Elegoo Mars 4 DLP Review - Nobody Wants This Anymore?

[@FauxHammer]

Buy the Elegoo Mars 4 - DLP Here: shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2321615&u=3060349&m=104244&urllink=&afftrack= Amazon: amzn.to/42AIfL6 (This and all Amazon links in our video description are affiliate links. Clicking these and making any purchase will earn us a commission from Amazon at no cost to you) Buy the Elegoo Saturn 3 Here: shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2351044&u=3060349&m=104244&urllink=&afftrack= Buy the Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra here: shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2351046&u=3060349&m=104244&urllink=&afftrack= Buy the Elegoo Saturn 2 here: Elegoo - shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2183265&u=3060349&m=104244&urllink=&afftrack= Amazon - geni.us/ElegooSaturn2 Element Games - elementgames.co.uk/paints-hobby-and-scenery/elegoo-3d-printing/elegoo-saturn-2-3d-printer?d=10279 Buy the Elegoo Saturn 8k here: Elegoo - shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2183267&u=3060349&m=104244&urllink=&afftrack= Amazon - www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Saturn+8k&crid=15HYHP189M5R6&sprefix=saturn+8k%2Caps%2C223&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 Get any printer working easily with the Photonsters XP Range Finder - www.thingiverse.com/thing:6023738 (watch my video for full instructions kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ6TXq1vbJannbs) Join this channel to get access to perks: kzbin.info/door/_9Jsf3SP8aMJgn0xv5jHjAjoin Buy WARGAMER - The best Resin for Miniatures yesthats3dprinted.com/pages/wargamer?ref=FauxHammer 3D Printer Cleaning Mat: geni.us/3DPrinterCleaningMat This Video is part of our series looking for the Best 3D printer for Miniatures; www.fauxhammer.com/top-10/the-best-3d-printer-for-miniatures-models/

[@jasonburnside3626]

Thanks for the Review. I have been using my Mars 4 DLP for over a month and really enjoy it. I like the fact that you don't really half to worry about how much time you put on the printer so long as you lube the z access rod and rail from time to time.

[@joeargyle]

Jewelry. The small build plate is plenty large for most projects. The sharp/clean results provided by DLP are more desirable. All LCD printers introduced artifacts to the print, these artifacts are more evident on flat surfaces printed perpendicular to the build plate. They are expressed in the form of vertical striations/lines running through the print surface. This has to do with inconsistency in the LCD pixel grid. I've used DLP machines in the past & these artifacts were pretty much non existent.

[@ThePhiphler]

This thing seems like perfection for dentistry. Professional grade dental printers are DLP in the range of 95 to 55 microns pixel size, and they cost an arm and a leg. You do not want to make your patient wait extra time for their stuff to be delivered because someone spilled resin and you needed to order a new screen. Smaller buildplates also means faster prints with fewer print aberrations, especially for functional resins which can be much thicker than the runny stuff used for miniatures.

[@FauxHammer]

Ah fair enough, that’s not my wheelhouse but good to know this printer, and video has value to some people

[@eelcohoogendoorn8044]

Ive had technical applications in the past where screen based resin printing did disappoint me; if you want to print a nut and bolt that actually smoothly thread together, on paper this seems like itd be great value compared to whats out there, DLP wise.

[@maxtiburcio2205]

im a dentist and i agree i ve just bought this one for 368€ official elegoo page

[@x_jaydn]

​@@maxtiburcio2205​ My dentist got suckered into buying a $30k+ Sprint Ray DLP printer with OEM-locked software for Invisalign planning and manipulation. What kind of 3D dental scanner and manipulater software are you using where you're able to use a consumer Elegoo resin printer ? 😲

[@Roonasaur]

@@maxtiburcio2205Most dentists I know, know punctuation, lol.

[@JunoZXV]

I have Anycubic Photon D2 and the biggest improvement was switching from FEP/NFEP to a metal vat with ACF film. When paired with the Craftsman Resin and 16aa with no other enhancements and a dialed in Cones of Calibration test. I enjoyed the sharpness DLP provides. Throw that in with the less power usage, quieter operation and relatively quick/mono screen print times and this printer saves me more money in the long run than my SLA's.

[@petercallison5765]

That is very interesting.

[@silentjay9570]

witch metal vat did you take ?

[@JunoZXV]

@@silentjay9570 the Photon classic. I had one knocking about from the earlier run of those printers, it's the same dimensions. You can grab the photon s vat from anycubic's store

[@JetStream3D]

when you switched from FEP/NFEP to ACF did you change slicing parameters or use same as FEP/NFEP? I am just looking at ACF benefit of lower separation force and not print speed. I asked Elegoo support but they did not understand my question.

[@JunoZXV]

Mark, I used the Wham Bam inputs with the standard 0.05mm laters. 7mm lift height, 4mm/s retraction and lift speed. (Milage may vary depending on the size of the printer) Other settings were dependant on the resin. As no two printers are exactly alike, I used the defaults on exposure time, then used the Phrozen exposure tests to dial in the level detail, followed by the cones of calibration for support troubleshooting, and Dennys Wang's exposure finder for finer limit tests.

[@mantis114]

Another factor to consider is the cost of replacing the screen. Right now, it costs significantly less to replace a 2k LCD screen vs replacing a 4K-8K screen. With DLP, that is a thing of the past.

[@petercallison5765]

People are scalping on prices of Saturn 4K LCDs so replacements costs are not a given.

[@rodsawhite]

Really appreciate your videos as they are broken down simply and contain your honest opinions. You don’t seem to have any particular bias towards one company or another which is why I subbed and look forward to all your content!

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks so much. And Yes. I hate every company equally lol.

