@Jdvoreh This is most like my experience. I have the original BitZero and my experience with it is that I’m far more accurate using the “trap the paper” and “touch the corner” method. I have probed three times with the bit zero without moving it and got three different sets of zeroes! At that point, I do it manually and that’s it. My BitZero sits unused…a waste of money for me.
BitSetter, on the other hand, I find to be worth EVERY penny. It’s the most convenient tool in the arsenal — and, it helps when setting zeroes…in that you can zero with a thin bit (1/16", for example) and then use the bitsetter to change tools — it’s pretty fantastic. The only downside of the BitSetter, as I see it, is that you sometimes will want to turn it off - when using only one tool for jobs that you want to run multiple times on different pieces of material – then the overhead of the start up process of the BitSetter is a bit of a drag. The only other negative - and it’s not a BitSetter issue, it’s a CM issue…is that CM has been written to ask a bunch of worthless questions (designed to protect certain people from themselves) that require you to click multiple times when you enable the BitSetter. It slows you down and forces your hands to the mouse multiple times for no gain for most people. We’ve asked to be able to turn those messages off, but that’s not in the cards, yet.
Interesting, One day I also took several touch readings and recorded them. They where close ish but I could not get the same numbers twice. Mind you, the project I had loaded at the time may not have made for a perfect test. It does not get much use any more as the manual way just makes more sense in my small world.
FYI I live in Canada, I ordered it as a separate purchase and I paid all kinds of additions fees on it, taxes, exchange, FedEx admin fee, brokerage. stinking couriers
However it looks very pretty on the machine with the glowing logo
I like the BitZero enough every Shapeoko I’ve had, has had one. I get great consistency, but I ALWAYS use the 1/4" pin and press it slightly into the corner.
I did 50 cycles one time and all were within 0.002" of each other according to the machine coordinates.
That’s awesome. Yep I use the 1/4" probe too. As I said, my test was not ideal conditions so don’t use that as fact . For me it is just easier for my brain to trust the manual way at this point. My point is whatever work flow works for you is the best I am not sure if it speeds up the work flow though. And I am sure that all depends on what you are setting up.
It works the same way as BML’s comment for z axis. It is a known height and is used as an offset and Steve.Mc’s comment is for x and y coordinate finding the center and using that known offset.
I bought it when I got my shapeoko pro, as I was (and still am somewhat) new to CNC. I found that the bit moves it while zeroing, which makes its value suspect. I much prefer to zero to a corner, trap piece of paper for the Z axis, and I’m away, no fuss. If I were to do it all again, I would choose not to purchase it.
OK…but if I’m going to take the time to tape it down - and worry that I do it right - I may as well just trap a piece of paper and touch the corner (or center mark) with a 1/16" bit…no?
I hear what you are saying Gary. I too get inpatient and want to make chips fly. Over the years I have lost a few tools and damaged a few work pieces due to incorrect step value while trying to pinch that paper. Now that I’m paying for tools, I take the time to use the tools designed to save my cutter and work piece. How much is an extra 2 minutes of my time compared to the 1/16" end mill and that nice chunk of black walnut?
I don’t really have regrets about the Bit Zero. I tried it. And I believe as I said, use what works for “your” work flow. Maybe I will find I have a project where the BitZero works better for that work flow. There is no right answer.
For me things need to register in my small brain to make sense Manually setting it up just works for me and my current work flow . And by the time I pull out the touch plate, set it up, put the probe in the hole, hold it in place with one hand while clicking on the mouse with the other. waiting for it to cycle, forgetting to put the magnet on and starting again … I was already moving the probe I just needed to move it a little more to the correct spot and hit zero So for me, I really don’t see it as a time saver , which I believe was the original question.
And to comment on some of the comments above. I use business cards instead of paper, they are just thicker to protect the surface more, I use a probe bit as a end mill will cut into the paper and change it’s thickness.
Someone above mentioned a 15mm probe and then moved 15 mm to hit zero. It took me a little bit to understand that you can just type in the thickness of the card ( paper or whatever the offset was you used) into the Z Zero field. The zero button just enters “0” for you. You can enter whatever offset you are currently at. Just type in 15mm as the current Z position, Done
Now I also use these business to raise my stock up off the waste board so when I cut through I have some clearance. Normally 4 cards high and then I zero Z off 4 other cards off the waste board with a bit more of a pinch, so call it 3.5 cards . Run the job and it just cuts into the fist card a bit. I have found all kinds of ways to use up all these left over business cards
Everyone’s comments are spot on, I use mine mostly for finding Z. Mine is very repeatable, I just did a test touching off five times and came up with a variance of 0.0015" from the largest to the smallest. Seems pretty good for a hobby machine. As a few mentioned, you can easily make your own Z touch plate - had I known back then, I probably would have just made one vs. buying.
However, I will make the case that while I rarely use it, finding X/Y zero can be very useful. Case in point, today I discovered I made a part a little too large (due to a hardware change after the fact). Instead of tossing it all, I want to reshape it and carve off about 3mm where the arrow is pointing. The problem is the rounded corners.
There are certainly other ways to find a good X/Y zero to place an odd shaped piece. I’ve used a v-carve bit and positioned at the edge of each side. But having the Bitzero makes it really easy.
Now I can set zero from that known good location based on those two lines and trim these pieces down to the right size. (I’m running CNCjs so I can update my macros to position the BitZero at any corner, not sure if you can do that with C3D.)
That is my observation as well. I now always hold it by hand, applying some pressure on the BitZero diagonally against the stock.
For soft materials (like Paulownia) the Z-probing cycle noticeably pushes the probe downwards. I think it would be preferable if it probed Z in the same way as the Bitsetter: once quick, once slow.
Thanks for the tip, I’ve started using it again, and it really does save some time. Question though: at one point I forgot to put the magnet clip on the collet/endmill, and of course it failed. Is there a way to use the jog function to get the bit out of the bitzero? I had to turn off the machine and manually push it around to get it out, as I didn’t see any way to access the jog menu after the probe failure.
It does not get much use any more as the manual way just makes more sense in my small world. 
stinking couriers 
