Elegoo Neptune 4 Review – Affordable & Quick!
Elegoo is known to make both consumer-grade FDM printers and resin printers for the 3D printing industry.
The Elegoo Neptune 4 is another FDM 3D printer from Elegoo that has been designed to feature the latest improvements for customers. This new machine is Elegoo’s way of constantly tweaking their products to give their customers the best.
This article will be a simple review of the Elegoo Neptune 4 FDM 3D printer. We will be going through its features, specifications, leveling process, benefits, print results, and more. So stay tuned to figure out whether this machine is the one for you.
First, we’ll start with its features.
Features of the Elegoo Neptune 4
- Ultra-Fast Print Speeds
- Klipper Firmware
- Improved Cooling Assembly
- Dual Gear Direct Drive Extruder
- XY Knob Belt Tensioners
- 300°C High Temperature Nozzle
- 4.3-Inch Capacitive LCD Touchscreen
- 36-point Auto-Bed Leveling
Ultra-Fast Print Speeds
One key feature of Neptune 4 is its ability to attain ultra-fast speeds during printing. It can achieve print speeds of up to 500mm/s (although 250mm/s is recommended) allowing you to print your models in shorter time frames without compromising the quality of your prints.
This consistent print speed and print quality is possible as a result of the input shaping feature and pressure advance function integrated with the printer.
The input shaping feature helps to reduce mechanical vibrations caused by the printer’s print speeds. Also, this helps to eliminate other printing artifacts like ringing, rippling, ghosting, or echoing on the printed model surface.
The pressure advance function adjusts material flow according to printing speed, ensuring consistent pressure in the nozzle and reducing filament ooze or blobs.
Klipper Firmware
Another great feature of the Neptune 4 is that it runs on the Klipper Firmware. This gives it a level of customization and remote-control benefits that most 3D printing enthusiasts will appreciate.
The Elegoo Neptune 4 runs the Klipper firmware on the ARM 64-bit board at 1.5GHz main frequency quad-core processor for faster command processing and execution, which is paired with 8GB RAM for optimal storage for fast printing. This enables it to print at such high speeds without any hitches.
Improved Cooling Assembly
The Elegoo Neptune 4 comes with an improved cooling assembly that helps to compensate for the ultra-fast speeds that it prints at.
The cooling assembly consists of four fans placed side-by-side in a block behind the printhead. This ensures that the materials deposited cool down faster so that filament can be deposited in those areas by the time the nozzle returns.
Dual Gear Direct Drive Extruder
The Neptune 4 has a newly developed dual-gear direct drive extruder with a 5.2:1 reduction ratio ensuring powerful extrusion and smoother filament feeding.
This is paired with a copper-titanium all-metal throat pipe and unique air duct design to effectively improve heat dissipation and reduce nozzle blockage risk.
4.3-Inch Capacitive Touchscreen
Just like its predecessors, the Neptune 4 has a 4.3-inch LCD touchscreen. It is very easy to use and also very responsive to touch. This can either be operated handheld or attached to its magnetic base.
You can easily preview, monitor the progress of your prints, and pause your prints, amidst other functions. The LCD screen has a very simple and friendly interface to access whatever function you may need.
300°C High Temperature Nozzle
The Neptune 4 has a 300°C high-temp nozzle and an extended hot end. This allows the filament to be properly melted and uniformly flow out even at high printing speed.
As a result, it can handle a wide range of materials, including PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, and high-temperature filaments such as nylon.
This is paired with a 250W hotbed that heats up in far less time and can reach a max temperature of 110°C.
36-Point Auto-Bed Leveling
The Elegoo Neptune 4 uses a 36-point Auto-bed leveling sequence to help compensate for any unevenness on the bed.
Although, you need to first manually calibrate the position of the bed using the knobs under the bed and a piece of paper before you get started with the Auto-bed leveling.
It maps out a 6×6 grid across the bed to help calibrate its position for optimal first-layer prints.
XY Knob Belt Tensioners
Like most modern-day 3D printers, the Neptune 4 has XY knob belt tensioners to adjust the tension on the belts. The knobs make the belt tensioning process and operation much easier and faster.
All you have to do is twist the knob on the X and Y-axis to either tighten or loosen the belts until the tension is just right. With this method, it’s easy to get the best quality with optimal belt tension.
Specifications of the Elegoo Neptune 4
- Frame Material: CNC Machined Aluminium Extrusion
- Modeling Technology: FDM(Fused Deposition Modeling)
- Rated Voltage: 100-240V 50/60Hz
- Printing Speed: 30-500mm/s (Recommended Speed: 250mm/s)
- Build Volume: 225x225x265mm(mm³)
- Equipment Dimensions: 475x445x515mmmm
- Max. Nozzle Temperature: 300° Celsius
- Max. Hotbed Temperature: 110° Celsius
- File Transfer: USB, WLAN
- File Format: .stl, .obj, .amf
- Filament compatibility: PLA, ABS, TPU, PETG, Wood, Marble, Nylon, etc
- UI Language: English/French/German/Russian/Italian/Spanish/Japanese/Chinese
- Resume Printing: Yes
- Filament Detection: Yes
- Net Weight: 8.3KG
Benefits of the Elegoo Neptune 4
- Ultra-fast print speeds that cut down the print time by about half when compared to other 3D printers.