[@Brodoodle]

A big win for me with DLP is not having to worry about screen degradation and especially the puncturing of the FEP leading to a new screen(Learnt this the hard way). Tho at nearly £500 its still a hard sell, Especially for how small the build volume is. If this released at £350 - £400 it would hands down be the best buy for a small volume printer

[@eugenax9345]

There are many LCD pringers with built in tempered glass screen guards nowadays. Problem is, that you can't even fit 5 terminators on 1 buildplate here :D

[@hahahayi1017]

DLP is only 2k resolution tho…

[@VMinoda]

@@hahahayi1017 did you completely miss all explanations about dlp resolution not being comparable to LCD?

[@hahahayi1017]

@@VMinoda well yeah I know… so it’s just not worth it yet right

[@MaethorDerien]

Yeah, my entire problem is the build volume, I would happily pay that for 10 inches 4k in a heartbeat. I could probably even accept 8 inches but 6 is just way too small at that price point.

[@andychristiaens1810]

I have a Elegoo Saturn 2, and these are the main reasons for me to buy this printer next month: No LCD screen, so no expensive new screen when the worst would happen and much fewer energy consumption. Like you mentioned before, if you spill resin, its a easy clean. I still keep my Saturn 2 for the large prints I do from time to time, but I don't have to worry for a 50/50 failed print on build plate, when only half sticks. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen, and then you have to choose between cancelling all or look ate a +7 hours half build plate print. Also it won't consume 350w / hour but only 12w / hour - and that means a lot in these times. 20000 hours vs 2000 hours is a no brainer when you print in 1/350, 1/72, 1/35 or 1/24 scale. So next month, I buy this printer, hopefully Elegoo still gives that 50 euro discount by then.

[@OldSkullSoldier]

Elegoo for some time has hardened glass in all their printers. So it's comparable as it goes for safety of LCD. If glass breaks then in both cases. insides of the printer will be flooded with resin and broken. As for power consuption: did you check that? My Mars 3 pro has 72W power supply, but it is including some safety margin AND it consumes close to this only when UV LED is activated. So probably average would be

[@DarthBoolean]

I got the D2 after my second replacement screen for my Mono X 4K died. The printer was 2 years old and it was still going to cost an arm and a leg for a replacement screen. Emptying the resin vat on my 4K took ages compared to my 2K Photon, and while I could print larger models, that came with more chances of a failed print. And of course that meant draining the vat, again. Also with my OG Photon, the smell was much more manageable. Usually just closing the lid and the door to the room it was in was good enough. Pouring half a liter of resin into the vat for my 4K stunk up my entire house no matter what. Now I don't worry about keeping screen protectors on, my Kepton tape peeling up, my resin smell, or what corner of my screen has a dead pixel I need to arrange my print to avoid. Oh, and it's compatible with my old print vat from my OG Photon, so I have a spare vat, and plenty of leftover precut FEP.

[@FauxHammer]

That’s one hell of a solid justification. And yeah I was also super happy the vat from my original Photon S Worked

[@evanskan6326]

I plan to start resin 3D printing this year (actually next month) and after some extensive research I ended up with "picking" the Mars 4 DLP. From what I've seen, the quality is great and you also get longer lifespan (which is a huge plus for a beginner like me) and a more forgiving machine (again, huge plus for beginners). I've seen quite a few photos of printed minis with this machine and the quality is mind blowing given that this printer now only costs around 280€ here in Europe.

[@kacperg5880]

Thanks for this movie, i just ordered this printer thanks to you. Keep it up you are doing great work. Happy printing everyone!

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks so much, hope you clicked my links before your purchase

[@Miketz]

I am with you on the DPI/resolution conclusion - if you need a microscope to see the difference, what's the point? But you have largely answered your own question, in that DLP is easier to use and (apparently) has less elephant's foot style exposure issues. To a business who wants a printer that "just works", it's probably worth the extra $$$.

[@FauxHammer]

yeah, i can totally see that

[@mmikse3]

Bingo! A printer that “just works” is where the value is.

[@AL-go2mv]

I bought this one for making mechanical keyboard keycap masters and experimenting with making keycaps with resin. For this purpose this printer is perfect. The clean edges with antialiasing are desirable for printing keycap legends. Plus the hassle free nature of the printer is great. I could probably print 10 keycaps at a time or more with the size of the build plate. I think for small items and models this makes a ton of sense. And not having to replace an lcd screen is reason enough. I am not an expert but doing some reading on lcd printers, it seems extremely easy to break them.

[@christianjohnson3205]

I bought this and it’s awesome!! I also have an Anycubic M3 and I couldn’t be happier!!

[@bakker4420]

re VoxelDance slicer - if you look at your license (in the software) the term is 'Lifetime' and the license type is 'Premium'. Not a bad deal.

[@FauxHammer]

Ooh I didn’t spit that, thanks

[@ColinKlupiec]

Thanks, great explanation. I’m considering an Anycubic D2 DLP because of the detail I need for making parts for tools. Strangely, a smaller build volume actually suits that application better as well. Plus, I’ll never really know the difference between my 4K LCD and a DLP unless I try it out.

[@robertfousch2703]

Honestly, I want a DLP Saturn with a built in heater and a better FEP design. I build props not miniatures..

[@RoshDroz]

The heater add ons work very well. About $60. I have the chitu systems heater, but am getting the other commonly available one on Amazon for my next printer, as it has better user reviews. I did drill holes to run the cable, so that can be a bit tedious, but there are simpler workarounds

[@MrAj198]

The long screen life plus the fact it's nearly half off on elegoo right now, that's a big reason to buy one RIGHT NOW!

[@Nicol80145]

Looking back on this printer what is the value like if the price is cut in half? Current price is 300 bucks on the official website. Does this sway the value scales or have other options already surpassed this?

