What I'll say about the GK2 is that when I changed my nFEP for the first time I discovered that one of the screw holes in the metal frame for the vat had the threads totally destroyed by over-torque at the factory. Uniformation support got back to me in a matter of hours via email and said basically "sit tight we're getting more parts to the US warehouse soon". A week and a half later a brand new vat assembly, cover and all, showed up out of nowhere at no cost at all to me. That's a tremendous customer service investment for a very minor defect that doesn't actually impact the usability of the printer. Grabbing the bundle on sale was a great decision for me, and I've put hundreds of hours onto the machine in the past few months.
@@TheHanyou I get similar support with Elegoo, in fact I have an ORIGINAL Saturn for 4-5 years ago that a capacitor on the board blew and kept the UV light on constantly. I reached out and within the day they are already shipping me a new replacement board and screen free of charge.
People hate on AC customer service but I had similar experiences with them like you did with Uniformation. I had a printfail with my Vyper resulting in the nozzle hitting the model and the autolevel sensor got damaged which I didn't notice so I restarted the print and the nozzle went too low and scratched the magnetic build sheet. I contacted AC, they analysed the situation and the guy was like "I think you need a new strain gauge". So I got a new strain gauge and a new build sheet. But on top of that I also got a new heating bed. And it all took like 1,5 weeks from first contact to the parts arriving. And with the Kobra 2 Max the filament sensor got damaged when I kinda messed up and let the cable get caught on the frame during a tall print. I contacted AC and got a new sensor within a week. Didn't solve the issue so I figured the cable probably got damaged. Contacted AC again and they immediatly sent me a new cable. Everything was free of charge too. How wouldn't a destroyed thread impact the usability of the printer though? Wasn't that screw important? Like I'm guessing all the screws are there for a reason, to get the tightness you need. So them sending a new vat free of charge seems to be the only way for them to handle the situation correctly if I'm being honest.
Yes but how did you get ahold of Uniformation support? Last time I tried all my emails were ignored. The ONLY way I could get them was through Facebook which I swore I would never use again. In fact I had to use my brother's account to do it.
I went with the S4U, reasons: 1- I live in a hot climate 2- Is my first 3D printer and price was over $400 less including wash and cure station. 3- No taxes on my purchase when I bought straight from elegoo. 4- less settings to play with for a beginner was enticing. 5- Ross said it was a good printer and I used his link🤷♂️ Other than that, once I learn and play for a year, maybe the next GK2 is unbeatable.
S4U owner. The speed with no quality loss is a game changer. Found, printed, primed, speedpainted, and varnished a figure for my daughter in under 7 hours. That's including all processing and drying. It was her first standardized test, so she was happy to have model version of her made up unicorn to sit on her desk. I also switched to printing terrain mostly in resin. It's more expensive, but I'm using super cheap (sunlu) resin and the time/quality proposition is a no-brainer
After watching your video, I'm glad I went with the Saturn Ultra 4. I added a brewing belt to heat the vat so not losing the exhaust port, added a handle to the front for easy opening, and added some led lighting for the time lapse. All of that was like $30usd. I'm loving this printer. 😊
I've the S4U. Being a smart arse I thought I'd press "Go" and let it sort itself out, which it did beautifully. 72 prints, only one fail that was a partial on a 4 piece build plate. Couldn't be more impressed.
I have a saturn 3 ultra and have nothing but trouble printing standard things without sticking to the fep, having weird lines through out my prints, not printing supports and just not getting details right
If dripping resin is really your concern just tape a loose plastic sheet around the vat attached to the base to cover the gap. Give it enough slack to handle the tilt. Should elegoo have done this to start with? Sure, but at least it's an easy fix.
As someone who has just recently found your channel & and subscribed, I've spent hours binge watching your videos with a view to looking at buying a printer. I'm so glad I have done so because I would have originally just bought an Anycubic, probably the 5s because I see their adverts everywhere & I thought getting a print done really fast would be brilliant. However, I'm now trying to weigh up if I will be looking to print enough models to justify the GKTWO simply because I like the basic but solid design & serviceability, when I do need to replace parts etc. I'm also really grateful to the guy on a 3d print group who suggested anyone considering a purchase to watch your videos. I'm so glad I took that advice, or I'd have been swept up in the 8/12/14 K BS.. So I just now need to work out if I can justify the GKTWO or just continue paying someone else to print my models for me. Though I'm paying for the files but then he keeps them. But again, I'm only printing single medium sized prints, but it might be nice to be able to print parts should I break bits, like when I knocked my last one off the desk shelf. After all my waffle, I'm sticking with my initial choice, even though it's twice the cost. So GKTWO or nothing for me.. Again, thank you for this channel & all your advise 😊
I have recently gotten a Saturn 4 ultra as my second resin printer (my first being the *literal* OG photon back in the day that's long been gone). Coming back to resin from nothing for a few years, it's been eye opening how much has changed in terms of usability. Who remembers custom flashing community firmware just to do exposure tests? Anyways, I digress. As far as why I chose the s4u over the GK2, I knew that I'd be able to solve the three problems I saw with the machine fairly quickly using community sources: 1. Bad bed grip was solved with a 3d print 2. Trapped resin on the double bed was solved by that same fdm print that doubles as a tilted bed hanger such that resin can drop off at an angle 3. When my shop temps drop this fall and I start getting failed prints, I can get vat adhering heat bands that will solve the heated bed problem It would have been nice to have a marriage between the two printers tbh, and I almost waited for the next generation of printers such that I could *get* that out of someone. But rather than roll the dice and wait another year for a hopefully perfect printer to come around, I went with an option I knew I could get working optimally using third party solutions. Would it be great if all of these things were on one printer from the factory? Absolutely. But I'm no stranger to adjusting tools to make them work for my use, especially if it lets me use them to get to my hobby quicker. Other notes are that the convenience of the wifi download and start, coupled with the multi-exposure testing means that two of my biggest convenience issues in my previous experience were solved right off the bat. The fact that I have to re-adjust the bed onto a hanger and let it drip down is mitigated by the fact this entire process is *still* faster than other projected times on the market. The price was also a factor in my decision, but I tie that factor closely with my ability to mod solutions to obvious problems. Overall, as a returning resin printer user, I've found the s4u to check enough boxes itself that it was more than worth doing 3rd party adjustments to make it go the extra mile and truly be a great machine
S4U here. It's also my first printer. But from that perspective, the out of the boxness is great. I needed the heater cause it's winter here (Aus). But I'm still on default settings for everything, zero issues, prints are insanely pretty
I don't have either, but I'm most tempted by the GK2 because the heater would allow me to print in my shed as I don't have a suitable heated room for resin printing. The speed of the Saturn is definitely tempting, but it's not a deciding factor as I have several million unpainted models already and I'm not in a rush.
First time 3d printer here. 2 words - "Tilting vat"... Love your videos and find them extremely helpfull. I actually purchased the Mars 5 Ultra (mini Saturn, I guess, LOL). A week later now, and I wished I would have bought the Saturn 4 Ultra, but only because it is bigger. The out of box expirience has been great. The tilting vat/release is what sold me as it seems to idiot proof half the settings by eliminating them (release height, time, pause, ect...). As a first timer, reducing the things that can cause problems, was important. I only bought the mars version cause I wanted to make sure I was going to enjoy the hobby, and did not want to sink any more money then I had to in case I decided I wasn't going to continue. But can say I am hooked, and maybe next year I will upgrade to a larger machine, and see what new improvements there are. If they hybrid these 2 it would be awesome. Tilting vat AND heated chamber?!
