Elegoo Mercury Plus V3 review: wash & cure machine makes 3D printing neater

Resin 3D printing can produce exceptional results, with no layer lines, consistent quality and very fine detail, along with other benefits like being able to print multiple objects with no added print time.

All this comes at the expense of a messy post-process. The nature of resin printing means that models have to be removed from the build platform dripping in resin, which needs to be cleaned off and even then, you aren't finished. The resin needs to be cured, ensuring it's solid and safe to handle (resin is nasty stuff and can really irritate exposed skin), or paint.

Many people use a more DIT approach of containers for washing and rinsing, then either rely on sunlight, a nail gel curing machine, or an array of LEDs to finish the job.

This can lead to a lot of mess and a lengthy, manual process. Plus the sun isn't fast, or particularly reliable as a source of resin curing.

This is where the wash and cure machines come in. They are fundamentally the same but in a single compact device, that is efficient, fast and as mess-free as possible.

Many manufacturers make them and I've tried a few over the years, so was keen to see what Elegoo's offering was like to live with.

Mercury + V3: What's in the box?

Unlike previous setups, where Elegoo had separate devices for washing and curing, the Mercury is one machine.

Upon opening the box you life it out in a plastic bag and inside you find the Mercury. User the UV hood are all the bits and pieces you need, from the power cable to the basket and wash container.

I really like how protected everything is. The main packaging is padded with foam and the parts inside are also well protected, minimising any shipping mishaps.

This is a much more elegant solution to post-processing your resin prints and will save drips, spills and messes.

The Mercury is suitable for some fairly decent-sized projects and the washing vat/basket can hold 7.5L of liquid, which equates to a usable volume of 230mm x 135mm x 260mm, depending on which method you use. More on that later.

Mercury + V3: Setup & build quality

Set up is about as straightforward as you could hope. Take out the components, remove a few protective films, plug it into the power and you are ready to go.

Whether you are using water or iso, the procedure is the same. I will say, I wish Elegoo was selling the tub and baskets separately. I'd really like to have a 'dirty' one for a first wash and a 'clean' one for final rinsing, or for water. That would save a little bit of faffing but that's just the way I like to work.

The build quality is very good. The Mercury 2 had a metal base which felt great and I had worried that the move to plastic could make the V3 feel less solid but that was unfounded, as it is very secure.

On the side of the Mercury is the power switch and power in port. There's also a power out port but as yet there's been no indication as to what that might be for. I guess that Elegoo may well produce a UV torch at some point.

The front panel is home to the simple time display and the controls. These are very simple but that's as should be. Just wash or cure, time plus and minus and the play or pause button.

All that's left to do is choose how you will use it to wash. You can use the basket to hold your print jobs, or you can use the adjustable hangers on the top to fit your print bed and wash with that in place, which is useful for certain printers (I'm looking at you, Mars 5 Ultra) where the plate can be tricky to clean. This will mean keeping your washing fluid topped up, however.

Another difference from previous machines is the lack of upward-facing LEDs for curing. This time there are two mirrors which direct the light under your prints. Seeing as these are different angles I assume there must be better coverage.

Mercury + V3: Performance

Let's look at washing first.

Place your objects in the basket, or hang the build platform then top up any washing fluid you need. The timer can be set at 30-second increments. I find a couple of minutes usually does the trick. The tub connects to the motor via a magnetic impeller which can pick up some impressive speed, generating a decent amount of agitation, so washing doesn't take long. Taller objects do take longe,r however, due to the nature of the agitation being right at the bottom of the tub.

The basket is good and can hold a decent amount but, while I've yet to have any problems, the holes are possibly big enough to let small components through, so keep that in mind. If it's a worry, leaving them on the platform and washing them that way will sort it.

Once clean you can lift the prints out and let them air dry, remove the supports and then cure. This means swapping the wash tub for the platter, which rotates like in a microwave so that the models are all equally exposed to the two columns of UV LEDs.

Set the timing for cure length, slot the orange hood over and press play.

Although the mirrors under the platter don't quite reach the middle they do give plenty of coverage, helping a nice even cure. The LEDs have lenses that disperse the light really well too and overall curing results were excellent, using several different resins, something to look out for, as they aren't made equally. Check the bottle for specifications.

Mercury + V3: Who is it for?

Although aimed at people wishing to print larger objects (hence the plus in the name) the Mercury Plus V3 is suitable for anybody who wants a simple solution to washing and curing their projects, with minimal mess and fuss.

Buy it if

• You want one machine to do two jobs
• Simplicity is key for your workflow

Don't buy it if

• You have an extra large printer.