[@arismillare4837]

I'm thinking about getting my first 3D printer. Your video, THIS video has sold me on DLP printers. Thank you.

[@FauxHammer]

Glad I could help!

[@TheLionsTower]

Thanks again for going through all this pain on our behalf mate! Great video and great information!

[@jasonc212]

I had to really think about whether or not I wanted one of these lower priced DLPs, and I bought the D2. The reason is that I just don't have to worry about replacing anything but FEP. No boards, no LCDs, none of that. With the lower energy use at home, and the 20,000 hour use of the lense, it should be the future. The only thing I see an issue with is 1) how many companies can make this technology now, and 2) can it improve?

[@FauxHammer]

Yeah good call, if it’s right for you, I wouldn’t knock it at all

[@Mindbulletz]

Everyone is thinking about it from a miniatures and props printing perspective, but nobody has appreciated that this is very optimized for engineering applications. That washed out blurriness that you love is exactly what engineers hate when trying to print very precise tiny features in small parts, especially in the realm of electronics like custom sensors. Pixel perfect is a godsend when you're trying to create tiny gaps or sharp depressions or reach tight tolerances without a big headache. Perfect sharpness is perfect for functional parts.

[@lostsanityreturned]

As someone who bought a D2 over a larger printer last month I can say why I made that choice: 1. I got it on deep discount, D2 + Wash and Cure + 3kg of craftsman resin for $450 usd total. New, from anycubic. 2. I print miniatures for display quality painting pretty much exclusively, and while I do print for play as well... Because of my focus on display quality printing. Printing full plates is irrelevant. 3. Low noise matters to me, I am on the autism spectrum and prefer less noise where possible. And while the whirring of the stepper motor is there, it is quieter than other 3D printers I have used. (for the record my hearing is sensitive enough to pick up my wireless mouse activating) 4. Replacement screens are quite expensive to get to Australia. They may advertise as 2000h, but dead pixels or mistakes/failures have resulted in dead screens. And 8k+ screens are just, ooof. 5. Smaller print vats require less resin, are less annoying to replace the FEP for, cheaper to replace the FEP for and are much easier to handle without mess. I have a bracket, everything drains off and then I pop the print off. I will get another medium format printer in the future, but atm I am more interested in crisp prints that have little issue printing and I don't have much to worry about when it comes to machine maintenance. The only thing I wish the D2 had was usb ports so I could use the elegoo style filters... and honestly I might just mod that in myself.

[@VMinoda]

hey man. I am looking at a dlp printer exactly for printing miniatures for display quality painting. what is your experience with D2 for this purpose? are you happy with it?

[@christianjohnson3205]

@@VMinoda I just got the Mars 4 and it’s awesome! Very user friendly. Crisp prints. I havnt seen a lot of voxels. Vogman mentioned, voxels are super easy to see when zoomed in but not white the naked eye. Primer and paint would definitely hide anything left over. I love the printer.

[@FauxHammer]

All very good points and I’m glad you shared them.

[@lostsanityreturned]

@@VMinoda depends on the scale you want to print. For 28 to 72mm scale and busts it works great. For figure scales (anime/gundam/statuettes) I would go with a bigger printer as welding lots of components together isn't fun. If you are asking print quality vs an 8k screen. The thing is the 22um on an 8k's spec sheet is misleading, it is accurate in terms of pixel size but that isn't how light bleed and resin curing works out. 50um is very fine, way finer than people expect especially since it has less light bleed and true grey for AA (since it doesn't have to mask a fixed brightness uv source). For display printing you ideally want 0.01mm layer height or 0.02mm if you are impatient (but if you are spending 70+ hours painting, 0.01mm taking a long time doesn't matter). I really can't stress enough how fine 0.05mm is, i don't think I have seen a 3d model that actually has detail small enough to require more than that, that wouldn't naturally be made moot by paint. This is not to say it drastically out performs the 8k monos btw, their higher resolution generally makes up for the light bleed to a great degree. It is just both print around the same quality, and I would give the dlps an edge on the 4k monos I have used. Dialing in your settings tends to matter more, and that is pretty easy on dlp devices.

[@lostsanityreturned]

@@VMinoda sorry forgot to answer your question in the end. Yes I am happy, I do wish it had a usb port for a filter, but it is a minor issue. Its included vat sucked and I replaced it with a metal elegoo vat with pfa (nfep) film. I am interested in trying out the new low viscosity resins and installing the new fast release film on the printer, as they should work really well with super low layer heights and low light bleed.

[@krzysztofmathews738]

A very good overview. Just got one for myself recently, but have not yet fully set it up. Looking forward to that!

[@FauxHammer]

If you need help with setup please check my video. Hope you enjoy it

[@krzysztofmathews738]

@@FauxHammer Thank you!

[@DashMan-g7z]

It's simple, I'll see how long the LCD of my mars 2 last, much it cost to replace and how often I'll replace it and then see if DLP would be cheaper in the long run.

[@agungajiang9703]

I use anycubic dlp D2 for 1.5 year, the projector was a few area dead pixels and light leakage. So I cannot use it anymore. Comparing with other LCD mono printers, it still works normally. It seemed D2 had quality projector issues.

[@hydrus301]

Thank you so much for the video!! Ive been looking everywhere for someone to show the difference on a print with and without antialiasing on a dlp printer. Honestly i would love to buy one but its true that the size for the prints on this price point is just small... But since im looking for my first printer the idea that theres no need to worry much on having to change the screen and all that is great. It does make you wonder if anycubic and elegoo are not promoting these DLP printers that much is because its a worst business, since the buyer doesnt have to change screens and buy spare parts for it.

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks it’s what I intended to do with my DLP video, but never had a macro lens then

[@NobodyInTraining]

Man you got me grooving through the whole video with this music 😄

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks Luke Fellows, formerly of Geek Gaming, he did the editing fir this one

[@Snafu00M]

Thanks for covering this thing, I've been starring at it for a while now.

