ELEGOO Mars 3 MSLA Resin 3D Printer UV Photocuring LCD 3D Printer 6.66inch 4K Monochrome LCD, Matrix UV LED Light Source, Off-Line or LAN Print, Printing Size 90 * 143 * 175mm
| Dimensions: | 22.7 x 22.7 x 43.8 cm; 7.08 Kilograms |
| Manufacture: | ELEGOO |
| Dimensions: | 22.7 x 22.7 x 43.8 cm; 7.08 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
| Reference: | UK-DP-3D-131 |
ok as a novie to 3d printing and a lot of research, watching youtube etc I decided to make the plunge and buy myself a Elegoo 3d printer.
Setup was straightforward and easy to do, luckily (helpfully) as id done quite a bit of research using the slicing software was easy. Chitubox (included) is ok but I also use Lychee to do the orientation and supports which I find immensley usefull.
Only used water washable resin so far and that seems ok, some prints a little brittle but I dont know how that compares to other types of Resin. I just found water washable to be less hassle and easier cleanup post print.
Of course ive had a few failed prints (my fault) but it is vital you clean tank and re-level after a failed print to avoid a repeat of damage to your LCD.
All in all im really pleased with the Mars 3. My status as a super grandad has now hit ‘legendary’ as I can print (and then paint *sigh*) superheros to order!
Timewise you can print a 32mm model in about 3hrs. Space *soldier* types can get about 8 on the plate at a time so all in all not bad and at a fraction of the price of purchasing retail models. Bigger models can be printed in sections and then glued together. I do recommend checking out myminifctory as the offer plenty of free ‘samples’ and some good 3d model designers you can purchase from or join their ‘tribe’ The ones in the photo were all free stl files which i downloaded and then sliced through chitubox.
The only cons really for me is the amount of money im spending on Resin! …. Set my printer running go do the shopping or whatever and come back to a finished model (most of the time)
This arrived faster than I expected and was extremely well packaged. Lots of foam block to keep it secure and cushioned and the well known excessive violence often visited on packages by delivery firms had no effect on this at all.
Setting the thing up was so easy as to be laughable, the longest part of this was unpacking and taking off the foam and cellophane sheeting that protects the printer. Levelling the build plate took a couple minutes and it’s ready to go. Give the resin a damn good shake to get it mixed up, carefully pour some into the vat and set the printer off.
First mistake I made was following the instructions and asking it to print the default rook model. Cool looking model, but a complete failure. Ended up with two lumps stuck to the film at the bottom of the tank. So, empty tank, soak in IPA for ten minutes and carefully pop the lumps off. I then wandered off and grabbed a couple models from my computer, put those on the provided usb stick and tried again. Perfection. I don’t really know why the provided models fail, but it would be nice if Elegoo fixed this, I’m not the only one to experience this.
One thing I noticed that I wasn’t too happy with is that the build plate rocks on the shaft. I had a feeling this might be a bad thing but could find no way to stop that happening. I was right that this is a bad thing. One print lost a piece that for whatever reason dropped into the vat. The build plate came down on this piece and twisted. It was just enough to drive a corner of the build plate into the film and gouge a hole in it. Instant resin leak. Have to say I am not impressed with this. I expected a lot less hassle from Elegoo following all the glowing reviews for these printers. Still, I was lucky to catch the problem, took the tank off and very, very, very carefully soaked and cleaned the glass plate. Now have to wait for replacement film to arrive – and the onerous task of replacing that.
Good things. This printer is super easy to put together, set up and use. The controls are easy to use, the touch screen responsive and accurate and pretty much everything you need to set this thing up and tweak prints is included. I can’t say anything about the included software as I already have a full account with Chitubox. So didn’t bother to install the trial version. Chitubox is a very, very good piece of software and the tools offered to the user are excellent and varied. However, it’s not cheap, so a decision needs to be made whether you actually need the professional version. There is a comparison chart on the home site to show what the difference is. Investigate before paying a lot of money.
Pretty much everything you need (except Resin) is provided in the box. Do be aware that resin is toxic and it’s not good to get on your skin. So, as only a couple pairs of gloves are provided you will need to think about getting a box for yourself. Same with goggles and a face mask. I would suggest you invest in a 3M face mask rather than relying on a dwindling and not very effective supply of paper masks. Simply because it lasts a heck of a lot longer.