I have the GK2 and really like it. Regarding speed, I'm not so enamored with speed. I prefer high quality prints, even if it takes longer or much longer. I am a hobbyist not running a production shop, so speed is not a consideration.
as a gk2 owner its been brilliant apart from a slight layer shift now and again. odd that it does it as its the same resin, print file etc but randomly some just get lines in random spots
Ive been printing alot on my s4u including larger things that need to fit together and so far ive noticed less warping. Almost everything fits together well. I think the tilting vat might have something to do with it. My point is the quality and accuracy im getting is awesome on the s4u
Alreet bonnie lad! Whilst I’ve no intention of ever getting into 3D printing at home - too many miniatures already! I find myself frequently watching your channel, fascinated with your printer reviews and amusing ramblings. Comedy and valuable information in one! Thank you and carry on.
I just bought the Saturn 4 Ultra with the way the prints peel from the ACF being the biggest selling point for me. Speed is OK, but reliability is so much more important to me. Not wasting resin trying to get a model to stick sounds like a fun time.
I got the GKTwo a couple of months ago, based on your video and those of others. It's my first printer and it's been so easy to use. So reliable. I've printed a lot for others and I don't think additional speed would actually help, since I already have a full time job. I only have a couple of windows in the day when I can take care of the prints. It's not like I ever considered getting rid of my printer, but speed is not something that would ever get me to switch. It would have to be the additional easy of use from something like the Heygears. But that's just too much money for my financials and use case.
After a week of effortless printing with the Saturn Ultra 4 and zero failed prints I have to admit that resin printer makers are finally getting it. The first resin printer I have owned that is not a peice of junk. Good job elegoo.If I have any issues with the Elegoo I may get the may get the Uniformation next to try out..
Thanks, Ross! Excellent info, as always. I'm now looking at a potential farm, and so many unexpected questions have popped up. Your content answers quite a few of those questions.
Will probably be between these two for my next printer - if my Saturn 2 packs up before we get to Saturn 5 and a successor to the GK2 come out. Have to admit I'm pry leaning towards the GK2 even if it's not as fast as a Saturn 4, just feel like it'll have quality of life features I personally prefer.
Great review which confirmed why I chose the S4U. For me print quality is the most important criteria and with the S4U I am not only getting crisper details but those even at soooo much faster speeds and for half the price. I have to admit that the build-in heater of the GK2 was an argument that was quite compelling but since I can use vat adhering heat bands during the winter months the heater is not really a big benefit anymore.
Well said. For me it came down to not really needing a heater and the S4U being cheaper (and at the time easier to get hold of). Both are awesome though.
Thanks for the comprehensive videos. Going to order the GKTwo, the things which tipped the scales were convenience design features, better associated wash station and their 200$ off the kit deal, ehich makes the set ”only” 200€ more expensive than the S4U + wash&cure and a heater. I do think that the location of the power switch which you can easily feek isn’t that bad on the S4U and the USB location is also easily fixed by an extension cord, so not that critical either.
I purchased the GK2 based on your previous video and i was not disappointed in any way. Speed is not the most important thing rather i prefer quality. Print it once, print it well without failure and you save time and resin. I really like the GK and would say it was money very well spent.
My Review of the Saturn 4 Ultra: The rocking vat on the Saturn 4 Ultra is a game changer, sure you have to be extra careful not to spill resin, but it allows for 3x the printing speed! Other printers will need to add this feature or fall behind. I don't care for the heater and sorry if you need one but you can always buy it separate, no heater means a lower price point and you can't beat this for 399$ also it means lower electricity bill for people printing 24h a day. I love the slightly bigger build area on the GKTwo, but for big models you can always print them in pieces anyways and print height doesn't matter nearly as much as length/width because 90% of the time you won't use it all. With 3x speed I rather print more often than having a bit more space. Also be warned, carbon filters only reduce ODOR the gases are still toxic, you need a mask, ventilation, and also cover both printers. Downsides: It's true the Ai Camera kinda sucks, it needs internal lighting, and Elegoo needs to build an App so I can track it from my phone ( and send all my data to China). The Ai camera is not completely useless though, it can stop a failed prints and save you a lot of time and resin. The other downside is over filling the vat, or not using the bip, or having the FEP fail, wich could get resin inside the machine due to the moving vat design. You just have to be extra careful and verify the resin is clear before you continue printing using the same batch. Finally, cleaning the plate is easy, all you have to do is drop it on a plastic tray with IPA and submerge it so it cleans the top, then dry with a paper towel and spatula, it's not that bad and this design gives the plate movement to help not damage the FEP or the print. Conclusion: IMO: The Saturn 4 Ultra is the winner. On sale it goes for 399$ there's just not beating that price for the performance. Even if you got a printer twice the size it would cost twice the money and at 3x speed, I can still print more with the Saturn.
I have both. I have had minimal issues with the GK2. I have had a few weeks of down time with the S4U. But when it works it works fast. I personally will stick to Uniformation for reliable large scale prints, the S4U is for some quick Mini's when i want to play a few games. But Red - I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
With your help (thanks again!), I chose the GKtwo over the Saturn 4U. Main reason, the build plate. This desigin is the best design of all printers and reduces mess drasticly. If the Saturn 5 comes out with a replica of the GKtwo build plate and changes nothing else... that would be an upgrade.
I'm a gk2 hobbyist printer. I like it because it's simple to use and there is not much I would change. The only two things I could think of changing are the size and the speed of the gk2 . Since the gk3 has the size, I think I will wait for the gk4 for the speed.😁
I have a S4U and I've been printing for a few weeks and I'm really happy with it. The one thing the GK2 has that I wish mine had was a sideways holder so I can let it drip easier but it's a minor detail and if I wasn't busy printing so many mini's I could just print one. I might do that at some point. For anyone considering getting a S4U be aware it does not like flex plates but if you google 'Saturn 4 Ultra Z-Limit flash for Wham Bam XTR' you can just use that and it has fixed it for me. I would also suggest getting at least 2 flex plates so you can just keep printing while you clean and fix the other plate.
Yes, the build plate on the S4U is enough to put me off. Resin printing is awesome but cleaning is already difficult enough. That build plate would frustrate me every time. And BTW, I appreciate the comments on resolution. I use a 34micron Anycubic 6Ks which produces excellent prints. Simple machine, well built, no fancy stuff, but also only around $250USD. Great value.
For me, I would pick the Saturn 4 Ultra any day of the week. First multi exposure tests are a must for me. I like trying different resins so it saves time there. But I also like mixing resins and additives into my resin and having the ability to do a quick exposure test So I don't waste resin is nice. I keep a bottle where I add back resin when its not enough to print anymore and once it fills I will use that for test prints for stuff I design myself. And it will be mix of god knows what since I use tough, hard, standard, eco etc since I like experimenting. It will also have all sorts of additives like mica, gold flake, alcohol inks etc. I also like printing fast for prototyping. I have no problem with 100 micron layers while prototyping minis or functional prints because yes you can do functional prints in resin. I have an issue with the heater blocking the extraction but Its not the end of the world. I also don't like the heygear ultracraft. Mostly because there comes a price where I feel like I might as well go for broke. I have about $1000 as the limit of something I will spend on a whim anything more than that and I will plan and save and at $1400 I just feel like if I am going to have "proprietary" resin cartridges I would rather have a formlabs Form 4 since they have a wider portfolio of resins not to mention you can use it with any 405 nm Resin. Sure I will have to spend more money and yeah on paper it has a larger voxel size but the results from what I have seen are really good despite this.
