Like it's been said, I think we have reached the limit on human perception, being able to tell the difference between 18 and 20 micron screens just isn't doing it. I think companies are having a real hard time innovating beyond "new fancy screen". The next jump will hopefully be in ease of use and convenience. The features like auto-leveling, fail detection, bed heating, are all going to help people get into the hobby while also being a more convenient experience for veteran printers.
you can clearly see a difference if you print a very thin part, I print prototypes of medical devices with flexible dental resin and I wasn't able to print
For those worried about the screen protector on the 4 ultra - it is there, its under the tape and takes about 10minutes to replace. I just did it. Elegoo sent me a replacement FOC which took a few weeks over xmas. I'm not sure why they aren't for sale on their website
Then where did you order the replacement screen? I just bought the mars 4 max and I’d love to know for future reference. Did you go through customer support?
@@gavinsylvester3527 hi yes I talked direct to elegoo support there were really helpful and resolved my issue at no cost. It took a little while to arrive from china. I need to contact them again as my replacement protector has now also cracked after one bottle of resin....hoping I'm just freakishly unlucky.
I've got a Mars 3 and just got a Saturn 2 and I'm using the standard Elegoo Gray. The mars on .035 (figures) and .05 (bases/terrain) works perfectly and gives me more detail than I can paint and see from a foot away. The Saturn 2 - well got it dialed in (I'm pretty sure I did) and got it running with the first batch - 4 mounted barbarians. Seems to be working fine and I'm doing .03 for the layers. I agree on a bigger build plate - I've printed some dragons on the Mars they're in pieces. On the Saturn - they should fit all at once and some 2 at once.
I was considering Saturn 3 Ultra but went with 2x Mars 4 Ultra. One for flexible parts, the other for hard parts. I only use 2 resins, Clear Impact and Elastomer-X from Liqcreate.
you are so correct on just about everything. Especially the VOC thing. Tiny charcoal filters will never help VOC - you need massive volumes of airflow into massive filtration systems (comparitively speaking to the printer size) to actually do anything about the VOCs. It is far easier, and cheaper, to just vent them outside. A flexiduct and a large, high pressure fan will do the trick. I actually sat down and looked at each point, and imagined if i would use them 'every print' - 'every other print' or 'rarely on a print' - and ... honestly the Ultra to me is the way to go. I am still holding out on my first resin as I don't have the real ability to yet (fumes need taken care of, low ventilation area and VOC don't mix well) so maybe a slightly better unit will arrive before I actually buy - but it seems to be the one I aim for, and to be honest there's so little for me to actually expect better - it comes down to 'nice to haves'. Things like - a resin auto-dispenser system where the bottle is upside down and gently flows resin in to keep it topped off. (seen on other systems) - or a vat warmer, to heat up the resin to it's best curing temperatures. (this may or may not be achieved by turning the vat into a heat sink for the other parts as well, possibly eliminating the need for a fan) or slightly larger build volumes, while retaining the roughly 25 micron excellent print detail. (+/- a few microns, doesn't really matter to me) and of course a vat with a tapered edge to make pouring excess out easier, and more controlled, for when it's time to change colors or types. But these are all literally just 'nice to haves" and not "musts" - the Ultra... seems to be by far the best resin printer out right now, at it's price point. +/- $100 USD.
Thanks for the video, this is useful to me I had an Elegoo Mars 2 up until now but IO scratched the LCD and looking at the replacement cost ... I realized it could be a time for an upgrade. Please do look up how to properly pronounce Fresnel you seem like a highly intelligent individual who should pronounce that correctly.
I upgraded from my mini8k to the mars4 ultra. I can noticeable see a big difference in print quality. I did change the screen to nfep. I really didn't have a problem with the texture the other screen was producing. Will probably switch back to see if i still feel that way. It so much faster to print as well. The absolute thing that I feel in love with was the wireless transfer.. i will never go back..its the shizzz. All priters should include this feature.
Just want to give an update. Its Nov 22 and Elegoo have still not released a FW update for the Mars 4 and Ultra and the AA issues still persist with the .goo format. I sent a support message through elegoos site and the response was that they didn't know what I meant by an AA issue.... Soooo yeah thats where we're at..... And the wireless update function is still not supported. Essentially the printers have had no improvements since launch.