As with any printer of this type, it needs to be set up in a well ventilated area. While the fumes are minimal they still exist and breathing in resin fumes is just not good for you.
Detail is astounding. The default setting for this printer is 50um. With the Chitu software you can wind that down to the lowest the printer will take 35um. In many cases this will provide a level of detail that you won’t see. However, on table top gaming models, it will pull out creases, folds, belt buckles and other small details very cleanly. Be aware though, that this increases build times considerably. Not all models need this level of detail. Large scale movie, superhero or similar models are fine at the 50um setting. The printer itself will tell you how long a model will take to print, and it’s pretty accurate at basic settings, which makes a nice change from the usual randomly terrible time estimates in software.
For basic items you can wind the level slices up somewhat to cut print times, but you’ll figure that out as you use the printer and make things.
In a genius decision Elegoo have put the power button on the front of the machine not the back, or hidden on the side somewhere. The USB port similarly is on the front of the machine. In regards to this, I would strongly recommend that you get a 90 degree elbow for the USB port. This will allow the usb stick to sit across the front of the machine rather than sticking straight out from it. It’s fairly obvious that this is a potentially dangerous thing to have as it is easy to catch the stick and potentially break it and/or the port it is sitting in. Plus, it means you can place a cover over the machine without having to worry about whether it is resting on the stick and causing strain or widening the port making for poor connections later.
Honestly there aren’t really any bad things about the printer. My only real concern is the way the build plate arcs on the post. It is not fixed. When setting the plate you have to undo two screws with an allen key. These are then tightened once the plate is zeroed but there is still this odd rotation from the shaft holding the plate, it is this movement that cause the hole in the film when I was using it. As such, you will need to pay very careful attention to what you are printing and make sure that nothing has dropped or stuck to the film before printing anything else.
If you do have to check, use a filter to pour the resin back into the bottle, and then pour IPA (isopropyl alchohol) into the tray to loosed anything stuck to the film, come back in a few minutes. Do not try to scrape at whatever is stuck there, do not use metal tweezers to pry things off, in fact do not do a lot of things. That film is extremely fragile and ANY damage will affect your prints. Soaking with IPA and gentle rinsing will get pretty much everything off in time. Just be careful and gentle. Oh, and invest in spare tanks. It never hurts to have a spare and it saves a lot of time if you need to print in different colours.
Aside from this wobble, the printer is beautifully made, manufactured and designed. Definitely worth every penny of the cost. This is an excellent printer for beginners and professionals alike. The detail levels are superb, the print speed is excellent and the ease of use is astounding. You just need to treat everything with kid gloves and take extra precautions when doing anything.
Any resin leak must be dealt with immediately or as quickly as possible. If for whatever reason you end up with resin hardened (cured) on the glass plate, soak in IPA, soak a cloth in IPA and sit it on the plate for ten or fifteen minutes. Then flake the resin off with a thumbnail or high quality plastic scraper. Carefully, slowly and gently. Take time and it will be fine. IPA is your best friend in regards to resin printers, make sure you have a good supply of the stuff. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly (with good quality washing up liquid or similar) to get grease, alcohol and/or resin off. Do not, absolutely do not touch your face, mouth or eyes if you have any of this stuff on your fingers. Just don’t.
Ignoring the build plate wobble, this gets a full five stars from me, I am very impressed with the printer and very pleased with it. I already have an Anycubic Photon 4k and a Creality CR6SE filament printer. This Elegoo is a very welcome addition to this collection and will probably be used more than the Anycubic simply because everything is more efficient and easier to use and it’s faster – which was a surprise to be honest, I was led to believe the Photo 4K was one of the fastest printers on the market. Not in my experience it isn’t.
Be aware that the build plate tilts, check your prints to make sure nothing has dropped into the resin tank. If in doubt, strain the resin back into the bottle, clean and check. Better to be safe than sorry. A resin leak is absolute not fun.
Excellent printer for a good price and amazing results once it’s set up. I honestly believe that some careful thought went into the design of this unit because it’s all placed and organised with the end user and convenience in mind. Of course, once you buy this printer it’s almost a forgone conclusion that within weeks something better is released. Just like computers, it’s an endless race against technology. Oh well, such is life.
Really easy to use. I did a few things with different resin and only one time wasn’t good because I forgot to change settings.
After a week of use, my printer spontaneously cracked its screen somehow and would no longer print. I contacted the seller and they diagnosed the issue and sent me a new screen.