Thank you for your videos, im slowly doing the research on these new printrs comming out, since im still on sla with form3, witch i kind of love now since they sorted most of the bugs away. Im in the market for a bigger machine like the GK3, and there is something i miss in all of your videos, as a matter of fact in all of the videos of reviewers out there. For me the only big buying choices are that we can get the correct part sizes out of these machines, and the other one is ease of use and reliability of course. I am a proffesional user, meaning i print only for bussines, and speed, really doesent make big difference for me, also the pixel size, anything above 4k will do, most important thing for me is click and forget until print is finished to take it to the bath and get some tan on it, after that it just has to be the correct size. Belive it or not, parts on our form3 can be +-1mm sometimes if we do not orient it properly. What im trying to say, not all of the folks out there are printing miniatures, for some of us different things matter. If I were to buy a 10" printer, id definitely got fo heygears, no questions about it, it has most of the goodiea as formlabs, but at 1/3 of the price. Unfortunately we are looking at a bigger machine and at this time there are not many choices out there. Thank you for reading this, hope it helps to bring some feedback back to the manufacturers.
The S4U is the only printer I would choose at the moment, and it's only because of speed. In December I will launch a small business and speed with normal resin is the most important feature for me at this moment.
@TheLuggi84 the shifts may be because of the new mechanics in the printer. But yes those are factors as well. The delamination thing the printer seems to add more layers early on so I'd have to figure transition layers I guess.
Ive been using mine quite a bit. About 9 litres of resin so far. And only only print fail (a model not sticking) ive been filling the plate on almost all prints and the fep still looks great. So im happy with the tilt mechanism since it seems to be gentler on the fep as well.
for me, i've yet to make a decision, but i'm leaning towards the GK2/3, and for me it's more about a "system" than anything else. the idea that all 3 devices are created together to work together for me is the biggest appeal, the printer, the wash and the cure. i love the Uniformation wash station, but i love the heygears printer and cure. it's just their wash sucks. so i'm probably in the heygears for 2 devices, and uniform for 1.
Thx for the video, i guess the good news is we have three great options at 10". The S4U, GK2 and Heygears Reflex. All with different pro's and cons. In general the 10" size is probably the sweetspot for resin printing, however i went with the GK3 because my build size (X,Y especially) is never big enough :) Have to wait till end september to see if i made the right decision tho...
I bought the S4U but it was close withe GK2. I ultimately determined i didn't need the heater, and the price difference is big. My on complaint with S4U is the build plate. No handle and no easy resin drainage are problematic.
Oh seeing the build plate on the Saturn 4 did make me not want it when i was buying a new 3d printer. So i got my self the Saturn 3 ultra instead with a better buildplate.
I find it kinda „snobby“ (sorry for the word) to ignore a pricedifference of 400$. I can buy a S4U plus a bambu A1 or almost a p1s and have an ultimate setup of 2 perfectly fine printers, fdm and resin, for the cost of the GK2. For hobbyists with limited money, even for the once wire more money, 400 is a lot.
any known mods to increase the Z ? I really prefer 500mm minimum , most of my prints are over 300mm , already see some simple upgrades to the S4 build plate , here in AU they are both listed at the same price with the Gk3 being twice the price , mixed feelings i like a rocking vat over a pulling vat , but I also like the GK having cheap replacement LCD
Ordered the S4U, this will be my 1st 3D printer, the features, price and good reviews sold it to me, but I wonder why they didn't add a collar to the build plate to stop the resin pooling.
@@FauxHammer I assume the bed springs is due to the Tilt function, But a collar on the baseplate that goes over the sides of the top plate under compression would be ideal.
@@raky76 the springs have caused a few people to get uneven beds. If you could adjust the tension you’d be able to resolve this yourself, but you can’t.
GK2 is my choice ! Heated bed is mandatory for me as it is consistent and so easy to set up. Whatever the temp room are : you can print same part all days with same quality and repetability...
When my 5month old Sat 3 led screen failed and it got sent back to Amazon i was just going to replace with another Sat 3.. I was new to 3d printing and this was my first printer and had no probs with it really although it was a steep learning curve for me, printing as and when stuff i like. Thanks to Ross on 3d printing vids tutorials etc!!! The Sat 4 U is now going to be my replacement when it FINALLY gets released here in the UK. Now i know a bit more about the basics and my style it's not worth the extra dosh for the GK2.. I would prob be happy with another S3 if push comes to shove but it's that exposure test setting bit that does it for me, now knowing a bit more about printers and exposure tests which tbh i never did on the S3 anyways...( Still got stuff printed!! ) Speed upgrade is nice for what i print and if it gets cold in my spare bedroom i put heating on and/or try the elegoo heater. So hurry up Elegoo/Amazon UK..!!!
I use a usb extension in any device that a usb port is located in a location where I don't like and run that extension to the front underneath the device so it's sticking out of the front so it's accessible from the front I have tons of these cables laying around and they don't cost much at all and and if you work with USB devices you should also have some of these cables in various lengths, this complaint along with various others in the 3D printing community are just nitpicks and I will gladly accept a port being in a unsavory location just to save a few dollars.........
I have a mars2, a Mars pro and several mars1. I really need to upgrade to something bigger. I have decided to wait for the Saturn 5.....hopefully it will have all the cool features of the Saturn 4, but none of the stupid stuff. I am also hoping it will have a built in heater, if not I will get a GK2 (or 3) and be very happy with my choice
I have the GK2, I couldn't care less if the other one is faster. I'm not printing for speed. The advantages of the GK2 clearly superseed the speed disadvantage. On top of that I know that when I get into trouble, their support will be there to help. It's a no brainer.
One thought. logically: If the Saturn 4 Ultra Autolevels with springs, doesn't this mean that whenever the plate rises the plate goes back to its original unlevelled state? Then with every layer the plate/3D print has to touch the screen to autolevel? So if you have a print that is not placed center on the plate there must be some layers that are not straight right? This means no matter what, you have to level your plate manually anyway.
In your original GKtwo vid, you mention some issues. Have they been fixed or improved? none of these are huge issues but just curious if there have been any improvements in the following issues? - usb wifi has been added now. Can you only do wireless in chitubox? - firmware fixes/updates? - Vogman pointed out that the set temp (35 deg C) did not match the actual temp of the resin (27 deg C) - can you run multiple exposure tests at once? - if resin gets between the fep and the screen are there any issues pulling the vat out? might get stuck.
Damn it! I did finish that sentence in my head! Curse you! (Shakes fist at you!) 😂 Great video and comparison on these two printers. I can see the hard choices between them here.
I think I'm going gk two although I'm at least 2 years away so will probably be something else, I like all the gk two features but the fact the elegoo is 3 times faster is insane!
Great review Ross. What worries me is the Saturn 4 has more moving parts meaning the more moving parts the more something can go wrong with it. Less is more. I love the Saturn 3 Ultra.
Yeah the S4U has caused nothing but trouble for me. The "levelling" mechanism is messing so badly that it ruins my FEP's. Have lost 4 feps in 5 days now. Elegoo is like "oh use this and this firmware" blabla...nothing helped. My S4U is extremely bad levelled with a huge 0.4mm difference between front and back of the buildplate. Elegoo refuses to send a new buildplate, but graciously decided to send me one - ONE - film as reimbursement for the destroyed films. The thing is pressing the prints so heavily down into the fep, that it causes huge dents where you can actually SEE the prints areas in the fep.
Aww shit man! have you tried levelling at all? the manual way? Geek Detour showed off a method on his Mars 45 Ultra video and it did make mine a bit more level
@@FauxHammer Haven't tried the manual way - but will do that. :) Elegoo are sending me a new buildplate since the one I have now, is actually not even flat. I took a ruler and checked - if I placed it diagonal on the plate, it let light shine through. So now I am waiting 20 work days for a new print bed.
Honestly. This one broke. It was one of the ones you see advertised all the time on Instagram and the like. It was crap. I bought a set of wera Hex drivers and they are ace!!!
Creator Question? Hey Ross - If I click on the affliliate link and I am rediected to the Australian Elegoo site that still counts for you correct? Cheers UM40💙
ive just recently set up my GKTwo in my hobby area. Is it safe to be in the room if I leave resin in the vat with its cover on whilst doing normal hobby stuff?
