The Elegoo Mars 3 Pro – let’s give it a review. Hey guys,
A little while ago now I made the unpopular decision to point out what I saw as a flaw
in the Mars 3 Ultra 4K. When I reviewed it, I saw the Z Arm wobble and for a while
there it seemed I was alone in this. But sure enough, many of you spotted the same issue.
However, giving credit where it’s due, Elegoo were quick in addressing this
matter – and that’s one thing I consistently hear from viewers about Elegoo – their after
sales and support are very good. Now given that I highlighted the
aforementioned issue, I was very surprised and even more pleased when Elegoo asked if I’d review
their Mars 3 Pro – and it has to be said, this is pretty brave thing to do. It clearly proves Elegoo
aren’t afraid to face their critics and are more than prepared to prove the quality of their goods.
So… let’s have a go at some more honest, straight-talking critique. Wahahhahahha.
Despite my wobble worries, I still concluded in my previous review that I liked the Mars 3 Ultra
and loved how it printed, so I’m guessing for the Pro version, it will be the same.
After all, it’s the same base – with a new Pro sticker – the same aerodynamically designed lid,
the same build plate with the same sand blasted finish, the same build height and same resin tray.
The Elegoo website tells us that the 3 Ultra was fitted with the Elegoo FEP 2.0 – but the
3 Pro is fitted with a PFA Release Liner, though whether this is just the same product
with a different name, who can tell? The Z Arm is different to the Mars I
reviewed and I’m happy to tell you after testing it, there’s no wobble here!
However, this Z Arm is, I believe, currently on the existing Mars 3 Ultra, so it was probably
introduced quite early on in production and cannot count as an upgrade for the Mars 3 Pro.
Which means there aren’t any upgrades on the Pro version, right?
Well no, that’s being unfair. There are updates, but as with every Pro version the
Mars has engendered, these changes are subtle. If you want obvious changes, look to the UI.
The Ultra had a monotone User Menu which whilst efficient, seemed cluttered.
The 3 Pro has a similar UI to that we recently saw on the new Saturn 2;
a coloured screen, looking much less cluttered and altogether more friendly. It’s a nice touch.
The last incarnation of this model, the Mars 2 Pro, had built it air carbon filtering,
if I recall correctly, which is great for cutting down on nasty niffs, but impractical when it came
to changing the carbon. This probably explains why the same feature wasn’t included in the 3 Ultra.
Fortunately for pong free enthusiasts, the USB powered filter found on the Jupiter and Saturn
2 is also included in the 3 Pro. But just remember, there’s very little power here,
so don’t try charging your phone unless you like the smell of burnt-out electronics.
The screen remains a 4K with an xy resolution of 35 microns, which in fairness is still probably
good enough for most people and produces some excellent prints as we’ll see in a moment.
But since the advent of the Mars 3 Ultra, we’ve heard promises of a Mars DLP under
development, and Phrozen threw down a gauntlet with its Mini 8K which
no one has yet picked up. The Saturn 2 comes close with 28 microns, but it would have been
nice is the Mars 3 Pro could have tried – even just a bit. Fingers crossed the Mars 4 does.
However, there have been useful changes to the screen. Sensible folk live in fear of
scratching this delicate glass top, knowing a costly replacement will be required.
Well, once again on the Saturn 2, we saw an introduction of an anti-scratch screen, and
this too has been included on the 3 Pro. It should be more difficult to mark – though I’m not going
to be stupid enough to try it. But if it does scratch, crack or get covered in baked on resin,
the glass can be replaced cheaply and separately from the expensive UV emitting content below it.
Another party told me there was a new light source on the 3 Pro, but from what I can see
it’s the same COB lens that’s on the Ultra. It’s still got 36 UV LEDs BUT now it projects through
a Fresnel lens. This helps control the uniformity of the UV beam, meaning no matter where you place
your print on the plate, it should theoretically print equally well. And this change improves light
uniformity to 92% which is an increase over the Ultra’s 90%, and I guess every percent counts.
Elegoo also tell us the Pro has “Copper heat tubes and a powerful cooling fan with faster
heat transfer and better cooling efficiency, extending the life span of 3D printer.” But
I’m sorry Elegoo, you’re still saying that about the 3 Ultra, so we can’t pretend it’s an upgrade.
So with that blistering honesty out of the way, let’s run a few print tests.
Unfortunately, I haven’t any Elegoo resin that I can test the 3 Pro on, though I am looking
forward to trying their new 8K resin when I can. So for now I’ll use, sorry Elegoo, Anycubic Water
Wash Plus, which has quite impressed me so far. I doubt if these are perfect settings as, for me,
the following prints look a little over-exposed, but at least it’s a good starting point.
The AmeraLabs Town Test print came out great and a true credit to 4K printing.
Just remember, this print is tiny in the hand and is viewed here through a high-powered macro lens.
For my jewellery designing buddies, the Opensource ring came out great too. And again,
it’s a macro lens folks, so that’s why we can see layer lines so well.
Plus, I never use anti-aliasing on my reviews. I don’t want to show the prints tinkered with
in any way. That way what you see is the worst possible result, if that makes sense.
Certainly, there’s plenty of room here to soften these lines with Anti-Aliasing.
Of course, I turned to our buddies at Archvillain Games for something detailed to print.
Now I often get asked why I print miniatures in my reviews and the answer is simple. Firstly, I like
miniatures and secondly, because it demonstrates perfectly how a printer copes with something small
and detailed, allowing you to judge how well it would print whatever you’re into.
So, what do I think of the Mars 3 Pro. Firstly, there’s no wobble – woohoo. But let
me stress, there’s been no wobble with the Mars 3 since shortly after my original review when
Elegoo quickly sorted and even improved matters. There does seem precious few changes between
Ultra and Pro, but that’s nothing new really is you examine the history of the Mars printers.
However, I think it’s fair to say that upgrades have been included.
An anti-scratch, easily replaceable screen is a significant improvement, as anyone who’s had
to replace an expensive screen can testify. And nasty pongs are still probably one of the
major off-putting aspects of resin printing, and my wife swears these filters work great.
Personally, I never really notice the smell, but she’s my wife and I’m used to her now.
More importantly, she hasn’t been able to moan at me about printing fumes, which means she’s had
time to find new topics to grumble at me about. The Fresnel lens and its 2% increase … well,
it’s there. Whether anyone will ever say, “Wow, I’m so glad I’ve got that extra 2% uniformity”
is incredibly unlikely, but at least it’s there. Other than that, it’s pretty much just a Mars 3.
But hang on a moment, that means it’s still a Mars 3.
This has been a very popular model for Elegoo and for good reason. It prints great, it’s pretty well
priced and Elegoo has developed a strong customer base that rave about the support they receive.
I actually loved how the old “3” printed and nothing has changed there for me. It’s still a
great 4K printer that doesn’t disappoint. So will the Mars 3 Pro sell?
Of course it will, just like all the other Pro’s have sold. People love
the Mars and they’ll love the 3 Pro as well. And frankly, I think I’m one of those people.
Yes, there’s a price difference of about $50 right now, but many people would happily pay $50
just for odour reduction and the reassurance the anti-scratch screen provides. And if you’re not
convinced the Pro is for you, its advent has meant a nicely competitive price on the Mars 3 Ultra 4K,
so it’s bargain time for Elegoo enthusiasts. And there you have it, the wobble free,
worry free, Mars 3 Pro, critiqued as fairly and as honestly as I’m able.
So that’s about it for this review guys. Take care and thanks for watching.