Comparing CNC machines, wondering which you should buy? In this guide we look at the considerations and options so you make the right choice.
Comparing CNC machines, wondering which you should buy? In this guide we look at the considerations and options so you make the right choice.
Comparing CNC machines and wondering which you should buy?
Buying a CNC is quite different from buying a 3D printer, or even a laser cutter.
For a start, there is even disagreement on the definitions for what we are talking about, which we will get into in a second.
Secondly, if you have yet to use a CNC, you might not have a clear idea of what you want to do with it.
Third, there are a lot of variables that we need to consider, that might not become clear until having used a machine for real projects, and that are not apparent even after watching and reading reviews.
Keep in mind also, this is not a CNC review, though I will use my own experience of specific machines to inform my thoughts.
Let&#;s get into it.
While most people will have an idea in their head when you say CNC, it simply means it is a fabrication machine under computer control.
That probably serves up more confusion than explaination &#; with that definition alone, both a 3D Printer or a Laser Cutter are CNC machines.
When we speak about CNC, however, we are usually talking about a CNC Mill or a CNC Router.
Both interpret computer instructions to progressively carve out material using a spinning endmill to create our end-product, and therefore this style of production is called Subtractive Manufacture, versus additive in the case of 3D printing.
So there are two types of machine that people really mean when they say CNC, but how are they different?
CNC Router VsAs you can see in these pictures of machines at Protospace, visually they have a lot in common, but the Mill is set up with a high-torque spindle, and more Z (vertical) + Y (horizontal) travel, whereas the Router is on a moving gantery, and is able to move far further in both the X and Y, with some travel in Z but not anywhere near as much.
Some of the descriptions you hear are applicable to each machine, but if the workpiece moves in all but the up and down (z) direction with the spindle static, it is likely to be a mill.
Mills are more robust, therefore are often used for metal work, or very hard plastics, creating highly precise and repeatable machine parts, for example.
On the other hand, while a router could well cut metal, it would be commonly seen cutting acrylic signs, or in a cabinet maker workshop, cutting and carving MDF drawers and pine doors.
While neither of the above machines would be seen in a home workshop, when we talk about hobbyists, we are almost always talking about a CNC router.
As we have already seen in the use-cases for a CNC mill versus router, different machines are suited to different tasks.
In determining the specific machine you go for, and the budget you ought to expect, you need to know at the very least:
Many people consider CNC routers as being obsolete now that lasers and 3D printing are gaining capabilities, but that is not true yet, and might never be entirely true.
That said, there are many times I consider using a CNC and decide instead to go with 3D printing or laser, just out of comfort and convenience.
Where CNC shines is when you consider materials and scale.
I have a laser that is powerful enough to engrave metal, and can possibly even cut very thin metal, but on my Nomad 3 I can cut and engrave aluminium well, and make pretty decent circuit boards, including cutting them out.
Even with multiple passes I could not cut anywhere close to the thickness of materials that I can cut on my CNC, and there are materials that would be toxic even if I could.
While CNC is subtractive, just as lasers are, it can do 3D using STL files like 3D printers can. This can be useful for simple things like bevels and chamfers, all the way up to intricate 3D carves.
3D test carve of an STL file from Fusion3603D prints are more capable when it comes to shapes, some fine details, and geometry, but CNC is more capable when it comes to size and materials.
As mentioned, there are times I turn to my other &#;digital fabrication&#; options such as 3D printing and lasers over CNC, and here are some reasons:
Ultimately, the decision between a budget CNC and a fifteen thousand dollar machine depends on your specific needs and goals:
Keep in mind that there really is an element of you get what you pay for, but you might be paying for more performance than you need:
All of my home CNC machines run on the open source GRBL software. You can be almost certain yours will too, but Mach 3 and other software is out there and highly popular, especially at makerspaces and manufacturing, so we should touch on this.
GRBL runs on Arduino-based CNC controllers and reads GCcode, much like Marlin in the 3D printer world. This means both the firmware and the hardware can be open and free.
