ELEGOO Resin 3D Printer, Mars 3 Pro MSLA 3D Printer
ELEGOO Resin 3D Printer, Mars 3 Pro MSLA 3D Printer with 6.66-Inch Ultra 4K Monochrome LCD, Print Size of 143.43*89.6*175mm³ and Replaceable Activated-Carbo
From the brand
ELEGOO provides user-friendly 3D printers with premium quality and outstanding service.
Brand Vision:Create the future
With the help of programming and 3D printing technology, we can create almost anything-ELEGOO provides geeks with key to a new world
We believe 3D printing technology is the key to innovating and creating a future with endless possibilities.
| Dimensions: | 444.5 x 364.31 x 227.58 cm; 7.5 Kilograms |
| Manufacture: | ELEGOO |
| Dimensions: | 444.5 x 364.31 x 227.58 cm; 7.5 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
| Reference: | EL-3D-M3P |
My third printer and I am very happy with it. The build plate is smaller but that’s why I got it,I had a small space left and it slotted right in.
Worked great for a couple prints and then the screen failed, still awaiting replacement screen, edited from original, elegoo have sent the replacement screen and now the unit has been working great, they sent some free resin for my troubles and comms from the warranty team were frequent. Happy with the purchase especially for the price I paid
Amazing little printer for the price. It’s quite a learning curve for a complete beginner, but that would be true for any machine. The build plate is big enough for miniatures and setup is fairly straightforward. The filter that is included really does cut down on the smell. Contains everything you need to get started except the resin. Very happy!
First off, let me just say that the Mars 3 Pro is a serious upgrade from its predecessors. It’s faster, more accurate, and has a larger build volume, which means you can print even more ridiculous things than ever before.
But let’s talk about the real reason you’re here: the fun factor. With the Mars 3 Pro, you can print out anything your heart desires, whether it’s a tiny bust of your favorite celebrity or a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower. And the best part? You can do it all from the comfort of your own home.
In conclusion, if you’re looking for a 3D printer that’s both practical and insanely fun, then the Elegoo Mars 3 Pro is the one for you. Just be prepared for some trial and error.
Happy Printing
I feel I got lucky first time as I have had zero failed prints so far and the print quality is fantastic. I’m using Elegoo water washable resin with lychee slicer.
I am mainly printing miniatures so the build volume is big enough. You can print much bigger pieces if you split the model up but this requires either some forward planning or an stl file that is already split.
Every time I see something rise out of the liquid it blows my mind. Like some kind of black magic!
If you are thinking about getting this printer, do it! You (hopefully) won’t be disappointed.
Honestly my first resin printer but with a bit of YouTube research it was really easy to set up and get going! The build quality seems nice, the aluminium vat feels really nice and decently weighted. The lcd display is responsive and simply laid out. Big chunky power button (no accidental switch offs) fans run whenever the machine is on but honestly it’s pretty quiet during operation. The z axis adjustment is stupidly simple, if you’re coming from fdm printers then this will be a breath of fresh air (not literally as suitable PPE is essential when working with resin!). There’s just so few moving parts! The print quality is incredible!!! If you’re a beginner I would highly recommend the Mercury X wash and cure bundle just for ease of use!
You will benefit from reading up on the resin printing process before purchase. Look up a few guides and videos to get a handle on the process before attempting yourself, especially if you are new to additive manufacturing.
You receive the printer along with a nice little toolkit including a plastic and metal scraper, cutters, resin filters, some facemasks (theatre only, see below), USB preloaded with software and necessary tools to assemble and operate. Everything is packed neat and well.
The preloaded USB comes with a test print of a pair of rooks. Unfortunately the print is set up to not use a raft or supports, so the bases of the rooks will practially weld themselves to the buildplate. The metal scraper and an uncomfortable amount of force had to be used to remove, which risked damage to the plate. Do yourself a favour and print a different model to test, or slice the STL yourself with a raft.
After this near disaster, I have run several prints and am very pleased with the results. It is a very capable machine for its size.
That said, the kit is incomplete. Do not expect to buy this, switch it on and start printing immediately. Here is a suggested shopping list with Amazon references (just put them in search!):
– Lots of Isopropl Alcohol (IPA) <> B082XQ4W4R
– A set of containers (airtight lunchboxes ideal) <> B09RW6XVHS
– A UV curing light & turntable <> B089N8LNHC
– Resin to print with <> B09FPK6RVQ & B09FPHVGVD
– Funnels <> B09WLL9VMV
– Nitrile gloves <> B00D8Z8L3C
– If you don’t have it, a nice sturdy surface to put it on <> B01FO9YUES
– Plenty of kitchen towels/filters
– Brushes
Finally, get yourself a VOC rated mask (B013EBJPPM works for me) to go with the gloves. This is IMPORTANT. You don’t want to be breathing or directly touching IPA or uncured resin. The masks included are simple coverings that do absolutely nothing in terms of dealing with the fumes from the resin and IPA. It will make working with this product safer and far more comfortable.
