Neptune 3 Pro Review & 3d Printer Set-Up

By Travis Pasch | December 28th, 2022 | Categories: 3D Printing, 3D Printing Warhammer, Tabletop Gaming News, Videos, Warhammer 40k

This Neptune 3 Pro Review setup review shows 3d printing for Warhammer miniatures and what makes it the best FDM printer for beginners!

Fauxhammer has some unique Warhammer and tabletop hobby content, and if you need some sweet tips, you should follow him to get up on all your painting and conversion techniques!

We’ll say this to start; he thinks this is great for beginners, so that’s what we’ll really be focusing on. Let’s start with the printer’s specs, then get into the review!

Neptune 3 Pro Review & 3d Printer Set-Up

Get Yours From Amazon| or from Elegoo Here

[Overview of Neptune 3 Pro] 225*225*280mm printing size can meet the needs of most users. With an STM32 motherboard, all axes of ELEGOO Neptune 3 Pro are driven by silent stepper motors for quieter and more precise movement during printing, which reduces the noise as low as 47-48dB. The easy-to-setup printer comes with the main components pre-assembled, as well as a complete tool kit for quick installation.
[Dual-Gear Direct Extruder] The new dual-gear direct drive extruder is made of SUS303 high-quality stainless steel with a 3:1 reduction ratio and stronger extrusion force for smoother filament feeding and more stable & accurate printing, which greatly reduces nozzle clogging and under-extrusion issues, printing effect is better than Bowden extruder. Compatible with multiple filaments such as PLA, TPU, PETG, and ABS.
[Nozzle Kit for Better Printing Effect] The nozzle kit contains a TC4 titanium alloy throat pipe, an aluminum alloy flat heat sink structure, and a brass nozzle. The widened aluminum heat sink paired with the front close-fitting efficient cooling fan for a better heat dissipation effect and lower the temperature of the throat pipe, thereby reducing the possibility of nozzle clogging. Fans on both sides of the print head ensure omnidirectional and rapid cooling of printed layers to improve the model details and overhang printing effect.
[Smarter Printing Experience] Auto mesh bed leveling adopts a non-contact high precision sensor to automatically scan 36 (6×6) points of the hotbed and collect data in real-time, and then adjust the Z-axis height to compensate for any irregularities and unevenness of the printing platform. (Only applicable to metal printing platforms) Intelligent fan control: after printing, all fans will automatically stop working below 50℃ to extend fan lifespan, reduce noise, and save power. Smart resume printing: the printer will auto-pause when the filament runs out or breaks, and you can resume printing after a power outage.
[More Stable Printing] The Z-axis with dual synchronized lead screws and dual-motor drive for more stable movement of the print head and higher printing accuracy, avoiding the printing deviation driven by a single Z-axis lead screw motor. The 4-wheel V-guide rail pulley is made of POM with more stable movement, low noise, wear resistance, and longer service life.
[Ease of Use] PEI magnetic platform with a special coating and spring steel sheet for good adhesion and anti-warping, so that prints can be easily released or popped off by bending the print steel sheet. The 4.3-inch removable capacitive touch screen can be operated by hand-held or fixed on the base. Built-in print model preview function to preview the model image before printing and observe the printing progress. The 250W high-power hotbed can quickly heat up to 100ºC and start printing. The integrated LED light bar on the gantry can be operated by pressing the buttons on the screen to conveniently observe the model printing in a poor light environment.

Neptune 3 Pro 3d Printer Set Up

If you’re an experienced printer, this review really isn’t for you. This is more for beginners!

FDM is pretty different from resin printing, so if you’re used to that, it takes a little time to get it all set up. The first thing with most FDM printers is you have to build them yourself. However, if you’ve built basically anything, you should be able to build it without any real trouble. Including filming time, it only took him about an hour to get it all set up.

What Fauxhammer Likes About the Neptune 3

You get a reel above the printer, which really makes it easy to let you know how much filament you have left.
The printer lets you stop midway through if you are out of filament, refill, then continue the print.
It is a direct drive printer, meaning you can get better print accuracy.
The auto bed leveling is excellent, as you don’t have to do this manually!
Elegoo supplies a pre-sliced model and filament; you have to choose the file to print, and it does the rest.
The quality and detail are really high.
You can make big pieces reasonably easily.
Much better than a resin printer for large pieces

Things to Watch Out For

There are different filament types, so be sure to use the right kind for what you are printing!
PETG filament is hard to use, even for experienced printers.
Be sure to use an SD card that can be formatted easily.
Don’t be too cheap when it comes to the filament; if you use an older filament, it can absorb water and make it not work.

How the Prints Look

The detail on the print is actually insane! It even has texture lines where it should and looks great.

He said printing large pieces like this, whether for Warhammer 40k or anything else, is much easier on an FDM printer. The detail is there, and instead of spending a crazy amount of money on a resin printer that can do this, it seems like the better choice.

Would He Recommend This?

Well, he would actually recommend going with the little big bigger version, either the max or the plus. But if you don’t want to print out giant pieces, the pro is plenty good. If you’re a beginner, you can’t go wrong with this!

Just make sure you get the right filament.

Click Here to Get Your Neptune 3 Pro 3d Printer!

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What do you think of the Neptune 3 Pro printer from this review for 3d printing Warhammer 40k and other miniatures?

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