Because it is hugely popular, it offers a wide-variety of software options, including UGS, Chili Pepper, Open Build Control, Carbide Motion, Easel, Cool Term, CNCjs, and more.
Mach3 CNC Software Comparison with GRBLMach 3 is proprietary, and $175 at the time of writing, but does have a limited demo license. It uses your desktop computer and communicates via a parallel port. Yes, it only works on a desktop PC with a parallel port, not a laptop.
While not as beginner-friendly, and of course more expensive, Mach 3 does have advantages in terms of capabilities, for example it can control a 6-axis CNC machine. It also supports macros via scripting, which for a regular hobbyist is not a big deal, but for small-batch manufacturing starts to become interesting.
The three main drive systems on CNC machines are ball screws, rack and pinion, and belt drives.
It is not true any longer that hobbyist machines will always use belts, but it did used to be the case because belts and stepper motors are cheaper, and are easier to manufacture well.
That said, a premium will be paid for more powerful motors and drivers compared to a less expensive machine.
Belts vs ball screwsMy X-Carve 500 has belts, but the belts are sufficient for the work it is expected to do. My Nomad 3 is built more like a mill, it has a smaller, enclosed work area, but uses ball screws.
Ball screws are preferable because belts are stretchy and can cause imperfections due to backlash.
One of the things I liked about my Longmill was even though some of it was not super rigid (eg. 3D printed parts), it used threaded rods instead of belts (but not ballscrews unfortunately).
Ben helping me assemble the LongmillAlmost every entry-level router will use an off the shelf handheld router as its spindle, or a powerful 24v DC motor. In the former case, the speed will be set manually using the dial on the casing, and will be turned on and off manually too.
A premium built CNC will have a specifically designed spindle that features more power and has programmable speed control.
I came to CNC via wanting to prototype circuit boards, because I am scared of nasty chemicals. It was only after owning a machine that I branched out into other things, and eventually took the certification at my makerspace so I could use (and later teach) the big scary Mach3 machines.
This means my machines have almost always been on the smaller size, and my one larger machine as I mentioned earlier, I found I used but didn&#;t really have space for.
My first machine was pretty bare-bones and has many names, but I knew it as &#;T8 CNC&#;. Really, it is just for PCBs, but didn&#;t do a very good job of that because the accuracy and rigidity isn&#;t there. What it did do, at a low price, was take away my fear of the machines.
Next was the Sienci Mill One. Sadly, it is no longer produced, but it was a great machine for me. Again, only small, but much more robust and capable. For a teaching situation it especially proved itself, it was bashed around and abused at the other maker space for a long time and survived.
I tested all kinds of materials on that little guy, and eventually outgrew it. First I upgraded to a slightly larger 500mm x 500mm X-Carve, which I still have and enjoy.
Longmill and X-CarveEventually I upgraded in size again to the Longmill. At the time I got it there was a deal where we got an early version at a discount, so I paid under $2,000 CAD for a 30&#;x30&#; machine.
Would it have been nice to just lay down a full sheet of plywood or MDF and get cutting? Sure, but even this machine in our two-car garage had to live hung on a wall.
Many of my friends thought I was losing it when I finally (for now) bought a Nomad 3. This machine has a small work area, and can not even accept larger materials because it is all enclosed.
The thing is, it suits 80% of what I use a CNC for, while keeping all the dirt (MDF and carbon fiber especially) and dangerous flying objects mostly inside. When half an endmill goes ping at high speed, that piece of plastic is an eye-saver.
While we had a workshop I was tempted to get a larger machine again, but now we are space-limited I am glad I didn&#;t take the plunge. I just wish there was a makerspace nearby as well-equipped as the ones I left behind in Calgary!
If you are looking to make stuff for yourself, maybe to sell at craft fairs or Etsy, you do not need to be spending $15,000 on a machine like the Avid etc.
While I am a big fan of open source and community, and especially saving money, if this is your first CNC then I would guide you towards one of the well-known brands with a tried-and-tested new customer onboarding:
Both come with free software and work with the popular third party applications, such as Aspire/Vcarve.
