ANTCLABS BLTouch : Auto Bed Leveling Sensor/To be a Premium 3D Printer (With 1M Extension Cable Set)

This is an awesome addition to a 3D printer because it basically removes all of the hassle of trying to get the bed level.Be warned however that it is a major pain to get it to work with some printers, and there's very little to no documentation provided by the manufacturer. Be prepared to spend hours working on trying to get this to work and wondering ... why isnt this working!Once it works, it's awesome though. Here's a few notes from my experience. I am using Marlin with a Geeetech printer.- This will require replacing the firmware on your printer. Get out that Arduino editor and download the latest Marlin firmware.- The sensor's output connects in place of the Z endstop switch. In Marlin, I discovered after fighting for hours that you have to disable the pullup resistor in the Marlin firmware on that endstop for the sensor to be recognized.- Strongly recommend you look up YouTube videos for how to make the necessary edits for the Marlin firmware and how to calibrate the sensor.- Recommend programming your slicer's pre-print commands to heat the bed while doing auto level, because this will save some time.

OK... I am far from an expert in 3d printing, but I'm also not a novice when it comes to electronics and mechanics. I bought a BLTouch clone - a 3DTouch - from China a while back and only just got around to installing it. Horrible experience. The pin would routinely deploy the instant after it had just taken a reading, before the carriage had time to get away from the bed, and would almost always throw up an error before it finished analyzing the bed. Having nothing to compare that to, I was hesitant to spend three times the amount on an original BLTouch. Now, though, I am so glad I did!With the clone, when the pin is deployed, it's almost like it just falls down on it's own due to gravity. When it's retracted, either by command or by triggering, it's pulled in, but very weakly. With the BLTouch, though... my gosh! The snap that the pin makes when it is either deployed or retracted is a firm, positive, **snap**! Nothing iffy about that action. Not only that, but no more premature deployment, either. I didn't have to adjust anything. It just worked.As for it's accuracy, the BLTouch claims an accuracy of 0.01mm with a repeatability of 1%. I know some reviews here claim that this sensor isn't very accurate, but that seems pretty accurate to me. It's not just numbers on paper, either. Once you set the initial z-offset correctly, the layers are perfectly level - at least they are for me. I have to believe that those claiming to have issues with accuracy do not understand that there are a lot of variables in 3d printing that can affect the overall whole. Z-axis backlash, for example, will affect the accuracy of any auto-leveling sensor. Incorrect z-offset will affect the perceived performance, as well.Yes, it would be nice if documentation came in a printed booklet, but let's be honest. In today's digital world, what documentation does come in a printed form? OK, so you have to go to a web site? Is that really that big a deal? Download the documents, save them to a disc and print them out. The antclabs web site has all the documentation you need to use this - wiring diagrams, operating manual, setup and programming guide, troubleshooting commands... I don't know what more people could want.I will admit that I did have trouble getting the clone to work the first time I tried, but that was due to a lack of understanding of the marlin configuration files on my part. Once I worked that out, and got the clone "working," this one was plug-and-play, literally.I know that you can get brand new devices that are defective. That happens in all areas. But I truly believe that the majority of the low-star ratings for this device are due more to operator error than to an actual device fault. 3D printers, by their very nature, are not the user-friendly playground that 2d paper printers are. You have to be able to understand code, wiring and mechanical design to expect quality results, but only if you are using quality parts. **This** is truly a high quality component.If you know your way around arduino code and an allen wrench, do yourself a favor and give this a try.

Setting this up on my CR-10 was a breeze. Why i kept stalling to purchase one for over a year would have saved me the frustrations.I did have one of the EZABL sensors and that sucked. Sometimes it worked, most times it didn't. Why it gets good recommendations is beyond me.This leveling sensor gives the perfect first layer results every time. No roughness/unevenness, just totally smooth.

After getting a 3d Printer, I fought with the new device for several days trying to produce decent prints. The tramming or horizontal alignment of the bed is one of the most critical parts of getting a "good" print. That being said, the manual leveling of the bed is time consuming and really not that accurate. I was able to get some decent prints using the manual method, but the time required was outrageous. Plus, the process needed to be repeated almost every time that anything was changed on the printer. I finally gave in an bought a BL Touch system. All that I can say is that this is the very first modification that anyone should make to their printer. Be aware, this is a GENUINE BL TOUCH, Not a Chinese "knock-off" or copy. You pay more for the genuine article, but the quality is much better. stop fighting with your printer and start enjoying your new hobby. Auto Bed leveling in the only way to go.

Bought this sensor for my CR-10, which really benefits from a touch probe because of its large build surface. It works very well and has produced a big improvement in print quality and reliability. The included extension cable is pretty much essential and is the perfect length, plus it includes lots of screws and connectors to help you get it hooked up. This is also the genuine part, invented by a nice girl in Korea, so buying this one is supporting the original maker and is also not an inferior knock off like many of the clones.Beware, however, that this is not for the faint of heart. Installing this sensor on most printers is going to be a pretty substantial and invasive modification, so make sure you know what you're doing or you're gonna destroy your printer. When installed and configured correctly it works absolutely perfectly, but the nature of 3D printers means that you will have to figure out how to install it yourself. The maker provides some guidelines, but there isn't really a lot more they can do than that, so do your homework.

It improved my first layers a lot. I'm using it with skr v1.4 so it pretty much works out of the box. One star taken away since supplied wiring is RIDICULOUSLY short.

Perfect !!!

Have been using the BLTouch with good results for a few months, but since I've got it, had problems with the pin retracting. When the pin would retract, the red light would dim quite a bit as if it were struggling. Applying pressure or disconnecting and reconnecting the connector would make it work properly for a short period of time. Now it doesn't retract at all any longer and the red light flickers rapidly while retracting as if there is some problem with its board. Tested wires, put it on a power supply to test and same results. Seller isn't responding about this issue, so this has been a waste of time and money for me. I expected something of high quality and longevity here for the price of this.

Almost a year ago I installed 'BLTOUCH BL Touch Auto Bed Levelling Sensor' and here I am sharing my bit of experience.For Installation you needn't be a pro but at least should have clear concept of basic circuits, wiring and should know to manipulate codes with Arduino IDE. Rest assured any good guidance from google or YouTube will sail you smoothly before you can start your first levelling with an hour or two. I needn't preach on this but its known that doing adequate online research from credible sources always helps.Once installation is done and you get friendlier you will almost forget that bed levelling was your task that couldn't be done away with. BLtouch will do its job every time perfectly. I still do the sheet of paper method once in a long while, but that doesn't feel tedious, only adds satisfaction of doing yourself that fine tuning that deviation which inevitably occurs in any mechanical or electro-mechanical setups.Its a good product and all the good things you have come across the net is true. As I use octoprint I can tell you that BLtouch plugin will make things even easier. As a tip for new user just do a bit of research and alter the sequence of default routine of home and z-axis homing before the hot-bed heats up. That will prolong the life span of the probing tip.

Funciona perfectamente, no le doy 5 estrellas porque los cables que trae son muy cortos y tuve que hacer una extension, pero el resto sin problemas