If the saturn 5 builds on the successes of the 4 - and improve on the flaws, namely the build plate in general - it might be something that actually tempts me to buy a new printer instead of the old mars 3. And, well, proves the tilt vat is reliable. That's the thing holding back a mate with a print farm, simply because he doesn't want to deal with elegoo support if/when it fails.
I picked the S4U over the GK2 as I was worried about the GK2 being nearly two years old and potentially close to being replaced and then I would have buyers remorse 😅 been happy with the S4U but i think longer term ill end up getting the HeyGears mostly because I have no desire to learn how to support miniatures better. I'm in the hobby for the models not the tinkering.
I have to say, I love the features on the GK Two (Three) but the idea of being able to get prints x3 faster on the Saturn 4...aye. AND it's cheaper, and I have experience with Elegoo printers, having had 2 before.
I understand that money doesn't grow on trees and yeah some people need to watch a budget and make hard choices. All that said I really feel consumers focus way too much on just getting the cheapest thing they can and saying "I don't need the niceties". Well I started in this hobby with cheap printers, and eventually both on the FDM side and Resin side upgraded to higher end machines. There is a HUGE difference that is totally intangible and not understood until you experience it. It comes down to far more than just the print result, because the more expensive printers with the extra "nice to haves" are easier to use, more enjoyable to use, and you will use them more often versus them collecting dust because you don't want to faff around or need to fix another greeble that broke. I actually DROPPED my build plate from my Elegoo printer because of it being hard to hold, and it shattered the LCD screen and resin penetrated the machine. I had to throw it out.
For me, as someone who is looking at getting into the hobby and has a mind to be responsible about it, the actual work space requirements around the printer are currently the highest concern and the major factor for my buying decisions. Having moved to an apartment but still electing to dedicate a large space to hobby work, the aim is to have a safely ventilated cabinet to store a printer and cure station within, but it is awfully difficult to find channels (aside from this one!) that actually say how large a space the printers require around them to work and safely work around them without the answer being "get a garage and dedicate the entire space to it" A huge build area or a two billion pixel resolution is no joy to someone who can't open the thing because there's a shelf above it or it won't fit within a converted IKEA wardrobe or cabinet, or requires power in an impossible to reach area that makes rack mounting impractical, or doesn't have obvious places to place carbon filters and fans. So honestly the best part of seeing these videos from this channel is actually saying how large the things are when open and the basic difficulty of operation of removing the build plates, changing resin, basic maintenance, and those kinds of things that don't seem to get much mention in the marketing materials.
I also print in a right spaced apartment, what you’ll want to look into is a “grow tent” for housing and ventilating the printer. I put mine horizontal to fit the cure station in it as well and it also will help a bit with the temps since temp regulation is also good for plants.
To be honest, if I were to buy a new mid sized printer, I'd get neither of these two printers. The Uniformation because it is too expensive for what it delivers and the Elegoo because if there *are* problems with leveling (which there have been in the wild) there is no fix except to return the printer or parts of it to the manufacturer (see Once in a Six Side's review of the printer). For me, the printer of choice would be the Anycubic M5s Pro. It has "auto" bed levelling but you can also manually level it and an included heater. Nothing fancy, it just works. Currently I have a Saturn 3 and it's working very nicely. Again nothing fancy, it just works.
I wouldn't be in need of screaming speed. My question is this: Which of those printers has less "futzing around" to get it to print consistently? Easy to get going would be a big plus.
@@jackbrownii the S4U has less settings you have to faff with, which is a point he made in other videos but not here. The S4U also is gentler at lifting off the FEP. I'd say it's the easier no thought machine of the two
S4U ftw, since print quality is similar, I'd value print speed and price/performance higher this time, the features are nice but at (normally) double the price and much less speed it's not really worth it. Now that the GKtwo has a discount, I'd consider it but 200 bucks more is still quite a lot.
Thanks a lot, I chose the Saturn. Why tilting fat les peel force longer sheet life. And price. I can put up with strange placement of ports and switch (wifi and external power switch solved this). A haygers yes please but I just can't afford it and 4 to 5x the price of the Saturn just isn't worth it (ps. I hate being locked in to resin choic. I understand this I part of what it makes it the best there is)
If not for the build plate, the Saturn 4 Ultra would be a no-brainer. I reeeeelly want to avoid making a mess and having unnecessary resin exposure. The Gk2's issue is purely price related. Everything seems really user-friendly otherwise.
The Saturn4 build plate highlights the rather fickle attitude towards Elegoo, Anycubic & others. The oversights would be visible during the design stage yet made it to production. Due to this (and perhaps unfairly) we put the design _quirks_ down to incompetence or worse, indifference. Cheers Ross!
The vat gap in the Saturn is super annoying. You would have to be super disciplined with the bip. No handles on the vat could be fixed by adding some somehow. But the price is just too good. If speed is the only thing that the Ultra has over the GKtwo I would go for the GKtwo if you can afford it. All the other quality of life features the GKtwo has is just awesome.
Since i like to keep my business clean, i will go with gk2 or 3.. S4U price and speed are tempting but the possible mess and design "flaws" turnt me off..
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 85 | คู่เอก "ยอดเหล็กเพชร vs ผึ้งหลวง"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qq_19bnnxEo/mqdefault.jpg)
What I'll say about the GK2 is that when I changed my nFEP for the first time I discovered that one of the screw holes in the metal frame for the vat had the threads totally destroyed by over-torque at the factory. Uniformation support got back to me in a matter of hours via email and said basically "sit tight we're getting more parts to the US warehouse soon". A week and a half later a brand new vat assembly, cover and all, showed up out of nowhere at no cost at all to me. That's a tremendous customer service investment for a very minor defect that doesn't actually impact the usability of the printer. Grabbing the bundle on sale was a great decision for me, and I've put hundreds of hours onto the machine in the past few months.
When you pay that much for something, that's the level of support you love to see.
@@TheHanyou I get similar support with Elegoo, in fact I have an ORIGINAL Saturn for 4-5 years ago that a capacitor on the board blew and kept the UV light on constantly. I reached out and within the day they are already shipping me a new replacement board and screen free of charge.
People hate on AC customer service but I had similar experiences with them like you did with Uniformation.
I had a printfail with my Vyper resulting in the nozzle hitting the model and the autolevel sensor got damaged which I didn't notice so I restarted the print and the nozzle went too low and scratched the magnetic build sheet. I contacted AC, they analysed the situation and the guy was like "I think you need a new strain gauge". So I got a new strain gauge and a new build sheet. But on top of that I also got a new heating bed. And it all took like 1,5 weeks from first contact to the parts arriving.
And with the Kobra 2 Max the filament sensor got damaged when I kinda messed up and let the cable get caught on the frame during a tall print. I contacted AC and got a new sensor within a week. Didn't solve the issue so I figured the cable probably got damaged. Contacted AC again and they immediatly sent me a new cable.
Everything was free of charge too.
How wouldn't a destroyed thread impact the usability of the printer though? Wasn't that screw important? Like I'm guessing all the screws are there for a reason, to get the tightness you need. So them sending a new vat free of charge seems to be the only way for them to handle the situation correctly if I'm being honest.
Yes but how did you get ahold of Uniformation support? Last time I tried all my emails were ignored. The ONLY way I could get them was through Facebook which I swore I would never use again. In fact I had to use my brother's account to do it.
I went with the S4U, reasons:
1- I live in a hot climate
2- Is my first 3D printer and price was over $400 less including wash and cure station.
3- No taxes on my purchase when I bought straight from elegoo.
4- less settings to play with for a beginner was enticing.
5- Ross said it was a good printer and I used his link🤷♂️
Other than that, once I learn and play for a year, maybe the next GK2 is unbeatable.