Overall, it’s a winner and reasonably priced to boot!
It has a very simple to use UI and the slicing software (Chitubox) is also incredibly simple to use. Sure there are other things you will need to learn such as how to properly support each model for printing. How your settings change based on the type of resin you are using (grey resin vs translucent resin) but Elegoo have two Excel sheets available via their website which documents the best settings to use for each resin on each of their machines (Elegoo branded resin).
This printer has been a blast and can make some very awesome intricate display pieces for painting.
Have to say very impressed. I’ve done alot of Fdm 3d printing but needed additional accuracy for gears and mating components and this has proved to be just what I needed. Like many 1st time printers with this sort of machine due to setup I had an initial 1st print failure and just ended up with a flat disc but since then it’s all been good. So for everyone who’s just starting here’s a few tips… set up, following the basic setup instructions if +/- 0.1mm leaves the paper really tight or a bit loose, go with the bit loose option. Get yourself a flexible magnetic build plate, makes life so much easier and keeps the setup reliable, as others have mentioned flex build plate tab goes at the back. Very lightly via some kitchen roll rub some ptfe I.e something like gt85 on the inside of the fep film to help the resin not stick. Make sure your room is 20 degrees C. Get a decent mask, when the machine is running if you hear a noise as it lifts like its pulling off a sticky surface that’s a good sign as it’s your plastic separating from the Fep film. That’s it happy printing
Prior to purchasing I watched many videos on YouTube so I was ready to assemble and get going when it arrived. I downloaded and installed Chitubox and set it up for my printer and the resin I’d ordered, and downloaded a few supported models.
When the printer arrived it was pretty much plug and play. The printer is sturdy and all the parts seem high quality. I leveled and calibrated it and was ready to go. I added the resin and set it in motion. An hour later I had 2 high quality test Rookes.
I then grabbed my Flash Drive and put it in ready to do my own print. Only for the files not to display on the printer. After a quick Reddit search I realised I was using the newest Chitubox version and my Elegoo Firmware needed updated. I downloaded a patch from the Chitubox site, followed their instructions. This involved putting the flash drive in, turning on for it to install then turning off the printer and taking out the card and turning back on. Worked a treat!
I soon had a bed of 9 fantasy miniatures I got from Archvillain Games. The quality was fantastic. Since then I have become print mad, I have worked through a 1l bottle of resin and so far I’ve not had any failed prints.
One thing that will massively help is the addition of a flexible build plate. I found my first 2 prints very difficult to remove and was scratching up the build plate. I tried reducing the curing time for layer 1 butthe models still stuck firm. I invested 8 in a magnetic flexible build plate. It is a game changer.
Happy printing.
This is often taunted an entry level printer, and it’s true to a point, except when things go wrong, which they invariably do. I consider myself a competent DIYer and put in hours of research into learning the dos and don’t of resin printers, but the hardware here, despite the great print quality, lets the product down and it wasn’t long until I was losing my patience with the device and its quirks.
It’s my first resin printer, and it’s been an exhilarating and frustrating experience in equal measure. The rook test print which is supplied with the machine adhered so well to the metal build plate, I had to use the steel spatula to remove it. 2 hours in to owning it and I gouged the build plate before. No big deal however as rafts still adhere well… Well 10 prints later, the FEP failed and resin seeped onto the LCD screen and cured. Using only alcohol and soft microfiber cloth, the LCD got scratched but the resin didn’t budge, so I had to resort to a razor. Sadly this led to taking a chunk of the LCD screen protector with it. I had no choice but to replace the FEP and the LCD. The Lcd is described as user servicable, however the original LCD in my unit was firmly glued down to the glass bed, so it was not as straight forward as elegoo would have you believe. In the process of taking it apart and reassembling it, a couple of the really soft screws in the casing have gotten rounded, so the next time I have to open up the external panels I’ll have that to deal with. This may be a cheap printer but please don’t skimp on bolts on a user servicable unit.
Where do I start on the Mars 2? I absolutely love it. I run a professional 3D printing business and now have a number of Elegoo printers, they are really great bits of kit and at a price that offers fantastic value. Somehow Elegoo manages to cut corners in all the right places to bring the price down without affecting the quality of the experience or the printing.
The Mars 2 is fast to print, easy to use, produces really high-quality prints, is on the quieter side and is simple to maintain. Most importantly though (as a business owner) it’s RELIABLE. Once you get to know this machine it will work and work and work. I use it everyday for customer orders and it’s probably my most trusted piece of kit. When it comes to resin printing this is a big deal because the clean-up from failed prints is at best a faff, and at worst an expensive and time-consuming issue.