I have the 4 ultra, TBH the fep thing is totally irrelevant, it's going to be replaced at some time, so I have no idea why it's even a second thought, never mind the big issue you appear to have with it. The fep is a consumable just like the resin and IPA, you choose what resin and fep to use in order to suit your own needs - irrespective of that which came with the printer. The only issue I have had is with the WiFi, and I think that is more to do with Tango! Every so often, Tango can't find the printer, checking the network and attached devices, and the mars 4 ultra (with a fixed ip address) is always there with 192.x.x.24 in my case. Removing and reinstalling Tango, and magically it reappears! And yes, the move/rotate within Tango is too clunky, but overall, it does supports and so many other things better than cbox or lychee out of the box - let's face it, there isn't perfect software out there. Great (Felt I need to add the great, as if it's obligatory)
Thank you again for this review! This told me exactly what I needed to know. Looking for a PFA vat now for my Ultra. However, I'm seeing FEP options, not PFA.
Thanks for this review! The single most important upgrade to me is the controller board. This board has a non-chitubox chipset on it! For me, this tells me that Elegoo is taking these printers in a new direction. I personally do not want chitubox having ANYTHING to do with hardware that I purchase, because I do not trust them anymore. I am willing to pay more for a product that has an open source friendly controller board in it. I do not want to roll the dice on not knowing what exactly is in the machine that I am going to spend my hard-earned money on. The other important item to me is how a company deals with their customers and support. Elegoo (from what I have researched), has very good customer support. Just with any tech now, any hardware is only as good as the software running it. It would be interesting to see how Elegoo handles its new software. I hope they realize how important this is! Thanks again for the videos you bring us.
I guess their version of the screen protector is the plastic which it said to remove. Maybe they meet screen protector for when transporting the printer.
The mars4Ultra was a present, i print many years with Mars2 and Mars2pro. So i hope the M4U will be amazing better. I try the same object with the same support, same angel aso. At least i decrease the speed to the same like M2P. Ali can’t find any advantages to my running M2P. i print strong geometric objects for modelltrains, so i need best surfaces and straight edges. So i can’t see any differents to my good old M2P, who needs the micecinema, who needs Wifi. For FDM like Bambu is wifi and online starting a good solution but for resin printers about her workflow not necessary.
I'm 90% sure the screen protector is under the black tape. Since replacement protectors aren't on Elegoo's website, I assume you just take the tape and protector off, then replace the whole lot with something aftermarket.
Amazing video! it would be cool to compare these to the Sonic Mighty upgrade, :D I read it is 19 micron and haven't seen many people covered the upgrade!
So the Saturn 3 Ultra is still (one of) the best options out there? I might consider a bigger printer than my Sonic Mini 4k in the future :) Thanks, as always. Finally hit that subscribe button!
Imo the Saturn 3 ultra is the best consumer grade printer out there right now. It’s as plug n play as it gets, and churns out high quality print at speeds nothing else can touch
@@jn6305 Thanks! I pulled the trigger last week. Ordered some accessories from Elegoo directly (free shipping and $10 off) and the printer off amazon at $475. Thought I got good deals there!
Quick question Ross. Would you still consider the GK2 as the King of the Hill when comparing its print quality to these new Ultra Elegoo ones? Great videos btw, keep it up!!
Print quality.... I'd say that's irrelevant with most top end printers once you enable Antiailiasing anyway. It's still king of the hill because of it's features and ease of use - And it will have an optional new feature soon that will make it even better.
I read mars ultra has a firmware limit of lift speed set to ~100mm/h (~1.6mm/m), I also read for pfe/pfa you must set to 30~50mm/h because things between 50mm/h and 180mm/h tend to fail and depending on the piece if you go higher you could break your object. Did you find any issues with the 100mm/h limit speed on ultra? (im planning to use ultra for minis on water washable resin)
Hi ross! I just discover your channel and your videos are beeing so much helpful. I'm planning on buy my very first printer. Although you say you prefer the model saturn 3, the most I can afford would be the saturn 2 8k. Which one would you recommend,ars 4 ultra or saturn 2 8k? After watching many of your videos these would be my two options. Thanks a lot!