The prints themselves are great, just avoid the clear resin.
Comes with all the tools you’ll need except a wash kit and a funnel.
Doesn’t come with any spare FEPs so order those too.
3D Printing has always interested me and finally took the plunge and bought the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro….on recommendation from someone who has been 3D Printing for a while.
There’s a lot to learn as a newbie and at present, no ‘plug and press’ machine as such exists. This one must come pretty close though.
My advice proud be to read and research as much as you can before you start printing ( something I dodnt do!) and join a few forums/ social media groups to ask questions and get advice.
I love this printer and the quality of the prints. I am also totally impressed with the after sales support. After only two weeks of use, I had to stop printing as I had overtightened some tiny grub screws when changing the FEP. My fault entirely! I contacted customer support to purchase some new screws and an FEP holder ( I’d stripped the originals through the overtightening and couldn’t get the FEP holder apart). To my suprise, they said they’d send me some new screws and a new FEP holder free of charge! The new parts arrived yesterday. Where else do you get service like that these days!
Well done Elegoo and thank you!
Total newbie to any form of 3d printing this machine is easy to use once you get used to the software , a tip is to use the software you get with the printer (chitubox) as the latest version has some glitches in it , also Learn how to use tinkercad and thingiverse (google it) any you will be off and away in no time, first project was the war of the worlds tripod .
Great customer service and a great printer. Staff are friendly and have always helped me out.
Really easy to use, excellent print quality, I love it.
Chitubox is also really easy to use.
After sales customer support is superb, very friendly, helpful and clearly knowledgeable.
I’ve had this a while now and I use it all the time with no issues. Very beginner friendly and amazing print quality for the price
Great little printer and the print resolution I get is astonishing… I use the water based resins for now and they are great with this printer. One upgrade I have made is a magnetic build plate… makes it soooo much easier to remove pieces from the build plate. Love this printer!!
Received this for my birthday after wanting a 3d printer for ages.
I was surprised how easy it was to get started and with the quality of the prints. There is a steep learning curve when starting out to get everything just right, but it’s been fun learning.
Unfortunately my motor gave out after a month, so I sent an email to their customer services. They were very helpful and keen to help out, though being in different time zones slowed things down slightly. They were happy to send me a new motor, which is easy to replace. The motor breaking seems to be simply bad luck as I couldn’t find anyone else who had the same problem. But I would recommend this company based on the my initial experience of the machine and their customer service.
Easy to use if you keep it clean. One problem i had is with different type of resins but it’s more like learning curve. One you perfect the settings there is no problem.
Printing are could be bigger.
My son loves it. He said after reading up about 3d printer he thought it would take him much longer to get to grips with. He found it easy and straightforward to use. He is very happy with it.
just wow. awesome, easy to use. the prints are A1. once you’ve done a few prints you’ll really get the hang of it. insanely good.
Tried this as my first entry into SLA printing. So far had no issue and it’s been really easy to use.
Great first ‘starter’ printer.
The support from Elegoo has been excellent too.
Certainly recommend.
Bought this on sale for 170 which was pretty solid. Got a few successful prints and was loving life. Then I had one failed print and when removing the VAT I saw that there was resin on the screen underneath. I couldn’t clear it off to save my life even though I was being extra careful. Ultimately the sheet covering the lcd screen broke whilst trying to remove the resin and the whole unit got sent back. I wanted to buy a replacement but now it’s 200 not 170 so I have to wai
I had an issue with the touch screen being sluggish or non-responsive. Along with the fan being loud. I got a quick response from Elegoo. I made sure to include all the details they needed. They suggested I follow the video on their channel regarding the touch screen reinstallation. They also wanted to know if everything was ok and if not they would offer a replacement touch screen.
Unfortunately the fix they suggested did not work. They got back to me and said they would be sending a replacement via tracked delivery. So just need to wait now for the replacement. Overall really great after sales support from Elegoo.
UPDATE
They sent me a free replacement Touch Screen. Unfortunately when replacing the screen it was inverted. Elegoo Support was very helpful in offering advice and the files to rectify the issue. Though it took a couple attempts until it was finally fixed.
As the Elegoo Mars 2 is based on Chitubox. I found that you can get parts from Chitu Systems, including the Touch Screens.