The print quality is great and if you’re tempted to go for the more expensive 4k printers at this size I’d say it’s not the jump in quality you’d think. It’s really hard to tell the difference between a model printed on a 2k or 4k screen. You’d need some high-res photos to even notice it. It’s also worth noting that we’re only talking XY resolution here. All resin printers can go to the same Z resolution (layer height).
I’d really recommend buying the additional resin vats that Elegoo sell so you can quickly swap in different resins or be able to carry on printing if you have a print fail (all of the fails I’ve had with this machine have been my fault).
If you’ve never 3D printed or just need a bit of extra capacity – this is the printer for you.
Anyone looking to get into printing I’d highly suggest the following.
– Water cure station by elegoo
– Water washable resin
– Wam Bam flexible sheet. The main plate is awful to get prints off. I even stabbed myself with the putty knife getting a piece off.. the flexi sheet is genius. It magnetically sticks to the plate and the you can remove easily and bend. Prints pop right off.
– Nomad sculpt (app) to fix stl files or cut them down.
The Alien you can see is 1/6th scale. Took about 40-50 hours of printing. About 1.5l of resin (but I used alot of supports). Alot of pieces fit (torso, Head, arms) but the base i had to cut into pieces with Nomad first to get it to fit in the tray. I then stuck together with gorilla glue and resin putty.
All in all fantastic machine with a few flaws (resin plate is hard to get prints off) fem film can be delicate.
If youre starting out. Go for this machine. I’ll probably get tjr Saturn next time around.
Amazon prime day is a great way for you to explore more of your interests and hobbies (at least that’s what I think) and this year was no exception with the purchase of the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro and the Elegoo Mercury 2 in 1 wash station.
I’ve previously been using an FDM 3D printer for the last year and with it has come a lot of frustration and learning, but after having recently viewed a number of reviews on resin 3D printing on YouTube I thought why not give it a try. And so far I have not been disappointed. Resin printing has a totally new workflow to it compared to normal filament printing but once you get used to it, its worth the extra steps. The Elegoo products are well made and so far (touch wood) I have had no major issues, so would recommend their products to anyone wanting to get in to this new world of 3D printing.
Key Points –
– I purchased the Elegoo water wash resin to save money on IPA and so far the print quality has been great
– Purchase and install a flex plate it makes removal of the print so much easier
Customer Service – Exceptional service and quick turn around – plus a bottle of resin as compensation
Since being delivered there has only been one fault which was a large scratch on the yellow shroud which comes with the Mercury wash and cure station. While this doesn’t affect the operation of the machine, I was slightly disappointed that it was sent out like this. After having contacted Elegoo customer services I can say that they offer exceptional service and have now offered to replace the shroud and also send me a bottle of resin as compensation. All I can say is that this is great customer service and would recommend them to anyone looking to buy their product.
I bought this enticed by “2 seconds per layer” and the promise of incredible detail, what I didn’t know about was the massive amount of clean up required for resin printing. I knew going in to it that prints required cleaning with a fluid of some sort (resin dependant), what I didn’t know, is that afterwards that cleaning fluid is considered worse than nuclear waste by some people. The resin is toxic, you’re not supposed to breath the fumes, touch it, look at it or think about it. So some would have you believe, anyway. It is toxic, so just be careful.
Here are some other observations.
1) The plastic sheet you print on (the FEP) wears out so you have to replace them intermittently.
2) Some resins really stink, the Elegoo water washable has a strong smell that leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. In contrast the Anycubic basic is fine.
3) Prints take ages. Layer height is probably going to be around the 0.025mm mark so you need 40 layers per mm, with each layer taking 8 – 20 seconds (the exposure time is only part of each layer) most reasonable pints run into multiple hours.
4) Unlike an FDM print which you can see has failed in the first few seconds, your resin print needs to run for an hour or more before enough of it is exposed for you to inspect and see that it’s failed.
5) You really have to pay attention to how you print the object, the number of supports and their location is really important.
6) Chitubox, the slicer software is not the nicest app I’ve ever used.
7) Clean up. I mentioned this already but if you’re used to just tearing your print off the build plate of your Prusa Mk2 and using it straight away, be prepared. You’ll first need to let the resin drip off the model, then put it in your cleaning fluid (generally IPA but water in some cases), rinse it thoroughly trying not to splash or spill anything, then carefully remove the supports. Now you need to cure the model under a UV light (or the sun), and after that it’s finally ready for you to tidy up any little pinholes left by the supports. While it’s curing you’ll need to clean up all your tools, you’ll probably need to decant the unused resin from the vat back into the container which will require a paint strainer, then clean the vat out, then tidy up and store all the fluids, as mentioned they’re pretty toxic so you can’t just pour them down the sink, plus, the uncured resin in the waste will blob up and block all your plumbing.
If you’re happy doing all that then you probably only care about one thing, how good is the detail? It’s amazing, so if you’re looking at printing your own Miniatures, model kit extras or custom LEGO blocks, the printer will do exactly that.
