ELEGOO Mars 5 MSLA Resin 3D Printer

 Update #2 – I figured I’d reach out to Elegoo customer service. Within 24 hours they’re already getting me a replacement LCD. I’m actually really impressed. Customer for life, now. <3

Update: whelp, it happened. I guess a tiny fragment of resin made some pressure and cracked the LCD. Nothing like a $90 repair less than 90 days in. I wish I had grabbed a different model. The Mars 3 has an LCD that is only $29 to replace. Also, I started having issues shortly after the initial review with the Z bar groaning towards the bottom of the print when it would be just lowering the build plate to the screen. I used some gun oil to lube it up and the groaning went away, but it started resulting in warped prints even before the cracked lcd. I don’t recommend this product – look for one that is far more sturdy. I’m so disappointed.

I love this thing. I love it SO much. I love making minis, I love painting them. I love model kits. This thing can help me make all of those things AND… it can pay for itself – print some things for your pals, have thempay you a little $ for the resin, pay off your own machine and the resin. Win/win/win.

The -only- complaint I have is that the instruction manual is way too empty. There are so many things to research about resin printing or 3D printing in general. Here’s the best “general help guide” I can give.

1. You’re going to want to print more things than just the Rook file on the thumb drive. You’ll need to use software to do so. There are programs on the drive, I personally prefer Lychee Slicer. It crashes way less (almost never), the options are much easier to understand… I think it’s just all around better. Look up Youtube guides on how to use this software. They will help IMMENSELY because the instructions don’t say so but knowing how to use the software is CRUCIAL to having solid prints.

2. Your prints will fail. It is okay. When they do, clean everything up. Strain your resin (as long as it hasn’t been contaminated with rubbing alcohol or any water, etc) through a mesh strainer to get rid of ANY hard/cured bits. I personally would strain it into an empty bottle or something but I put mine back in the OG bottle because I didn’t know what was and wasn’t safe for liquid resin lol. But just remove the cured bits out of the resin vat, gently pop off the cured bits on the FEP (clear plastic screen at the bottom of the vat) and REALLY try not to scratch/dent that up. Remove anything from your build plate, clean up with some IPA 99% if you want (I do because I like to just make sure everything is clean and ready to go like new to avoid gunk building up) and go back to the software to review your structures.

Also there are a TON of groups online of people who support each other and share tips on printing. Facebook/Reddit/Discord/Telegram etc. Look them up!

You do NOT have to level your build plate after the first time leveling it unless you get a failed print, then you may want to.

The instructions say to use a “card” to level the build plate – just put a piece of paper between the plate and the LCD screen and press down on it “firmly” (don’t hulk smash it, just hold it down like you’re trying to keep the paper from flying away) and then tighten the screws. Zero it, lift it, put the vat it, hit Home –

IF IT MAKES A HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE WHEN GOING DOWN AND WONT ZERO OUT – the plate is super uneven and trying to force its way down another fraction of a mm and can’t because one of the corners is likely super uneven. Just do the level once. The piece of paper is there to see if it’s not super uneven, you don’t have to worry about perfect spacing. As long as the plate sortof grips the paper while you pull away, that’s fine.

That crunching noise or popping noise when the plate is coming up? That’s totally fine. It’s actually good – it means your resin is being pulled off of the FEP, so listen for that beautiful fffffffpop noise <3

3. Wanna know how your print is doing? Just pause the print. It’ll raise the build plate all the way up and you’ll be able to check the status. Wanna resume? Hit the play button. Just try not to keep it from doing its thing for too long, especially in an area where the resin might be in danger of curing (though I’d keep the machine out of the sun at all costs tbh)

Also – you can hollow out prints to save resin, time, money, and weight. It’s frustrating at first because you’ll learn about suction cups and drain holes. Holy cow, they’re annoying to figure out lol. This is why I like Lychee’s slicer the best – the drain holes are awesome and there are even “objects” you can put into the mesh of your STL to prevent hollowing and to plug holes. They’re called “blockers” and work great.

I hope this helps. Overall, I think the print quality of this machine is stellar. As good as any WotC mini I’ve bought at the store. It’s satisfying to use, though the frustration behind the very vague manual is there. That’s the worst part, in my opinion. Although, Elegoo, I have experience with technical support, troubleshooting, and customer service support. I’d be happy to help you write something a little more in-depth that might help you avoid returns and refunds. Just a thought!

TL;DR:

The Elegoo Mars 4 resin 3D printer is a great tool that prints high quality miniatures, model kits, and other objects with the added bonus of potential profitability. While the instruction manual lacks depth, personal tips include exploring software like Lychee Slicer, managing print failures effectively, simplifying build plate maintenance, monitoring print progress, and utilizing advanced techniques for efficiency. Despite manual frustrations, the printer’s superb print quality makes it a worthy investment for hobbyists and professionals alike.

Es un poco engorroso el tema de la limpieza y curado de piezas, pero las impresiones son buenas.

Let make a record strait, it DOES NOT go 4 time faster, it’s more like twice as fast at the most… Wow that is nice. The speed is improve, the exposure time is less but every other thing the same. Than half of it goes 4 time faster, that would be a thru statement…
It is faster, it does have a better volume and the same or better result (resolution wise). I taught it would need a better or different resin but my test show no issue with the resine I was using on the Mars original.

it’s so much better and for a bit over $200… If your time is not free like me, get-it. I retire my Mars”1″ and got a Mars Pro 2… Notice the $100 more doesn’t give much more than a better cover color and maybe better printing surface.

And one more plus for it, the Vat from the Mars original fit and so is the print surface. The print surface of this machine and the pro version are a little bigger but work from one to the other (with the need to be zero), it’s a nice plus. It is to notice the vat is made of clear, green tinted material, the Pro and the original are Aluminum. I can’t say, if it’s not as good. It’s solid, looks good and give excellent result.

As usually, I customize-it; I add a magnetic print surface and add heat. I keep all my resin printer at 40c and have like 100% print success. As you know the magnetic surface is to ease the part separation. It is to notice the printing surface is improve from the Mars”1″ to the 2 and again to the 2Pro. The “one” being painted (and peal with the time) the 2 is like machined and the 2Pro sandblast what minimize the reflection and add adhesion (So they say). I go with the Magnetic peelable spring steel, that I can’t tell if one is better than the other. The first generation (painted surface) did leave paint on some parts, what is less than desirable, if you don’t use skid and print on the table and use the piece unpainted.

Instruction and software. The instruction is Ok but at least there’s some, right! The UI is different from the first gen the 2 and the 2 pro, specially in the zeroing and setup. It just different icon and little variation on how to do-it but still intuitive, you’ll figure-it out. The slicing is the same, you just have to pick the right printer that goes to. I keep the original set-up on all the printer and have like zero issue. I may be able to save few seconds here and there but I go for the easy print, no headache. And as the slicer goes, I find it simple and versatile. I don’t see much to improve there.

If you have the Mars original, this guy is a must-have, if your time is valuable. It’s allot more for the buck. Personally I don’t like the “Green” but doesn’t affect the safety or performance. It’s like an eye-sure in the printer line-up (Ya I got 4 and one Saturn, the big red guy)

Ya! Why don’t you go create something, it’s better than reading me 😉 Keep having fun