ELEGOO Saturn 2 8K review: three and a half years of minis, cosplay parts and a smell I still haven’t beaten

Disclosure: I bought this printer with my own money. ELEGOO didn’t send it. This post contains affiliate links to ELEGOO’s store: if you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How I review

Short version: I’ve had an ELEGOO Saturn 2 8K since April 2023. It’s my resin printer for miniatures and cosplay detail parts, and lately for masters I’ll make silicone molds from. The quality you get for the money is the reason to buy one. The smell is the reason to think about where you put it.

What I print on it

• Miniatures for tabletop wargaming, where fine detail is the whole point.
• Cosplay parts: the small, detailed pieces that would look soft or stepped on an FDM printer.
• Masters for mold-making. I’m just getting into resin casting, and the Saturn is where the masters come from.

The specs that matter

Screen	10″ mono LCD, 8K (7680 x 4320)
XY resolution	28.5 microns
Build volume	219 x 123 x 250 mm
Light source	405 nm with a Fresnel collimating lens

That build plate is big enough to gang up a full squad of minis or print a substantial cosplay piece in one go, and the 8K screen is plenty for tabletop-scale detail.

My workflow: standard resin and alcohol

I run ELEGOO’s standard resin and wash prints in isopropyl alcohol. Standard resin has done what I need for minis and parts, and alcohol washing is the well-worn path. It also means alcohol and uncured resin on the bench, so gloves, ventilation and proper disposal aren’t optional. I clean up finished prints with the Fanttik F2 Master rotary tool, and for FDM work I use a Bambu Lab P1S (here’s my Bambu Lab P1S review).

The good: quality for the cost

This is what keeps the Saturn 2 on my bench. The detail on minis and small cosplay parts is excellent for what the machine costs, and it’s done that consistently for three and a half years.

The gripe: the smell

Resin printing smells, and this is my biggest complaint. The Saturn 2 ships with a small plug-in air purifier, but don’t count on a gadget to fix this. Plan for a ventilated space, ideally away from where people sleep or hang out, and don’t take “low odor” on a resin bottle as “no odor”.

Should you buy one in 2026?

ELEGOO has moved on. The Saturn 3 Ultra and the Saturn 4 line have higher-resolution screens, and the Saturn 2 no longer appears in ELEGOO’s Saturn lineup. It launched at $600 in 2022, and ELEGOO’s US store still lists it, but prices move a lot. Before buying, check what it costs against the current Saturn 3 Ultra and Saturn 4. If you find a Saturn 2 well below those, it’s still a very capable mini and props printer.

Verdict

Three and a half years in, the Saturn 2 still earns its spot: great detail per dollar for minis, cosplay parts and mold masters. Just give it somewhere to breathe.

My rating: 3 out of 5 against today’s market. It was a 5 out of 5 when I bought it.