[@FauxHammer]

Hope this helped you

[@juzensari2589]

You need to place a material in front of the glass to diffuse the light because DLP (Digital Light Processing) is very sharp and reflects the light like a box, so you need a bit more blur

[@FauxHammer]

Like ACF then? It’s fine once you apply AA though

[@nickzucc]

Thank you for making the video, much appreciated for the information! You got yourself a new subscriber, and a like for the video as well! Very well put together!

[@johnbrown7516]

You had mentioned "feeling like DLPs give you less issues;" this is one of the reasons DLP is desirable to me. I bought a super cheap Mars 2 Pro and Wash & Cure during a holiday sale but haven't taken them out of the box. I really just 3DP functional parts for projects I may be working on. I don't need crisp minis I want low maintenance, low fuss, and a wide tolerance. I like some of the capabilities resin has that aren't as easy to pull off with FDM. Hell, I barely have my FDM printer dialed in; I mean it's good enough for most of what I do but nowhere near what's probably reasonable. Learning 3DP was a pain; I ended up rounding off nozzles, letting blobs eat my hot end destroying thermistors, murdering some build tak plates, and wrecking some leadscrews. When I do make the dive into resin, I would much prefer a glass pane that will laugh at torn FEPs, a lamp I will never even consider the lifespan of, the quiet and fan-less design that will be nicer for use in a bedroom or office. Once I'm out; I'm out. I can imagine it will rival the screeches of my klipperized FDM bed-slinger running along at 120mm/s, and I sleep just fine through that, but still quiet is nice.

[@FauxHammer]

yeah, that's a great reason and it is exactly what I think DLP is the future. i just struggle with such a small plate. this big Zelda took 4 print sessions. on any other printer it would take 1

[@TonyStark-ik9em]

So - here is still sitting quite confused: Is DLP the way to go because of power of longevity or do we run after the latest and greatest which in Elegoos case would be a Saturn 3 Ultra 12k? I really don"t care about the printer cost as there are Washing/Curing stations, resin and stuff to be considered as well. I'm a FDM guy looking into Resin because i totally don't need the trouble that comes with it and i only can use it in my living room. Halp?

[@RoshDroz]

Dlp is a must have for dental lab printing. I've used the d2 for a year and a half, just ordered the Mars 4 dlp for superior build quality and elegoo has more programmable options than anycubic in general. In particular, setting the light off delay longer for only the first layer, as dental resin is very thick. On anycubic, you get one single light off delay setting for every single layer. Also, UVtools only works on elegoo, again thanks to elegoo's per-layer setting options.

[@henuel906]

Thanks for the first true review of this printer, i'm really want this as 3dartist, because it'll print the closest possible to the model i made, no pixel bleed...And cavities are printed better. For Wargame use and gaming group i'll use just a saturn 2, nice screen Uvtools compatibility will do the job so good!

[@FauxHammer]

That’s a great insight into its usefulness

[@GreySectoid]

Why not DLP for tabletop gaming? Just bought this exact same printer for that purpose.

[@Jagthunder1]

Looking to get into 3D printing and thinking about this machine. I want to print 1:87 scale stuff for my model railroad most of which this will be used for. Is this a good option for that or is there something else you’d recommend?

[@rwz]

Just got it for about ~300$ as a beginner I hope it will get me started. :) Thanks for the honesty :)

[@ObGoRat]

Maybe someone with a print farm could benefit on it because of: - no cost for replacing screens when you have long prints 24/7 - much lower energy consumption in times of rising energy costs - potentially faster printing in the future (future faster-curing resins could maybe benefit from dlp technology because no screen occludes uv energy transmission) I think the build volume is an even bigger drawback than the resolution though. A build plate with double or triple the size can simply print more of the same models than this mars 4 can and you still get the opportunity of printing larger models. Also you might not have to split large prints into smaller parts which ultimately would save you time during preprocessing. It seems to be a niche printer. If you don't care about the upfront cost and want a printer which is more ecologically friendly - you could buy this one and eco-resin 🤷‍♂

[@FauxHammer]

Agreed, the build volume is what puts me off most now that I have bigger printers

[@crossmr]

I previously had a shadow pro 6.0 which was one of the smaller build plate printers..and while it got me started in the hobby, I definitely vowed to get a larger build plate for the future. Especially if you're wargaming you want to print a lot of minis fast, and you probably aren't going to get that with this. The convenience sounds great, but it needs a much larger build plate. Minor softness or loss of detail would honestly be fine, because when you're playing with this stuff on the table, it really doesn't have to be 100% gallery perfection. Would have been nice to see a comparison of the model from other printers

[@Wertak68]

Just bought one as the prices have dropped into a comfortable range. It is more convenient for me because I make small parts and do prototyping. Overall, there is less resin waste and easier to clean plus the carbon filter reduces odor significantly for me.

[@bionic3d]

Amazing my friend! Congratulations ! Unfortunately you need to edit the Link link lol... It's not working. I'm glad that my model is present in your video.

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks so much man, beautiful sculpt here. I was super happy to make a miniature version of it too! Please let me know if you would like me to feature any more of your models And sorry, I fixed the link.

[@aussiemasterbaiter7297]

This printer has come way down now and is great value. Ive picked one up after the screen on my Saturn 2 needed replacing and not only is it expensive, Elegoo dont even have stock in my country! So no screen on the DLP is a win for me. What I plan to do is use the DLP where I can and if I need a bigget build plate, then use the Saturn 2 (once i fix it). That should save me needing a new screen every 6 months but I get the benefits of both printers.

