The Elegoo Mars 2 platform is one of the best small resin printers due to its affordability and reliability.
The regular Mars 2 is the recommended choice since the price bump of the Mars 2 Pro does not bring any specifications or features that improve the printing experience.
The Mars 2 is an older generation of resin printers. They are fine for budget purchases, but the current generation of small resin printers will be ideal for most users.
Elegoo Mars 2
$120
(phasing out)
Resolution: 0.05mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.1" 2k Screen ($50)
Print Volume: 129mm (L) 80mm (W) 150mm (H)
Mars 2 vs Mars 2 Pro
Elegoo Mars 2 Pro
$140-180
Resolution: 0.05mm (XY) 0.01mm (Z)
6.1" 2k Screen ($50)
Print Volume: 129mm (L) 80mm (W) 160mm (H)
Mars 2 vs Mars 2 Pro
Mars 2 and Mars 2 Pro
- The Mars 2 and Mars 2 Pro have the same XY resolution of 0.05 mm.
- Elegoo has a fairly reliable track record in terms of customer service, but it is difficult to escape spotty service until you exit the budget realm (Formlabs, Prusa etc). Thus, if you can order the printer on amazon, you will have the amazon delivery speed plus the return policy in the event something goes wrong.
Elegoo Mars 2
- The Mars 2 comes with a plastic vat, but this doesn't cause any printing issues. If you are concerned about the plastic, you can purchase a single Sovol vat for ≈$22 or two for ≈$40. Having a second or third vat allows you to swap colors and materials easier.
- The light intensity of the Mars 2 is 1.93 mW/cm2.
Elegoo Mars 2 Pro
- The Mars 2 Pro sports an extra 10mm of build height.
- The Pro also comes with an aluminum vat by default.
- The light intensity of the Mars 2 Pro is 1.99 mW/cm2.
- The 'air filter' on the Mars 2 Pro is 13.6 gram brick of compressed carbon that requires taking the entire printer apart to replace it (elegoo's video). Instead, you can download the print files for our P Mini air cleaner for free.
Final Thoughts
As you can tell, there are not too many differences between these printers since they largely consist of the same components under the hood.
If we were buying multiple printers and had to choose between the two, every time we would go with the regular Mars 2. The cost savings on each printer accounts for a nice engineering resin like SuperPP and a spare vat.
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