I tested the printer using Elegoo’s standard resin (white) by printing the supplied pre-sliced chess rook models. I must have been a bit hasty since I followed the supplied instructions but got a failed print. The cured resin had formed two flat pancakes on the FEP sheet at the bottom of the resin tank. Quick Googling suggested both cleaning the print bed thoroughly with IPA and using the plastic spatula to “butter” the bed with a thin coat of resin and also increasing the cure time for the first five layers to increase adhesion to the print bed – I used 60 seconds. My second and subsequent attempts have all been very successful. The print quality is outstanding compared to filament; the layer lines are hardly visible, the print is strong and the part dimensions are spot on every time. What you draw in CAD is what you get out of the printer. Bear in mind however that complex parts may need carefully placed supports to get a successful print but this is true for FDM too. There are plenty of very good tutorials on YouTube – have a look at Nerdtronic and Thomas Sanladerer for example.
Workflow:
– CAD model
– Slice using ChituBox software
– Print
– Wash using IPA
– Cure under UV light
The positives:
– Astonishing print quality
– Repeatablility and high precision of parts – 0.05mm layer height.
– Compact and quiet printer
– Software is easy to use
– Nowadays very reasonably priced
– Otherwise messy workflow much simplified with the Mercury Plus station
The negatives:
– The resin in its uncured, liquid form is not a pleasant substance. It smells rather nasty, a sort of burnt rubbery smell and it easily smears over anything it comes into contact with rendering the surface sticky and smelly. It is also a chemical irritant for those with sensitive skin. Imagine runny oil paint that never dries and you will have an idea of how carefully you need to treat the stuff. Certainly keep children away from it.
– The cheap resin when cured can be somewhat brittle. Probably great for gaming figures and display models but for stronger functional parts it is worth mixing resins. I use a 4:1 mix of Elegoo Standard and Siraya Tenaceous which produces more flexible and durable parts.
Safety:
– Set up in a well-ventilated area, eg shed or garage, NOT your kitchen!
– Wear nitrile gloves for all printer operations involving resin and/or IPA. Don’t try to be clever, wear gloves!
– You will get through a lot of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol (IPA). It is used to rinse off excess resin from the uncured prints. Fortunately it seems to be getting cheaper again post-2020.
– You will also need a plentiful supply of kitchen towels along with the alcohol for cleaning surfaces that have resin smeared on them – build plate, resin tank, tools, workbench etc.
– You need to use UV light for curing the models after printing. The Mercury comes with a cover that acts as a UV filter but still be careful looking directly at UV sources for any length of time.
Summary: for smaller parts resin blows filament extrusion printers out of the water. Just be prepared for a bit of mess.
Fantastic, really well made/designed. Everything I expected and more. I had a small issue with one of the components and Elegoo expressed me a replacement no arguments.
The open source software for slicing has the printer parameters in its library so its as close to plug and play as you can get.
This is an awesome printer , I love it print bed size is manageable some resizing required . I have been using it non stop
I now have over 40 printers of various types and brands so have a fair amount of experience using them. I have 5 of the Mars 2 and would recommend them to any beginner (or to someone looking to add extra capacity to their print setup).
The machine is easy to set up and operate and the service from Elegoo is excellent.
I plan on replacing some of my older RGB machines with more of these as time goes on.
Happily recommend!
Despite everything you read online getting set up and going with this little printer was incredibly easy and using the Elegoo water washable resin means no dealing with Isopropyl alcohol at all.
The very first print did not go well but it turns out there was a firmware bug, would definitely recommend to anyone picking up this printer to get the latest firmware, after that the test rooks printed perfectly with no tweaking at all. Clean up is a breeze with the water washable resin.
The power supply on the printer did give up the ghost but Elegoo responded quickly and is sending out a replacement for me with no questions asked luckily I have a spare so I can keep going in the mean time!
Had anycubic printers before and all I can say is that this blows them out of the water, not had a failed print yet and have gone through 3kg of resin already (1 week after arrival…
The only issue is with the rubber seal for the lid as it falls off too easily but it’s a small problem. The print quality is top notch and it’s fast at printing as it’s a mono lcd screen. Great value for money.
The Mars 2 has a very affordable price tag, to introduce you to resin 3D printing, it produces awesome detail, on the Mars 2 you get the mono screen for faster cure times and longer life of the screen.
The only difference between the Mars 2 pro and Mars 2 besides the higher price is a little more print height and internal air purifier on the Mars 2 pro, these aren’t essential as you can put one of Elegoo’s stand alone air purifiers inside the Mars 2 and if you wanted get the same print height as the pro this can be done with an easy modification.
