Elegoo's Neptune 3D printers just dropped to $169 and I'm buying one

Okay so I saw this deal and had to share because these Elegoo printers are actually legit. The Neptune 3 Pro just dropped to $169 (that's 27% off) and honestly? At that price it's kind of a no-brainer if you've been thinking about getting into 3D printing.

I've been testing both models for a few months now. The Neptune 3 Pro is what I'd grab if I was just starting out - it's simple enough that you won't rage quit on your first print, but has enough features that you won't outgrow it in six months. Auto bed leveling saves so much hassle. Trust me on this one.

The Neptune 4 Plus is the one I actually use most days though. Yeah it costs more even on sale, but the bigger build volume and faster print speeds make a real difference when you're cranking out prototypes or those massive helmet prints everyone's obsessed with in 2026.

Here's what surprised me - both printers handle flexible filaments way better than they should at this price point. I printed TPU phone cases on the 3 Pro without any mods. That's usually when budget printers start throwing tantrums.

Bottom line? The 3 Pro at $169 is perfect if you're new to this. But if you're already printing regularly, spring for the 4 Plus. The time you'll save on bigger, faster prints pays for the price difference pretty quick. Just saying.