Anycubic i3 mega 3d printer review

Anycubic Mega S Review | Tested by GearLab

While this printer is a decent budget option, it somewhat failed to stand out from the rest of the pack

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Price:   $279 List

Manufacturer:   Anycubic

By David Wise and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jun 24, 2021

56

OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#9 of 12

• Print Quality - 40% 5.0

• Ease of Use - 30% 6.0

• Print Capabilities - 20% 7.0

• Support - 10% 4.0

RELATED: Best 3D Printer of 2022

Our Verdict

We found the Anycubic Mega S to be a fairly run-of-the-mill filament-based 3D printer, but it is relatively budget-friendly. This printer gave about average results in our print quality metric and is decently easy to use. It has a solid set of capabilities but we did find the customer support for this printer to be almost nonexistent in our experience.

REASONS TO BUY

Inexpensive

Decently capable

REASONS TO AVOID

Interface can be finicky

Limited customer support in our experience

Compare to Similar Products

(change comparison)

	This Product Anycubic Mega S	Anycubic Vyper	Creality 3D Ender 3 Pro	Elegoo Mars 2 Pro	Anycubic Photon Mono
Awards
Price	$279 List	$460 List Check Price at Amazon	$236 List $236.00 at Amazon	$250 List $170. 99 at Amazon	$280 List $279.99 at Amazon
Overall Score
Star Rating	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5	1 2 3 4 5
Pros	Inexpensive, decently capable	Easy setup, useful features, affordable	Great budget buy, solid printing capabilities, decent print quality	Exceptionally detailed prints, solid capabilities	Detailed prints, inexpensive
Cons	Interface can be finicky, limited customer support in our experience	Print quality can require tinkering, warranty could be better	Finicky with ABS, can require a bit of tinkering	Prints require cleanup, much messier	Difficult to use, limited customer support
Bottom Line	While this printer is a decent budget option, it somewhat failed to stand out from the rest of the pack	If you're looking for a sophisticated printer option that's nearly ready to go out of the box and can go toe to toe with the pricier guys, this is a great choice	If you are looking for an inexpensive bare-bones printer and don't mind making some adjustments to it, then this model is an exceptional choice	If you value detail above all else and are looking for a printer for high-quality miniature models, then this is our all-around favorite	If you are shopping for a resin printer on a slimmer budget, this can be a great option
Rating Categories	Anycubic Mega S	Anycubic Vyper	Creality 3D Ender 3. ..	Elegoo Mars 2 Pro	Anycubic Photon Mono
Print Quality (40%)
Ease of Use (30%)
Print Capabilities (20%)
Support (10%)
Specs	Anycubic Mega S	Anycubic Vyper	Creality 3D Ender 3...	Elegoo Mars 2 Pro	Anycubic Photon Mono
Build Volume (XxYxZ)	210x210x205mm	245x245x260mm	200x200x250mm	130x80x160mm	130x80x165mm
Maximum Extruder Temperature	260°C	260°C	255°C	N/A	N/A
Layer Cooling Fan?	1	2	2	N/A	N/A
Heated Bed	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Build Plate Material	Tempered Glass with mesh covering (Ultrabase)	Removable magnetic spring steel, scratch resistant	Aluminium build plate with a magnetic course plastic sticker	Aluminum	Aluminum
Maximum Bed Temperature	120°C	110°C	110°C	N/A	N/A
Compatible with Third-Party Materials?	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Included Nozzle sizes	0. 4mm	0.4mm	0.4mm	Not applicable	Not applicable
Print layer resolution	0.05 - 0.4mm	0.1mm	0.1 - 0.4mm	0.025 - 0.1mm	0.025 - 0.1mm
Filament Size	1.75mm	1.75mm	1.75mm	405 nm resin	405 nm resin
PLA?	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
ABS?	Yes	Yes	Yes	N/A	N/A
Network Printing	No	Available with 3rd party products	No	No	No
Standalone (SD card or USB drive) Printing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Show full specification detailsHide full specification details

Our Analysis and Test Results

One nice feature about this printer is how compact it is, with the power supply and control box integrated underneath the moving bed. Many other budget printers have the power and control as a separate unit, taking up considerably more of your precious workbench real estate than the Mega S.

Performance Comparison

We found the Mega S struggled to stand out from the rest of the pack.

Credit: Jason Peters

Print Quality

We began our 3D printer assessment process by making a series of test prints in both ABS and PLA plastic for each of the models that use FFF technology. Our suite of test prints lets us compare printing quality between products side-by-side, with scores aggregated from a panel of judges. The Mega S delivered typical results on the whole, earning it an average score in the middle of the group.