S4U owner. The speed with no quality loss is a game changer.
Found, printed, primed, speedpainted, and varnished a figure for my daughter in under 7 hours. That's including all processing and drying. It was her first standardized test, so she was happy to have model version of her made up unicorn to sit on her desk.
I also switched to printing terrain mostly in resin. It's more expensive, but I'm using super cheap (sunlu) resin and the time/quality proposition is a no-brainer
After watching your video, I'm glad I went with the Saturn Ultra 4. I added a brewing belt to heat the vat so not losing the exhaust port, added a handle to the front for easy opening, and added some led lighting for the time lapse. All of that was like $30usd.
I'm loving this printer. 😊
Hi, Does the brewers belt work fine with the tilting vat? Thinking about getting one.
@@CaltropArt yeah, it doesn't tilt beyond the width of my brewing belt.
@@DanielChaves1984 Nice, thanks for the reply!
I'm looking into buying my first resin printer and Brewing Belts are new to me. Sounds like a great hack. What brewing belt do you use on your S4U?
Im getting a S4U as my first printer and am really excited about it since I'm a 3d sculptor and do wanna finally start making my own minis
I've the S4U. Being a smart arse I thought I'd press "Go" and let it sort itself out, which it did beautifully. 72 prints, only one fail that was a partial on a 4 piece build plate. Couldn't be more impressed.
I have a saturn 3 ultra and have nothing but trouble printing standard things without sticking to the fep, having weird lines through out my prints, not printing supports and just not getting details right
@@TheSkyCactus My Saturn 3 took forever to dial in the exposure properly. I was very happy when I got rid of that thing.
If dripping resin is really your concern just tape a loose plastic sheet around the vat attached to the base to cover the gap. Give it enough slack to handle the tilt. Should elegoo have done this to start with? Sure, but at least it's an easy fix.
As someone who has just recently found your channel & and subscribed, I've spent hours binge watching your videos with a view to looking at buying a printer.
I'm so glad I have done so because I would have originally just bought an Anycubic, probably the 5s because I see their adverts everywhere & I thought getting a print done really fast would be brilliant.
However, I'm now trying to weigh up if I will be looking to print enough models to justify the GKTWO simply because I like the basic but solid design & serviceability, when I do need to replace parts etc.
I'm also really grateful to the guy on a 3d print group who suggested anyone considering a purchase to watch your videos. I'm so glad I took that advice, or I'd have been swept up in the 8/12/14 K BS..
So I just now need to work out if I can justify the GKTWO or just continue paying someone else to print my models for me. Though I'm paying for the files but then he keeps them. But again, I'm only printing single medium sized prints, but it might be nice to be able to print parts should I break bits, like when I knocked my last one off the desk shelf.
After all my waffle, I'm sticking with my initial choice, even though it's twice the cost. So GKTWO or nothing for me..
Again, thank you for this channel & all your advise 😊
I have recently gotten a Saturn 4 ultra as my second resin printer (my first being the *literal* OG photon back in the day that's long been gone). Coming back to resin from nothing for a few years, it's been eye opening how much has changed in terms of usability. Who remembers custom flashing community firmware just to do exposure tests? Anyways, I digress. As far as why I chose the s4u over the GK2, I knew that I'd be able to solve the three problems I saw with the machine fairly quickly using community sources:
1. Bad bed grip was solved with a 3d print
2. Trapped resin on the double bed was solved by that same fdm print that doubles as a tilted bed hanger such that resin can drop off at an angle
3. When my shop temps drop this fall and I start getting failed prints, I can get vat adhering heat bands that will solve the heated bed problem
It would have been nice to have a marriage between the two printers tbh, and I almost waited for the next generation of printers such that I could *get* that out of someone. But rather than roll the dice and wait another year for a hopefully perfect printer to come around, I went with an option I knew I could get working optimally using third party solutions. Would it be great if all of these things were on one printer from the factory? Absolutely. But I'm no stranger to adjusting tools to make them work for my use, especially if it lets me use them to get to my hobby quicker.
Other notes are that the convenience of the wifi download and start, coupled with the multi-exposure testing means that two of my biggest convenience issues in my previous experience were solved right off the bat. The fact that I have to re-adjust the bed onto a hanger and let it drip down is mitigated by the fact this entire process is *still* faster than other projected times on the market. The price was also a factor in my decision, but I tie that factor closely with my ability to mod solutions to obvious problems. Overall, as a returning resin printer user, I've found the s4u to check enough boxes itself that it was more than worth doing 3rd party adjustments to make it go the extra mile and truly be a great machine
S4U here.
It's also my first printer. But from that perspective, the out of the boxness is great. I needed the heater cause it's winter here (Aus). But I'm still on default settings for everything, zero issues, prints are insanely pretty
I don't have either, but I'm most tempted by the GK2 because the heater would allow me to print in my shed as I don't have a suitable heated room for resin printing. The speed of the Saturn is definitely tempting, but it's not a deciding factor as I have several million unpainted models already and I'm not in a rush.
Ill be grabbing the Saturn this week. Price along with the features nakes the head scratching choices easy to overlook.
First time 3d printer here. 2 words - "Tilting vat"... Love your videos and find them extremely helpfull. I actually purchased the Mars 5 Ultra (mini Saturn, I guess, LOL). A week later now, and I wished I would have bought the Saturn 4 Ultra, but only because it is bigger. The out of box expirience has been great. The tilting vat/release is what sold me as it seems to idiot proof half the settings by eliminating them (release height, time, pause, ect...). As a first timer, reducing the things that can cause problems, was important. I only bought the mars version cause I wanted to make sure I was going to enjoy the hobby, and did not want to sink any more money then I had to in case I decided I wasn't going to continue. But can say I am hooked, and maybe next year I will upgrade to a larger machine, and see what new improvements there are. If they hybrid these 2 it would be awesome. Tilting vat AND heated chamber?!
I have the GK2 and really like it. Regarding speed, I'm not so enamored with speed. I prefer high quality prints, even if it takes longer or much longer. I am a hobbyist not running a production shop, so speed is not a consideration.
That’s how I feel about print speed. I do not care how long it takes, I just want to have to only print ONE time to get the results I want.
Not really much in quality in these modern printers. Honestly can’t even tell when you get below a certain point
Sold the S4U, bought the GK2, never looked back …
as a gk2 owner its been brilliant apart from a slight layer shift now and again. odd that it does it as its the same resin, print file etc but randomly some just get lines in random spots
Ive been printing alot on my s4u including larger things that need to fit together and so far ive noticed less warping. Almost everything fits together well. I think the tilting vat might have something to do with it. My point is the quality and accuracy im getting is awesome on the s4u
Alreet bonnie lad! Whilst I’ve no intention of ever getting into 3D printing at home - too many miniatures already! I find myself frequently watching your channel, fascinated with your printer reviews and amusing ramblings. Comedy and valuable information in one! Thank you and carry on.
I just bought the Saturn 4 Ultra with the way the prints peel from the ACF being the biggest selling point for me. Speed is OK, but reliability is so much more important to me.
Not wasting resin trying to get a model to stick sounds like a fun time.
Im at over 90k layers printed (mostly filled plates) and the fep still looks almost perfect. So the tilt seems to be gentle on the fep.
Great video, I have the Saturn ultra 3 so I'll wait to see what the 5 looks like before heading towards the GK3...
I got the GKTwo a couple of months ago, based on your video and those of others. It's my first printer and it's been so easy to use. So reliable. I've printed a lot for others and I don't think additional speed would actually help, since I already have a full time job. I only have a couple of windows in the day when I can take care of the prints. It's not like I ever considered getting rid of my printer, but speed is not something that would ever get me to switch. It would have to be the additional easy of use from something like the Heygears. But that's just too much money for my financials and use case.
