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Review on πŸ–¨οΈ ELEGOO Photocuring Printer: Enhance Your Offline Printing Experience with Advanced Technology by John Larsen

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Impressive entry-level resin printer at an affordable price!

I ordered an Elegoo Mars earlier this year. My experience is generally positive. The support is very good and I also found it very helpful to use the Elegoo Mars Facebook group. Some pros and cons: Pros: - Very easy to set up and use (the software is relatively easy to use). Much fewer settings to set up compared to FDM printers (only 5 or 6 settings really affect the final product) - Less finicky than FDM printers (not as prone to print errors due to factors like adhesion/first layer settings) . That's very condescending. Incredible detail and resolution. Good support. Resin is ideal for painting. Relatively low running costs. This is not a real scam as resin DLP laser printers are expensive commercial printers for high volume printing. Elegoo resin sticks to everything and is easy to carry. 99% Isopropyl/Ethyl are the only readily available solvents for removing resin from surfaces. (Tip: After printing, rinse with 99% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol, then water, then alcohol, then water again.) -Quality Control: I had to return the first 2 units. The first had an issue where the rising and falling metal plate would not separate from the FEP during the first few layers. SOLUTION: Put a piece of tape in the corner of the LCD screen, under the FEP film, but don't cover the active pixel area! (The problem is that it creates a vacuum that cannot be released). The second printer had to be sent back as part of it came loose during shipping, accidentally shutting off the UV lamp. I've found that tapping the side of the device helps temporarily, but it's a short. Support has a solution on how to fix this yourself. Just wrap it in an insulator that doesn't conduct electricity (I've moved the replacement process to Amazon). A few tips: The printer has a relatively easy learning curve. The default settings in Chitubox 1.3 are acceptable but not ideal. For Elegoo Clear Resin I use at least 8 seconds per 0.05mm layer. For opaque resins I use 11-12 seconds per 0.05mm layer. By default I use 8 bottom layers for 30 seconds each. I don't change the settings for different layer heights. For most models, especially those with large internal volumes, be sure to add a drain hole either programmatically or manually with a drill after printing. If you drill a hole that is too small, another hole may be needed to vent the air. After printing and especially after a fall, always check the resin tank for resin that has stuck to the TPE sheet and is freely dissolving into resin residue. There are filters for that. When selecting models and preparing for printing, you should use every free area of the printing platform for additional models. The only thing that affects print speed is the height of your models. You can print as many models at once as will fit on the bed without affecting print speed unless you add a taller model. (This does not apply to FDM printers). Purchase a nail curing lamp or expose your models to the sun for 30 minutes to 1 hour to increase durability. Some resins take too long to change color (e.g. elegoo clear resin). - Try at least once with clear resin. Clear resin prints fastest, and you can also calibrate and level your platform without draining or cleaning the resin (you can see through the LCD screen to level the ballast without removing the resin). Another reason is that the transparent resin allows you to see the internal structure of your model. You can see the fill grid and see if the resin hit. I didn't realize the importance of the drain hole on some models until I used clear resin and saw the liquid resin moving freely in the finished model. Despite the need for a replacement, my overall experience has been very positive. I think $500 is a lot compared to other resin printers with similar features and performance. I would definitely make a purchase again.

Pros
  • Faster printing and less maintenance
Cons
  • Crumpled packaging