard Prusa needs extra hardware for automatic multicolor printing.

Reported tests of the original CORE One show promising results with everyday plastics and more demanding materials. They don’t establish whether the Plus prints better. The current version, the CORE One+ Gen 2, adds another round of hardware changes whose effects still need independent testing.

What Changes With The CORE One+

The first Plus update mainly removed small chores. The print head opens or closes the top vent automatically, according to the material. A revised inlet makes flexible plastic filament easier to feed into the printer. The twist-lock spool holder accepts alternative holders and a compatible drybox for filament storage. The drybox costs extra.

Gen 2 adds a wiper to clean the nozzle, where plastic comes out during printing. It also has different belts and pulleys, revised mounts for the heated printing bed, and an easier-to-remove top panel. Prusa says the mounts eliminate an extra waiting step during bed preparation when the bed is set to 85°C or below. Heating and calibration still take time. Prusa also says the belts make repeating marks on printed surfaces less noticeable; that claim still needs independent Gen 2 testing.

If you’re buying new, check that the listing specifies Gen 2. Owners of the original CORE One can add the first Plus features through printable parts or an official kit. A separate Gen 2 upgrade adds the newer motion and bed hardware, but excludes the snap-on top cover supplied with new printers.

The printing space remains 250 × 220 × 270 mm, roughly 9.8 × 8.7 × 10.6 inches. Neither upgrade increases it. The larger CORE One L, now refreshed as the L+, is a separate printer.

Getting The CORE One+ Ready To Print

Choose the assembled model if your goal is to start making things. Choose the kit if building the printer is part of the appeal. Both are offered, but the kit involves assembling the frame, motion system, print head and electronics. It’s a substantial project, even though it doesn’t require soldering.

Allow plenty of time for the kit. One first-time Plus kit builder reported 10–20 hours across a couple of days. That’s an individual account, not a standard assembly time. After building it, you still need to run calibration—the printer’s checks and adjustments—and make your first print.

The assembled Gen 2 needs unpacking, display mounting, print-sheet and spool-holder installation, and the guided startup checks. Those checks include the sensor that measures pressure at the nozzle and the filament sensors. The printer handles first-layer height automatically, so you aren’t expected to turn adjustment knobs under the bed.

You still need to load the filament, select the correct material, and keep the removable printing sheet clean. For your first job, use the supplied PLA, a common beginner-friendly plastic, and a matching sample file. Watch the first layer: if the plastic drags around instead of sticking to the sheet, stop and resolve the sticking problem before starting a long print.

Plan the location before unpacking. The printer weighs about 50 pounds and measures roughly 16.3 inches wide, 17.5 inches deep and 21.9 inches tall. You’ll need additional room to open the door, change the side-mounted spool and reach the top. Use a sturdy table; movement from an unstable surface can interfere with calibration.

What The CORE One+ Can Print Well

The CORE One+ is a sensible choice for organizers, decorative models, brackets and prototype housings that fit its printing space. PLA is the easiest starting point. PETG is another widely used plastic for practical parts. You don’t need expensive specialist filament to make a useful object.

In reported original-model testing, a Prusament PETG rose printed smoothly in two hours using the default material profile, or preset print settings, and 0.2 mm layers. A flexible FiberFlex 40D ball took 80 minutes with its default profile and 0.25 mm layers, but left thin strands of plastic between openings. Neither timing establishes Gen 2 performance, and the report doesn’t clearly separate heating and calibration from printing time.

For a tight-fitting joint, print a small section first using the material and settings planned for the finished part. In another original-model test, a 25 mm cube measured between 0.02 mm too small and 0.04 mm too large across its width and depth. The tester used default profiles without calibrating the settings for the filament. That small example doesn’t guarantee that a large lid will fit its box.

That same evaluation found obvious vertical marks on glossy black PETG. Newer printer software, called firmware, and Gen 2 belts aim to reduce surface marks, but don’t assume every flat, shiny wall will look flawless.

The enclosure becomes more useful with ABS and ASA, plastics that can curl away from the bed as they cool. The enclosed space, or chamber, is rated up to 55°C. Its temperature controls manage heat from the bed; there’s no separate chamber heater. In a cool-basement test of the original CORE One, reaching a 40°C chamber temperature to start printing ABS took about half an hour. Faster Gen 2 bed preparation doesn’t mean the chamber will warm up just as quickly in a cold room.

Even a compatible plastic may fail to stick to the printing sheet. Original-model nylon PA12 attempts failed on a satin sheet with Magigoo adhesive when the tester lacked a nylon-specific sheet. Before buying filament, check the maker’s requirements for drying it, choosing a printing surface and setting temperatures.

Fiber-filled filament can wear down the standard brass nozzle, so you’ll need a suitable wear-resistant replacement for these abrasive materials. The base printer’s listed nozzle limit is 290°C; a proposed high-temperature accessory isn’t part of the standard printer.

An enclosure alone doesn’t mean the air is safe to breathe. Use a ventilated workspace and follow the printer and filament safety instructions. Prusa’s filtration system is optional, and it doesn’t remove the need for ventilation.

