Entry Level CNC

blackhawk

Brad
Corporate Member
I bought a 4'x8' CNC and have never looked back. The ability to put full size sheet goods on there is a huge plus. I know that is huge for some shops, but I would suggest at least a 4'x4' machine. That will allow you to work with 1/2 sheets. If you ever get to the point of using it to make money, a 4'x4' would be well worth it.
 

gmakra

New User
George
Yes there are entry level machines as mentioned Sharkpedo is one offering and not a bad one.

The big thing is software get something with software. Vetric is a very common and pretty easy to use.

The rest is up to you if you like it you may soon upgrade.

I bought a used machine for my wife. I figured she would play with for a month or two and that would be the end of it.

That move was one of the dumbest moves of my life. We set it up in my shop and she ran the crap out of it. The noise and dust pretty much drove me from my shop. She wore out the machine so I built her a she shed with heat and air and bought her a large Axiom cnc.

She was evicted from my shop and told not to enter my shop at all. Its amazing to watch as my tools migrate from my shop to her shed!

Of course she claims that she does not know how the tools get over there.
 

riggsp

Phil
Corporate Member
Sienci Longmill looks like a solid machine going in, but after reading on their website, I don't think there is any software provided for either CAD/CAM design or machine control...There were several packages listed for both, but none appear to be provided unless I'm just not seeing it.
 

Grimmy2016

Administrator
Scott
I've been watching the Sienci Longmill videos. https://sienci.com/ It seems to be solidly built, uses lead screws instead of belts, costing ~$1500 for the 30"x30" model, some assembly required
Love my Longmill
Sienci Longmill looks like a solid machine going in, but after reading on their website, I don't think there is any software provided for either CAD/CAM design or machine control...There were several packages listed for both, but none appear to be provided unless I'm just not seeing it.
They have discounts on Vcarve, Easel is free (by Inventables) and a few others are out there. You can use multiple GCode programss, Gsender is theirs, UGS works, and a few more. Their software page has all kinds of recommendations.
 

mkepke

Mark
Senior User
Love my Longmill

They have discounts on Vcarve, Easel is free (by Inventables) and a few others are out there. You can use multiple GCode programss, Gsender is theirs, UGS works, and a few more. Their software page has all kinds of recommendations.
Hey Scott - is the/a controller (Longboard?) included in the standard prices? It doesn't jump out at me in the promo literature.

-Mark
 

Craptastic

Matt
Corporate Member
Sainsmart and Fox Alien both make sub $1k cnc routers if you just want to dabble and learn more. The sainsmart genmitsu stuff can be quite inexpensive and much of it moves up with you as upgrades happen.
 

Fermentorman

Mark
Corporate Member
After a lot of research and internal debate, I just bought a 5' x 5' Avid CNC router kit for my shop. Runs on Mach 4 with Vectric Aspire as the design tool. Has a 4 hp air cooled spindle. Able to put full baltic birch sheets on it or half sheets of more common sheet goods. Working toward using it to carve chair seats and cut chair parts, all from domestic hardwoods. Try saddling a white oak chair seat by hand and you'll get the picture of why I went this route.

Assembling it takes a week, tuning takes a week, but it is a worthy endeavor. As a result of the build, I understand how every part on the machine works and why it is there. The staff at Avid is extremely helpful. They have bench top machines as well if you are space constrained.
 

christcrosscrafts

New User
Chris
There are many options for an entry-level CNC. What you consider "entry-level" will be a determining factor. Things to consider before buying... Figure out what size parts you want to cut, then get a bigger machine (you will regret it if you don't). Don't waste your time on belt-driven machines. They will slip, stretch, and break. Stick with ball screws and linear guide rails. Look for one that has plenty of accessories and a good track record of customer support. Decide if you want a "kit" you have to completely put together (like Avid) or one that is pretty much assembled (Next Wave and Axiom).

For the money, Next Wave offers a good variety of options from 12x12 (about $1,700) to 25x50 ($4,999( and everything in between. They are made in USA and are a very good value. They come with Vectric software and usually a monthly promotion to sweeten the pot.
If you want to take that up a notch, Axiom Pro series will not come with the Vectric software but will offer a very beefy machine that will not leave you disappointed. All of the Axiom Pro series fall under 10k. Right now, they are offering a free stand, which will save about $500-600.

I personally started with a Shark and upgraded to an Axiom AR8 Elite. If I had more room, there may be other options I would consider like Avid or Phantom.
 

Bill_L

Bill
Corporate Member
I went with a Shark as well and I got larger than I intended to. A lot of what I've done relates to the size of a chess board. We have a 19-38 drum sander (can sand a regulation chess board in one pass) and went with the 510 since it was 25x25. I don't consider that to be an entry level due to price but they do have smaller ones as Chris mentioned above. I'm interested in the Shark trade-in program too.
 

John Jimenez

JJ
Corporate Member
Fred, I bought a bobscnc 4 off FB marketplace for 600 bucks. It has a 24” x 24” workable surface. I feel that it is a great stater CNc if you can find a used one. Bobscnc customer service is top notch too.
 

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