This is one of the cheaper 3D resin printers on the market. While we often associate cheap with poor quality, this printer is an exception to this way of thinking. The build quality is superb, and the setup is straight forward. Other than fitting the gasket to the cover, there is no additional assembly required. Even the firmware was up to date. The instructions are easy to read and understand. Calibrating the build plate was simple and straight forward. As a complete novice, I had this printer working on a test print in 30 minutes.
A copy of the Chitubox slicing software came packaged on the included USB stick. Installing this on your computer opens up a whole world of 3D files that you can print and enjoy. The possibilities are endless and only limited by your own imagination.
I believe that the best way to judge a product is how well the manufacture respond when things go wrong. I managed to damage a part of the printer by accident. I contacted the support team at ELEGOO who responded to my email extremely quickly. With no fuss whatsoever they dispatched a new part immediately. It is on its way as we speak. I am very impressed with the service team in how well they respond, own and deal with any problems.
I like how this printer and the customer is well supported by ELEGOO. I also like the fact that it is repairable. Spare parts are available and ELEGOO has a range of instructional videos showing the user how to make repairs. I can see that I am going to enjoy my adventure into 3D printing with the ELEGOO Mars 2 Pro. I therefore highly recommend this printer.
he vast majority of my prints are for miniatures, specifically the 40k universe. The level of detail this machine can produce is astounding easily matching and on occasion exceeding that produced by large companies. Pic of some included, my painting skill doesn’t do them full justice.
The machine is easy to setup and clean, I use Elegoo Water Washable resin which has been great although slight learning curve from colour to colour as properties change a little.
Every electrical item has a risk of problems and for me and the reason I leave this review is because its how a company handles your issue. Elegoo are top class.
My screen went within the first 100 hours of printing. Now I was disappointed and expected to be told that screens are a consumable part and will need replaced and jog on. At the time writing Mars 2 Pro screens are out of stock everywhere. Elegoo apologised for the shorter than expected life, and arranged to have a screen sent from China, tracked to the UK, and as a gesture also a fresh bottle of resin.
Thanks Macey at Elegoo for your help. Had you handled it differently this would be a very different review.
This machine is just brilliant. Straight out the box, very easy to set up and start printing. The Elegoo facebook page is full of help, hints and tips should you get stuck or need help with anything. But you will be an accomplished resin 3D printer in a short space of time. Just make sure you have your cleaning products to hand and routine down as clean up can be a little messy until you find your flow, but that is down to resin printing in general. This machine just makes the who process so much easier. For the price it is mind blowing and i am already saving for the Elegoo Saturn.
As for the customer service…… If only all companies had Elegoo’s customer service the world would be a happier place. After over 19 months of use i had worn the screw heads on teh resin tank when replacing the FEP sheet. I contacted Elegoo just to ask what screws i need to look for to buy replacements. Not only did i get a response within 24hrs and my question answered, but they then asked for my postal address and told me they would send me replacements screws free of charge…. WOW! Not something i expected for having owned the machine for nearly 2 years. But other than the the screw heads wearing out (which isn’t that suprising) this machine is still working and pumping out prints as reliable and as good as the day it first printed. Thank you Elegoo for making resin printing fun and affordable. Can’t wait to get the Saturn.
Out of the box, my printer fired up fine. Went through the motions of levelling bed and checking the lcd etc. Installed the tank, filled it with resin and plugged in the USB stick ready to print the rook test piece. This is where it started to go wrong.
The stick was fine – read perfectly well on my laptop. But clicking on the file icon on the printer failed to open any file structure from the stick. Wiggling the stick around and applying upward pressure would – occasionally) give me some access and the sticks led would flash. Obviously there was something amiss with the printers USB socket. No bent pins inside… Loose internal connector? I took the front part of the printer off, and saw that there is a small daughter card attached to the front of the printer. It is attached to the main main board by a standard usb lead, with a bit of hot glue on it to stop it from creeping out.
This was fine, no issue there. Looking more closely at the socket the memory sticks plug into revealed the issue. Half of the surface mount pads on the socket hadn’t been soldered… how did this pass quality control?! Rather than go through the pain of getting a return sorted out, I fixed it myself as I had the tools to do so. But I wonder how many more printers have had this issue and have been returned as dead on arrival?
Once fixed, printer reads memory sticks fine, and the test print worked fine. More than fine – it came out incredibly well. So what would have been a 5 star review is marked down due to a niggly issue that shouldn’t have seen the outside of the factory.
If you dont know much about them, do your research (as I did) and make sure your happy with the workflow required to make a successful print. You need more than just resin. Nitrile gloves, a resin wash of some description (IPA, Meths or water depending on availability and resin used) and a Curing solution. I have a IPA wash bath, water bath and a curing station. This works for me as a cheaper option.