[@rj7855]

For larger prints I Have my FMD printer, not many resin printer can print 40x40x40 cm I've used LCD resin printers in the past but the benefits of DLP far outweights the size limit; even the smallest photon ultra, have plenty of build space for me.

[@88ScreamingSeagulls]

Thanks for the video! Subbed and liked. 🎉 And probobly sold me on this printer. No xp from 3d printing so this would be my first. 😅 Like the ease of use and lifetime.

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks for the sub! yeah, this is still solid and should outlast a couple of generations of printer easily!

[@gzcwnk]

100% agree with you....I'd go for a bigger plate, but I see its being discounted....

[@C.I...]

This printer is 170 quid now. As someone who knows literally nothing about 3d printers beyond that this one doesn't use a filament, would this be a good buy for making a model train or something like that?

[@garymtruehart9977]

I bought this printer on sale for 450 , my first resin printer , I print in FDM . I wanted something that would last , looks like I jumped into the deep end on this one , OH WELL , i will make it work , thanks for the info , please keep it coming

[@peterkiss1204]

LCD printers *do* last too. It takes years of regular printing to somewhat use up your screen. Replacement screens are relatively cheap, the small ones with comparable size and resolution to these DLP printers are dirt cheap. By the time you use up your LCD, new models will be out with much better contrast and pixel density anyway. The only application I think DLPs can be really beneficial is using them in a print farm 24/7, where lifetime really pays for itself.

[@garymtruehart9977]

@@peterkiss1204 good point

[@ElJugadorJackieHeart]

Stuck between this and a MArs 4 Max. Biggest issue I have is that it appears replacement parts for the max are hard to source - not sure how long that will be an issue for

[@Jsh298]

20k hours is 2 years of continuous use not half a decade but it’s definitely the printer I’m leaning towards after seeing the cost of new lcds. Thanks for the video

[@knightsljx]

what are you smoking? No one turns the screen on perpetually 24 hours a day straight for 2.3 years. Even if you're running some sort of print farm, the screen on time is a fraction of actual print time

[@Jsh298]

@@knightsljx if you listen he Ross states the projector life is 5 years of continuous use which isn’t the case. You are right no one would run one for 2 years solid, just pointing out the math error. It was an excellent review and I’m going to order one based on his review alone.

[@GreySectoid]

20k hours is the screen time, which does not equal to print time, since the screen is on only a fraction for the whole print time, so you get something like 60k hours print time out of this. Pay attention, I'm sure your school teacher said the same.

[@Lecrocay]

I'm trying to print a full plate piece and that ball joint for the plate is a pain in the ass. It moves through the printing. I really hate it! I believe I'll have to send it back to amazon and give it a shot to another printer.

[@zwierzq]

Is this printer relible as a starter printer (for beginner) for price €189,99?

[@fenwickc2274]

would this be ok for printing some of the wax casting resins or should I go with LCD ?

[@prakkashsaantra4350]

This machine seems very much promising....... Dear Can you please test the jewelry models can be print in this machine or not.... Please share a video of jewelry models printing

[@magikarp2063]

When I saw they are making a new DLP I wanted to buy it but at no resolution increase from the D2 I decided to wait and got the mars 9 ultra. I don't see why anyone would get this except for the slightly more conveniant resin calibration.

[@FauxHammer]

Good call, and with the price difference too. It’s a bargain

[@justinchamberlin4195]

For someone like me, who only does occasional resin printing in small quantities and sizes, this seems like a profligate expense compared to a similarly-sized LCD printer. I got a Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K on Prime Day last year and it fits my needs quite well - sure, I've had plenty of print failures but that's due to my need to get more experience with supports in resin printing. Spending twice as much for not twice as much detail/speed/quality seems like a bad idea - again, for me and my needs. Although the particular benefits of DLP technology are definitely fascinating and do seem like the future of the resin printing industry, it would be nice if prices could come down and resolutions could go up.

[@xManzi]

Honestly, I can't remember if I ever used AA on my resin printers (Photon S, Mini4K and now GKTwo). And I have never seen any need for it. But I was always printing at 0.03 or 0.02 layer hight...

[@FauxHammer]

Depends what you print, on minis it helps with many of those layer lines, even at such low layer heights

[@arathireddy7559]

Hi in my experience when i tried the phrozen sonic mini 8k and used dental resins to print crowns I found that the crowns never fitted without trimming. I tried many times and with different settings bit still had the seproblem of ill fitting crowns and when i tried the anycubic photon ultra and more recently the photon d2 i found that the crowns were a perfect fit. Not sure why but i think it has something to do with pixel light bleed whit is reduced to almost nothing by the dlp unit. I came to the above conclusion as the recommended cure times for the dental resins for the sonic mini 8k was about 5 to 6 seconds layer cure times by all the dental resin manufacturers I used. Plus dlp has advantage of longer life. If I am wrong or missed something please let me know. Thanks in advanced

[@FauxHammer]

Yep, you get less light bleed from DLP so prints will be far more accurate, though with a rougher surface

[@MemelordSupreme]

I really wish and hope there could be a possible upgrade module to convert the saturn to a dlp haha.

[@dazultra2000]

Helped me rule out the DLP. Maybe in the future when the cost inevitably comes down as it has with good mono screens now. Think I'm gonna go for the 4 (or maybe ultra) to replace my mucky old 2 pro

[@FauxHammer]

yeah the 4's look nice. Still waiting on mine.

[@wkblauwster]

Why DLP? simple, print farms. In productions, maintenance cost are way more important that up front cost. this is the same with other business as well like server farms. they happely pay x10 more for similar performance if that performance can be guaranteed for longer and at lower power draw. When you run a business with deadlines and hourly wages and all that kind of stuff, having a printer you can relly on not to break or fail is huge and way more important than those few extra microns. the main negative for farm is as you mentioned build volume. but is expect this to change in the near future. i would not be surprised to see a saturn DLP or something in the future. So what is this printer for? budget print farms that care more about running/maintenance cost then upfront cost.

