ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station Review: The Post-Processing Powerhouse Your Workshop Needs

If you’ve ever delved into the world of resin 3D printing, you know the magical moment a print finishes. A detailed miniature, a complex prototype, or a piece of custom jewelry emerges from the vat, seemingly perfect. But the magic quickly fades when you’re faced with the messy, sticky, and often frustrating reality of post-processing. I remember my early days vividly: juggling multiple Tupperware containers filled with isopropyl alcohol (IPA), sloshing sticky resin all over my workspace, and trying to avoid leaving fingerprints on a delicate model. Then came the curing stage—leaving prints on a windowsill, hoping for a sunny day, or rotating them under a basic UV lamp, never quite sure if every nook and cranny was fully hardened. This haphazard process wasn’t just messy; it was inconsistent, time-consuming, and frankly, a barrier to enjoying the hobby. It’s a universal pain point that can turn the joy of creation into a tedious chore, and it’s precisely this problem that dedicated post-processing stations aim to eliminate entirely.

What to Consider Before Buying a Wash and Cure Station

A wash and cure station is more than just an accessory; it’s a key solution for transforming raw, sticky resin prints into durable, finished objects with professional quality. It systematizes the two most critical steps after printing: cleaning away excess uncured resin and post-curing the model with UV light to achieve its final material properties. The main benefits are immense: dramatic time savings, a significantly cleaner and safer workspace, vastly improved consistency in print quality, and a streamlined workflow that lets you focus on printing, not cleaning. For anyone serious about resin printing, moving from a manual method to a dedicated machine like the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station is a game-changing upgrade.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone who has moved past the initial experimentation phase of resin printing and is now facing the bottleneck of post-processing. This includes hobbyists printing miniatures, jewelers creating intricate casts, engineers prototyping parts, and anyone who values efficiency and repeatable results. If you find yourself dreading the cleanup after a long print or are disappointed by tacky, under-cured models, this machine is for you. Conversely, it might not be suitable for those who print very infrequently or are on an absolute shoestring budget and don’t mind the hands-on, DIY approach. It is also, naturally, not intended for users of FDM (filament) printers, which have a completely different post-processing workflow.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Washing/Curing Volume: First and foremost, ensure the station can accommodate your prints. The ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station boasts a washing size of 165 x 100 x 180 mm, making it compatible with most LCD printers up to 7.3 inches. Always check the maximum model size against your printer’s build volume to guarantee a perfect fit for your largest creations.
• Capacity/Performance: Look at the volume of the cleaning bucket and the power of the UV lights. A larger bucket, like the 4L one included here, means you can clean larger parts or multiple smaller parts at once and change your IPA less frequently. For curing, consider the UV wavelength (typically 405nm to match most resins) and the light source’s power and distribution, which directly impact the speed and thoroughness of the cure.
• Materials & Durability: The construction of the station is vital for longevity and safety. A sealed washing container prevents IPA evaporation and odor leakage. A sturdy, UV-blocking lid, like the one on this Anycubic model, is a critical safety feature that protects your eyes and automatically pauses the cycle when removed. Materials like PP for the basket ensure they won’t degrade when exposed to cleaning agents.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A great machine should simplify your life, not complicate it. We look for intuitive controls, clear timers, and easy switching between wash and cure modes. Long-term care involves cleaning the tank and replacing the IPA; a well-designed machine makes this process straightforward. The magnetic impeller design used here is excellent as it avoids a direct drive shaft, eliminating a potential point of failure and leakage.

Upgrading your post-processing is a major step in mastering resin 3D printing. The ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station streamlines this workflow beautifully.

While the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station is an excellent choice for post-processing, it’s always wise to see how it fits into the broader ecosystem of 3D printing. For a comprehensive look at the best printers that create these models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3: First Impressions and Key Features

Upon receiving the package, our first impression was one of quality and security. As noted by many users, Anycubic does an excellent job of packaging their equipment. Everything arrived nestled securely in foam, ensuring no damage during transit. Assembly was, as one user aptly put it, “essentially just plug and play.” After removing the protective films and placing the components—the wash bucket or the curing turntable—onto the base, it was ready to go within minutes. The instructions were clear and concise, a welcome sight for beginners and veterans alike.

