Elegoo Mars 2 Pro

The Elegoo Mars 2 Pro is a compact 2020 resin printer, once one of the most widespread entry-level machines around. It's discontinued, so it shows up second-hand or as leftover stock. The draw was its monochrome LCD: about 2 seconds per layer instead of the 6–8 that RGB panels needed, and a far longer service life.

The screen is 6.08 inches at 2560 × 1620 (Elegoo brands it 2K) with a 50 μm pixel. Build volume is 129 × 80 × 160 mm, layer height 0.01–0.2 mm, speed 30–50 mm/h, 405 nm UV LEDs. The body is CNC-machined aluminum, 6.2 kg, linear rail on Z, 3.5-inch touchscreen. Files arrive on a USB stick — no Wi-Fi, no tethered printing.

Pros

• CNC-machined aluminum body and a low center of gravity — Tom's Hardware praises the rigidity next to the plastic rivals of that era
• Layers cure in 2–2.5 seconds and the panel lasts: the Age of Miniatures reviewer ran it a year and some 15 kg of resin
• The sandblasted plate grips hard and holds zero — the same review reports 10–20 prints between levelings
• The box covers the whole start: masks, gloves, paper filters, two scrapers, spare films and a stick with ChiTuBox
• Clean detail for its class: at a 0.05 mm layer 3DWithUs saw virtually no layer lines, and the menus ship in 12 languages

Cons

• The fans drone through the whole print and the pitch wanders — the most common complaint in reviews on both sides
• The carbon filter isn't serviceable: you can't reach it without opening the case, so odor control fades
• Bottom exposure needs manual tuning — undercure the first millimeters and the model tears off into the vat
• No protective glass over the LCD, so a resin leak kills the panel; the lid seal slips out and 129 × 80 mm is tight

Today the Mars 2 Pro makes sense as a cheap used entry into resin printing: 28–32 mm miniatures, small busts, keychains, little functional parts. Buying new, look at the Elegoo Mars 5 (4K panel, 35 μm pixel, auto leveling, 70 mm/h) or the Mars 5 Ultra with its tilting vat, 18 μm pixel and 150 mm/h.

Bottom line: a solid workhorse of its era that still prints cleanly, but a 50 μm pixel, fan noise and the end of production make it a machine to try, not to rely on.

Reviews

• Tom's Hardware — Elegoo Mars 2 Pro 3D Printer Review: Out Of This World Performance
• Age of Miniatures — Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Review (1 Year & 15 Kilo Miniatures Later)
• 3DWithUs — Elegoo Mars 2 Pro Review: 3D Printer Testing