The Elegoo Saturn 2 – let’s give it a review.
Hey guys.
Resin 3D printing has certainly come a long way in a very short time and this is obvious
when looking at the new Saturn 2 from Elegoo.
I was lucky enough to get my hands on the original Beta Saturn just over two years ago
now and that was a 2K prototype, later being released as the 4K version.
Well, the Saturn 2 doubles that and more, as we’ll come to in a moment.
Straight out of the box, this is a handsome machine.
These groves in the lid not only serve to make it look good, but it feels stronger and
more rigid.
The power switch has been sensibly moved to the front and now it’s there, I can honestly
say it feels right.
This is where it should be.
The USB port is located on the right-hand side, and the power point is at the rear.
There’s a distinct absence of ethernet or wi-fi if you’re looking for those options,
and this may upset some potential buyers, but personally I’m happy to plug and print.
The metal resin tray unscrews with removable bolts and it’s fair to say this is a solid
piece of kit.
Rather than a standard FEP, Elegoo are calling this a PFA Release Liner which I believe reduces
sticking issues, but don’t quote me on that.
With the tray removed, we get our first look at the 10 inch, 8K resolution Monochrome screen,
producing 7680 by 4320 pixels.
This translates to a very impressive XY resolution of 28.5 microns, which out performs even Elegoo’s
Mars 3 Ultra.
Under this cover we can see a USB port which is for a supplied carbon air filter to reduce
resin odours.
When I reviewed the Elegoo Jupiter recently, I strongly urged viewers not to use the USB
port for anything other than the air cleaner as it’s a very low powered port, so I’m
very pleased to see Elegoo include this warning label on the Saturn 2, echoing my previous
warning perfectly.
I still maintain however that this is a lost opportunity.
Sure, I wouldn’t charge my phone here, but if properly powered, this could run an enclosure
heater for example, something I’d personally prefer to see rather than air filtration.
But many want the benefit of less smelly air and Elegoo have gone a step further by including
a suitable hole in the lid.
This would allow a more powerful air purifying system to be hooked up, which is an excellent
addition.
The sturdy Z Arm slides effortlessly on widely spaced dual linear rails, travelling smoothly.
The print plate is obviously bigger than average and has a knob so large it would make a porn
star jealous.
The hex bolts are also massive, making initial finger tightening easy.
The plate locates securely and squarely onto the Z Arm and it can fix at 90 degrees to
allow for resin drainage, but you kind of get the feeling this wasn’t part of the
plan.
When it comes to levelling the build plate, Elegoo supply this dedicated card, and this
is much thicker than ordinary paper.
For that reason, you’ll want to keep this card safe.
The Saturn 2 has a two inch print height advantage over the original Saturn which gives us an
noteworthy overall print volume.
The user menu is amply sized and nice and clear.
The touch screen is responsive and the user interface is straight forward and easy to
use.
Elegoo tell me they’ve now developed an 8K resin to complement the Saturn 2 but unfortunately
I couldn’t get any in time for this review, so I opted to use Phrozen’s 8K Aqua resin,
using these settings with no anti-aliasing.
It can be a little brittle, but if you take your time with this resin, you’ll achieve
great results.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank Wham Bam Systems for sending me this excellent
Slap Mat.
I’ve used it a number of times now and I can honestly say it really does make clean
up easier.
Let’s be fair, resin printing is a messy business and anything that makes that easier
has got to be good.
So again, my thanks to Wham Bam.
The Saturn 2 did a terrific job with the AmeraLabs Town test print.
For my fellow jewellery enthusiasts, the Opensource Ring also came out beautifully.
To really test the printing abilities, I turned to our buddies at Archvillain Games and of
course they didn’t disappoint.
It’s clear to me at least that the 28 microns produced by this printer is evident in the
finished results.
So what do I think of the Elegoo Saturn 2?
I’m really annoyed by it, quite frankly.
I take my job of critique fairly seriously, and Elegoo have made it hard here for me to
say anything other than positive comments.
I have to hand it to them, Elegoo seem to have got this one right.
It has no ethernet or wi-fi option, and that is the sum of my criticisms.
Other than that, they’ve nailed everything perfectly.
I looks great, it prints very well, everything is solid and well crafted and the price is
pretty reasonable.
If you’re looking for the early bird price of $500, good luck, as these will be snapped
up manically, but check the link anyway in case more stock is added.
The Amazon price, Elegoo tell me, will be around $600, making it a tad cheaper than
the Anycubic M3 Plus, which on paper it outperforms, which will be a bit of a headache for Anycubic
I’m sure.
Personally, I’ve been very pleased with the performance of the Saturn 2.
Until now it’s been a case of, “Do I want a printer that gives me fine detail, or do
I want a printer that gives me large build volume.”
Well Elegoo have given us both is one and for me the Saturn 2 is a printer worth owning.
So to sum up, there’s every chance the Saturn 2 will run rings around the competition.
And that’s it for this review guys.
I hope you enjoyed this one.
Take care and thanks for watching.