After a week of effortless printing with the Saturn Ultra 4 and zero failed prints I have to admit that resin printer makers are finally getting it. The first resin printer I have owned that is not a peice of junk. Good job elegoo.If I have any issues with the Elegoo I may get the may get the Uniformation next to try out..
Thanks, Ross! Excellent info, as always. I'm now looking at a potential farm, and so many unexpected questions have popped up. Your content answers quite a few of those questions.
Will probably be between these two for my next printer - if my Saturn 2 packs up before we get to Saturn 5 and a successor to the GK2 come out. Have to admit I'm pry leaning towards the GK2 even if it's not as fast as a Saturn 4, just feel like it'll have quality of life features I personally prefer.
Great review which confirmed why I chose the S4U. For me print quality is the most important criteria and with the S4U I am not only getting crisper details but those even at soooo much faster speeds and for half the price.
I have to admit that the build-in heater of the GK2 was an argument that was quite compelling but since I can use vat adhering heat bands during the winter months the heater is not really a big benefit anymore.
Really loving my S4U personally. I was impressed enough with the quality and speed that I ordered a second before the pre order price ends.
Well said. For me it came down to not really needing a heater and the S4U being cheaper (and at the time easier to get hold of). Both are awesome though.
I was doubting between these 2 but also tempted by the GK3 ... But I guess I am leaning towards the GK2/3
Thanks for the comprehensive videos. Going to order the GKTwo, the things which tipped the scales were convenience design features, better associated wash station and their 200$ off the kit deal, ehich makes the set ”only” 200€ more expensive than the S4U + wash&cure and a heater.
I do think that the location of the power switch which you can easily feek isn’t that bad on the S4U and the USB location is also easily fixed by an extension cord, so not that critical either.
I purchased the GK2 based on your previous video and i was not disappointed in any way. Speed is not the most important thing rather i prefer quality. Print it once, print it well without failure and you save time and resin. I really like the GK and would say it was money very well spent.
My Review of the Saturn 4 Ultra:
The rocking vat on the Saturn 4 Ultra is a game changer, sure you have to be extra careful not to spill resin, but it allows for 3x the printing speed! Other printers will need to add this feature or fall behind. I don't care for the heater and sorry if you need one but you can always buy it separate, no heater means a lower price point and you can't beat this for 399$ also it means lower electricity bill for people printing 24h a day. I love the slightly bigger build area on the GKTwo, but for big models you can always print them in pieces anyways and print height doesn't matter nearly as much as length/width because 90% of the time you won't use it all. With 3x speed I rather print more often than having a bit more space. Also be warned, carbon filters only reduce ODOR the gases are still toxic, you need a mask, ventilation, and also cover both printers.
Downsides:
It's true the Ai Camera kinda sucks, it needs internal lighting, and Elegoo needs to build an App so I can track it from my phone ( and send all my data to China). The Ai camera is not completely useless though, it can stop a failed prints and save you a lot of time and resin. The other downside is over filling the vat, or not using the bip, or having the FEP fail, wich could get resin inside the machine due to the moving vat design. You just have to be extra careful and verify the resin is clear before you continue printing using the same batch. Finally, cleaning the plate is easy, all you have to do is drop it on a plastic tray with IPA and submerge it so it cleans the top, then dry with a paper towel and spatula, it's not that bad and this design gives the plate movement to help not damage the FEP or the print.
Conclusion:
IMO: The Saturn 4 Ultra is the winner. On sale it goes for 399$ there's just not beating that price for the performance. Even if you got a printer twice the size it would cost twice the money and at 3x speed, I can still print more with the Saturn.
I have both. I have had minimal issues with the GK2. I have had a few weeks of down time with the S4U. But when it works it works fast. I personally will stick to Uniformation for reliable large scale prints, the S4U is for some quick Mini's when i want to play a few games. But Red - I guess it comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
With your help (thanks again!), I chose the GKtwo over the Saturn 4U. Main reason, the build plate. This desigin is the best design of all printers and reduces mess drasticly. If the Saturn 5 comes out with a replica of the GKtwo build plate and changes nothing else... that would be an upgrade.
I'm a gk2 hobbyist printer. I like it because it's simple to use and there is not much I would change. The only two things I could think of changing are the size and the speed of the gk2 . Since the gk3 has the size, I think I will wait for the gk4 for the speed.😁
I have a S4U and I've been printing for a few weeks and I'm really happy with it. The one thing the GK2 has that I wish mine had was a sideways holder so I can let it drip easier but it's a minor detail and if I wasn't busy printing so many mini's I could just print one. I might do that at some point. For anyone considering getting a S4U be aware it does not like flex plates but if you google 'Saturn 4 Ultra Z-Limit flash for Wham Bam XTR' you can just use that and it has fixed it for me. I would also suggest getting at least 2 flex plates so you can just keep printing while you clean and fix the other plate.
Yes, the build plate on the S4U is enough to put me off. Resin printing is awesome but cleaning is already difficult enough. That build plate would frustrate me every time. And BTW, I appreciate the comments on resolution. I use a 34micron Anycubic 6Ks which produces excellent prints. Simple machine, well built, no fancy stuff, but also only around $250USD. Great value.
For me, I would pick the Saturn 4 Ultra any day of the week. First multi exposure tests are a must for me. I like trying different resins so it saves time there. But I also like mixing resins and additives into my resin and having the ability to do a quick exposure test So I don't waste resin is nice. I keep a bottle where I add back resin when its not enough to print anymore and once it fills I will use that for test prints for stuff I design myself. And it will be mix of god knows what since I use tough, hard, standard, eco etc since I like experimenting. It will also have all sorts of additives like mica, gold flake, alcohol inks etc. I also like printing fast for prototyping. I have no problem with 100 micron layers while prototyping minis or functional prints because yes you can do functional prints in resin. I have an issue with the heater blocking the extraction but Its not the end of the world. I also don't like the heygear ultracraft. Mostly because there comes a price where I feel like I might as well go for broke. I have about $1000 as the limit of something I will spend on a whim anything more than that and I will plan and save and at $1400 I just feel like if I am going to have "proprietary" resin cartridges I would rather have a formlabs Form 4 since they have a wider portfolio of resins not to mention you can use it with any 405 nm Resin. Sure I will have to spend more money and yeah on paper it has a larger voxel size but the results from what I have seen are really good despite this.
Thank you for your videos, im slowly doing the research on these new printrs comming out, since im still on sla with form3, witch i kind of love now since they sorted most of the bugs away. Im in the market for a bigger machine like the GK3, and there is something i miss in all of your videos, as a matter of fact in all of the videos of reviewers out there. For me the only big buying choices are that we can get the correct part sizes out of these machines, and the other one is ease of use and reliability of course. I am a proffesional user, meaning i print only for bussines, and speed, really doesent make big difference for me, also the pixel size, anything above 4k will do, most important thing for me is click and forget until print is finished to take it to the bath and get some tan on it, after that it just has to be the correct size. Belive it or not, parts on our form3 can be +-1mm sometimes if we do not orient it properly. What im trying to say, not all of the folks out there are printing miniatures, for some of us different things matter. If I were to buy a 10" printer, id definitely got fo heygears, no questions about it, it has most of the goodiea as formlabs, but at 1/3 of the price. Unfortunately we are looking at a bigger machine and at this time there are not many choices out there. Thank you for reading this, hope it helps to bring some feedback back to the manufacturers.
The S4U is the only printer I would choose at the moment, and it's only because of speed. In December I will launch a small business and speed with normal resin is the most important feature for me at this moment.
Been wanting this comparison for a good bit.
I loke the saturn 4 ultra right now, its fast for my bits business but it has some pretty annoying rare fails, layer shifts or delamination 😊
Layer shifts and delamination aren't a printer's fault, though. Resin, speed and temperature are the culprits here.