For ease of use, I especially like Inventables Easel, which is browser-based, compatible with pretty much any GRBL-based CNC and is free for the basic license. Optionally there is a pro version.
Another option for CNC brands is Onefinity. I have heard good things about these, and they seem comparitively priced, but I have no personal experience of them.
If those are too rich for your budget, then cutting your budget right down to the level where you won&#;t be too upset if it doesn&#;t work out makes sense.
A budget option I have heard good things about is the Two Trees TTC-450, which at the time of writing can be got for under $650 including spindle, but again I haven&#;t got any direct experience of this machine.
For me, today if I had the budget and the space, I would likely choose the Shapeoko 5 Pro, because even with VFD, and even though shipping is more than X-Carve, it is still less expensive than the X-Carve Pro.
I don&#;t think you can go far wrong with either the X-Carve or the Shapeoko, though! Would be sure interesting to see them go head-to-head.
Our 23/24 Winter Buyer&#;s Guide is &#; by far &#; our biggest guide ever, and also the best guide out there: 300+ skis, 70+ boots, plus plenty of snowboards, splitboards, touring bindings, climbing skins, helmets, goggles, apparel, and more.
But what makes our guide the most trustworthy is what you won&#;t find in it: there are zero advertisements from any of the ski or snowboard companies we review, so you aren&#;t getting any paid-for reviews, just &#; as always &#; our honest, unvarnished opinion after many days of testing each product.
You can now order the print and digital editions of the 23/24 Guide.
Same as last year, you can order the print edition and get INSTANT access to the digital edition at no extra cost, or go digital only.
Of course, the super smart move is to become a BLISTER+ member, which gets you the guide and a whole lot more.
Our 23/24 Cover Photo
This year&#;s cover photo was shot on Feb 15, , right in the middle of our Blister Summit, which is particularly fitting, since the skier pictured is Blister reviewer & Summit director, Kristin Sinnott. (Our Summit photographer, Taylor Ahearn, captured the ethereal image of Kristin, in addition to grabbing hundreds of great photos of Summit attendees.)
Comparing CNC machines and wondering which you should buy?
Buying a CNC is quite different from buying a 3D printer, or even a laser cutter.
For a start, there is even disagreement on the definitions for what we are talking about, which we will get into in a second.
Secondly, if you have yet to use a CNC, you might not have a clear idea of what you want to do with it.
Third, there are a lot of variables that we need to consider, that might not become clear until having used a machine for real projects, and that are not apparent even after watching and reading reviews.
Keep in mind also, this is not a CNC review, though I will use my own experience of specific machines to inform my thoughts.
Let&#;s get into it.
While most people will have an idea in their head when you say CNC, it simply means it is a fabrication machine under computer control.
That probably serves up more confusion than explaination &#; with that definition alone, both a 3D Printer or a Laser Cutter are CNC machines.
When we speak about CNC, however, we are usually talking about a CNC Mill or a CNC Router.
Both interpret computer instructions to progressively carve out material using a spinning endmill to create our end-product, and therefore this style of production is called Subtractive Manufacture, versus additive in the case of 3D printing.
So there are two types of machine that people really mean when they say CNC, but how are they different?
CNC Router VsAs you can see in these pictures of machines at Protospace, visually they have a lot in common, but the Mill is set up with a high-torque spindle, and more Z (vertical) + Y (horizontal) travel, whereas the Router is on a moving gantery, and is able to move far further in both the X and Y, with some travel in Z but not anywhere near as much.
Some of the descriptions you hear are applicable to each machine, but if the workpiece moves in all but the up and down (z) direction with the spindle static, it is likely to be a mill.
Mills are more robust, therefore are often used for metal work, or very hard plastics, creating highly precise and repeatable machine parts, for example.
On the other hand, while a router could well cut metal, it would be commonly seen cutting acrylic signs, or in a cabinet maker workshop, cutting and carving MDF drawers and pine doors.