[@focusxreal]

Which elagoo you recommend for jewelry boss ? Rings , pendants, bracelets and chains ? 🙏🏾

[@FauxHammer]

I do f really do much jewellery. Perhaps VogMan is a better person to ask. DLP is quite popular for jewellery printers or so I’ve heard. but honestly. Any of the recent ones are fairly decent.

[@focusxreal]

@@FauxHammer appreciate the feedback boss

[@rafaelrosa9543]

I have one use case for this: small injection molds. You make one mold and inject several parts in a matter of seconds each. In fact I'm searching for a printer exclusively for this and the long life of DLP makes it an interesting option.

[@FauxHammer]

Well, I had honestly never thought I’d Injection moulds. But yeah, DLPs do tend to live longer

[@TheMoondougie]

What AA settings did you use to get the prints you liked? I’ve tried various AA settings on Lychee but don’t see differences in printed models. What did you choose for settings when you used Tango?

[@barrettkepler7618]

Thank you for your review!

[@takeoazuma7185]

Hey, I am à total beginner in 3d printing and of course I have à problem. Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong when the mars 4 dlp says "inconsistent slicing and projection exposure" and don't start printing after that ?

[@FauxHammer]

Probably an issue with your sliced file. Stop using Tango and use Chitubox

[@takeoazuma7185]

@@FauxHammer thanks for the tip. I finally found the error. I simply charged the wrong printer profil in the slicer....

[@GreySectoid]

@@FauxHammer Last time I checked Chitubox does not support .goo format required by this printer.

[@FauxHammer]

@@GreySectoidThe issues are mostly with the immature format, not the slicers. The only one that most likely does is Tango, considering that is what Elegoo is pushing, but last time i used that app it was awful to use.

[@andrejradulovic5666]

could it be possible to install some kind of focusing lenses so you can shrink down print area if your model does not require more, and so get smaller size of pixels and the opposite larger size model larger pixels?

[@FauxHammer]

I believe this is possible but you also need to do some serious tweaking

[@ОлександрК-л5ъ]

Which printer do you recomend for beginners with budget below 500$ for kids?

[@thatvanillagorilla]

Depending on the age of the "kids" I would say no resin printer. Resin isn't toxic but it is an allergen and a pretty bad one to some people. I have seen spills that leave skin burned beat red. I remember I had some splash in my eye very early int starting the hobby and my eye burned all night with a ton of washing out. This is without resin really having an effect on my skin. I always wear glasses now when working with resin. Also if you spill resin it is very messy and not easy to clean. If you do plan on still getting one though there isn't really an easy curve for beginners. I guess the new auto leveling would take one thing to worry about away, but leveling is simple. The only thing that really changes is quality of prints and print volume. All printers have all the same steps for the most part though. Make sure you factor in all the extras you need other than printing as well. Cleaning equipment and curing lights. Then you also need plenty of IPA for the cleaning.

[@TheEnd]

I really wanted a dlp printer from Anycubic but the Mini 8K S seems to be a better value and I wanted to see how another company handles things differently.

[@FauxHammer]

Pretty much the same way. But this has forced Anycubic to lower the price. 8kS is about $200 cheaper now, making this a no brainer

[@rudrasoni9]

Is this machine use for jewelley work?

[@hightde13]

I'd love to hear how this pairs with the new acf film that it taking off. Being projected through glass I'm curious how low you could get print times. Seems like it should be able to edge out lcd in that regard as well.

[@FauxHammer]

I am currently making a video about “the Big ACF lie) so this could be a good test if I have enough spare

[@petercallison5765]

@@FauxHammer They also claim a lower print failure rate with ACF.

[@NinjaEnShort]

I got the Photon Ultra and the build volume is really starting to annoy me. I'm waiting for a truly larger volume DLP printer to semi retire it.

[@FauxHammer]

I think it will be a long while

[@omegadeltazero]

I Wonder why we have yet to get a mid size dlp printer. I would buy one if in a heart beat if they did

[@FauxHammer]

Because of the price of larger resolution DLP chips. Nobody has made one for the consumer market as far as I know

[@markhickson1066]

Great review, Fauxhammer.

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks so much Mark

[@dan3dprint183]

I can get the Mars 4 DLP Used(Return) for $300 but even at that price don't see the benefits. Maybe I bought one when they can make the projectors 4k or 8k and a minimum print size like the OG Saturn

[@FauxHammer]

Gonna be a long wait for those projectors

[@GrandNagusEli]

Comment to drive the algorithm. Keep up the good work

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks for that!

[@davidc3150]

I get your logic for the price range. However, would you go for the original photon ultra? Its 285 usd. Would you even consider the photon d2 for 450 usd? Or what would you conclude from.comparing the 3 printers. Would the original ultra be outdated?

[@FauxHammer]

285 fir an ultra is awesome. Didn’t know that. Personally I would still feel crippled by the small build size. But if all the other benefits are outweighing that for your particular use case. Go for it because it’s much less than the $800 I paid for it lol.

[@davidc3150]

@FauxHammer keep in mind it is the first ultra. Not the d2. But yes. It is much lower entry price for a DLP. I was just concerned it had major flaws or the D2 had improved significantly better to justify the 200 usd difference. The Mars 4 right now is just too overpriced compared to what you can get at the same price range. Besides I lost a lot of faith in elegoo. I can't belive my old photon mono 4k has the feature of resuming a print after power loss and the saturn 2 does not have it (at least according to the email elegoo replied today to me), if they can't make something simple as that I would question their product development team priorities severely.

