3D printer Elegoo Neptune 4 Max in the test: print large figures inexpensively

If you want to 3D print something really big, you don’t have as much choice: only a few devices can measure more than 40 by 40 centimeters. The Neptune 4 Max is one of them. No closed installation space and bed pusher construction, which indicates a lower price. And in fact: with just 440 Euros The printer is affordable due to its large installation space and other good features like huge PEI printing plate, fast Clipper firmware, color touchscreen, etc.

However, the device also troubled us in the test. Anyone who wants to print this much for the money has to expect compromises. The Neptune 4 Max is not suitable for beginners like the Bamu Labs printers (the smaller A1 Mini for just 200 euros or the larger X1 Carbon for 1100 euros). The printing results are also excellent.

It’s been a long time since we have had a printer that is not delivered to the editorial office in a ready-made form in the shape of a moving box, but rather a “kit” printer: the base structure and the hanging are separated from each other in the package. In contrast to the Zion Windstorm S1 (test report), here Elegoo has classic, “free-swinging” and also somewhat creative and chaotic cabling.

After all, printed, English-language building instructions are included along with all the tools you need – and the screws are packed in small zip-lock bags by type, numbered and the work steps can be clearly found. A big compliment to Elegoo: This is how you get the printer assembled reliably and neatly. We only had to take a step back in one place: we initially screwed the filament roll holder onto the boom incorrectly; it was not so easy to see the direction. But the printer worked without a hitch.

Attach some support for the stabilization, the filament roll holder and sensor, the display holder and plug the clearly labeled cables together and you’re ready to go.

Once the printer is assembled, you must first calibrate it. Although the Elegoo has a sensor to measure the print bed, it also has mechanical screws underneath the print bed to find the appropriate height. This is difficult for absolute beginners when you have to use a sheet of paper to accurately determine the distance between the print bed and the nozzle, but don’t know what is “right”. Experienced 3D printer users are pleased that the 4Max has six knurled screws for adjustment. Finally a printer where you can accurately adjust the print bed and not need to use three screws until it fits reasonably well. The print bed is then measured digitally using a sensor. Small unevennesses are compensated for by software during printing.

Calibration follows. An error occurred. After a few tries it worked. Neptune 4 prints its first small and large objects. When we asked, the manufacturer recommended a firmware update, which should resolve the problems.

Like most current, fast printers, the Neptune 4 series also uses Clipper firmware. As is often the case with Chinese manufacturers, there is room for improvement here. Web interface, integration into open source slicers like Orca & Co.? None. Or maybe it’s there too, but it doesn’t work. We first installed a new version of the manufacturer’s original firmware. The calibration problems did not go away; it took a few tries before the process was successful. At least, after a successful calibration, the printer ran great. But since we can’t leave such a thing alone and want to find out what the problem is, we continued to dig. Finally, a complete open source firmware called OpenNept4ne Landed on eMMC.

The motto: remove Elegoo from your printer. For example, the description says “Remove all Elegoo services – no Z axis problems”. It also has a working web interface, better touchscreen controls, better cooling for the mainboard, profiles for the Orca slicer, etc. You can see that the manufacturer still has some homework to do in the official firmware. If you are not afraid to work on the software yourself, you can put together something great here. But tinkering is also the key word: OpenNept4ne has also become a permanent construction site for us. Work ex ante? None. It took a day of tinkering, fiddling, configuring and fixing until the 4Max was operational again – but then it was really perfect.

The good news: we achieved extremely attractive printing results with both the official firmware and OpenNeptune. The printer’s strength lies in vases, busts, figures, etc., whose surfaces are beautiful and detailed. Elegoo also performs better than average on overhangs and bridges. This is probably also thanks to its very strong component cooling.

Leaked: Still unknown iPad identifier – and a “home accessory” from Apple.