We began our print quality metric with a very common 3D printer calibration/torture test, the 3D benchy. This little tugboat is a great all-around benchmarking test, with a variety of different geometries all designed to tax filament printers. The Mega S did decently well, delivering average prints in both PLA and ABS. There was only a small amount of dropping on overhangs and the text on the bottom of the PLA version was legible but the hull had a rough finish with some weird indentations. The text on the ABS version was also essentially unreadable.

The bridging test.

Credit: Jason Peters

Next, we looked at how each printer handled bridges (unsupported features) and small details, with our bridging and Eiffel Tower tests. The Mega S gave far from a good performance with these two prints, with both ABS versions failing completely. The PLA version of the Eiffel Tower did finish printing but it looked horrible in our opinion, definitely stretching a bit to call it a successful print. The PLA bridging test, with some noticeable sagging on the longer bridges and an overall lackluster print quality.

Next, we scored the quality of a print-in-place articulated poseable elephant, an overhanging geometry test, and a dimensional accuracy test. The performance of the Mega S did improve a bit with these three prints, delivering average or above results with the elephant and the overhangs. The PLA and ABS elephants both articulated freely, but the print quality is overall a bit rough, with plenty of deformities and defects. It was a similar story with the overhangs, with all but the steepest overhangs actually printing well but the overall quality just seemed to be lacking compared to the top-tier printers.

The overhang test.

Credit: Jason Peters

The dimensional accuracy score is based on a nickel test, where a nickel should fit perfectly in the cavity of the print when completed. Unfortunately, both of the openings were a little on the larger side, with plenty of gaps around the coin.

The Anycubic Mega S struggled with the next model, another single-piece articulated model. This printer failed with both the PLA and ABS platform jacks. The ABS wouldn't print successfully and the PLA version repeatedly broke whenever we tried to actuate it. Performance did rebound a bit with the wireframe cube, with this printer only having minimal sagging and a few strings on both PLA and ABS prints.

The low-poly figures.

Credit: Jason Peters

This printer did continue to do well with the pair of low-poly figures, with fairly clean surfaces and smooth overhangs, though the ABS version of the smaller model did have a rough surface finish. It also did well with the single-shell spiral vase in both types of plastic, though again had the less than amazing surface finish.

The support test also came out well, though we did have to resort to pliers and other tools to remove the sacrificial structure. However, the underside of the supported area actually came out quite well.

Finally, we come to our last three test prints: a tall tower, threaded jar, and matching lid. The tall tower showed minimal signs of any Z-axis wobble and the threaded jar and lid came out with an acceptable finish, though the ABS versions were a bit worse than their PLA counterparts.

This printer is about average when it comes to capabilities.

Credit: Jason Peters

Ease of Use

Our next metric rated and scored how convenient and easy to use the Anycubic Mega S is. We awarded points based on things like the ease of swapping filament or leveling the bed, with this model of printer earning an overall score just above average.

We found it to be decently easy to change the filament in this printer with its semi-automatic process, though the loading and unloading part can be a bit time consuming with the slow feed rate.

It's the usual difficulty to level the bed on this printer, with 4 independent adjustment screws in each corner of the build plate — no automatic build leveling here!

This printer does come mostly assembled, with just a few cables to plug in and other components to attach. You can send files to this printer via USB or SD card and there is a display on this printer that shows the percent completed and the time elapsed while the printer is going.

The threaded jars came out alright.

Credit: Jason Peters

Print Capabilities

For our capabilities metric, we looked at the material compatibility, build envelope, and the build plate of each printer, along with a few other things. The Mega S did quite well, earning a score significantly above average.

This printer has a maximum hotend temperature of 260°C and a peak heated bed temperature of 120°C, giving it a decently wide range of compatible printing materials. It isn't constrained to proprietary products, so any 1.75mm filament that will work with those temperatures is fine to use with the Mega S.

It has a slightly smaller than average build volume of 210mm x 210mm x 205mm and a build plate that provides plenty of adhesions. We used the free Cura slicing program for our tests but you have the option of using a variety of other software suites if you want, both of the free and paid variety.

We weren't too impressed with the customer support from Anycubic.

Credit: Jason Peters

Support

Our last metric looked at the customer support for each of these printers, by comparing the timeliness and quality of responses that we received from each manufacturer and the quality of any supplied documentation on the website. Regrettably, Anycubic hasn't delivered the best results in this regard in our opinion, earning the Mega S a subpar score.

There are only a few troubleshooting videos on the website and we only found a contact form that didn't yield the best results for us when it came to technical questions.

Value

All in all, the Mega S is a decent value, delivering good quality prints at a fairly affordable price if you don't mind dealing with any troubleshooting issues yourself.

Conclusion

While Mega S is definitely far from our favorite or the best printer we have seen, it is a decent machine with one of the lower price tags of the group. It might be a great starter printer for someone looking for a project and who doesn't mind dealing with any troubleshooting issues on their own. However, it probably isn't the best printer for someone who doesn't want to spend time tuning or tweaking their machine to maximize performance.

