ANYCUBIC Photon Mono M7 Resin 3D Printer, 10.1 inch 14K HD Screen with COB LighTurbo 3.0 System, 150mm/h Fast Printing, Intelligent 3D Resin Printer, Build Volume of 8.77''x4.96''x9.05''

I've been 3D printing for over 5 years and printing with another companies resin printer for the past 18 months. I was spoiled by its ease of use, but it was also expensive to operate so I didn't use it as often as I would have liked. Curiosity finally got the better of me and I picked up this Anycubic Photon Mono just to see what these little LCD printers are really capable of and I can safely say I'm blown away by the print quality. Once you have a process that works, its very easy to use. Just expect a learning curve.When I was waiting for the printer to arrive I submersed myself in all the YouTube videos on the subject that I could find. Turns out this was a good thing AND a bad thing. Based on all this new found "knowledge" and thinking I knew better, I forged my own path for my first print and sadly it was an utter failure. Based on the videos I had watched I started ordering resin trays and FEP film but due to my inexperience, I ordered all the wrong things. Long story short after a comedy of errors and a half dozen failed prints I finally hit upon a winning formula that I've been able to readily duplicate across half a dozen successful prints now.The printer gives you most everything you'll need to start printing right away. Everything except the resin, and depending on the type you get you may also need isopropyl alcohol to clean the print which for some reason is still hard to come by. I bought the Anycubic Craftsman resin and have been super happy with the quality.Some of the things I learned during my first couple weeks----When you have a failed print, make sure to clean out the resin tray otherwise the next print will be adversely affected--Some of the resins are extremely bad smelling, some protection is recommended--You will eventually have to replace the FEP film, however the most popular videos on YouTube show a product and process that is out of date.--There is definitely a learning curve you can only get past by experience. All the video watching in the world can't prepare you for every little hiccup, especially when so many videos contradict those of other channels.So like everything there are pros and cons, so from my perspective, here are mine--PROS--Printer is super easy to use and setup once you know the process--Very inexpensive to operate relative to high end solutions--High quality print results that surpasses expectation--Comparatively fast, prints an entire layer in one go, taking just a couple seconds of exposureCONS--Initial learning curve, you need to understand burn-in layers, exposure times and lift speed and half a dozen other settings, yet none of these options are really clearly explained, nor is it covered how they affect the final result.--It can take a couple hours before you can see if there's anything on the build plate, I wish there was a way to know earlier if a print failed.--There are so many options for resins available, yet there is very little data on what settings you need for a particular printer/resin combo so some educated/guessing will be necessary.All in all, I'm super happy I took the chance on this printer, as I've done so much printing, trying different things now that I would never have considered with my other printer mostly due to speed and cost. I'm sure next I'll be looking to upgrade to its big brother.

I have been printing for a little while now and had the opportunity to pick up the Anycubic Photon Mono and jumped at it. Anycubic makes some really great resins and I decided to give their printer a shot. I have a Creality LD002R that I started on and will be making some comparisons where I can. For frame of reference - the LD002R is a great machine - but the Photon Mono would be more in direct competition with the LD002H model.Out the gates there are some things I love and some things I am not so fond of. First the good.Good:1: I love how quiet this thing is. Compared to my Creality, the Photon Mono is next to SILENT. Very quiet.It is quicker than my other printers - compared to the LD002R it prints at about 50% faster speeds. It prints at about 20% faster than my LD002H. From what I have read it comes down to light intensity of the UV cure lamp. Its brighter and that results in faster speeds for more accurate prints.2: Accurate: This machine gives beautiful quality miniatures (my principal use) with very little issue. One thing I do need to stress here is that this is not a great machine for a stock standard beginner.It does require a little bit of experience and knowledge in how to use your software. I went from using Chitubox with my Creality, to using Blender, Windows 3D, and Lychee slicer. If there are issues with the STL models you download it will create issues with your print. These three programs will help you find them and fix them.You will also need to know how to set up your supports. For how fast this printer prints, you will have loads of print failures if you don't have a firm understanding of how to set your supports. I recommend looking at all online resources here.You will also need to make sure you program the software correctly to interface with your printer AND YOUR RESIN combo. You can get really great speeds out of this machine if you set up your software correctly. I stress this is a SOFTWARE and not a printer issue. The printer is great, but the wrong settings will have you cursing the day you purchased your machine...and I guarantee you will find the issue with your resin or printer settings in your slicer software or because of a artifact issue in the print.Bad: (these are more preference things than any true issues with the machine)1: The lid needs to be completely set on the machine for it to work. If the lid is off even a small amount it will result in the print not proceeding. While this is a great safety and exposure feature, it is a small annoyance if you have any little bit of something on the lid base causing it to not make a full connection.2: The FEP: This is actually a big deal for me. In the picture you can see that the FEP is a full solid assembly. You cannot replace the sheet using the tools given. The FEP is pressed into a frame - making it resilient but if you are careless and set it down and get a deformity or hole in the FEP, the replacement is $35 and when I have tons of replacement sheets on hand for my other machines - its just a hassle to have a specialized FEP that you either have to keep on hand or purchase a third-party part to use your existing FEP sheets. I ended up purchasing the Sovol 3D Resin vat that fits nicely and comes with nice silicone covers for when they are not in use.That all being said, the Resin vat is a great design, comes with a pour spout corner that is very useful for straining resin back into your bottle.As to the other things that come in the package, I was not surprised to see the traditional stuff, the Allen wrenches, the resin strainers etc. What I was impressed by were the masks, gloves and super sturdy wooden handled scraper. everything else I have ever received have been plastic handled or small, but this was a solid piece of kit to have.Overall - this is a solid, well built machine that I will use for a long time. I recommend the Sovol Resin vat and either flex build plates or roughing up the original build plate with a bit of steel wool. 4.5/5