If a print fails to adhere to the build plate chances are it will be stuck to the FEP and that really is a PITA. Best solution is to soak VAT in IPA for atleast 1hr but longer if you can to release the print from FEP. This would get frustrating after a short while so I cant stress enough the importance of researching the right settings for your print. Its not like a FDM where you see a print fail immediately with a resin, you normally have to wait a good 30mins before you either see a print on the build plate or not.
Things to help maintain print success – longer bottom exposure times for larger prints (70-75s), dry ptfe lube film on fep film and a film of resin spread over the build plate.
Aside from that and after my first couple of failed prints. (due to improper slicer settings for size of print) Its working very reliably.
Overall, this resin printer is excellent value with no real faults for its price. I am very happy with this printer, great no nonsense touch screen works great, solid build with inclusion of Z Axis linear rail.. It could do with the internal fan being a bit quieter and in hindsight a cabinet style enclosure instead of the over top hood would have been better for me personally. Then the only other thing which I felt was worthwhile doing as a mod (20-30 on top) was to install a Flexi plate. If you do this you will also need the spacer to modify the z height to make this work. Thingiverse part #4609740
If you dont mind the potential challenges/workflow of using a resin printer you cant go far wrong with the Mars 2 mono.
After the first test print I was like “what, can 3D printer actually do that?”
Print quality is really good, speed is fair.
I’d also like to share my doubts, that were not all about this specific printer, but in general about resin 3D print.
I was afraid of the smell.
This printer has filters and you can barely feel any smell while it prints. When you remove the cover, the resin does smell, but it’s absolutely acceptable.
Dimensions.
This printer only occupies a small surface. It’s about 40cm tall, and 20×20 width/height. I live in a small apartment and I found a spot very easily.
Curing process.
It’s easy.
I bought a washable resin so I could use tap water: results are great and I found very little residue in the water.
I am also using a small uv torch, and so far I am happy with speed and quality of results.
Washing the machine.
No big deal. First, you can put back basically all the residual resin in the bottle (which is a good thing as it’s quite expensive). Second, I could clean tank, head and accessories very easily with soapy water.
Overall
Very happy with this printer. Great value for money!
I have been using FDM printers for years but finally ventured into the DLP printers. This isn’t a DLP printer as such, it uses Digital Light projection but not via the TI chip. It is an array of UV lights that shine through or are blocked by a LCD screen.
The print quality is amazing but clean up is a little messy and a little costly in comparison to an FDM printer. I think I have paid out nearly as much as the printer in Gloves, Filters, Resin, IPA, Containers, Air purifier, Kitchen roll, Spare screen, Spare Vat, Spare plate. You don’t need all of those but they will come in handy.
Not regretting the purchase one little bit although I still favour my FDM Delta Plus for non ornamental prints. Prints are amazing and it will print detail that an FDM could never do. Setup was very simple as it was just a case of move the plate to a peice of paper and hit save when the paper is hard to pull out. Since then I have not had to level it. Clean up of prints is a little time consuming and can be a bit messy with the various cleaning stages and the UV curing, but worth it for some impressive prints.
PRO:
– very fast, i got 3s @ 0.05mm layer height on the Resin XP2 Validation Matrix for Elegoo ABS Like Gray
– easy to level, easier than the Mars and more precise
– if you are used with printing full plates on a 5.5″ dispaly you will be very gratefull for the bump to 6.1″
– no layer lines on the prints that had layer lines on my clasic Mars printers
– INSANE print bed adhesion, be carefull with bottom exposure time, i regreted everytime i went above 25s for 0.05mm layer height
– shaper than my simple Mars printers even though they have the same pixel density
– MAX level written on the vat
– way less smell than with the simple Mars
CONS
– the drops of resin that fall from the front margin of the build plate land on the margin of the vat and splash the hood
– when you lift the hood, the rubber that attatches to itd bottom will get stuck in the legs that hold the vat, a bit annoying when it falls in a vat full o resin
Nobody wants to be in need of technical support but when you print non stop, inevitably something will break. Rest assurred that the Elegoo service team will do everything they can to troubleshoot and solve your problem, in my case they even sent me a new build plate which i broke while i was leveling it.
well after using my Machine for a while I decided to do a little review.
I will start of by Saying its a Great machine for the Price ..can be tricky to get used to it as it has a small learning curve,but once you get your first prints they are pretty much Fantastic and wonderfully detailed
So if your prepared to get a little messy ..pouring and cleaning resin , its a Fantastic little Machine.
There is a smell with the machine ..but personally I dont find it a problem as I have a vent nearby
but remember you are playing with resins , ps there are water washable resins and plant based ..so you could play with those but you can get resin cleaning machines as well to make the work even less messy ..
