We’re back for Round 2! Last time, we reviewed and discussed the Photon Mono 4K, an upgraded version of the Photon Mono that my partner and I already have in our 3D printing arsenal. This week, we’re salivating over and taking a deep dive into the Photon Mono X, a 3D resin printer with much more real estate for our coveted undead army.
While Anycubic tends to skimp on packaging, what has been included to set us forth on our journey hasn’t failed to impress. A battered, brown box with minimal branding held what would single-handedly take over our entire weekend and weekends sure to come. Like the Photon Mono 4K, we were treated to a user manual, a pair of gloves, a repair tool set, a funnel, a plastic scraper, an LCD screen protector, and an SD-card reader with a test print file included. There was also a nice, little, yellow cleaning cloth for dust! Dust particles and pet hair can very easily screw up a print, so it’s important to keep the resin vat clean and your work area tidy.
Specifications
- Price: $749 - currently $429 on Anycubic Website
- System : ANYCUBIC Photon Mono X
- Operation : 3.5 inch Touch Screen
- Software : ANYCUBIC Photon workshop
- Connectivity : USB
- Technology: LCD-based SLA
- Light-source: high-quality filament?wavelength 405nm?
- XY Res.: 0.050mm 3840*2400?4K?
- Z Axis Res.: 0.01mm
- Layer Res.: 0.01-0.15mm
- Printing Speed: MAX 60mm/h
- Rated Power: 120W
- Printer Size : 270mm(L)*290mm(W)*475mm(H)
- Build Volume: 192mm(L?*120mm(W?*245mm?H?
- Material: 405nm UV Resin
- Net Weight: ~10.75kg
Leveling and setup were just as easy as before with a colorful instruction booklet- albeit with a few English localization issues. With the aid of pictures, any confusing instructions were cleared up right away and we were able to jump right back into the printing process.
Our first impression after assembly: you’re definitely getting your money’s worth in build plate space. With a huge build area of 192mm(L) x 120 mm(W) x 245 mm(H), we were able to print several smaller miniatures or 2-3 larger aberrations. The Photon Mono X has an 8.9” 4K Monochrome LCD screen, which according to the Anycubic website can last several thousand hours. While we won’t necessarily be able to test that in the review, it makes sense that this much larger unit would make use of this kind of screen so that it can allocate resources to carving out more detail at a higher resolution in half the time.
The Photon Mono X has a resin vat large enough for printing the skeletal army of your dreams.
While we didn’t end up using it much, another new feature that comes with the Photon Mono X is the Remote Control App! With this app, you can keep an eye on your build times, start and stop prints, and even adjust printer settings. It’s a fantastic addition if you have a print that needs to go for several hours, and don’t want to sit around the house just in case the print messes up. With the Remote Control App, you can go about your day working or playing and keep an eye on the print status so that you don’t lose valuable printing time. For a busy printer, it’s nice to not have to stay in the same room constantly during a job. I can get up and move around, go to the store, or get some chores done around the house without worrying about coming home to a surprise failed print several hours later.
Our current Anycubic printing lineup: Photon Mono, Photon Mono 4K, Photon Mono X, and the Wash & Cure Plus station.
With the Photon Mono X, there’s also a new feature concerning the signature yellow top cover of the unit. Though it is turned off by default, you can toggle on a new safety setting that immediately shuts off the printer when the top has been removed. While it might not have been a matter of much importance with the smaller units, it’s nice to see that they took that extra step to ensure the user’s safety.
The detail that the Photon Mono X is able to carve out on large miniatures is breathtaking. Look at those skulls on the base!
In addition to the Photon Mono X, we also received the Anycubic Wash & Cure Plus station. As fantastic as the Photon Mono X printer is, the Cure & Wash station has to be my new favorite addition to our printing station. You really don’t know what you’re missing until you experience the exceptional quality of life this beauty adds. Previously we had a smaller, more budget-friendly cure station, and washed the miniatures by hand. The Wash & Cure Plus station takes anywhere from 3-8 minutes depending on the size of the print job, and both thoroughly washes and cures the miniature.
The Wash & Cure Station also works like a charm with water washable resin (our favorite), making cleanup an absolute dream. Similar to the Photon Mono X, the Wash & Cure Plus station also has a safety stop feature so that you don’t risk contact with its powerful UV light. Funnily enough, the Wash & Cure Plus station is just about the same size as the Photon Mono X, so anything you can print on the Photon Mono X will fit in the wash bucket just fine.
Slowly but surely, our army is beginning to take shape. Now just to paint them.
Final Thoughts
The elephant in the room of course, is the price. Compared to the Photon Mono 4k’s $289, the Photon Mono X is normally a whopping $759 (though is currently on sale for the excellent price of $429 at the official store). For that increase in price, you’re getting a ton more space to print on, higher detailed prints, remote control, increased safety features, better quality LCD screen, and faster print times. With that being said, Anycubic always has great sales throughout the year, and especially around Christmas time. Even with the holidays over, you can snag the Photon Mono X for $429 during their Winter sale! That’s an amazing deal if you’re looking to upgrade your printing space. You don’t even need to necessarily be a veteran printer to pick it up. Our assembly and printing process was much the same as it was for the Photon Mono 4K, and that experience was extremely beginner-friendly.
The product described in this review was provided by the manufacturer for evaluation purposes.
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