[@FauxHammer]

@@davidc3150 yeah I get that. The 2 resolution isn’t really real on the D2 and Mars 4 DLP anyway. It’s kinda faked. So the difference between them isn’t massive

[@willthepirate]

First off have watched some many of your reviews this week and love your work. I am a big proponent for refurbished electronics. What do you think about the M4 DLP at a ~$315 price point but refurbished by Elegoo?

[@LowFiTitan]

Just got this printer for a really good price. excited to try it out! i'm wondering if acf film would be a good match for the voxel lines vs AA. Might need to try that out

[@FauxHammer]

It will likely still leave a grain on the surface. But I’d need to test it myself. It’s worth a go. This is still a great printer.

[@MaethorDerien]

Yeah, I think the problem is it is competing against a 10 inch 12k screen printers with better build quality and addon features like the mono M5s. I think 2 years ago it would have been a massive hit but with how much the resin printers have improved it just falls behind. I mean I still want a DLP and if this was like a 10 inch 4k version at 500 I would probably buy it right away.

[@FauxHammer]

Yep, my thoughts exactly

[@mrnlce7939]

I'm assuming the power consumption is a lot lower on this printer compared to an equivalent LCD printer. That might be another reason to recommend it particularly with the rising cost of electric. This comment is mostly to help appease the KZbin algorithm goblins. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@FauxHammer]

it is, i don't know that it's considerable difference based on comments on my older D2 videos., but it is one. The goblins are pleased

[@dougs_trains]

In Euroland right now, on Amazon this printer is 500€, but on the Elagoo site it is 368€, is that now not a decent enough reason to get it? Or is the Mars 4 Ultra 9K with a bigger build volume at 299€ a better deal overall?

[@FauxHammer]

Well, personally I'd always choose the bigger volume. But depends what you are doing and why you wang DLP. That's your choice

[@dougs_trains]

@@FauxHammer I'm after the best quality of print that I can affordably get, I think the Mars 4 Ultra will be fine, until someone makes a bigger one with that pixel resolution or better. They seem to be pumping these printers out pretty fast, so no doubt next year there will be better ones. Thanks for all the reviews, they have helped.

[@WeGoWarGo]

it's at €286 today, 4 Nov! I bought it one week earlier and it was at €368, duh!!!

[@Dr_Tom_Servo]

Thanks for the review! This was my exact conclusion the other day when someone at Glamazon made a mistake and it was for sale for $325. But maybe i should've gotten it at that price and missed out. X{

[@FauxHammer]

Oh yeah, that is a bargain at that price! Oops I guess

[@dishierosprey2798]

hi, right now I'm thinking about buying my first 3d printer, I decided on the choice between Anycubic M3 Premium and M5s. What to choose? the ability to print 12k is impressive, but is it so on the m5s? Maybe it's worth taking it with a reserve for the future, when it becomes clear with which resin to print in order to achieve good results in 8k or 12k? I've been sitting on KZbin for a month and watching all the materials of my choice, I've looked at all your reviews, but I haven't decided on buying a specific model. How soon will your review on m5s be released? I'm really looking forward to it, thank you

[@FauxHammer]

M3 premium is much better built than the M5s. But the M5s will have marginally sharper prints when you change from this film you get with it to NFEP

[@dishierosprey2798]

@@FauxHammer big thanks to you! I'm really appreciate this

[@FauxHammer]

@@dishierosprey2798 happy to help

[@konkoly5183]

Looking at getting my first printer after seeing that Leviathan boxset price - I can grab the new Mars 4 9k for less. lol Think that would be a good place to start?? Or should I opt for the Mars 3 Pro 4k for a little bit less?

[@FauxHammer]

Nah, if you have the money, preorder the 4 9k, it will be better in the long run. but please click any of my Elegoo links in the description before you do. Helps me a ton.

[@konkoly5183]

@@FauxHammer Appreciate it bro. Going with the 9k because it really isn't that much more.

[@travelminipainter]

The price point seems a bit steep @ first glance, BUT: Considering that the exposure unit lasts on paper 10 times longer than that of an SLA printer, and that energy consumption is approximately 5-10 less than for an SLA printer, this comes into perspective. This kind of unit is perfect for someone, that prints a lot of 28-32 sized miniatures. And with a lot, I mean a hell of a lot. Let's try some math here: Say you can print 6 pre supported minis on this printer. Say there are roughly 1.000 layers per build plate at an exposure of 2s per layer. So each build plate uses up approximately 2.000 seconds of exposure time of the lifespan of the exposure units. That is roughly 35 minutes per print. Over the theoretical life-span of the exposure unit, that equates to roughly 34.000 prints or 200.000 printed minis! Let's take an SLA printer with approximately double the print-bed size and a purchase price of 20% less, the Saturn 3: Let's also assume, that the print settings are similar concerning exposure times (which they are not, cause usually more exposure time is needed on an SLA than on a DLP unit). So we "only" get 3.400 prints out of this printer, but with twice the amounts of minis. So roughly 40.000 printed minis, before the exposure unit reaches the theoretical end of life-cycle time. This means, that you would have to replace the SLA printer's screen 4 times before you would need to replace the DLP printer, to print the same amount of minis. In other words: Purchase price for the DLP-Unit + 0 screen replacements: 550€ Purchase price for a Saturn 3 + 4 screen replacements: 450 € + 4x 140 € = 1.010 € (not taking into consideration the time needed to actually replace the screens!) So the investment per printed mini is at least double with an SLA printer. Add to that the reduced operating cost in terms of electricity, this becomes a very viable option for someone that prints a hell of a lot of minis (say a print shop). For the average home user, that prints just for his own needs and maybe that of a a couple of friends, both are viable options, but such a person will most likely never reach the theoretical life-span of a DLP unit.