- The SD card slot has now been upgraded to a USB port for a much easier and firmer connection to the printer.
- Dual LED sources for better lighting to properly inspect the print’s details during printing.
- Improved fan assembly to help keep up with the cooling required for the fast print speeds.
- The high-temperature hotend enables it to print a host of filaments, including nylon and other abrasive filaments.
- The knobs for the X and Y-axis make belt tensioning much easier.
- The LEDs placed by the extruders ensure that the details on the print can be easily observed from all angles.
- It can resume prints when there is a power outage.
Downsides of the Elegoo Neptune 4
- No WiFi support but it can be created.
- The new fan array can be very loud during printing and can be very disturbing if you intend to run overnight prints while you are close by. Although you can turn it off.
- Maintenance is very difficult, especially for anything that has to do with the extruder assembly. This is because its parts are not easily accessible.
- Bed leveling is a little complicated.
Unboxing and Assembly of the Elegoo Neptune 4
The Elegoo Neptune 4 comes in a sturdy large compact box housing the pre-assembled 3D printer weighing about 8.5KG.
In Elegoo’s usual style, the box is a two-tier setup with each layer of foam inserts nicely holding the components in place.
The first layer contains the gantry, spool holder, manual, power cable, and a bag containing accessories, all fitted nice and snug into the custom foam inserts.
The second layer should contain the LCD Touchscreen and the printer’s base with the magnetic PEI sheet already installed.
Once you have taken out all the content of the box, you need to compare them to the parts in the instruction manual to ensure all the parts are intact.
After you have confirmed the parts are intact, the next step is to assemble them.
Steps to Assemble the Elegoo Neptune 4
You can assemble the Elegoo Neptune 4 by taking the following steps:
- Place the gantry on the base of the printer and insert the four HM545 screws provided into the base of the printer to hold the gantry in place. Fasten the screws with an Allen key. Mount the base for the LCD on the printer and hold it in place with the three PM420 screws provided.
- With the telephone-like cable provided, connect the LCD to the printer.
- Select the appropriate voltage level for your region using the red slider at the back of the printer.
- Assemble the pieces of the filament spool holder and attach it to the top of the gantry. Hold it in place with the PM420 screws provided.
- Fasten the filament run-out sensor to the spool holder with the HM4M33 screw and plug in the connector from the printer to it.
- Insert the Ribbon cable into the extruder assembly and secure it to the X-axis for proper cable management using the R-shaped buckle. Ensure the cable is oriented properly before inserting it.
- Attach the heat dissipation module to the X-axis using three PM445 screws and fasten it with an Allen key. Connect the module to the printer using the connector provided.
- Plug in the connectors for the limit switch, Z-axis stepper motors, X-axis stepper motors, and limit switches to their respective connectors.
At this point, the assembly process is complete, you can now power on the printer and get to the bed-leveling process.
Leveling of the Elegoo Neptune 4
Unlike its predecessor, the bed leveling for the Elegoo Neptune 3 is not very straightforward. It does have an automatic bed-leveling feature, but you need to manually calibrate it first before this feature can come into play.
Once your printer is booted up, simply tap on the “Level” option on the LCD’s home screen to begin the leveling process.
Wait for the printhead to return to the center of the hotbed and place an A4 paper underneath. Then adjust the height of the nozzle from the LCD until the paper cannot be pushed any further under the nozzle.
Now click on “Auxiliary” to level the corners of the bed. Then repeat the paper test at the edges of the bed. After this process is completed, you can now begin Auto-bed leveling.
This will map out 6×6 grid points across the bed to help compensate for any unevenness across the bed that the auxiliary leveling couldn’t remove.
Once you’re done with this setting, adjust your Z-offset by using the “Up” and “Down” buttons on your LCD screen, then save your settings.
There are some test files in the USB stick provided, which you can run on your printer to ensure that the settings are just right.
Check out this Video from Elegoo on how to level the Elegoo Neptune 4.
Customer Reviews of the Elegoo Neptune 4
One user stated that the Elegoo Neptune 4 is great value for money. Although he did state that you’ll need some troubleshooting, he still recommends the printer regardless.
Also, he said if you already have a Neptune 3 Pro, he doesn’t see how much of an upgrade it would be, except if you are after its print speeds.
Another user stated that he has had the Neptune 4 for a few months and he loves it but he’s had to troubleshoot it before getting the best out of it.
He said he’s had issues with the slicer than he’s had with the printer, but it was an easy get around.
You can also check out Uncle Jessy’s review of the Elegoo Neptune 4.
Here’s another review from Randy May on the Elegoo Neptune 4.
Print Quality of the Elegoo Neptune 4
Now let’s check out the actual print quality of this machine!
Thor (GoW)
Air Spinner
Grinch
Bunny Rabbits (SD Card)
Verdict – Worth Buying or Not
The Elegoo Neptune 4 is an amazing 3D printer you can get, either as a newbie or an experienced 3D printing professional. It is baked with great features that make your printing much smoother.
The Neptune 4 is an FDM printer that I would recommend for anyone getting into 3D printing or anyone looking to get a second printer.
You can get the Elegoo Neptune 4 today for about $260.