# Klicky Probe setup for CoreXY 3D printers

> jlas1/Klicky-Probe is a printable, magnetically attached probe designed mainly for CoreXY 3D printers, with Klipper and RepRapFirmware support. Its main trade-off is physical integration because adoption depends on printer-specific mounts, dock geometry, and configuration.

**jlas1/Klicky-Probe** — Microswitch probe with magnetic attachement, primarily aimed at CoreXY 3d printers

- Repository: https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe
- Stars: 1,452 · Forks: 300
- Language: Unknown
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-10-16 · Updated: 2026-10-16 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/jlas1-klicky-probe

## Why Klicky Probe targets CoreXY printer builders

Klicky Probe addresses the need for a compact bed-detection mechanism that can move with the toolhead and return to a dock when it is not needed. The project is aimed primarily at CoreXY 3D printers, particularly Voron V2.4, V1.8, Legacy, Trident, and V0 machines and documented derivatives. Its README positions it as a drop-in replacement for Omron TL-Q5MC2 or PL-08N2 probes and as a replacement for BLTouch probes, without requiring replacement of the toolhead.

This is a hardware design that must be printed, assembled, mounted, electrically connected, and configured for a particular printer. It is not packaged as a finished sensor with a universal mechanical and firmware interface. The documented users are mainly Klipper operators, while the repository also contains work for RepRapFirmware. Builders should therefore be comfortable handling printable parts, small magnets, microswitches, heat inserts, and printer geometry.

The stated objectives include minimal adjustment, detection across all print surfaces, placement close to the hotend tip, repeatable probing, reduced temperature variation, low cost, and reuse of spare parts. These are project goals rather than independently verified guarantees. The README reports an accuracy range better than 0.025 mm and a standard deviation of 0.01 mm, but it does not identify the test procedure, sample count, printer, or measurement conditions. Builders should verify repeatability on their own machine before treating those figures as acceptance criteria.

## How Klicky attaches, probes, and docks

The mechanical system has four principal components. A toolhead mount carries the probe during operation. The probe itself contacts the bed. A dock receives the probe when it is parked, and a dock mount attaches that dock to the printer frame. This separation allows probing near the nozzle while keeping a defined storage location elsewhere on the machine.

The regular Klicky design uses magnets both to secure the probe mechanically and to make its electrical connection. The README says its magnets can be glued to reduce the chance that they become loose. KlickyNG encloses the magnets so that they are self-aligning and do not require glue for retention. Both attachment designs can support a microswitch probe or a corresponding Unklicky design.

The regular design is based on concepts from the Quickdraw probe and adds a third magnet for stability. It also supports fixed dock gantries. KlickyNG takes a different approach by containing the magnets, which reduces the need for glue but introduces a different printed enclosure and assembly procedure. Users should follow the instructions for the selected version rather than treating the two mounting mechanisms as interchangeable.

The README links a dock-and-undock video, but it does not present the animation as a complete firmware procedure. The physical movement places the probe at or near the bed and then returns it to the dock. Klipper macros coordinate those operations for supported configurations. The dock therefore serves both as storage and as part of the repeatable attach and undock sequence.

## Klipper macros and conditional Z calibration

Most Klicky Probe users are identified by the README as Klipper users. The Klipper_macros directory contains macros intended to automate probe attachment, docking, and use. Because the hardware includes a detachable probe, these macros reduce the need to define every movement repeatedly when the printer moves between a probe position and its dock.

The README does not provide one universal installation command or a complete generic Klipper configuration. Readers should inspect the macro files and the page for their exact printer. Model names, dock locations, mount geometry, electrical connections, and firmware conventions can differ. Copying a configuration from another printer without checking those details could produce motion that does not match the installed dock.

RepRapFirmware support exists through the RRF_macros directory, although the README describes some functionality as work developed for RRF. That wording supports trying the documented files, but it does not establish identical support across every printer. Users should compare the RRF macros with their existing firmware setup and select the correct probe-specific configuration.