While neither of the above machines would be seen in a home workshop, when we talk about hobbyists, we are almost always talking about a CNC router.
As we have already seen in the use-cases for a CNC mill versus router, different machines are suited to different tasks.
In determining the specific machine you go for, and the budget you ought to expect, you need to know at the very least:
Many people consider CNC routers as being obsolete now that lasers and 3D printing are gaining capabilities, but that is not true yet, and might never be entirely true.
That said, there are many times I consider using a CNC and decide instead to go with 3D printing or laser, just out of comfort and convenience.
Where CNC shines is when you consider materials and scale.
I have a laser that is powerful enough to engrave metal, and can possibly even cut very thin metal, but on my Nomad 3 I can cut and engrave aluminium well, and make pretty decent circuit boards, including cutting them out.
Even with multiple passes I could not cut anywhere close to the thickness of materials that I can cut on my CNC, and there are materials that would be toxic even if I could.
While CNC is subtractive, just as lasers are, it can do 3D using STL files like 3D printers can. This can be useful for simple things like bevels and chamfers, all the way up to intricate 3D carves.
3D test carve of an STL file from Fusion3603D prints are more capable when it comes to shapes, some fine details, and geometry, but CNC is more capable when it comes to size and materials.
As mentioned, there are times I turn to my other &#;digital fabrication&#; options such as 3D printing and lasers over CNC, and here are some reasons:
Ultimately, the decision between a budget CNC and a fifteen thousand dollar machine depends on your specific needs and goals:
Keep in mind that there really is an element of you get what you pay for, but you might be paying for more performance than you need:
All of my home CNC machines run on the open source GRBL software. You can be almost certain yours will too, but Mach 3 and other software is out there and highly popular, especially at makerspaces and manufacturing, so we should touch on this.
GRBL runs on Arduino-based CNC controllers and reads GCcode, much like Marlin in the 3D printer world. This means both the firmware and the hardware can be open and free.
Because it is hugely popular, it offers a wide-variety of software options, including UGS, Chili Pepper, Open Build Control, Carbide Motion, Easel, Cool Term, CNCjs, and more.
Mach3 CNC Software Comparison with GRBLMach 3 is proprietary, and $175 at the time of writing, but does have a limited demo license. It uses your desktop computer and communicates via a parallel port. Yes, it only works on a desktop PC with a parallel port, not a laptop.
While not as beginner-friendly, and of course more expensive, Mach 3 does have advantages in terms of capabilities, for example it can control a 6-axis CNC machine. It also supports macros via scripting, which for a regular hobbyist is not a big deal, but for small-batch manufacturing starts to become interesting.
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The three main drive systems on CNC machines are ball screws, rack and pinion, and belt drives.
It is not true any longer that hobbyist machines will always use belts, but it did used to be the case because belts and stepper motors are cheaper, and are easier to manufacture well.
That said, a premium will be paid for more powerful motors and drivers compared to a less expensive machine.
Belts vs ball screwsMy X-Carve 500 has belts, but the belts are sufficient for the work it is expected to do. My Nomad 3 is built more like a mill, it has a smaller, enclosed work area, but uses ball screws.
Ball screws are preferable because belts are stretchy and can cause imperfections due to backlash.
One of the things I liked about my Longmill was even though some of it was not super rigid (eg. 3D printed parts), it used threaded rods instead of belts (but not ballscrews unfortunately).
Ben helping me assemble the LongmillAlmost every entry-level router will use an off the shelf handheld router as its spindle, or a powerful 24v DC motor. In the former case, the speed will be set manually using the dial on the casing, and will be turned on and off manually too.
A premium built CNC will have a specifically designed spindle that features more power and has programmable speed control.
I came to CNC via wanting to prototype circuit boards, because I am scared of nasty chemicals. It was only after owning a machine that I branched out into other things, and eventually took the certification at my makerspace so I could use (and later teach) the big scary Mach3 machines.
This means my machines have almost always been on the smaller size, and my one larger machine as I mentioned earlier, I found I used but didn&#;t really have space for.
