Resin 3D printing — often called LCD printing or MSLA printing — is the latest technology to reduce in price to the point where the hobbyist can afford to play. If you are looking to buy your first resin printer, then we suggest the Elegoo Mars. The Mars is a great 3D printer for a fantastic price, and it has an amazing community to help you make the most of it. We have used a lot of these printers over the last few years, so we have plenty to recommend.
Elegoo Mars
Community favorite
When 3D printers are this good at such a low price, it's a no-brainer to pick one up as soon as possible.
Pros
- Great price
- Superb print quality
- Fantastic community
Cons
- Ports on the back
Elegoo has been at the forefront of the MSLA revolution, and the Mars is its flagbearer. Based on the Epax design, the Mars is a small 3D printer with an even smaller build plate. If it were an FDM printer, the 60x120mm print area would be laughed out of town, but because it is resin, the volume is respectable.
When I first used the Mars, I couldn't believe that a printer that cost so little could produce such quality prints. Even at 0.05, the tallest layer height you'll want to use, the layer lines are all but invisible to the naked eye. The models are so crisp, so smooth, that they could easily be mistaken for injected molded products, rather than the 3D printed models they are. Some of my favorite prints I've ever produced have been made on the Elegoo Mars.
Because Elegoo are so active in the 3D printing community, and its printers are so reliable and cheap, there is a massive community around the Mars and Elegoo's printer, the Mars Pro. The community has embraced the machine and set about making it even better with printable parts to enhance your experience. One of my favorite additions is the USB extension that lets you plug the USB thumb drive into the front of the machine, and not the back. Whoever thought that reaching round to the back of a machine full of toxic liquid needs a good talking to.
The Elegoo Mars is a fantastic printer for just about anyone. Are you just starting? The Mars is simple to learn, with very few moving parts to go wrong. Maybe you are looking to start a business? The Mars is cheap enough that you could buy several and make yourself a print farm. The possibilities are endless with the Elegoo Mars.
ANYCUBIC Photon
Still one of the best
The print quality on the Photon is terrific, and, more importantly, it is consistently amazing. In the time I have been using the Photon, I have had just two failed prints, out of more than 100. Once you have the build plate leveled, and if you don't move the printer, the Photon will print almost perfect prints continuously.
NOVA3D Elfin
This machine is leveled at the factory
The Elfin from NOVA3D has some great features that make it worth your purchase. For starters, it looks way more interesting than the standard MSLA printers around. The triangular shape is striking and, although the ports are technically on the back, the form allows for much easier access.
With networking capabilities and a pre-leveled build plate, the NOVA3D Elfin is a striking printer that gets the job done.
ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure Box
The perfect companion
Ok, technically this isn't a printer but if you are using a resin Printer you need a way to cure your models to finish them off.
The Wash and Cure Box from Anycubic is cheap and, frankly, amazing for finishing off the resin printing process and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not owning one.
Choose your player!
If you are looking to buy your first resin 3D printer, or if you are looking to expand your collection, I cannot recommend the Elegoo Mars highly enough. It sits at that perfect intersection of fantastic price, excellent build quality, and superb printing results. I currently own two Elegoo printers, and they are easily my most use machines. They always churn out quality prints daily.
While the other small scale printers on this list are also great — the Anycubic Photon is another workhorse that I adore — the Mars is the best choice for those getting into the hobby. Some of 3D printing's best stars use the Mars, and because of that, the community has embraced it as the go-to machine for learning the basics.