Consumables………
the screen on the build plate is classed as a consumable and burn out after a while, this is on the first color versions of the Machine the New ones Have mono screens and last a lot Longer,but the replacements are not overly expensive and simple to replace ..
there is also another consumable Which is a plastic sheet called a FEP.. its a thin sheet that covers the Vat base this also wears out over time and can be easily damaged so care is needed here ,but again its not an overly expensive part ..
Support…..
I have had a few Dealings with Support and found them to be extremely Helpful and Very professional and they have gone all out to help with Any issues I had, so be prepared to be pleasantly surprised by Great customer Service 🙂 but give them time as its a very Busy time for all at the moment ..
SO OVER ALL ….
If your really wanting to do high detailed small parts ..this is definitely the Machine for you ..
it takes up a very small Space is relatively quiet and looks Great
In fact I Now Own 3 of these printers and they are kept very Busy
So its 5 stars all round from Me
What to say about this machine. First impressions are that the build quality is really good. However, not without problems. One of the bed screws had plastic moulding covering the screw thread preventing the vat from being secured properly. Easy to fix so no great problem. The touch screen is really useful and a nice touch. A minor grumble is that the USB port is on the back of the machine. Again, not a big thing just use USB extension cable.
With regards to ease of printing. You better get used to “the lift of disappointment”. Let me be clear, I am not saying that this is not a good printer, it is, but you have to know what you are doing before you start printing. The provided rook design prints perfectly and lulls you in to a false sense of security. However, do not be fooled!!! Unless you understand how to slice your design for printing you WILL end up with no prints. Given that it can take hours to see if a print is successful, this is frustrating to say the least. Quite clearly the rook has been carefully designed to just work.
Again, let me be clear, the printer does work and it works well once you understand how to use it. Spend some time researching on Google, YouTube, Redit, Elegoo Mars facebook groups, learning from other peoples experiences before you jump into trying to print your own designs. It will save you a lot of frustration.
Oh, one more thing to say. In your trawl of the Internet you will find people recommending that you alter your machine in some ways. For example, sand the build plate. My experience is that I didn’t have to do any printer modifications. They might work, I really don’t know, I just never did any.
Points to pay attention to:
1. It matters that you print in an environment that is not too cold. 20C plus
2. Make sure that the print plate is level
3. Make sure that you expose the resin correctly. More exposure time required for the initial 6 – 12 layers. The resin you use will effect the exposure time
4. You almost certainly will need to put your design on supports to get it to print. Yes I know the rook print does not use supports. No I don’t understand this. Yet!
It’s a good printer and creates really great objects. You just need to put in the time upfront to be successful.
I have several FDM printers and after much research I decided to jump into the resin printing world with the Mars.
The printer arrived incredibly quickly and it was very well packed. The printer itself is smaller than I thought and fits easily onto a shelf, however the build area is an excellent size.
Construction wise its solid and well built, spare screws are included within the accessories a very welcome addiction.
The print quality is suburb, I use the 3d printing pros support system and I can’t believe how fantastic these prints are from a 230 machine! The printer isn’t very loud at all and the smell from the Elegoo abs like resin I use is not powerful at all. Levelling the printer was incredibly easy thanks the the spring loaded build plate, it’s been printing along merrily for plate after plate with no issues!
I did have an issue with the build plate screw hole stripping, I contacted Elegoo customer service and WOW their customer service is way above and beyond. They asked for a photo of the issue and within hours I had an apology and a replacement build plate was dispatched. With the overall quality of the machine I have no doubt that while I had an issue they are rare and I couldn’t ask for better, faster or nicer customer service.
I know people reading this review will be debating between this or other similarly priced printers. What I would say to everyone reading is. The print quality is amazing! Go for the mars, the price is fantastic and you will be more than happy with the results. Even more importantly however I know you are going to get the best customer service if you need to contact them! They go above and beyond and have gained a customer for life with me.
The FEP is the plastic bottom of the resin tank and it is always below the print layer. I sprayed some PTFE spray on a paper towel and applied it to the FEP. This is a non stick coating that helps every layer to stick a little less to the FEP film and less failed prints. (PTFE is dangerous, so is resin)
If the area of the first layer you print (the one stuck to the build plate) is small and you print a larger area, the larger area will be more likely to stick to the FEP film and detach from the build plate. The solution is to add supports.
Once I kept these two things in mind everything was easier and I haven’t had a single failed print.
WARNING : NEVER press the home button on the lcd if the build plate is not loose. The build plate moves to hit a switch so if it can’t move you’ll probably break something.
I have not had to level the print plate since setup.
I hope Chitubox keeps improving with more fill types maybe. It’s a very easy to use program with everything obvious and settings preloaded, and not having too many features or buttons to learn about is good too.
Bar resin for printing and alcohol for cleaning the prints this comes with everything in the box, even rubber gloves, masks, filters and a USB flash drive with very useful software in it. It’s very well made and packed with spare screws etc, someone has really put a lot of thought into making this and making it right. The software is actually better downloaded as you get the newest version but everything is so very, very simple to set up and get going with …
… there’s some excellent Q&As below if you have any queries but seriously look how many folks are recommending this and offering tips and tricks. That’s a testament in itself.
