ELEGOO Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer 2022 REVIEW

This resin 3D printer is easy to use and budget-friendly.

3D printing is the future. This is what we have heard for several years now. We have seen silly representations in different mainstream mediums, but no Back to the Future-type results. I like most people dipped my foot into the 3D printing world with a filament-type printer. The whole idea of resin-based printing seemed a bit overwhelming.

After a year or so of modding and fiddling with my filament printers (Yes multiple, it is a very addictive hobby) I decided to venture out into the unknown world of resin. There are so many different brands and options out there, that it can be chaotic just settling on one to purchase. That’s the first ordeal. The second is how easy is it going to be to use. The third is how big of a build surface compared to the price and overall features are included in the printer. I landed on Elegoo’s Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer.

DETAILS

The Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer is ELEGOO’s first 6.08-inch LCD (features 2K resolution) 3D printer that uses a monochrome LCD and COB UV light source. It features 50μm XY precision and high printing speeds (1.5-2s/layer). The new operating system supports 13 different languages including Chinese, English, Japanese, Dutch, Korean, French, German, Russian, Italian, Spanish, Turkish, and Portuguese.

The Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer features built-in active carbon just like its predecessor, the Mars Pro. Active carbon helps to absorb resin fumes and works together with the turbo cooling fan and the silicone rubber seal so there are barely any fumes present when you print. The unit is made with CNC machined aluminum and the build quality is designed to be like a reliable workhorse.

The COB UV light source provides a high luminous maintenance rate, uniform light emission, and no spots. It also has excellent heat dissipation performance. The Chitu Box Slicer is another helpful upgrade that ELEGOO has made to the Mars 2 Resin 3D Printer. With the latest 8-times anti-aliasing function, users can get a much smoother printing surface. ELEGOO provides a 1-year warranty on the entire resin 3D printer and a 6-month warranty for the 2K LCD (FEP film is excluded).

Kit Includes:

• Resin Tank
• Build Platform
• Metal Scraper
• Plastic Scraper
• User Instructions
• Glove (3)
• Funnel (10)
• UL Adapter
• U Disk
• Backup screws
• Silicone Rubber Seal

Specs

• System: EL3D-3.0.2
• Slicer Software: ChituBox
• Technology: UV Photocuring
• Layer Thickness: 0.01-0.2mm
• Printing Speed: 30-50mm/h
• Z Axis Accuracy: 0.00125mm
• XY Resolution: 0.05mm(1620*2560)
• Build Volume: 5.08in(L)*3.15in(W)*6.30in(H) 129mm(L)*80mm(W)*160mm(H)
• Light Source: UV Integrated Light (wavelength 405nm)
• Languages: Chinese English Japanese Dutch Korean French German Russian Italian Spanish Turkish Portuguese
• Connectivity: USB
• Weight: 13.67lbs(6.2kg)
• Operation: 3.5 Inch Touch Screen
• Power Requirements: 100-240V 50/60Hz
• Printer Dimensions: 7.87in (L)*7.87in (W)*16.14in (H) / 20cm (L)*20cm (W)*41cm (H)

USER EXPERIENCE

Right out of the gate in initial research, I found that Elegoo seemed to be everywhere in the resin 3D printing world. I had seen the Mars 2 in action several times so it was only logical that I pick the Pro model. Yes, there is currently a Mars 3 model, but the Mars 2 Pro resin 3D printer is friendly for a person like me on a budget, especially since ELEGOO does usually have deals going on as well. 

Here is a quick reason why to use resin. Like most people getting into 3D printing, I wanted a quick turnaround on projects with minimal work at the end. What I soon found with filament printers is that after hours and hours of fine-tuning you still need to sometimes sand and even fill in small blemishes and sand again until you have your final product.

With resin 3D printing, that’s not really the case. With minimal effort, you get a very close final product. There are a few steps the user needs to complete right out of the printer, but I’ll cover that shortly. You are limited on the size that you can print but the quality of your project makes it so worth it.  

Right out of the box, Elegoo’s Mars 2 Pro It’s almost ready for production.  This is a huge benefit considering filament printers need to be assembled. You also have to do a lot of wiring, which is fine, but I want to get right to the printing.

Unpacking is easy as pie. The unit is fully assembled, except for the build platform. To get started you essentially plug the unit in and attached the build plate. Well, it is not quite that simple. You do have to level the bed and make small adjustments with the included tool.

Luckily the build plate isn’t too large at around 5 inches by 3 inches. Leveling is a breeze though. Simply follow the quick instructions and make the necessary adjustments on the touch screen. This part is very familiar as you use a standard sheet of paper to level your build surface just like filament printers. Again, this process is super easy compared to my previous 3D printing experiences. This alone makes the Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer my new favorite printer.

While doing the initial setup I had a friend with 3D resin printing experience help me out. They use a different brand and immediately regretted not going with ELEGOO. To get started printing it’s as simple as installing the slicing software provided with Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer on a flash drive. This is where things get tricky.

Due to previous experience using slicing software (you need this to convert files to a usable format for the printer) I was able to learn the ins and outs of the software. YouTube is definitely your best friend starting out. Once I got the hang of the slicing program, I exported files to the included USB flash drive and plugged it into the resin 3D printer.

Luckily I did research beforehand and already had some resin on standby since it didn’t come with any. The Mars 2 Pro did come with a wide assortment of other starter supplies like gloves and masks since the resin isn’t really something you would want to breathe in or get on your skin. Now all I had to do was set the resin tank over the LCD screen and fill to the marked line with resin.

Full disclaimer, I’m still not quite sure how the image from the LCD screen transfers over to resin. With a filament printer, everything is out in the open and easy to see and follow. With resin, it could very well be magic. The short of it is an image (a very thin slice of the model) appears on the LCD screen and that is where the resin adheres to the build plate. Repeat as many times as needed for the project to be complete. 

The next step is where it was a whole new ball game for me. I’m used to pulling the project off of the build plate and sanding and priming. Not with resin. Again, I did my research beforehand and had all the necessary materials on standby. With resin prints, you have to do an alcohol bath you get the uncured resin off of your prints.

All you need is a couple of water-tight containers and isopropyl alcohol (at least 95 percent, which can be ordered or found at local hardware stores). Place your project in the alcohol bath and swish around. I found that using a soft bristle brush worked perfectly.

One last step and you can play with your new creation. To fully cure the resin you need to let it sit in UV light. Whether that isn’t a specific UV box or just in direct sunlight. I chose a UV lightbox just because the sun’s heat could warp the final product. 

CONCLUSION

At the end of the day, ELEGOO’s Mars 2 Pro Resin 3D Printer gives you quite a bit of bang for your money. Especially compared to competitors’ prices. When you consider the ease of use, it’s a no-brainer.

If you are reading this for help in considering a purchase of your first 3D printer or your fifth printer, I assure you, this resin 3D printer is the one you are looking for. The only real downside of owning the Mars 2 Pro is that my wife won’t let me get another one…right now. 

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