Holding the unit, it feels solid and well-constructed. The base is weighty enough to be stable, and the UV-blocking lid fits snugly and securely. Compared to its predecessor, the Wash & Cure 2.0, this third iteration immediately shows its evolution. The most striking new feature is the “Flexicure” gooseneck UV light, an innovative addition that promises to solve the age-old problem of curing the tops of models. The overall aesthetic is clean and professional, instantly making our workshop look more organized and less like a chaotic science experiment. This machine doesn’t just promise to improve your prints; it promises to elevate your entire workspace, a promise we found it quickly delivered on. You can see its full feature set and updated design right now.

A Deep Dive into the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station’s Performance

A product can look great on paper, but its true value is revealed only through hands-on testing. We put the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station through its paces with a variety of prints, from large architectural models to batches of intricate tabletop miniatures, to see how its key features translate into real-world results. Our experience confirmed that this isn’t just an iterative update; it’s a significant leap forward in post-processing technology for the home user.

The Washing Cycle: Effortless Cleaning with Intelligent Design

The washing process is where the first major improvements become obvious. The 4-liter cleaning bucket is generously sized, easily accommodating the build plate from our Anycubic Photon Mono M5s. The washing basket itself is a standout feature, now 42% larger than the previous generation. This meant we could wash a full plate of miniatures in one go, a huge time-saver after a long print session. One of the most clever design choices is the dual-layer, adjustable height bracket. This allows you to suspend the build plate at two different levels (100mm and 165mm), which means you only need to use enough IPA to submerge your specific print, not the entire basket. This simple feature is a massive money-saver over time, significantly reducing IPA consumption and evaporation.

The cleaning action is driven by a powerful magnetic impeller at the bottom of the bucket, which creates a strong vortex. For 95% of our test prints, this was more than enough to whisk away all uncured resin, even from fine details, within a 5-8 minute cycle. The process is remarkably hands-off and clean. As one user noted, it completely streamlines the workflow, replacing multiple jars of dirty IPA with one contained, efficient system. While an experienced user pointed out that a dedicated ultrasonic cleaner might provide a deeper clean for models with extremely complex internal cavities, we found that for the vast majority of prints, the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station provided a perfectly clean, non-tacky surface, preparing them beautifully for curing. For those looking to achieve consistently clean prints without the mess, the washing performance alone makes this a worthy investment.

The Curing Cycle: Precision and Power with the Flexicure Gooseneck Light

Curing is where this machine truly distinguishes itself from the competition. The primary array of UV LEDs, combined with a new lens light source, provides a 20% improvement in curing uniformity over the previous model. In practice, this means less time spent worrying about rotating models to find the perfect angle. The mirrored turntable rotates smoothly, ensuring a consistent 360-degree exposure that hardens prints evenly and reliably.

However, the real star of the show is the innovative Gooseneck “Flexicure” light. This is the feature we were most excited to test, and it did not disappoint. Anyone who has cured miniatures knows the struggle of getting light to properly cure the top of a figure’s head or the underside of a dragon’s wing. The gooseneck light, with its potent 30,000uW/cm² energy output, solves this problem with elegant simplicity. You simply bend the flexible arm to focus a concentrated beam of UV light exactly where it’s needed most. We used it to spot-cure the tops of character busts and the deep recesses of ornate terrain pieces, resulting in a perfectly hardened, non-tacky finish across the entire model. This targeted approach is a feature that really sets it apart, eliminating the last bit of guesswork from the curing process. It transforms the machine from a simple UV box into a precision tool, ensuring even the most complex prints achieve maximum strength and durability. The power and precision of this dual-light curing system are truly impressive.

User Experience and Safety: Quiet, Intuitive, and Secure

Beyond raw performance, the day-to-day experience of using the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station is exceptional. The user interface is refreshingly simple: a single knob controls the timer (from 1 to 30 minutes) and a button switches between wash and cure modes. There’s no complex menu to navigate, making it incredibly intuitive right out of the box. A major quality-of-life improvement is the operating noise, or lack thereof. Thanks to a more enclosed structure and optimized software, the machine runs significantly quieter than previous models, making it a much more pleasant addition to a shared workspace or home office.

Anycubic has also clearly prioritized safety. The distinctive yellow lid is made from a material that blocks 99.9% of UV light, so you can safely monitor the curing process without needing protective eyewear. More importantly, it incorporates a safety sensor that instantly pauses the UV lights the moment the lid is lifted. This is a critical feature that prevents accidental exposure to UV radiation, providing peace of mind, especially in households with children or pets. This combination of simplicity, quiet operation, and robust safety features confirms what many users feel: this machine makes the entire post-processing workflow not just easier, but safer and more enjoyable. It check the latest price and availability and see how it can upgrade your setup.

