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Jack Watkins photo
Poland, Warsaw
1 Level
715 Review
57 Karma

Review on BIGTREETECH SKR Mini E3 V3.0 Control Board + TFT35 E3 V3.0.1 Graphic Smart Display Panel Board New Upgrade 3D Printer Parts For Ender 3, Ender3 Pro, Ender 3 V2 by Jack Watkins

Revainrating 5 out of 5

What a great control board/touch screen combo!

Bought this and used it in a scratch build printer. Documentation for the V2 control board is there, but somewhat lacking. Being a popular board, there is enough info on the net to fill in the blanks. The board is well built and worked right out of the box. For firmware I used Cheetah 5.0 from Kay3D.com Their firmware is a version of Marlin that takes you through about 20 steps to configure a printer. All these steps are placed at the front of the Config files and notated so well it is almost impossible to screw up. If the notation in the config file is not enough, their online guide and video make it even easier. Many common printers are listed in the firmware with all their features, and simply selecting one, takes care of most your firmware choices. You will not find an easier firmware for setting up a BL Touch or any sensor. It is painless and almost guaranteed to work. All options are in the firmware for custom builds also. If you are not a firmware ace, be sure to try this firmware and make your life easy!Back to the board. The TMC2209 stepper drivers keep the motors silent. Sensorless homing works awesome. Do note that sensorless homing does NOT work on a Z axis with a lead screw. Settings are almost impossible to obtain. If you can get a setting that works, it will only be temporary. Digging into this issue I found right in Marlin where it says it will not work with a Z axis lead screw. Just something to be aware of. I had to add a limit switch on the Z axis. The TFT35 touch screen is plug and play. Documentation on connecting the serial cable to the control board is lacking, but again, the internet is your friend. The touch screen operates in either traditional Marlin mode or touch screen mode, and you can switch between the two. You will want to switch between the two for initial setup. Some settings are only available in the Marlin screen and some only in the touch screen. This is my only gripe, but in reality, once everything is setup it is no big deal. One really nice thing is the ability to change stepper drive current right from the touch screen. Gone are the days of a small screwdriver and multimeter to set each chip individually. I did have to turn up the current on my Z axis chip due to a subpar leadscrew.It's not perfect, but for the price it is really hard to complain about anything. The few minor annoyances are easily offset by the price. With this combination being so popular, there is plenty of info on the internet if you run into any issues.

Pros
  • This upgrade kit includes both the control board and graphic smart display panel, allowing for easier control and customization of your 3D printer
Cons
  • Some users have reported compatibility issues with certain filament types