Klicky can also work with the automatic Z calibration plugin for Klipper. According to the README, that plugin can calculate the Z offset from the probe and from a Z endstop when the printer supports a nozzle-triggered Z endstop, as many Voron machines do. This integration is conditional on the external plugin, compatible probe macros, and the printer's endstop arrangement. It does not automatically provide a universal Z calibration method.

## Selecting Regular Klicky, KlickyNG, and Unklicky

Regular Klicky and KlickyNG offer different magnetic retention methods. Regular Klicky uses exposed magnets that can also provide the electrical connection, with glue available to keep them from loosening. KlickyNG encloses its magnets, allowing self-alignment without relying on glue. The README says both approaches use common, readily sourced parts.

Each attachment option supports a microswitch probe and an Unklicky probe. The README describes Unklicky as a self-built probe and states that it surpasses the commonly used microswitches in the project's view. Because that claim is not accompanied by comparative measurements, methodology, or test data in the README, it should not be interpreted as a verified performance result. The documented distinction is the supported probe architecture, not a substantiated accuracy ranking.

The general probe bill of materials recommends an Omron D2F-5 or D2F-5L with its lever removed. It also says D2F-1 and similar-size microswitches work. Other listed parts include two M2x10 mm self-tapping screws, approximately 6 mm by 3 mm magnets, M5 screws, M3 screws, M3 heat inserts, and M3 nuts. Exact quantities depend on the selected probe.

Separate assembly instructions are available for KlickyProbe, KlickyNG, and the Unklicky variants. This separation is important because magnet placement, enclosure design, and attachment behavior differ. Users upgrading an earlier design should also inspect Klipper_macros, which the README identifies as the location for update instructions.

## Printing parts without supports and checking accuracy

The README states that Klicky parts need no support material. Its recommended slicer configuration is four perimeters, four top layers, four bottom layers, and at least 23 percent infill. The STLs are already oriented for printing, so the README says they can be sent directly to a slicer. Individual printer or probe pages may provide further settings.

The reported probe accuracy output has a range better than 0.025 mm between highest and lowest values and a standard deviation of 0.01 mm. These numbers support the project's stated intent to provide repeatable and accurate probing near the hotend tip. However, the README does not document the bed surface, probe pressure, temperature, printer configuration, number of readings, or calculation method. It also does not provide a formal tolerance specification for each printed component.

Actual repeatability can depend on magnet seating, attachment alignment, dock geometry, printed-part fit, wiring, frame behavior, and the distance between the probe and nozzle. Builders should not treat the reported figures as universal tolerances. They should first confirm that the attach and dock motions are repeatable and that the electrical connection remains stable during normal movement.

Printer-specific STLs are stored in printer directories, while probe STLs are located in each probe type directory. The CAD directory contains the design files. This layout supports adaptation, but it also requires users to verify which revision and which printer directory they are using.

## Where the documented printer coverage ends

Klicky Probe has detailed instructions for several printer families: Voron v2.4, Voron v1.8, Voron Legacy, Voron Trident, Voron v0, VCore 3.0/3.1, MercuryOne, and Voron Switchwire. Each linked printer area is supposed to provide specific parts, installation guidance, configuration, troubleshooting, and recommended settings. That makes these documented models the clearest adoption targets.

For other printers and toolheads, the Usermods directory contains docks and mounts submitted by users. The README does not promise that every user contribution has the same documentation, validation, or compatibility. A submitted dock may solve a mechanical need while still requiring the builder to check clearances, fasteners, electrical behavior, and firmware movement.

The project is therefore a poor fit for someone who expects to order one sensor, connect two wires, and use the same configuration across unrelated printers. It is better suited to a maker who can select files from the correct directory, print and assemble the mechanism, and adapt the dock when the exact frame or toolhead differs.

