Review on 🔧 Enhanced BLTouch Leveling Mainboard by Creality by Oso Mears

I genuinely hoped BL Touch would spell the end of all bed alignments. Because if it really worked, our little Ender 3 would be a lot closer to the playing field of printers like the MakerBot. Easy and reliable printing every time. However, this was just a dream of the future disguised as real. So let's start with the good. It really works if you give it enough time. However, that is where the good ends. let me explain. Because when I say spend enough time, I don't mean just set it up the first time you install it. Although it's quite difficult and the instructions, even such vague YouTube tutorial videos, don't help at all. The problem, however, is that you set it up every time you print. I've spent countless hours troubleshooting, trying different firmwares, and generally pulling my hair out trying to figure out a way to get this thing to run consistently. But no dice. After EVERY print, here is the process. - Initialize the EEPROM aka Reset > Auto Home > Move the Z axis until the nozzle is the correct distance from the build plate > Continue to use the "Move Axis" tool on the X and Y -Axis to move the nozzle to different points in the build. Level plate and platform as usual (because BL Touch will not work on auto platform level if platform is not already level enough) > If platform is then level and you have nozzle at right distance from build plate, pay attention to the value of the Z axis > go to "Control" then "Motion" then "Z Offset" and enter the value you noted in the previous step > "Save settings" > "Power off" (don't know why , but it's a mandatory step) > Turn on power and Auto Home > Then go to "Prepare" and then "Bed Leveling" and let it do its thing > When it's done, if it doesn't fail, preheat and print. When printing is complete, go back to Initialize EEPROM and repeat the remaining steps over and over again. every time Without exceptions. So the tool I bought to make my life easier and save time just made my life a thousand times harder and wasted more time in the few months I had than manual bed leveling has done in 5 years. The time it takes for BL Touch to run smoothly is tedious and many times longer than simple manual leveling. Because even after the above steps, it often fails and you have to start over. Many times. So please save money. This product is not worth your time and hassle. If Creality really meant it, they would write a working firewall. And then make the descriptions of the firmware on their site understandable and concise. The first problem you will face is figuring out what firmware you are using and what installation process to use as it depends on the version of your Ender 3 motherboard makes it easier because you think you finally have it after hours of struggling made. Just to find out, you have to start over after each print. If you don't do this, after a while the nozzle will hit the bed or start printing 15mm above the desktop. Or my personal favorite when the Zozzle starts at the correct height in a corner and is 10mm high on the other side of the buildplate because it apoetically thinks your buildplate is tilted 20 degrees for no apparent reason. It's just pointless badly coded crap. On the plus side, the BL Touch sensor works well. So if they ever get together and write firmware that's reliable, consistent, and reproducible, you might be able to take the sensor off the shelf and reinstall it in the future. Although it's a big "if". Right now mine is in a drawer where it will stay until I see the new firmware and then get a free Saturday where I have literally nothing to do but get in a crappy mood dealing with Creality software issues deal with However, I have 2 stars because the system really works. It just doesn't make sense to spend 30 minutes getting BL Touch to work for each print when manually leveling the print bed takes 30 seconds.