The result was not that reassuring Sliding puzzlewhich we printed in three versions with distances of 0.15, 0.20 and 0.30 mm between the individual parts, as usual. While the Bamboo A1 Mini (test report) prints mechanically movable puzzles even at the smallest distance of 0.15 mm, we were unable to move the 0.30 mm version of the Neptune 4 Max without reworking it. Admittedly, the print bed was perhaps a little too close to the nozzle, which made the first level a little too wide (“elephant foot”). But since the upper layers are also connected to each other, this is not the only problem. There is a slight lack of precision here – but unless you are printing RC ship hulls, Marvel figures, designer vases or cool lamps without mechanically moving parts, this plays a minor role.

Print speed is also a thing. Apparently the profile the manufacturer offers for the Orca slicer is slower than Cura’s. We have a quick Orca profile from a third party Concerned, which we were very happy about (the 2 euros for a Patreon subscription were worth it to us). Here you can see again: Anyone who is willing to read and familiarize themselves can get a lot out of the Neptune 4 Max – and much more than what the printer can achieve with its manufacturer’s software.

The large capacity printer is well equipped for its price. It has WiFi, filament sensor, PEI printing plate and a large build space fan. It has a practical drawer at the front for small items like tools, instructions and memory sticks, and a touchscreen display. It is once again magnetically mounted and connected to the printer via a spiral cable, like an old telephone receiver. We are not fans of this attachment and prefer a well-integrated, fixed display, but this is ultimately a matter of taste.

The good thing is that the large printing plate is made of maintenance-free PEI, so we had no problems with sticking during various large and small test prints. However, we find it incomprehensible that the manufacturer has not provided any anchor points to position the pressure plate centrally. Therefore, it takes a lot of effort to position the plate smoothly and in the center. The direct drive extruder is modern, the heating of the large print bed is quite strong, there is a ceramic heater in the hotend and an optical leveling sensor is installed in the print head.

Things like Auto-Z, i.e. fully automatic calibration without screws and sheets of paper, are missing. The filament sensor only checks the presence, not the throughput, which is why if the filament breaks between the sensor, which is attached to the top of the boom, and the print head, the printer cannot print anything. There is no flow measurement and calibration here, nor is there a scraper for extra filament or a camera. The latter can be retrofitted via USB.

Speaking of which, the USB-A port on the front of the printer is the only way to load GCode print files when the device is not connected to the network. The USB-C port next to it serves only as a terminal port; the microSD memory card slot on the mainboard is not routed outward. There is also a microSD slot in the display unit, which is only needed for firmware updates – and for this you need to open the touchscreen housing.

There are two slicers available for download on Elegoo’s website – Cura and Orca. The profile files are not available individually for whatever reason. So you have to download an older slicer version to get the printer profile. We’re used to this from other manufacturers, but it’s always annoying. At least you can copy the profiles from the appropriate folders and paste them into the current versions of the slicer programs. But please, Elegoo, Zion and Co.: make your printer’s profiles available for direct download to the common slicers. And maybe put a little more work into it, because two euros for a Patreon subscription for significantly better device profiles doesn’t hurt given the purchase price of over 400 euros, but it just feels wrong: someone else should have really done the work.

We were unable to integrate the printer’s web interface into the Orca Slicer with the standard firmware, but it did work directly with OpenNept4ne. We are fans of the Orca Slicer and recommend that anyone who has not used it give it a try.

The Elegoo Neptune Max 4 left a mixed impression on us. The hardware is good and well thought out, the instructions are good, the installation space is huge and the price-performance ratio is fantastic. Unfortunately, the main problem is with the firmware. You can even work with the factory firmware and print without any tinkering, but if you are deeply into the matter, you will probably switch to the open source version sooner or later. The good thing is that this is possible and the manufacturer does not create any unnecessary obstacles. But you also need to know your stuff very well – or work deeply into it – to achieve success.

In short: if you’re not a total novice to 3D printing and looking for a printer with a huge build space, you’ll get top technology and good print quality at a very affordable price – if you’re willing to deal with it. If you’re a total novice or looking for a product that works easily without any training, you’ve come to the wrong place. Hence the rating of 3.5 stars: it’s not enough for a large-capacity printer, but it’s almost too much if you’re a novice and sitting in front of your first 3D printer project.