@TheLuggi84 the shifts may be because of the new mechanics in the printer. But yes those are factors as well. The delamination thing the printer seems to add more layers early on so I'd have to figure transition layers I guess.
Ive been using mine quite a bit. About 9 litres of resin so far. And only only print fail (a model not sticking) ive been filling the plate on almost all prints and the fep still looks great. So im happy with the tilt mechanism since it seems to be gentler on the fep as well.
for me, i've yet to make a decision, but i'm leaning towards the GK2/3, and for me it's more about a "system" than anything else. the idea that all 3 devices are created together to work together for me is the biggest appeal, the printer, the wash and the cure. i love the Uniformation wash station, but i love the heygears printer and cure. it's just their wash sucks. so i'm probably in the heygears for 2 devices, and uniform for 1.
Thx for the video, i guess the good news is we have three great options at 10". The S4U, GK2 and Heygears Reflex. All with different pro's and cons. In general the 10" size is probably the sweetspot for resin printing, however i went with the GK3 because my build size (X,Y especially) is never big enough :) Have to wait till end september to see if i made the right decision tho...
Im not getting great accuracy with the S4U. Not sure if I am not orienting the models right or what
I bought the S4U but it was close withe GK2. I ultimately determined i didn't need the heater, and the price difference is big. My on complaint with S4U is the build plate. No handle and no easy resin drainage are problematic.
I am a huge fan of your comparison videos 👏👏👏👏👏
Oh seeing the build plate on the Saturn 4 did make me not want it when i was buying a new 3d printer. So i got my self the Saturn 3 ultra instead with a better buildplate.
I have Mars-4, I print 1:6-1:8 figures and even for such cels it’s enough, although it takes a long time due to the small screen size
I find it kinda „snobby“ (sorry for the word) to ignore a pricedifference of 400$. I can buy a S4U plus a bambu A1 or almost a p1s and have an ultimate setup of 2 perfectly fine printers, fdm and resin, for the cost of the GK2. For hobbyists with limited money, even for the once wire more money, 400 is a lot.
I've just bought a used GK2 from June 2024, just few usage hours, under warranty (with receipt) for just 350€ 😉
any known mods to increase the Z ? I really prefer 500mm minimum , most of my prints are over 300mm , already see some simple upgrades to the S4 build plate , here in AU they are both listed at the same price with the Gk3 being twice the price , mixed feelings i like a rocking vat over a pulling vat , but I also like the GK having cheap replacement LCD
Ordered the S4U, this will be my 1st 3D printer, the features, price and good reviews sold it to me, but I wonder why they didn't add a collar to the build plate to stop the resin pooling.
That question is the biggest mystery in 3D printing right now that and why didn’t they make the bed springs adjustable?
@@FauxHammer I assume the bed springs is due to the Tilt function, But a collar on the baseplate that goes over the sides of the top plate under compression would be ideal.
@@raky76 the springs have caused a few people to get uneven beds. If you could adjust the tension you’d be able to resolve this yourself, but you can’t.
GK2 is my choice ! Heated bed is mandatory for me as it is consistent and so easy to set up. Whatever the temp room are : you can print same part all days with same quality and repetability...
When my 5month old Sat 3 led screen failed and it got sent back to Amazon i was just going to replace with another Sat 3..
I was new to 3d printing and this was my first printer and had no probs with it really although it was a steep learning curve for me, printing as and when stuff i like.
Thanks to Ross on 3d printing vids tutorials etc!!!
The Sat 4 U is now going to be my replacement when it FINALLY gets released here in the UK.
Now i know a bit more about the basics and my style it's not worth the extra dosh for the GK2..
I would prob be happy with another S3 if push comes to shove but it's that exposure test setting bit that does it for me, now knowing a bit more about printers and exposure tests which tbh i never did on the S3 anyways...( Still got stuff printed!! )
Speed upgrade is nice for what i print and if it gets cold in my spare bedroom i put heating on and/or try the elegoo heater.
So hurry up Elegoo/Amazon UK..!!!
Planning an S4U as my first resin (multiple FDM's) for cosplay parts that need the details. Looking for a Black Friday deal when the time comes.
Current Amazon Price: S4 $380, S4U $500, GKtwo $600 so I think that makes the GKtwo the one to go for.
I was thinking Saturn 4 Ultra originally
At that price difference, I'd proobably make the same call
i completed the intro by saying it aloud. that was my signal to subscribe and activating the bell
I use a usb extension in any device that a usb port is located in a location where I don't like and run that extension to the front underneath the device so it's sticking out of the front so it's accessible from the front I have tons of these cables laying around and they don't cost much at all and and if you work with USB devices you should also have some of these cables in various lengths, this complaint along with various others in the 3D printing community are just nitpicks and I will gladly accept a port being in a unsavory location just to save a few dollars.........
Is either one klutz proof. I have a bad history of minor spills leading to ruined LCDs and feps.
Gk2 is far more klutz proof. Saturn is very easy to permanently damage.
I have a mars2, a Mars pro and several mars1. I really need to upgrade to something bigger. I have decided to wait for the Saturn 5.....hopefully it will have all the cool features of the Saturn 4, but none of the stupid stuff. I am also hoping it will have a built in heater, if not I will get a GK2 (or 3) and be very happy with my choice
I have the GK2, I couldn't care less if the other one is faster. I'm not printing for speed. The advantages of the GK2 clearly superseed the speed disadvantage. On top of that I know that when I get into trouble, their support will be there to help.
It's a no brainer.
One thought. logically: If the Saturn 4 Ultra Autolevels with springs, doesn't this mean that whenever the plate rises the plate goes back to its original unlevelled state? Then with every layer the plate/3D print has to touch the screen to autolevel? So if you have a print that is not placed center on the plate there must be some layers that are not straight right? This means no matter what, you have to level your plate manually anyway.
In your original GKtwo vid, you mention some issues. Have they been fixed or improved? none of these are huge issues but just curious if there have been any improvements in the following issues?
- usb wifi has been added now. Can you only do wireless in chitubox?
- firmware fixes/updates?
- Vogman pointed out that the set temp (35 deg C) did not match the actual temp of the resin (27 deg C)
- can you run multiple exposure tests at once?
- if resin gets between the fep and the screen are there any issues pulling the vat out? might get stuck.
09:15 waiting for that video now… and didn’t know it! Lol… get busy Ross
It took me a while, but some of these jokes are really funny. Keep on, dude. 😂
Damn it! I did finish that sentence in my head! Curse you! (Shakes fist at you!) 😂
Great video and comparison on these two printers. I can see the hard choices between them here.
Since you asked, I went GK2 and GK3. I never have to think about reliability and quality of print at 30 micron.
I think I'm going gk two although I'm at least 2 years away so will probably be something else, I like all the gk two features but the fact the elegoo is 3 times faster is insane!
Yes yes yes, compare Saturn 4 Ultra to Revo !
Great review Ross. What worries me is the Saturn 4 has more moving parts meaning the more moving parts the more something can go wrong with it. Less is more. I love the Saturn 3 Ultra.
@@LSCModels essentially two more moving parts. An arm and a gear motor. It's a simple system that's unlikely to fail.
@@tenchuu007 Only time will tell. After all it is a motor. It can go either way,
So if I go and buy a Saturn 8K that have the same light source of the GK2 I can get the same quality on the prints.
Yeah the S4U has caused nothing but trouble for me. The "levelling" mechanism is messing so badly that it ruins my FEP's. Have lost 4 feps in 5 days now. Elegoo is like "oh use this and this firmware" blabla...nothing helped.
My S4U is extremely bad levelled with a huge 0.4mm difference between front and back of the buildplate. Elegoo refuses to send a new buildplate, but graciously decided to send me one - ONE - film as reimbursement for the destroyed films.