— David Wise and Austin Palmer

Anycubic i3 Mega Review (2023) [Specs, Features & Price or the 3D Printer]

Are you thinking of buying an Anycubic i3 Mega Pro 3D printer but are not sure whether it is right for you? Read our Anycubic i3 Mega review to learn everything you should know about the 3D printer.

If you have come across the Prusa i3, you will quickly recognize the Anycubic i3 Mega in it.  The latter is a replica of the Prusa i3 but its performance and quality of prints offer more than expected.

AVAILABLE ON ANYCUBIC 

In this Guide

Anycubic i3 Mega 3D Printer Review

The Anycubic i3 Mega is a heavy power user. The printer consumes approx. 130 watts during printing, which is a little more than what a resin printer consumes. However, this consumption is not too bad.

Anycubic i3 Mega Specs

Pros of the Anycubic i3 Mega

• Can print different materials
• It has a mechanical filament sensor
• Good workmanship of the components
• Simple user interface with touch input
• Good documentation
• Growing community
• Fast and versatile printer
• Super adhesion thanks to the Ultrabase
• Quick assembly
• 2 sensors on the Z-axis

Cons of the Anycubic i3 Mega

• Partly a bit loud
• Semi-automatic bedleveling (which is advertised with fully automatic)

5 Reasons for the 3D printer

The Anycubic i3 Mega come almost completely assembled. You can calibrate and assemble the printer in less than 1 hour .

In the event of a power outage or voltage fluctuation, the printer can pick up where it left off. This is important as your prints will not go to waste. With some other printers, you have to rely on a UPS to prevent the prints from getting spoiled due to power outages.

If the filament runs out as you are printing, the printer will notice this and allow you to ad more filament.  After changing the filament, printing can be continued at the same point .

The Anycubic i3 Mega is easy to use, thanks to the touchscreen and gears for adjusting the heating bed. Objects also adhere well to the Ultrabase and can be easily detached when the printing is complete.

SEE PRINTER ON ANYCUBIC 

Print Quality

The 3D printer produces quality prints out of the box after setting the ultrabase/print bed. Its frame minimizes vibrations and shocks very well. However, this can be improved even further by placing the printer on a washing machine mat.

What Filaments Can Be Printed?

The Anycubic i3 Mega can not only print PLA but also ABS and PETG filaments. I have already printed blended wood PLA filament with the printer. However, printing the filament was a little more complex, partly due to the conditions of wood filament in general.

Anycubic i3 Mega Pro Upgrade

There are various upgrades available for the Anycubic i3 Mega. These include quieter fans from Scythe and Noctua, as well as relocating the filament sensor, as it does not stay in the position where it is intended.

You can also buy a Raspberry Pi and install Octoprint there.

What’s in the Box?

Here is a short list of all the contents you’ll get when you order the Anycubic i3 Mega:

• Anycubic i3 Mega frame
• User manual
• 1KG PLA filament
• Filament spool holder
• Rubber gloves
• Memory card with 8GB storage space
• Replacement extruder
• spatula
• Side cutter
• tweezers
• Another tool to assemble everything and to change it if necessary

Anycubic i3 Mega Pro Alternatives

There are also other versions of the Anycubic i3 Mega. For example, there is Anycubic i3 Mega S model, which has a different extruder and filament holder. The Mega S is optimized for printing flexible filaments, which its predecessor cannot.

There is also the Anycubic i3 Mega Photon.

If you are looking for similar printers from alternative brands, the Ender 3 and Ender 3 Pro are worth looking it. Read this guide pitting the Ender 3 and the Anycubic i3 Mega against each other: Ender 3 or Anycubic i3 Mega

The Artillery Genius is another printer you may want to look at. Read our comparison here: Artillery Genius vs. Anycubic i3 Mega -S

Conclusion: Is Anycubic i3 Mega Worth It?

The Anycubic i3 Mega 3D printer does everything you want. The printer comes with a quick introduction of Cura settings and a pair of owls that you can use for your test prints. I’ve left my printer running for over 3 days multiple times and it hasn’t failed. This is quite remarkable.

The electronics are also well-built. I’m not afraid of leaving the printer alone for more than 2 hours.

Here is a video review of the Anycubic i3 Mega 3D printer:

We planned to build an enclosure for our Anet A8, I simply measured the parts that I had already ordered and adapted them for the Anycubic. An enclosure simply helps to keep the print temperature constant, which reduces the likelihood of your prints failing.

Moreover, the housing protects the printer against dirt, such as animal hair, dust or crumbs.

From my experience, the Anycubic i3 Mega is worth the price.

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