On my saturn 2, there's a glass screen protector that needs the gasket thing removed to get access to it, so possibly the same with these printers. Have you the link for the USB drives, as I couldn't find them after your other video.
I am considering to have mars 4 and i am gonna probably use anycubic's water washable resin. (Due to IPA smells) Can i use the 18 micron potential of the printer by using this resin? In my country mars 4 costs 280 dollars and mars 3 pro costs 210 dollars recently. Also i wonder if frensel lens affects final print or not. (Because mars 3 pro has fresnel lens but mars 4 not.)
the Satern is a good printer, and if I were buying a new printer of that size i would do that one over the one I did buy. ( m5s) that being said my m5s is working well with the nFep.
Hi Ross! This was a really helpful video as always! In 12:10, I would say the regular Mars 4 has slightly better print quality both with pfa and acf, right? The thinner lines in the bottom left corner of the calibration plate seem to fail with the Mars 4 Ultra. Any thoughts on this?? Thanks a lot!
These sometimes fail and sometimes don’t, they are so thin that I tend to ignore them. Most of the time they pull away in the cleaning stage. Especially if I’m cleaning it alongside other stuff on another printer. But I’m not printing it 5 times to get a completely successful one fir the video. So that is more a listen to my words more than what I show
Good evening! I recently discovered your channel, congrats on the quality of the videos. I have been printing with FDM and SLS printers for years. I currently have a need to purchase a resin printer. The purpose is to make medium and small parts, I need them for engineering purposes, so I need excellent quality (this is why I switched to resin printers). I do not have an illimited budget currently the "Saturn 3 ultra" is out of range (550 Amazon). Seeing your videos I am considering: Anycubic Photon Mono X 6Ks(312), ELEGOO 3D Printer MARS 4 Ultra(330). I like the possibility of more volume with the mono x6ks, but I don't know how much I lose in quality. Not if I should consider other models such as the Anycubic Photon Mono M5 (430). Any suggestions are welcome (also regarding resins with remarkable mechanical performance and those that are transparent)
there is a screen protector under the tape. and you cannot replace it.I had a mishap and resin got on the tape. Unfortunately, I didn't notice it - since I rarely remove the tank. The tape dissolved in a short time and only a little of the resin came onto the cable from the display - the display was then destroyed. The fact that there is no real protection really bothers me with these Elegoo printers. If something happens you will have a lot of problems afterwards. and I have already replaced a display once and had problems with the z axis and MB was defective. I sent the printer back. Now the problem... and I decided not to buy a Mars 3 build with the display like Mars 4. I'm looking for something better. But YES this screen protector really sticks underneath this tape. and you can't replace it. On the first printer I simply stuck PET film over it. Whatever happened to smira. There was a piece of resin in the tank that I didn't notice. The Z axis leveled to Z=0 and the display and the glass pane broke. The new display comes without a glass pane and I had to cut a new glass out of crystal glass for picture frames... Okay, that was my mistake too... and I was happy with the Mars 3 except when it comes to the display protection, which is just bad .
Hi, same here, any luck? I still don't have confirmation if the standard mars 4 fep fits, as it says on the tin it's a different size, not to mention any nfep/PFA or whaddyacallit
Sorry I may have misunderstood on the swapping ACF to PFA bit. Did you just swap the film or can you swap the actual tanks? As elegoo’s website in the customer questions one response states that the tanks are not compatible as they’re different sizes?
How is the print quality between the Saturn 3 ultra and the Mars 4 ultra? I have a couple Saturn 3 ultras (thanks to you!) and I was wondering if its worth getting a Mars 4, A: because I sometimes want to print smaller things, and B: because the its got a screen with slightly higher resolution. EDIT: Sorry, I hadn't watched the video through to the very end where you say the print quality on the Saturn 3 Ultra is a little better than the Mars 4 ultra. No point I getting a Mars 4 ultra then, unless it's just for printing smaller parts. Probably not worth it just for that.
@@FauxHammer that is somehow so wiird.... one should expect at better resolution screen to produce more sharp prints? perhaps the light source is inferier? or perhaps the file format to blame??? is it the same with non ultras? might be the ACF films?
