The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro - let's give it a review.
Hey guys, It's been just over 12 months since
I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to review the original Elegoo Mars. Regular viewers
will know this has, until recently, been my go-to printer of choice, so I was excited to see
this next generation Mars, and the Pro to boot. Just like the original, it arrived well packaged,
and immediately I was struck by the similarity. Other than the colour change it looks pretty much
the same machine and, let’s not beat about the bush here, it is pretty much the same machine.
Same dimensions, same styling, same adjustable feet, same display screen, same build plate…
Same everything! Well actually that’s
not true. There are changes here on the 2 Pro but they’re subtle. Little things.
The build plate is slightly larger to accommodate the slightly larger build volume.
They’ve also replaced the tiny grub screws with these much larger and more convenient hex bolts.
The Z Rail is no longer a wheel-in-groove design, but instead a more conventional linear guide.
The resin tray is a much sleeker design and this change of looks
also gives us an increased resin capacity. And a bigger fuel tank means less stopping to fill up.
But for me the thing I love most is the Max limit indicator. I guarantee this simple
little extra will save many an unwanted spill. Elegoo also tell me the FEP itself is new to the
Mars. It’s designed to help prevent resin sticking to it. I guess only time will tell on that one.
The screen is the big upgrade for the Mars 2. Gone is the original 40 watt LED unit to be
replaced with a far sexier Monochrome screen, which as well as being longer lasting produces
more powerful light, which in turn reduces exposure times leading to much faster printing.
The 2 Pro also has a built in carbon filter to help reduce those nasty resin pongs.
In fact, Elegoo also provide this incredibly annoying rubber seal to trim the bottom of the
lid. This in theory acts as an airtight seal to improve the efficiency of the carbon filters.
Unfortunately I see two slight problems with this. Firstly, I believe it carbon filters have to be
changed or recharged occasionally, and to me this looks a sealed unit, making changing impossible.
Secondly, my rubber seal lasted just two prints before I threw it away. I found
it dragged against the tray clamps, pulled free and took unwanted baths in the resin.
So to my mind, if Elegoo really want a proper working seal on this lid, they need
something a little better than this flimsy effort. There’s also the issue of the fan. Elegoo tell me
it’s an upgraded version to cope with the carbon filter and they admit it is a little noisier. And
they’re quite right. It’s far from loud, but it’s a high pitched whine that you will be aware of.
The power switch is still located on the back, which annoys me,
but at least Elegoo have moved the USB port to the front for improved convenience. Obviously,
me being me, I don’t like it there either. When Elegoo sent me their Saturn Beta,
I voiced concerns about placing the USB too close to the touch screen as it was a potential hazard,
and they listened and changed it’s location for the production model. So why then would they
place the port on the front of the 2 Pro? Still, many folks will like it there,
so let’s move on. The touch screen, incidentally,
is much the same. Nice and sharp, responsive, and with text that’s a little too small at times.
Levelling the build plate is the usual paper method.
With the build plate attached, loosen the hex bolts.
Place a piece of paper over the screen. Next, completely ignore the confusing instructions
which tell you to “click the Move Z axis to zero.” Instead click this little home button.
Square the plate in position by eye, press on it lightly, then tighten the hex bolts. You should
find the paper is held firmly. Now carefully select 0.1, then press the UP arrow just once.
The paper should now pull free. Press the Back button, click the Set Z to 0 button and confirm.
Insert and clamp the resin tray and pour in your resin of choice.
Resin doesn’t come with the printer, but Elegoo were kind enough to send
me a bottle of the Water Washable Yellow to try. And, by the way, I like the resin a lot.
I’m not keen on the colour, but the resin does its job well.
You’ll need to insert the USB stick into the port to access the test print file.
The USB also contains a copy of the instructions, a copy of ChiTuBox slicing software, and also an
array of free prints from MyMiniFactory which will be of interest to miniature lovers.
The standard Elegoo rook test print came off well.
But it didn’t wow me, not like it did when I reviewed the first Mars. And that
got me thinking… what’s the point of all these little upgrades if it doesn’t print any better?
Well back then I printed this fabulous dwarf… and I still have the file and I have
both printers... so I couldn’t resist having a go. The Yellow is the 2 Pro and the blue
is the original Mars. It’s difficult to call. If anything
the blue looks better, but is that just a colour thing? Personally I think the Yellow hides detail.
So I applied a bit of primer… and yes, it’s black. It’s the only colour I have.
Not the best decision I know, but I’m glad I did. Again it’s subtle, but I’ve got to give the edge
to the 2 Pro. It shows up best when looking at the shield. See the pattern around the face?
As I was feeling a bit better about the 2 Pro, I turned to my buddies over at Archvillian Games
and they kindly let me have some of their miniatures to print. For their Patrons,
this month they’ve released the fabulous Circus Grotesque which frankly spoiled me for choice.
You know me guys, I’m all about detail, and look at this little guy. A true mini,
he’s just 40mm tall and yet the 2 Pro has packed him with detail.
This is Dr Jekyll. Again, fabulous detail and once more just 40mm.
You can even see the buttons on his boots.
And if there’s a Dr Jekyll, there must be a Mr Hyde.
Make your own minds up about the print quality because if nothing else, these miniatures by
Archvillains give us a great way to see what can be created easily on home on the 2 Pro.
I know miniatures aren’t for everyone,
so I printed this ring for an example of jewellery potential.
So it’s conclusion time. What do I think of the Mars 2 Pro.
I have to admit, I expected more. For the second generation of the Mars, it would have been great
to see a 4K screen rather than the same 2K version, and frankly I’m not certain what
exactly is “Pro” about this printer, especially as Elegoo are also bringing out a Mars 2.
But there are improvements here over the original Mars.
We have a proper Linear rail. We have a slightly bigger build area.
There’s a carbon filter, with or without a daft rubber seal.
There’s a Monochrome screen for faster printing and longevity.
There’s a bigger resin tray to hold more resin.
But unfortunately, for me, the USB port is still in the wrong place.
The carbon filter comes at the cost of a noisier fan.
Really we should be seeing a dual rail, and the build area is so negligibly bigger
it’s not worth talking about. Most shockingly, despite the
Monochrome screen, printing isn’t that much faster because the drive rail turns more slowly.
Fortunately the light efficiency means shorter exposures times and that does help.
This dwarf printed on the original Mars took 5.5 hours.
This dwarf printed on the 2 Pro took 2.5 hours. So it’s twice as fast,
but certainly not 3 or 4 times faster. Personally I think there is an improvement in
print quality though many will disagree with me there. They will argue my results could
be due to the resin difference. But I’d then counter argue it could be down to file format.
The original Mars used ChiTubTox’s .cbddlp file format.
The 2 Pro uses the their .ctb file format. According to what I’ve read, this reduces
file size, improves handling speed and most especially aids in the use of anti-aliasing.
So, is the Mars 2 Pro a better printer than the original Mars?
Yes, of course it is. Any one of these updates is still an improvement and when taken collectively,
it makes a difference. It’s not miles better, but it is better.
If you already own a Mars or even a Mars Pro, I’m not sure these differences would be worth
upgrading for, but for those others watching I’ll summarise with this.
The Mars 2 Pro is a better all round printer than the original Mars. It’s a printer you would
not regret owning and would certainly delight in using. But as with every fiscal choice in life,
be certain of your budget, do your research and then make your choice.
So that’s it for this review guys. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to
drop me a line and I’ll do my best to help. Take care guys, and thanks for watching.