Using And Maintaining The CORE One+

PrusaSlicer turns a 3D model into the instructions the printer follows. Start with the profile for your printer, nozzle and material, then choose the layer thickness. Thinner layers can improve curved details but usually take longer. Preview the result before printing, especially any temporary supports that hold up overhanging parts during printing.

At the printer, you have a touchscreen and a rotary knob. You can print from a USB drive with no internet connection or account. PrusaLink lets you upload files and control the printer over your home network. Prusa Connect adds access from elsewhere through its cloud service.

The optional Buddy3D camera can send video over the internet when both its firmware and app are updated. A direct connection can provide up to 1080p at 24 frames per second for free. If your network requires video to pass through Prusa’s servers instead, the free service has a less detailed, less smooth picture. Higher-quality video through those servers costs extra.

Don’t assume the enclosure makes the printer quiet. Original-model accounts describe audible motion and fans, but disagree on how distracting they are. They don’t establish a comparable Gen 2 noise measurement. I’d give it its own work surface away from where you make video calls.

Maintenance is manageable if you’re willing to follow instructions. Remove debris, inspect belts and lubricate the moving parts as Prusa directs. The horizontal guide rail needs its own lubricant; Prusa explicitly warns against using its ordinary printer grease there.

Replacement parts and illustrated repair guides are a reason to choose this printer. Prusa also offers English chat support around the clock. That gives you somewhere to turn when troubleshooting, though it can’t guarantee an immediate repair or years of failure-free printing.

Adding Multicolor Printing To The CORE One+

The standard CORE One+ prints one loaded filament at a time. For automatic color changes, you’ll need to add a color system or buy a printer with one included.

The MMU3 feeds up to five filaments through a single nozzle. It works with the CORE One and One+, including Gen 2 with compatible firmware. Installation involves modifying the print head and arranging spool holders, tubes and a buffer that holds filament pulled back out of the print head during changes. Leave room for all of that, and expect loading to take more attention than inserting a spool into a compact feeder box.

In a reported original CORE One/MMU3 test, a five-color Clearance Castle took 14 hours 32 minutes and produced 100 grams of waste with 0.16 mm layers and the wall count set to two. Color changes add time and use material that won’t end up in your print. Firmware has since made MMU filament changes faster, so this isn’t a current Plus benchmark.

INDX is another option: Prusa has begun shipping conversion kits and accepts orders for complete four- or eight-tool printers. Each tool has its own nozzle and keeps its filament loaded, avoiding repeated full filament swaps through one nozzle. Conversion requires taking apart much of the printer and finding extra spool space; select the kit for your exact printer revision.

INDX’s current nozzles aren’t ideal if you mainly print highly abrasive filament, according to Prusa: only their surfaces are hardened. Early Founders Edition results also shouldn’t stand in for testing of the production version. For a new multicolor setup, compare a complete INDX printer with a simpler printer that feeds several filaments through one nozzle before buying the base Prusa.

Is The CORE One+ Worth Buying Or Upgrading To?

For a new buyer, I’d recommend the assembled CORE One+ Gen 2 if replacement parts, repair guides, printing without internet and an enclosure for demanding plastics are worth paying more for. Those are better reasons to buy it than expecting it to produce better prints than every cheaper rival.

The kit costs less. If saving money is your only reason for choosing it, compare other assembled printers too. Your time, comfort with mechanical adjustments and willingness to troubleshoot matter as much as the price difference.

For colorful PLA toys and general PETG projects, the Bambu Lab P2S Combo is the closest cheaper alternative I’d consider. It includes the AMS 2 Pro, a feeder that holds four spools. Reported hands-on testing found straightforward setup and good print results. Its feeder is easier to find space for than the MMU3’s separate spools and buffer. It still creates waste during color changes, so a lower purchase cost doesn’t make multicolor printing cheap to run.

Compare complete setups: assembled printer, color system if needed, camera, the right print sheet, any hardened nozzle, and filament storage. Add US shipping and applicable charges. A bare Prusa and a competitor’s multicolor bundle aren’t equivalent purchases. Buy accessories for the materials you actually plan to use rather than choosing the biggest bundle by default.

If you already own a CORE One, keep it unless it fails to meet a specific need. The first Plus upgrade is useful if vent adjustment or flexible-filament loading annoys you. Consider Gen 2 for its bed preparation, wiper and belt changes, remembering that its upgrade kit omits the new top cover.

The current conversion kit lets MK4S owners rebuild their printer as a CORE One+ Gen 2. It isn’t compatible with the silver power supply, and you must choose the kit option that matches your display. You won’t be able to print during the rebuild, so weigh that downtime against keeping your MK4S and buying another printer. If your MK4S already makes the PLA and PETG parts you need, there’s no compelling reason to convert it just for the newer name.

If your parts won’t fit in the CORE One+, consider the larger CORE One L+ with its 300 × 300 × 330 mm printing space. For casual multicolor printing on a tighter budget, I’d choose the P2S Combo.