I have a mars pro 3. If I bought the ultra and changed out the FEP, could I still use the same settings as I would on my pro 3 (assuming I use the same resin). I typically use abs like elegoo resin
So, are the resin tanks themselves exactly the same, or not? It seems pointless to buy an extra tank for the Ultra with ACF and immediately replace it, if I can buy one for the 9K with FEP preinstalled. Elegoo responded on their site that they are not interchangeable, because the dimensions are different. The listed dimensions are the same, though...
They are identical, no idea what Elegoo are on about. It’s your call. It’s cheaper to just buy an FEP film which is a Consumable anyway. Rather than a. Whole new vat.
having two tanks makes life really easy especially if you wanna print lots of models just swap the clean one in and your good to go. Gives you plenty of time to get your "dirty" tank all cleaned up or replace the fep. I have seen to many people throw some more resin in their tank and start to print only to find out they missed a piece of debris in their tank and now have a cracked screen
I am still unsure. I wanted the mars 4 ultra but its so weird that the saturn 3 ultra makes the better quality although the resolution of the mars 4 is better.
it;s about light refraction. Saturn 3 is better at directing light upwards towards the plate. the Mars isn;t. same issue is why the M5 has bad prints despite having the same screen as the saturns 3's
Elegoo exports/ships to Luxemburg, Belgium,Germany but not to the Netherlands pretty stupid as they are all my neighboring countries...I can get the printer but to get the pfa film replacement is impossible to get for me from their own website. Or any other place for that matter. How is this even a thing in 2024??? Fpes anyone know of any place where I could still get this or a mars 4 resin tank vat??? Amazon does not have it either...
If I want to switch to pfa on my Saturn 3 ultra I’m just buying the sheets for the Saturn 3 12k and also use the lift speeds of the non ultra or I’m missing something here ?
@@FauxHammergood thx so you educated at least one individual 🤪, is there a special trick to know how tight I need to do the bolts / the sheet ? Sorry I’m still a resin printing noob bought the s3ult mainly because of your videos. And I’m very happy with it! Im only missing your wargamer resin in Germany
@@dasdasdadsa5910 you should never apologise fir not knowing something. Replacing film is a pin in the ass, it’s not hard, just takes ages. You have a frame the acf goes in. Do one corner. Then pull taught and do the opposing corner. Then do the other corners pulling slightly taught as you do. Just remove the sag. Then do the middle screws across the X axis and so on, just balance it out holding taught as you go. When you put the frame into the vat, it should stretch as taught as you need Then
what is wifi and a better UI worth to you? and if you go for thge latter do you want sharp prints? and are happy to pay extra to rplace the ACF film with PFA? Honestly, get a Saturn 2
Same. I have a Mars 2 non pro and it has been amazing, but I need higher resolution as I print super detailed model car parts. Lots of flat areas which really benefit from higher resolution unlike minis. Last time it was easy to choose the non-pro Mars 2 as the difference wasn't as big, but now with the Ultra I'm a bit mixed.
@FauxHammer would you pick elegoo mars 4 max or anycubic mono x2 6k or anycubic mono x2? i have a mars 3 ultra already and i need something bigger for figures that goes from 12cm (about 6 inch) to 30 cm (12 inch) or even a bit bigger, i model them myself and i usually like to split them. thannnks
@@juancarlossanchezmeseguer5431 nope, if you are looking at a Mars 4, you’ll get sharper prints from a Saturn 2, and more space, and it’s about the same price
i think you missed the point. You may have to change your exposure tests a few times. but it means you can do it all on the printer rather than need to go back to the slicer
Still using the same bloody irritating stock footage, haven't a clue why as I assume it costs you money to use footage of randos shrugging. It may not be a big deal but it makes me grind my teeth every time I see it. It's hackneyed and cheesy.
I’ve done video without it and it doesn’t work, I’ve tried emulating the stock footage myself and it looks worse. I need something to fill the gaps when conveying attitudes and emotions, and until I can have a setup which allows me to do talking head, along with the b-roll. It’s gonna keep happening. But I do try to limit it as much as possible, because I don’t like it either
@@FauxHammer I'm no expert,,, but try a hot chick in a bikini with her boobs bouncing up and down,,,works for Coke and McDonald and well every Ad I've ever Seen on TV-.