Recap. Get this printer you won’t regret it 9/10. Looses 1 point as can get a little messy
Set up was so very easy, and once I had learnt about the slicing program, my first prints came out perfect. The machine was quiet and had very little resin fumes. I am so pleased with the machine . Best purchase I have ever made.
There are things to learn about 3D printing, but working the printer itself is not one of them. Really very intuitive to use.
Hubby was 3D printing using pma, but he decided to treat himself & got this and he absolutely loves it. We use elegoo resin in it and there’s no smell when printing. Did have a couple of print mishaps, but you live & learn.
Surprisingly straightforward to get excellent results just read all the reviews on here and read and watch users with experience and knowledge. I dont know why the Chinese are still unable to translate manuals and user guides into plain english, they make some great products but, for a newcomer at least, you will have to work to get it up and running well. Dont bother with the test piece here-the Rook- mine failed and I was left with 2 puddles of goo attached to the vat, seems a common problem. However the subsequent prints have all worked and are of high quality with lots of detail so I am pleased so far. I used washable resin and clean-up has not been the hassle I expected. I complain about Chinese manuals but on this Amazon review I am also asked to rate “Thickness” ….???.. If you are thinking about dipping a toe into this world I would say this is a good place to start.
The printer is amazing and we have been using it for prototype trials of a product. Very easy to use!
Fantastic printer a bit fiddley at first but once tjta 1st print is right your off ,but a quick tip when you buy one buy some spray grease first amd save yourself a lot of pai
Amazing quality prints. Suggestion – double, triple & quadruple check you level the print plate correctly (remove resin vat, loosen plate nuts then level) loads of vids out there.
Unbelievably easy to set up & use.
Replacing the resin test film can be a fiddle but I managed it first time and I’m a complete beginner.
Very fast printer as it has a mono screen, works well.
The mars PRO has a better Uv matrix for shorter exposure time, however the resolution is worse than my original mars printer. I can only assume that the additional Uv lighting causes overexposure through the screen. I have created miniatures which print great on the original mars, however when I print the same figures with same supports on the PRO, the supports fuse to unwanted places on the model. It also leaves a thin film of unexposed resin on the surface of the model, giving it an unwanted gloss coating with lower detailing.
Not sure if this is the screen or the Uv lights but pretty disappointing considering the pro is more expensive.
I have been toying with the idea of a 3D printer for sometime and have done a lot of research. Elegoo seemed to offer the best option for us being UK based, as they seem to have more representation here. I had high hopes and I can say I am not disappointed! The build quality of the Mars 2 seems to be leagues above other companies, it doesn’t feel plastic at all, in fact the majority of the construction is metal. The added extras (scraper, gloves, clippers etc) meant we had it up and running within a few hours. The user guide was simple to follow, it was pretty much plug and play and as been running almost non stop since. We have made jewellery for my wife, toys for my son and D&D minis for me. We are using Elegoo’s Water Washable resin and there is minimal smells (the one thing many videos talk about) and it has been a simple process. You do need to do your homework but many of the guides are very user friendly and I would not say you do not need any specialist knowledge to use, just a bit of common senses. Over all we are very happy and are already as a family looking at the next project.
Very satisfied by my unit I love it!
Well made, extremely precise and affordable above all!
A must have for a beginner in resin printing like me!
Printer has been working almost non stop since it arrived, from models to key hooks it’s been great.
This was bought as a gift for my boyfriend. He is delighted with it and was particularly pleased at the lack of odour thanks to the fan and filter. Seems like a very good printer. Very quick and easy to set up and the tool set that comes with it is brilliant . We would definitely recommend
5 minutes set up and I was printing, the detail this thing can achieve is epic. It makes little to no noise so I can run it through the night, the pause feature also raises the bed so you can see if the print has failed and I’m using a water washable resin so almost no smell and very little clean up.
The machine is easy to set up from when you get it. There is a manual and some other things to help with the set up. Like a usb that has already filed on there to help get started. A great place to start 3D resin printing is with Elegoo!
Great printer. Doing small projects and the details are just phenomenal
its fairly simple to set up and level, easy to use and the only bad prints ive had is because i made a mistake lol definitely thinking about buying a bigger one
Great printer and easy to set up and use. Produces fine detail even on small scale model prints. Superfast print times compared to previous Elegoo models and has the larger print plate. For the money you can’t buy better.