Here’s the bottom line, in over 50 years of making miniature models I have never found any tool or machine that has been so useful as this straight out of the box. One tip I would offer is that when playing with the software you set the initial exposure time to 80 ms instead of the default 60ms (this will make sense when you see the software and read the instructions … instructions that by the way are very simple, clear, accurate and useful). This will ensure a better adhesion of your model to the build plate … but then again as I’m using mine in a cold garage if you’re using yours in a heated room 60 ms may be fine for you … that though was the only tinkering I had to do to get great results.
Detail … this is a resin printer and going down to a 0.05mm resolution is child’s play … aligning the 3d model for printing is easily done using the included software, there is almost no learning curve, the same software will even hollow out your models for you to save on resin.
Optional additional items you may wish to get in due course: More gloves, more paper filters, UV lamp, a couple of screw top jars (one for alcohol and one for water) for cleaning your models, lots of tissue paper (blue examination couch paper is best) and that’s about it. Having said that though, you don’t need any of this to get up and going.
My first print off the Elegoo Mars failed and my heart sank, it was a little blob of resin sitting on the FEP sheet. But I quickly realised was my fault as I hadn’t levelled the bed correctly. In next to no time my Mars was churning out impressive print after impressive print. The fidelity and detail I can get from this printer still amazes me.
Like most people new to resin printing I was unsure whether to go for the tried and trusted Photon or to go for the Mars. I’ve used the Photon before round a mates so knew what it could do, but for me the Mars felt like a better product at a cheaper price, so I took the risk and I’m so glad I did, I’ve never looked back. For me it’s a hands down a better solution; bed levelling is way easier, the removable lid provides great access, the large touchscreen is great compared to the photon, the more powerful UV means quicker prints and the Elegoo resin is the best I’ve used.
Elegoo really knocked the market for six with this printer. It truly is the best printer in its class and they came in at a pricepont that is great for the customer, something their competitors are still trying to recover from!
Would I recommend it? I can’t stop recommending it to anyone that will listen!
I’m so impressed I’m saving up to buy another one!
The only thing was that the printer kept coming into stock and selling out almost immediately, so I had to set a camelcamelcamel alert for when it comes back into stock, which it did – and I jumped at the chance to buy it.
So, I’d investigated the whole ownership aspect of 3D resin printing and preparation is very important. Firstly, you need a space to do the printing that is well ventilated and away from pets, children and food. You also need to buy a few consumables, such as latex/plastic gloves (in bulk!), isopropanol alcohol, above 95% for cleaning your prints, lots of paper cleaning cloths and lots of plastic containers for cleaning your prints in. I just use plastic take-away trays and old ice-cream tubs for this, as they will generally need disposing of after a while, and there’s no point spending money on things you would normally throw away. Oh, and you need to buy resin as this printer does not come with any. I bought the crystal red Elegoo product. It looks fantastic and works very well. You can also benefit from having a UV curing booth or UV torch or something similar in order to cure your items post-print.
The unit is packed really well with any moving parts secured very well for transit. You can also pack your printer back into the box when you’re not using it. Once I unpacked the printer, I was up and running within 30 minutes, printing out my test ‘Rook’ that comes on the supplied USB stick. It took about 3-4 hours to print two rooks and I have to say that the quality is absolutely outstanding, using the crystal red Elegoo resin that I bought with it. I’ve printed a whole bunch of other things since then, and they’ve mostly printed very well. You have to put a bit of thought into printing stuff with supports, and I’ve found that if I print with very thin supports, then the print can often fail, but in general, if you use the medium or thick supports then everything is great.
Would I recommend this product? Absolutely, if you’re into 3D printing then you just cannot go wrong at this price. Yes, it’s much messier than FDM printing. Yes, the running costs are way more expensive. But it’s really a separate application; this is great for high-detail small things, like printing figurines, whilst FDM is more suited to larger things, like enclosures, or costume parts or large brackets – that sort of thing.
However the trip has not been without its issues. Firstly I’ve found that the orientation of the models on the build plate can make the difference between successful prints and failures. It is possible that sometimes a piece of the model will stick to the film at the bottom of the resin vat causing a failure, so simply put its better to orientate the model so any large flat areas are printed on a diagonal so that they are not printed in a single layer. This reduces the chance of those layers sticking to the vat.
However having said that I’m not sure that all the failures I’ve had, it had been around 25% until I got my head round the model orientation issue. This is due to an updated firmware that was published in the last couple of days to help address issues with the LCD projection which if i understand it correctly could result in ‘shearing’ (whatever that means). All I know is since updating the firmware I’ve not yet had any further failures, but I’m not sure how much of that is due to the firmware and how much to the model orientation. I intend to try a previously sliced and failed model next to see if that now prints correctly without any changes. This will give me the answer as to which was at fault.
