Top Picks - Resin Printers 2025

2025 is the year of resolution. Model car builders now have more choices than ever for printing insanely detailed items.

Whether you are looking to buy your first 3D printer or upgrade to a newer machine, the following article will direct you to exactly the printer for you.

Overall technology growth for resin 3D printers has slowed down over the last year, and most models are incremental improvements over the older models, not large technological leaps. Screen resolutions are reaching the point where higher resolution will no longer be visible to the naked eye. Because of this, manufacturers are now starting to compete more on quality of life improvements like WiFi printing, automatic leveling and resin feeding and more. Interestingly enough, the largest machines (12.8+ screens) have a wide range of resolutions and often trade resolution for overall size.

Wading through all of the specifications can be confusing, so this article takes the hassle out of buying a printer. The following printers are our top picks going into 2025 for resin 3D printers for model car and truck 3D printing.

Model car and truck builders want a printer that will deliver extremely sharp detail and a quality surface finish. Hassle-free printing and print size are two other important considerations.

If you're looking for a new 3D printer for your model car and truck builds, look no further than our updated Resin 3D Printer Recommendations for Model Car and Truck 3D Printing:

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Small Resin Printers

Midsize Resin Printers

Large Format Resin Printers

Wash and Cure Stations

Small But Detailed

Want to print mostly 1/24 - 1/25 scale motors, wheels, diorama parts, and other details? These resin 3D printers will reproduce every fine detail you can throw their way.

Our Top Pick

Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra

Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra
The Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra combines high-resolution printing with user-friendly features. It boasts a 9K resolution on a 7-inch monochrome LCD, delivering an impressive XY resolution of 18 microns for exceptionally detailed prints. The printer includes high-tech features from its larger sibling - the Saturn 4 Ultra - such as automatic build plate leveling, and a tilting vat mechanism to reduce suction forces during printing.
Pros:
High Resolution: The 9K LCD provides exceptional detail, ideal for intricate models.
Elegoo customer service is among the best.
Excellent printer for beginners.
Cons:
The lift-off cover requires additional space for removal, which might be inconvenient in tight spaces.
AI camera is a cool feature, but could use more development.

-buy on Elegoo.com-

Phrozen Sonic Mini 8Ks

Phrozen Sonic Mini 8Ks
The Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K S offers exceptional 22-micron resolution, delivering ultra-fine details ideal for intricate models. It features a 7.1-inch monochrome LCD for faster curing times and a frosted laser-cut build plate to enhance print adhesion. The printer supports open-format file types, ensuring compatibility with various slicers. Its compact design suits users with limited workspace.
Pros:
High Resolution: 22-micron precision captures intricate details.
Open-Format Compatibility: Works with multiple slicer software options.
Enhanced Adhesion: Frosted build plate improves print success rates.
Cons:
Single Linear Rail: May affect stability during printing.
Side USB Port: Placement might be less convenient for some setups.

-buy on Amazon-

Budget Buy

Anycubic Photon Mono 4

Anycubic Photon Mono 4
Anycubic's Photon Mono 4 carries on a tradition of excellent entry-level printers focused on results over features. The Mono 4 boasts an impressive 7", 10K screen for an impressive 17 micron resolution.
Pros:
Can't-be-beat price
Well built machine
Simple, reliable and a workhorse.
Cons:
Print area smaller than newer printers
Lacks some of the features of the other printers in its class.

Buy on Anycubic.com

Mighty Midsize Machines

If you are looking to print small detailed parts AND full 1/24 - 1/25 scale bodies, look no further than these resin 3D printers.

Our Top Pick

Anycubic Photon M5s Pro

Anycubic Photon M5s Pro
The Anycubic Photon Mono M5s Pro is a high-resolution resin 3D printer featuring a 10.1-inch monochrome LCD with 14K resolution, achieving an impressive XY resolution of 16.8 microns for exceptionally detailed prints. It includes advanced features such as automatic build plate leveling, an integrated air heater and purifier to maintain optimal resin conditions.
Pros:
High Resolution 14K screen
Automatic leveling and smart detection systems simplify the printing process.
Integrated heater and air purifier maintain ideal printing conditions.
Cons:
The non-hinged lid requires additional space for removal, which might be inconvenient in tight spaces.
Some users find the design less refined compared to competitors.