My first machine was pretty bare-bones and has many names, but I knew it as &#;T8 CNC&#;. Really, it is just for PCBs, but didn&#;t do a very good job of that because the accuracy and rigidity isn&#;t there. What it did do, at a low price, was take away my fear of the machines.
Next was the Sienci Mill One. Sadly, it is no longer produced, but it was a great machine for me. Again, only small, but much more robust and capable. For a teaching situation it especially proved itself, it was bashed around and abused at the other maker space for a long time and survived.
I tested all kinds of materials on that little guy, and eventually outgrew it. First I upgraded to a slightly larger 500mm x 500mm X-Carve, which I still have and enjoy.
Longmill and X-CarveEventually I upgraded in size again to the Longmill. At the time I got it there was a deal where we got an early version at a discount, so I paid under $2,000 CAD for a 30&#;x30&#; machine.
Would it have been nice to just lay down a full sheet of plywood or MDF and get cutting? Sure, but even this machine in our two-car garage had to live hung on a wall.
Many of my friends thought I was losing it when I finally (for now) bought a Nomad 3. This machine has a small work area, and can not even accept larger materials because it is all enclosed.
The thing is, it suits 80% of what I use a CNC for, while keeping all the dirt (MDF and carbon fiber especially) and dangerous flying objects mostly inside. When half an endmill goes ping at high speed, that piece of plastic is an eye-saver.
While we had a workshop I was tempted to get a larger machine again, but now we are space-limited I am glad I didn&#;t take the plunge. I just wish there was a makerspace nearby as well-equipped as the ones I left behind in Calgary!
If you are looking to make stuff for yourself, maybe to sell at craft fairs or Etsy, you do not need to be spending $15,000 on a machine like the Avid etc.
While I am a big fan of open source and community, and especially saving money, if this is your first CNC then I would guide you towards one of the well-known brands with a tried-and-tested new customer onboarding:
Both come with free software and work with the popular third party applications, such as Aspire/Vcarve.
For ease of use, I especially like Inventables Easel, which is browser-based, compatible with pretty much any GRBL-based CNC and is free for the basic license. Optionally there is a pro version.
Another option for CNC brands is Onefinity. I have heard good things about these, and they seem comparitively priced, but I have no personal experience of them.
If those are too rich for your budget, then cutting your budget right down to the level where you won&#;t be too upset if it doesn&#;t work out makes sense.
A budget option I have heard good things about is the Two Trees TTC-450, which at the time of writing can be got for under $650 including spindle, but again I haven&#;t got any direct experience of this machine.
For me, today if I had the budget and the space, I would likely choose the Shapeoko 5 Pro, because even with VFD, and even though shipping is more than X-Carve, it is still less expensive than the X-Carve Pro.
I don&#;t think you can go far wrong with either the X-Carve or the Shapeoko, though! Would be sure interesting to see them go head-to-head.
Our 23/24 Winter Buyer&#;s Guide is &#; by far &#; our biggest guide ever, and also the best guide out there: 300+ skis, 70+ boots, plus plenty of snowboards, splitboards, touring bindings, climbing skins, helmets, goggles, apparel, and more.
But what makes our guide the most trustworthy is what you won&#;t find in it: there are zero advertisements from any of the ski or snowboard companies we review, so you aren&#;t getting any paid-for reviews, just &#; as always &#; our honest, unvarnished opinion after many days of testing each product.
You can now order the print and digital editions of the 23/24 Guide.
Same as last year, you can order the print edition and get INSTANT access to the digital edition at no extra cost, or go digital only.
Of course, the super smart move is to become a BLISTER+ member, which gets you the guide and a whole lot more.
Our 23/24 Cover Photo
This year&#;s cover photo was shot on Feb 15, , right in the middle of our Blister Summit, which is particularly fitting, since the skier pictured is Blister reviewer & Summit director, Kristin Sinnott. (Our Summit photographer, Taylor Ahearn, captured the ethereal image of Kristin, in addition to grabbing hundreds of great photos of Summit attendees.)
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