Source: Makertech 3D

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Morphin' Time!

There’s a New Open-Source Toolchanger on Kickstarter

by Shawn Frey
Published Jul 25, 2025

The jury is still out whether Makertech's ProForge printers can compete with the Prusa XL, but they deserve a close look.

UK-based Makertech 3D is back on Kickstarter with another mid-sized tool-changing 3D printer, the ProForge 5, this time a five-toolhead system.

During the ProForge 4 campaign, we did wonder if the DIY toolchanger could compete with the Prusa XL. That question remains open for us, but the comparison is a little closer with Makertech having increased the compatible toolheads from four to five. What’s definitely true is that the ProForge 5 beats Prusa’s XL in build volume handily, offering 500 x 400 x 500 mm of space to print.

The core benefits of the previous model are still present on the ProForge 5. It runs on Klipper, has Voron-like bed tramming, and four-motor CoreXY kinematics. It uses the next-generation direct extrusion LDO Smart Orbiter 3.5 as toolheads, too, which is compatible with E3D Revo nozzles. I’m personally still a big fan of the toollessly swappable Revo nozzles, and compatibility here will set you up with a variety of possible nozzles to use. It’s also just nice that the system is open-source down to the extruders, which are a design by Róbert Lőrincz.

The basic ProForge 5 system comes as an open frame, but there are a few add-on options available, including a full enclosure with fume extraction, and an integrated filament drybox.

The system is priced competitively, too, with Makertech targeting the same ~$2,000 MSRP as its previous model. Hopefully, we see a small price drop on the ProForge 4 to keep pushing the price of toolchangers down. But, for now, you can still make an early bird pledge of ~$1,600 for a ProForge 5 if and when it ships in Q4.

And there’s every reason to think it will. The ProForge 4 is still available in a 4.2 revision after a successful campaign in 2023, and the company appears to be slowly carving out a spot for itself in a niche of growing interest.

Five toolheads aren’t stock at the lowest price, mind, and each additional Orbiter will cost you $202. You’ll need to pledge ~$3,000 in the “Ultra” category for a stock five toolheads, which will reserve a semi-assembled unit with an enclosure and a drybox.

If you’d like to learn more or make a pledge, head over to the ProForge 5 Kickstarter campaign. Do you have experience with a ProForge? Let us know how the open-source toolchanger competes in the comments.

Editor's Note – This article highlights a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Kickstarter is not a shop; campaigns are under no legal obligation to deliver on crowdfunding promises, nor offer refunds on unfulfilled campaign rewards.

For more insight, read our article 8 Things to Watch for When Backing a 3D Printing Kickstarter.

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