The thing is pressing the prints so heavily down into the fep, that it causes huge dents where you can actually SEE the prints areas in the fep.
Aww shit man!
have you tried levelling at all? the manual way? Geek Detour showed off a method on his Mars 45 Ultra video and it did make mine a bit more level
@@FauxHammer Haven't tried the manual way - but will do that. :) Elegoo are sending me a new buildplate since the one I have now, is actually not even flat. I took a ruler and checked - if I placed it diagonal on the plate, it let light shine through.
So now I am waiting 20 work days for a new print bed.
For me, its the Elegoo, the tilt means less force, means smaller contact points for my supports, means better prints in the way that matters to me.
Quick question, i see you using a electric screwdriver, do you have any recommendations for what brand, or will any just sufice?
Honestly. This one broke. It was one of the ones you see advertised all the time on Instagram and the like. It was crap.
I bought a set of wera Hex drivers and they are ace!!!
Creator Question? Hey Ross - If I click on the affliliate link and I am rediected to the Australian Elegoo site that still counts for you correct? Cheers UM40💙
My gktwo kit arrived today! But starting prints via WiFi and multible exposure Tests at once would bei an awesome (Firmware)Update. Fingers crossed😂
ive just recently set up my GKTwo in my hobby area. Is it safe to be in the room if I leave resin in the vat with its cover on whilst doing normal hobby stuff?
If the saturn 5 builds on the successes of the 4 - and improve on the flaws, namely the build plate in general - it might be something that actually tempts me to buy a new printer instead of the old mars 3.
And, well, proves the tilt vat is reliable. That's the thing holding back a mate with a print farm, simply because he doesn't want to deal with elegoo support if/when it fails.
I picked the S4U over the GK2 as I was worried about the GK2 being nearly two years old and potentially close to being replaced and then I would have buyers remorse 😅 been happy with the S4U but i think longer term ill end up getting the HeyGears mostly because I have no desire to learn how to support miniatures better. I'm in the hobby for the models not the tinkering.
I have to say, I love the features on the GK Two (Three) but the idea of being able to get prints x3 faster on the Saturn 4...aye. AND it's cheaper, and I have experience with Elegoo printers, having had 2 before.
I've been printing with a Mars 2 Pro for years. Gonna pick up the Saturn 4 because I don't have $800.
I understand that money doesn't grow on trees and yeah some people need to watch a budget and make hard choices. All that said I really feel consumers focus way too much on just getting the cheapest thing they can and saying "I don't need the niceties". Well I started in this hobby with cheap printers, and eventually both on the FDM side and Resin side upgraded to higher end machines. There is a HUGE difference that is totally intangible and not understood until you experience it. It comes down to far more than just the print result, because the more expensive printers with the extra "nice to haves" are easier to use, more enjoyable to use, and you will use them more often versus them collecting dust because you don't want to faff around or need to fix another greeble that broke.
I actually DROPPED my build plate from my Elegoo printer because of it being hard to hold, and it shattered the LCD screen and resin penetrated the machine. I had to throw it out.
For me, as someone who is looking at getting into the hobby and has a mind to be responsible about it, the actual work space requirements around the printer are currently the highest concern and the major factor for my buying decisions. Having moved to an apartment but still electing to dedicate a large space to hobby work, the aim is to have a safely ventilated cabinet to store a printer and cure station within, but it is awfully difficult to find channels (aside from this one!) that actually say how large a space the printers require around them to work and safely work around them without the answer being "get a garage and dedicate the entire space to it"
A huge build area or a two billion pixel resolution is no joy to someone who can't open the thing because there's a shelf above it or it won't fit within a converted IKEA wardrobe or cabinet, or requires power in an impossible to reach area that makes rack mounting impractical, or doesn't have obvious places to place carbon filters and fans. So honestly the best part of seeing these videos from this channel is actually saying how large the things are when open and the basic difficulty of operation of removing the build plates, changing resin, basic maintenance, and those kinds of things that don't seem to get much mention in the marketing materials.
I also print in a right spaced apartment, what you’ll want to look into is a “grow tent” for housing and ventilating the printer. I put mine horizontal to fit the cure station in it as well and it also will help a bit with the temps since temp regulation is also good for plants.
8:14 you have to worry actually, because for screens manufacturer consumers are printer vendors :)
2 days ago I was binging your s4u and gk2 videos to decide
I hope you’re laughing, universe
To be honest, if I were to buy a new mid sized printer, I'd get neither of these two printers. The Uniformation because it is too expensive for what it delivers and the Elegoo because if there *are* problems with leveling (which there have been in the wild) there is no fix except to return the printer or parts of it to the manufacturer (see Once in a Six Side's review of the printer).
For me, the printer of choice would be the Anycubic M5s Pro. It has "auto" bed levelling but you can also manually level it and an included heater. Nothing fancy, it just works. Currently I have a Saturn 3 and it's working very nicely. Again nothing fancy, it just works.
i have a gk2 on order but im very tempyed to cancel and get a sat 4 as its been a month sence i put in a order and it still has yet to ship
I wouldn't be in need of screaming speed. My question is this: Which of those printers has less "futzing around" to get it to print consistently? Easy to get going would be a big plus.
@@jackbrownii the S4U has less settings you have to faff with, which is a point he made in other videos but not here. The S4U also is gentler at lifting off the FEP. I'd say it's the easier no thought machine of the two
Is there still bad bottom layer compression issues on the Saturn 4 Ultra, or did they firmware update fix that?
S4U ftw, since print quality is similar, I'd value print speed and price/performance higher this time, the features are nice but at (normally) double the price and much less speed it's not really worth it. Now that the GKtwo has a discount, I'd consider it but 200 bucks more is still quite a lot.
I love my SU4, best resin printer I've owned
Can you use one of those heater belts on the Saturn 4K Ultra's vat?
Thanks a lot, I chose the Saturn. Why tilting fat les peel force longer sheet life. And price. I can put up with strange placement of ports and switch (wifi and external power switch solved this). A haygers yes please but I just can't afford it and 4 to 5x the price of the Saturn just isn't worth it (ps. I hate being locked in to resin choic. I understand this I part of what it makes it the best there is)
If not for the build plate, the Saturn 4 Ultra would be a no-brainer. I reeeeelly want to avoid making a mess and having unnecessary resin exposure.
The Gk2's issue is purely price related. Everything seems really user-friendly otherwise.
I want to buy the Saturn 4 ultra but for some reason it’s not on Canadian Amazon
Is not on USA Amazon either. I ordered from Elegoo.
@@walterramirez3287makes no sense why, because other products and printers of theirs are on Amazon
@@walterramirez3287I don’t get why they wouldn’t put it on Amazon but other Saturns and mars are
Elegoo any time.
do it Ross do it 😂😂😂😂 waiting for it❤
I just printed a dripping grip for the Saturn 4 so no more wasted resin.
For kow that's the only thing i don't like and it's fixable at least
Can I ask you for the file? Thank you.
The Saturn4 build plate highlights the rather fickle attitude towards Elegoo, Anycubic & others. The oversights would be visible during the design stage yet made it to production. Due to this (and perhaps unfairly) we put the design _quirks_ down to incompetence or worse, indifference. Cheers Ross!
I had the Saturn THREE Pro and replaced it with the GKTwo and never looked back.
Da big fight
The vat gap in the Saturn is super annoying. You would have to be super disciplined with the bip. No handles on the vat could be fixed by adding some somehow. But the price is just too good. If speed is the only thing that the Ultra has over the GKtwo I would go for the GKtwo if you can afford it. All the other quality of life features the GKtwo has is just awesome.
Since i like to keep my business clean, i will go with gk2 or 3.. S4U price and speed are tempting but the possible mess and design "flaws" turnt me off..
Totally a fair call. If this is right for you. Wade in!!!