-buy on Anycubic.com-

Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra

Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra
The Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra boasts a 12K resolution on a 10-inch monochrome LCD, delivering an impressive XY resolution of 19×24μm for exceptionally detailed prints. The printer includes automatic build plate leveling, a tilting vat mechanism to reduce suction forces during printing, and an integrated AI camera for real-time monitoring and failure detection.
Pros:
The 12K LCD provides exceptional detail, ideal for intricate models.
Automatic leveling and AI monitoring simplify the printing process.
The tilting vat mechanism aids in printing rubber-like resin.
Cons:
AI Camera Limitations: The integrated AI camera's detection accuracy needs improvement.
The tilting resin vat introduces more moving parts which may hamper long-term reliability.

-buy from Elegoo-

Budget Buy

Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra

Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra
The Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra offers a substantial build volume and sharp 12K resolution. Its user-friendly interface and reliable performance make it a standout choice for mid-size printers. Despite being the previous generation model, this printer shares the same resolution as the 4 Ultra.
Pros:
24 micron resolution for stunning fine detail
Sharp and roomy 10.1", 12K screen
Print speeds up to 5 inches per hour.
Cons:
Black cover shows resin and other dirt more than other colors.
Not self-levelling

Buy from Elegoo

Large Format Printers

Looking to print large scale model car and truck bodies (1/18 scale and larger)? You will need one of these 3 machines.

Our Top Pick

Phrozen Sonic Mega 8Ks

Phrozen Sonic Mega 8Ks
Development of large-screen printers has slowed down, so our top pick remains unchanged for this edition. The Mega 8Ks retains the 15 inch 8K screen of the original Mega, delivering class-leading 43 micron resolution. Trading overall resolution for build size, the Mega 8Ks is your best choice for printing large bodies or very large production runs of smaller parts.
Pros:
Massive build area makes even large-scale bodies possible.
Factory-leveled build plate means you can unbox and start printing.
Fast printing times
Cons:
Price
Requires a lot of space
Weight - the Mega 8Ks weighs over 57 pounds fully loaded.

-buy on Phrozen3D.com-

Elegoo Jupiter SE

Elegoo Jupiter SE
Elegoo's large-format printer is no slouch either. Compared to the Mega 8Ks, it has a smaller screen, and lower resolution, but its price tag is considerably less. Its 6K screen still cranks out respectable detail and it boasts fast print times too. For users who don't need every inch of the Mega's build area, the Jupiter SE may be the right choice in the large-format resin printer world.
Pros:
Automatic resin feeding system for large prints
Robust construction
Large touchscreen makes using the interface a breeze.
Cons:
Complicated build plate leveling procedure
Expensive replacement parts
6K screen provides lower resolution than Mega 8K

-buy on Elegoo.com-

Budget Buy

Anycubic Photon M3 Max

Anycubic Photon M3 Max
The largest of the M3 line, the Max offers high resolution (46 micron) and a slightly bigger screen than the Jupiter. It loses points for its plastic construction in a class full of all-metal bodied printers, as well as its awkward-to-handle resin vat.
Pros:
Comptitive price
Middle-of-the-pack resolution
Large build area
Cons:
Plastic construction seems cheap in this class of printers
Unwieldy resin vat could lead to a very messy situation

Buy on Anycubic.com

Wash and Cure Stations

For the ultimate in convenience and cleanliness, a Wash and Cure Station makes light work of post-processing your prints. Here is our favorite:

Our Top Pick

Elegoo Mercury X (XS) Bundle

Elegoo Mercury X (XS) Bundle
This 2-piece set features dedicated wash and cure machines, unlike many of the wash and cure stations which have both functionalities built into one machine. This allows you to wash one print while curing another and eliminates the hassle of removing the cleaning bucket to use the cure feature. The Mercury XS is a little larger - perfect for the Saturn 2.
Pros:
Extra large cleaning bucket
Separate wash and cure machines prevent accidental curing of parts before they are totally cleaned.
Cons:
2 machines take up more space
Filling the almost 2 gallon wash bucket with alcohol can be pricey.

-buy on Amazon-

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