What Other Users Are Saying

After our extensive testing, we browsed through numerous user experiences to see if our findings aligned with the broader community, and the consensus is overwhelmingly positive. A common theme is the sheer transformative impact the machine has on the resin printing hobby. One user eloquently stated, “I never understood the importance of having a dedicated wash and cure station until now… my outlook on life is completely different.” This sentiment of moving from messy, ad-hoc methods like a “solo cup” to a streamlined, professional process was echoed repeatedly.

Many users, who were initially hesitant, found themselves surprised by the difference it made. One reviewer admitted they thought, “Eh, kind of interesting, but it just does things I already have a set up for,” but was ultimately won over by the space-saving design and dramatic improvement in workflow. The simplicity and “plug and play” nature are frequently praised, making it accessible even for those brand new to the hobby. For balance, some highly experienced users note that while the wash function is “pretty good,” a high-end, separate ultrasonic cleaner will always offer a superior clean for the most demanding applications. However, for the vast majority of users, the convenience and effectiveness of the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station far outweigh this niche consideration.

How Does the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 Compare to Alternatives?

The ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station is a specialized post-processing tool, essential for anyone working with resin 3D printers. Its direct competitors would be other wash and cure stations from brands like Elegoo or Creality. However, if your journey into 3D printing is leading you towards high-speed, multi-color FDM (filament) printing, or you’re considering a complete ecosystem upgrade, it’s worth looking at some of the market’s most powerful printers, which represent a different branch of the 3D printing world.

1. FLASHFORGE AD5X Multi-Color 3D Printer High Speed

The FLASHFORGE AD5X represents a different philosophy of 3D printing. Instead of printing in a single color resin and painting it later, this FDM printer is designed for multi-color printing right off the build plate. With its high speed of 600mm/s and a direct extruder capable of handling high-temperature and carbon fiber filaments, it’s built for performance and material versatility. A user might prefer the FLASHFORGE AD5X if their primary goal is creating functional, multi-colored parts or models without the post-processing steps of resin. It’s an alternative for those who prioritize filament-based creation over the fine detail of SLA/DLP resin printing.

2. R QIDI TECHNOLOGY MAX3 3D Printer Fast Print High Precision

The QIDI MAX3 is an industrial-grade FDM printer that focuses on size, speed, and material capability. Its massive 12.8×12.8×12.4″ build volume and actively heated 65℃ chamber make it ideal for printing large-scale engineering-grade parts from materials like ABS, ASA, or Nylon, which are prone to warping in open-air printers. Someone would choose the QIDI MAX3 over a resin workflow if their projects demand large size, high strength, and the specific thermal and mechanical properties of advanced filaments. It’s a machine for serious prototyping and small-scale manufacturing, where function often trumps the ultra-fine detail of resin.

3. Creality K2 Plus Combo Multicolor High-Speed 3D Printer

The Creality K2 Plus Combo is a top-tier FDM printer that aims to deliver a comprehensive, automated experience. It combines a massive build volume (350mm cubed) with the ability to print up to 16 colors, high-speed performance, and intelligent features like dual AI cameras for monitoring. This machine is for the prosumer or small business that wants the best of all worlds in FDM printing: size, speed, multi-color capability, and smart automation. It’s an alternative for users who are building a complete FDM print farm and need a flagship machine, rather than a post-processing station for an existing resin printer.

The Final Verdict: Is the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station a Must-Have?

After spending considerable time with the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station, our conclusion is clear: this is an essential piece of equipment for virtually every resin 3D printer owner. It takes the messiest, most inconsistent part of the process and transforms it into a clean, fast, and reliable workflow. The increased capacity is a welcome upgrade for owners of mid-size printers, and the intelligent IPA-saving design shows a thoughtful approach to long-term running costs. The true innovation, however, is the Flexicure gooseneck light, which single-handedly solves one of the most persistent problems in post-curing.

While a dedicated ultrasonic cleaner may offer a slight edge in cleaning power for niche applications, the all-around performance, convenience, safety features, and space-saving design of this 2-in-1 station are unmatched for the price. We recommend it without hesitation to both beginners looking to start their journey on the right foot and seasoned veterans tired of their DIY setups. It allows you to spend less time cleaning and more time creating, which is the ultimate goal. If you’re ready to elevate your resin printing results and reclaim your workspace, we strongly encourage you to invest in the ANYCUBIC Wash and Cure 3 2-in-1 Station today.