You should also be aware that as with all resin printers there is a substantial amount of post-processing of models required, its not just a case of popping the model off the build plate as it is with an FDM printer. Basically the steps are; remove the model, strip any supports, thoroughly rinse the model in alchohol or similar cleaner to remove any excess resin, rinse in water to remove the alchohol, then ‘cure’ the model in UV light (can be sunshine). This has to all be done using rubber gloves and other protection as the resin is an irritant so you don’t want to get it on your skin, in your eyes or anything 🙂
My total score of 4* reflects the firmware issue and one omission from the package, sample resin. Surely it would not have added that much cost to add say 100ml of resin for printer testing to the package?
A last couple of words of advice before I go, when preparing your models for printing in the supplied slicer program make sure where relevant you ‘hollow’ the model and add drain holes into a hidden base area. This will reduce the amount of resin used and prevent issues where you end up with liquid resin inside the final printed model – curiously this is one issue that affects the ‘sample’ files of the chess rook as they do end up with liquid resin inside the model due to being hollow but lacking the drain holes. This file is a good one though to test your printer as it is effectively a torture test which could be compared to the well known ‘3D Benchy’ used on FDM printers 🙂
Then I heard about the Elegoo Mars.
I was familiar with Elegoo as I have some Arduino kits and various bits of DIY electronics from them and I am pleased with the quality and also the price, and so I thought I would give the Elegoo Mars a shot.
I had heard good things about it from all over the place. Youtubers, Makers, enthusiasts… How good could it be?
Well after the first print (yes the very first) I was gobsmacked…
I didnt waste my time printing the Test Rook, I didnt see the point, I didnt want one and if I wanted to test the printer I was going to print something I needed and would refine over time.
Needless to say I didnt need to refine it, it worked. (I printed some buttons and rotary knobs for an electronics project)
I had used digital calipers and blender 2.79 to design the bits I wanted and the accuracy is on par with if not better than the calipers I used to design the bits in the first place.
I then printed everything I could.
I needed new headphones as mine had broken at the hinge (Logitech G930) I found a 3d printable (several infact) left and right replacement set and they worked, almost identical to the original bits that broke, headphones fixed!. A friend got a new puppy so I printed a couple of little model puppys for his children and he took one for himself!!??
I wanted to use a small servo motor connected to an AT Mega (Elegoo) that was being fed data from a flight sim about what climb rate I was going, so again with blender I made a KA50 Vertical velocity indicator…dial, needle and housing..brilliant. It then got out of hand. Dragons, stencils for the children to draw infinite numbers of unicorns hangers for their dressing gowns with little rabbits on, I havent had this much fun with a bottle of resin since, well EVER.
Back to the present. I cannot recommend this printer enough. It is relatively easy to use, more so than the pages and pages of settings with some of the other printers I have seen. Chitubox is the GUI of choice and its powerful and simple, also I recommend anyone thinking about buying or about to buy an Elegoo Mars to join the ELEGOO MARS LCD 3D PRINTER OWNERS Facebook group. There are loads of people (over 2000) who can give advice or settings etc and they are all friendly and a great community. (Also theres free stuff and vouchers 😛 ) one more thing, buy resin! Money off in Facebook group at time of writing. (among other things)
Also blender 2.8 is now out and I have used previous versions countless times to make my own 3d models/buttons/switches/ stencils/battery covers/arduino cases/pots/stands etc etc. maybe you want it as well, maybe you dont! Its free btw.
See you in the FB group perhaps.
Thats where the Elegoo MARS comes in. I’ve been looking at resin SLA printers for a while an dat this price (220 in the sale), it was too good to pass on.
And what an great printer it appears to be. It has a small footprint compared to both my FDMs and is a lot quieter when running. The red acrylic case also makes it pop.
The touch screen may look small comapred to some, but its responsive, the icons clear and the menu kept simple. It doesnt have too many options in my mind, which is the way it should be.
I’ve only printed a few models so far and had some failures, but as with the FDMs, it takes some practice to get it right but when you do, Boy does it do it well!
The print quality is almost on par with injection molded parts and the Elegoo resin, while it smells, isnt as strong or potent as initially expected.
This printer has a slightly larger print volume than most at this price and comes equipped with decent enough accessories. The only thing missing would be a sample amount of resin (I had sample filament with both FDMs).
I can also say that the Elegoo customer support appears to be fast. MY case had a crack in it, emailed them and the following day they have responded offering to send a replacement. Unexpected for such a low cost item. And i’ve only seen others comenting how good the support is, so this must say something.
Overall a great little printer to have sat on a shelf making the finer, smaller items i need. just need to see how it fairs long term, but its got to be less hassle to maintain than the FDMs.