Manual bed leveling is a chore, often involving faffing around with a piece of paper underneath the nozzle and manually raising the bed until it just touches the paper. This in principle provides a flat plane for the nozzle to print upon.
The process often requires repeating between prints and can be a neverending task if the bed itself is warped.
Thankfully, there is something called automatic bed leveling that removes a lot of the headaches from the process.
Auto bed leveling is done by using a sensor to detect the distance between the print bed and the nozzle at several points on the bed.
The printer then uses this information to adjust the height of the bed so that it is level, or in the case where the printing head is on a moving z-axis, the gantry is adjusted to compensate for the uneven bed.
In this post, we will be looking at several printers that have the automatic bed leveling feature as standard.
Benefits of Auto Bed Leveling in 3D Printing
There are numerous key benefits of starting a print from a level plane, and if your bed is warped, you’re going to need to compensate for that anyway.
Auto-leveling is the key. Here are the main benefits of buying a printer with auto-leveling, or installing a bed leveling sensor.
Consistent and accurate prints
Imagine you are building a brick wall on uneven ground. Your bottom layer of bricks will follow the uneven floor, and every consecutive layer will follow the same awkward geometry.
This is why builders lay concrete and level it before building a wall. And this is why you should ideally have a completely flat print bed.
Of course, this is not always the case, so you can compensate with an auto-leveling feature.
Having a flat base to print on (or compensating with auto leveling) will provide flat, planar prints, which will maintain their consistent accuracy throughout the whole build of the part.
And of course, having a level print means your accuracy will be higher. If you print on an uneven bed without compensating, then the print could end up at different dimensions than as modeled.
This is not good. Get auto-leveling!
Time-saving feature
Printing with manual leveling is a chore, and a time-consuming one at that.
Depending on what type of printer you have (and what kind of print bed), you could end up doing this quite a lot. Cheaper beds can suffer from quality issues, and if you order a bed online, you may find it warps during transit.
The more it warps, the more time you will dedicate to leveling it.
Cut all this hassle out of your life, and get a printer with auto bed leveling, or else get yourself a bed leveling sensor (such as BL Touch) and convert your stock printer into one with auto-leveling capabilities.
Reduced risk of failed prints
Warped, uneven, and un-leveled beds can manifest their poor results from the very first layer.
If the bed is not level, then the filament will not extrude in the same plane, and this can result in poor bed adhesion, and the first layer undulates all over the place.
And depending on how bad the leveling is, this can manifest itself later on in the print as well, with the distance between the nozzle and top print layer fluctuating all over the place.
Having a level setup will reduce the chances of these occurrences.
Best 3D Printers With Auto Bed Leveling
Let’s assume that you want to forgo the job of installing your own bed leveling sensor, and you are in the market for a 3D printer that will have auto-leveling features as standard.
The good news is that your choices are many. And here are just a few options for you, should you need a 3D printer with auto bed leveling as standard.
LulzBot Mini 2
The LulzBot Mini 2 is manufactured by LulzBot, a division of Aleph Objects, Inc.
It has a compact and durable design and features a build volume of 152 x 152 x 158 mm. The LulzBot Mini 2 has a maximum resolution of 50 microns, and it is capable of printing with a wide range of materials, such as ABS, PLA, HIPS, TPU, and more.
The printer is open-source, meaning that users can modify and customize the hardware and software till their hearts are content. It comes with the Cura LulzBot Edition software, which allows for easy slicing and printing.
It is also equipped with an LCD display and an SD card slot for standalone printing. It also has a self-leveling and self-cleaning bed, which ensures that the prints stick well and are easy to remove.
Specifications
- Build Volume: 152 x 152 x 158 mm
- Layer Resolution: 50 microns
- Print Speed: up to 300 mm/s
- Filament Compatibility: ABS, PLA, HIPS, TPU and more
- Connectivity: USB, SD card
- Control Panel: LCD display
- Dimensions: 457 x 381 x 330 mm
- Weight: 6.5 kg
- Filament Diameter: 2.85mm
- Extruder: LulzBot Hexagon Hotend
- Extruder cooling: Dual cooling fans
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Power panic feature: for safe and easy filament change
- Filament run-out sensor
- Self-cleaning bed
- Print resume feature
- Fast print speed
Cons:
- Single extruder only for that price
Price
- From $1,495
FlashForge Creator Pro
The FlashForge Creator Pro is a high-performance desktop 3D printer, and it is the most cost-effective entry on this list.
It has a sturdy, full-metal frame and a build volume of 225 x 145 x 150 mm. The printer is capable of printing with a variety of materials including ABS, PLA, TPU, and more.
The Creator Pro is equipped with a heated build plate, dual extruders, and a user-friendly control panel with a color LCD screen for easy operation. It also features a built-in camera for remote monitoring of your print jobs. The Creator Pro is compatible with a variety of slicing software such as FlashPrint, Cura, and MatterControl.
And yes, it also has auto-leveling.
Specifications
- Build Volume: 230 x 150 x 140 mm
- Layer Resolution: 100 – 500 microns
- Print Speed: up to 100 mm/s
- Filament Compatibility: ABS, PLA, TPU, and more
- Connectivity: USB, SD card
- Control Panel: Color LCD screen
- Dimensions: 549 x 441 x 385 mm
- Weight: 20kg
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Remote monitoring: Built-in Camera
- Duel extruder
- Enclosed chamber
Cons:
- There are no cons at this price point
Price
- From $549.00
Ultimaker S3
The Ultimaker S3 is a professional-grade desktop 3D printer manufactured by Ultimaker. It has a build volume of 230 x 190 x 200 mm and a layer resolution of 20 microns.