[@FauxHammer]

Yeah that's a great way to break it down and thanks for doing the math. It certainly is a great unit when you start to dig into it. for me though, I still just prefer how much i can get off the plate. but again, I'm in a very unique position compared to most others.

[@GreySectoid]

@@FauxHammer Out of curiosity, why are you in such unique position? I mean, everyone has only 24 hours in their day, how much minis would you possibly have time to paint and play with? Unless I am wrong and you somehow invented time travel then please do tell me.

[@FauxHammer]

@@GreySectoid I’m in a unique position that I don’t consider price of the printers as much, it’s nothing to do with how many minis I can paint

[@GreySectoid]

@@FauxHammer I see, I have not seen Formlabs Form 3+ review yet, maybe you could do that next then.

[@FauxHammer]

@@GreySectoid haha, have you seen how much they cost?

[@SeaDogJak]

This printer is now available for £230ish from Elegoo UK, with Free delivery. Would you recommend it now?

[@FauxHammer]

If DLP is what you are after., Snap it up! that's an incredible price! Butplease click my link in the description first.

[@SeaDogJak]

@@FauxHammer When I finally make up my mind I will buy through one of your links. 👍

[@billclark5943]

I just ordered this machine yesterday. Its currently $199.99 with free shipping. I make mostly tiny to small mechanical parts on the plate with lots of vertical surfaces which it should accel at. Hoping i can have less of a battle with elephants foot over an lcd, aswell. We'll see. For that price it doesnt make much sense to not have one in your collection.

[@LightOfReason7]

I want to make action figure heads for my custom figures. They are only going to be up to 10" tall

[@turbosnowy]

Interesting review, but the printer is not of interest to me - mainly because you sold me on the GKTWO which is due to arrive next week, so looking forward to that 😁

[@thatvanillagorilla]

I just got a D2 for mini's and am in love. So on my LCD printers, ever since I started printing which was 4k about 3 years ago, prints looked blurry to me. The way curves and ridges fall off just make them look blurry to my eye. I love painting my mini's, but this also comes through on the paint job. I have to go out of my way with shading to show firm lines. Is it the end of the world or make me not enjoy 3D Printing? Nope. But with the D2 I don't have to deal with it at all. My dream is they find a way to make a printer with 4 DLP's in it that can seamlessly print a larger volume for about $1500. I would pay in a second. Also what you say is true, just less failures. Then when I use Anycubic Tough or DLP Craftsman resin prints just always seem perfect and the prints are so strong. Thanks for the review.

[@FauxHammer]

Oh yeah, I love that DLP craftsman resin, I use it whenever I can. I love the feel, the detail, the sharpness, the flexibility and the finish.

[@GreySectoid]

Formlabs Form 3 is almost there considering your budget.

[@ClayMann]

I'd normally argue that a small machine is a great starter machine to find out if this is the hobby for you. Its quite a shock when you first get into it. The dream of just having a 3D file magically appear like a 2D inkjet but in 3D is just nowhere near there. There's so much extra messy processing work, I think its good to get that small starter machine and discover the hobby without a big financial investment. But the price of this completely excludes it from experimental first buyers. so no I've no idea who this is for. I've never used DLP so can't sing its praises. It doesn't appear to be the future if you look at new machines coming out. DLP is forever stuck in tiny machine land. There's obviously a big price to the projector that isn't true of LCD's that seem to just get cheaper and bigger. For me the future is around intelligent sensors that get the reliability of your printing up and bring the ease of use down. I also swear to the printer gods that I will never again buy another machine that doesn't have VAT heating built in. I'm sick to death of having to solve that problem myself printing outside in the dead of winter in the UK. Oof long rant just to say, nope, next.

[@FauxHammer]

When you have used one and see the ease of use and the sharpness it clicks into place why DLP is great. it's so hard to explain but I really dunno, it just does? But its also just far too small

[@Abrouguios88]

where to find the printer activation code?

[@FauxHammer]

I think you use the serial number. It wasn’t very clear I remember.

[@svenolovnystrom2351]

Is the dimensions of the print ok

[@keithwwalker]

I'll probably purchase one, due to the sharpness, DLP longevity & ridiculously low price. Another factor is that no where have I read that Texas Instruments will release a consumer grade 8k, 12k or even higher resolution DLP. That is a bit discouraging & means DLP is at the end of its development cycle for the immediate future...

[@FauxHammer]

Yeah DLP was not the best seller despite its benefits. But even these aren’t real HD. They are half of that with a mirror that kinda makes a fake 2k But they are still ace and will last so long But never sold enough to encourage brands to invest more in the technology

[@Lurker1222]

Sorry I missed the live stream Mr. Ross.. work is a pain in the ass...

[@FauxHammer]

You could quit your job, then you’ll never miss one lol

[@techclub8528]

My review as bad as it was, I said that now with the cost of entry level 8k printers like the mini 8k s it’s hard to recommend but I love mine I think it’s awesome, it’s definatly better than the d2 and costs less. It might be worth it if you rely on precise scale parts it might be better for size and shape accuracy on functional prototype parts etc where precision is more important than detail

[@FauxHammer]

I watched your review the other day and really enjoyed it. Don’t knock yourself, we have enough people on KZbin doing that to us for this often thankless job. Though dunno how it’s better than the D2, it’s not even healer now. I suppose yeah if you wed that model accuracy, this does it. I just print fun stuff though lol

[@glennxi]

Bro, can you print 6" tall figures?

[@FauxHammer]

Yes. In parts

[@ChristmasEve777]

This is the 1st video of yours that I've seen. Thanks for the information on the Mars 4. I gotta say, I only didn't subscribe because I couldn't handle the constant purposeful blurring of images and then slow focusing.

[@FauxHammer]

Lol, fair enough mate, your call. Im not gonna stop, there’s really not much interesting to film when using a printer Hope this was helpful though.