The README also does not document a formal support matrix covering materials, temperatures, printer revisions, or every supported firmware release. Those omissions do not make the project unusable, but they require direct inspection of the relevant printer documentation before committing to parts.

## Quickdraw, Euclid, BLTouch, and finished probes

The README identifies Quickdraw and Euclid Probe as inspirations and says Klicky uses concepts from each. Regular Klicky is specifically described as based on the Quickdraw probe. The repository does not provide a feature-by-feature comparison with either project, so it does not support claims that Klicky is more accurate, cheaper to source, or easier to install than either one.

Klicky also describes itself as a BLTouch replacement. The practical distinction offered by the README is the mechanical approach: Klicky uses a magnetically attached microswitch probe and a physical dock, while BLTouch is named only as the probing category being replaced. The README does not compare calibration features, probe repeatability, wiring, firmware behavior, or installation time, so a buyer should not assume functional equivalence based on that word alone.

A finished commercial probe has a different adoption model. It may reduce the need to print parts, select magnets, fit a dock, and adapt firmware. Klicky offers control over the printed geometry and the ability to target a specific CoreXY frame, but it transfers more assembly and integration work to the builder. Neither approach is automatically preferable; the deciding issue is whether the printer-specific mechanical and firmware work fits the available time and skills.

The project also aims to avoid toolhead replacement and soldering for the probe connection. Those are concrete reasons to consider it, provided the selected mount and electrical design match the printer.

## Maintenance, upgrades, and GPL-3.0 files

Klicky Probe is a fabrication project rather than a software package with versioned releases. The repository has no GitHub releases. Its README directs users upgrading from an earlier version to the Klipper_macros folder for update instructions. Users of RepRapFirmware should inspect RRF_macros. The README does not document a formal semantic version policy or a universal method for migrating hardware between all probe revisions.

Maintenance also has a physical dimension. Users may need to reprint a damaged part, correct a loose magnet, change a mount, or adapt the dock after a printer or toolhead revision. The repository includes CAD, STLs, assembly instructions, and user-submitted parts, but it does not publish a spare-parts policy. Printer builders should therefore identify which directories contain the STL and assembly files for their exact configuration.

The repository was not archived. Its last push was on 2026-05-09. That date indicates recent repository activity, but the lack of GitHub releases means it does not establish a formal release cadence or a stable release line.

The repository identifies GPL-3.0 as its license. That matters when copying or redistributing covered files, but this review does not interpret the license or provide legal advice.

## Conclusion

Adopt Klicky Probe when modifying a compatible CoreXY printer and you want a printable, magnetically attached microswitch probe without replacing the toolhead or soldering the probe connection. Do not adopt it as a universal electronic module, because the repository depends on printer-specific mounts, dock geometry, firmware macros, and physical tolerances. Check the exact printer page, assembly instructions, bill of materials, and firmware configuration first. The repository is not archived, its last push was on 2026-05-09, and it has no GitHub releases.

## FAQ

### Which printers support Klicky Probe?

Klicky Probe is aimed mainly at CoreXY 3D printers. The README links detailed pages for Voron V2.4, V1.8, Legacy, Trident, V0, VCore 3.0/3.1, MercuryOne, and Switchwire, while Usermods contains mounts submitted for other configurations.

### Does installing Klicky Probe require soldering?

The project lists soldering not required as an objective, and the magnetic attachment also provides the electrical connection. The general tools list includes a soldering iron for heat inserts, so assembly may still require it even though the probe connection itself is designed to avoid soldering.

### Does Klicky Probe support Klipper and RepRapFirmware?

The repository has separate Klipper_macros and RRF_macros directories. The README says most users use Klipper and that some functionality has been developed for RRF, so users should follow the files and printer instructions for their selected firmware.

## Sources

- [Issues](https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe/issues)
- [jlas1/Klicky-Probe on GitHub](https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe)
- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe/blob/main/LICENSE)
- [README](https://github.com/jlas1/Klicky-Probe/blob/main/README.md)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/jlas1-klicky-probe