It is equipped with a dual extrusion system that allows for printing with two different materials or colors simultaneously. The printer also has a color touchscreen display, Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity, and the ability to print directly from a USB drive or over a network. It is compatible with a variety of slicing software such as Cura and PrusaSlicer.
It features a self-leveling bed, which is why it’s on the list!
Specifications
- Build Volume: 230 x 190 x 200 mm
- Layer Resolution: 20 microns
- Print Speed: up to 20-60 mm/s
- Filament Compatibility: Ultimaker, 3rd party filaments
- Connectivity: USB, Wi-Fi, Ethernet
- Control Panel: Color Touchscreen
- Dimensions: 500 x 480 x 550 mm
- Weight: 15 kg
- Filament Diameter: 2.85 mm
- Print head: Ultimaker S5 print head
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Dual extrusion system
- Print recovery feature
- Enclosed build chamber
- Mobile app integration
- Dual extruder
- Air filter
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Paying for brand mostly
- Print speed is fairly slow
Price
- From $4,395
Raise3D Pro2
The Raise3D Pro2 is a high-performance industrial-grade printer with a volume of 305 x 305 x 300 mm.
The printer is equipped with a dual extrusion system, a heated build plate, a color touchscreen, and an automatic bed leveling system.
It also features a filament run-out sensor, a power panic feature for safe and easy filament change, and the ability to print directly from a USB drive or over a network.
It is a great option for professionals and industrial users who need a large and reliable 3D printer for high-volume production.
Specifications
- Build Volume: 305 x 305 x 300 mm
- Layer Resolution: 10 microns
- Print Speed: up to 150 mm/s
- Connectivity: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi
- Control Panel: Color Touchscreen
- Dimensions: 790 x 790 x 1035 mm
- Weight: 55 kg
- Filament Diameter: 2.85 mm
- Print head: E3D V6 Hotend
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Dual extrusion system
- Enclosed build chamber
- Power panic feature: for safe and easy filament change
- Filament run-out sensor
- Dual-material printing
- High-quality structure
- High resolution
- HEPA filter
Cons:
- A wee bit pricey
Price
- $ 3,999
Prusa i3 MK3S
The Prusa i3 MK3S is a popular and highly-regarded desktop 3D printer from Prusa Research.
It features a large build volume of 250 x 210 x 200 mm and a layer height of 20 microns. The printer is open-source and is based on the Prusa i3 design, which is known for its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use.
It also has a great online community to help you out, should you run into any issues with the machine.
It comes with the PrusaSlicer software (obvs), also developed by Prusa Research. The printer is equipped with a number of advanced features such as a self-leveling and self-cleaning bed, a filament run-out sensor, and a power panic feature that allows for safe and easy filament change.
It also has a color LCD screen, USB and Ethernet connectivity, and the ability to print directly from a USB drive or over a network.
Unlike the other entries in this list, it does not have a bed that moves on the z-axis; it is a bed slider-type printer, meaning the gantry adjusts to level, rather than the bed.
Specifications
- Build Volume: 250 x 210 x 210 mm
- Layer Resolution: 20 microns
- Print Speed: up to 200 mm/s
- Filament Compatibility: PLA, ABS, PETG, Nylon, and more
- Connectivity: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi
- Control Panel: Color LCD screen
- Remote monitoring: OctoPrint supported
- Dimensions: 445 x 440 x 400 mm
- Weight: 8.6 kg
- Bed leveling: Automatic, 9-point bed leveling
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Extruder: E3D V6 Hotend
- Extruder cooling: Noctua fan
- Bed material: Spring steel sheet
- Power panic feature: for safe and easy filament change
- Filament run-out sensor
Cons:
- Single extruder only
Price
- From $1,099
How to Choose the Right 3D Printer with Auto Bed Leveling
So, we have seen some of the options available to you if you require a 3D printer with auto-leveling capabilities right out of the box.
So which is the best one for your needs? There are several factors that you can look at to help you make your decision.
Price
You can purchase an auto-bed leveling sensor for very little money, and convert a cheap printer into one with auto-leveling functionality.
The addition of a sensor should not be your main decision driver when dropping $4000 on a printer. But that said, if you are spending that much on a printer, you better be sure it does have this feature (along with many others).
Features
Overall, you can get a printer with an auto-leveling function for not much money. So buy what you can afford, and consider the other features available for your budget.
Some printers have 9-point bed leveling, and some have just 4-points, but if your printer uses open-source firmware (like Klipper or Marlin), you can change this to as many points as you like.
Reviews
After your budget has been determined, and you have narrowed down a list of potential candidates with the features that you want to have on your printer, be sure to check the reviews on YouTube.
Try to avoid asking for reviews on Facebook. Every man and his dog have a different opinion.
Material Compatibility
Material compatibility is down to several factors, including hotend temperature, extruder type, and in some cases, if the printer uses DRM to lock filament choices to those provided by the manufacturer.
Most of the printers on this list have open filament systems, so they can print 3rd party filaments.
Obviously, the cheaper printers will not be able to print high-temperature plastics or abrasive filaments, unless you swap the hotend and nozzle- but then we can also say the same about the Ultimaker, and that’s not a cheap printer.
Our Verdict
If you have the money to spend and you want a feature-rich professional-grade printer with a bigger build volume (and auto-leveling), then we would recommend the Raise3D Pro2.
If you are on a budget, and you want a printer with auto-leveling and an enclosed chamber, then the 1st gen FlashForge Creator Pro is an absolute bargain.