In this article, we’ll show you the cheapest and greatest CNC router machines on the market right now, bearing in mind all of the aforementioned characteristics.
Table of Contents
Which CNC Router Should I Buy?
It is dependent on your requirements and budget. Here are some of our suggestions based on pricing and size:
- For a beginner cheap CNC router: Sainsmart Genmitsu 3018 Pro, or Sainsmart 3018 PROVer
- For a mid-range option: Sainsmart PROVerXL 4030
- For a large CNC router: Maslow CNC, or MakerMade M2
- For an all-in-one CNC router: Snapmaker 2.0 (with optional 4th axis rotary module)
- Premium option: Inventables X-Carve
The Best CNC Routers & Cheap CNC Machines
Let’s have a look at the top CNC routers available at the moment now in the CNC router evaluations now that we’ve clarified what they are. Our list begins with the best affordable CNC routers and progresses to the best mid-range CNC routers, allowing you to simply choose the one which best fits your budget.
Sainsmart Genmitsu 3018 Pro
- Cutting area: 300 x 180 x 45 mm
- CNC machine price: $200-249
The Genmitsu 3018 Pro from Sainsmart is a tiny CNC router that can be quickly set up at home and is ideal for novices. Sainsmart has created a reputation for itself in the low-cost CNC market by overcoming the access gap by producing simple-to-use beginner CNC kits with excellent customer support and documentation. This greatest home CNC router has an engraved depth of 1.8″ and is versatile enough to work with a variety of materials, including woods, resins, acrylics, PVCs, soft metal, and PCBs. The 45mm depth allows you to do a lot, and the ability to carve through materials as strong as soft metal expands your possibilities significantly for such a low price.
The machine’s body is made of aluminum, which makes it robust and long-lasting – essential qualities for a high-quality CNC job. The system also has Optocouplers, which provide additional protection to the system board for longer life. The Genmitsu 3018 Pro runs on Arduino and is driven by industry-standard GRBL firmware. This robust, accessible software is trustworthy and simple to use, with a wealth of support networks. The router is powered by Toshiba TB6S109 drivers, which are quieter than earlier CNC machines.
If this sort of construction intimidates you, invest an additional $100 and get the 3018 PROVer, which comes practically ready to go and is discussed more in this post. You don’t have to spend a fortune to have your paws just on Genmitsu 3018 Pro; the amateur CNC router starts at $250. A 3-month license to Carveco Maker is also included, which is a sophisticated yet simple-to-use CNC software ideal for small firms and enthusiasts eager to get started with CNC.
Sainsmart Genmitsu 3018 PROVer
- Price: $359
- Build area: 260 x 155 x 35 mm
This CNC engraving machine, which was produced in 2020, is an improvement to the Sainsmart Genmitsu 3018 Pro and the company’s hobby CNC router series. Forget about hour-long assembly delays; the 3018 PROVer gets you up and running in only 15 minutes. While this machine employs this very same GRBL 1.1 software, Arduino architecture, Toshiba TB6S109 drivers, and additional Optocouplers as its predecessors, it improves on use as well as security significantly. If you’re used to it, you can even utilize Sainsmart’s Mach3 version. The 1.8″ monitor shows readouts clearly and allows manual management of your mill without the need of a computer. The tool face can also be homed using this asynchronous control system.
The 3018 PROVer additionally boasts an easy-to-use emergency stop button that automatically shuts down the computer if your project gets out of hand. Hard brakes and limit switches are two further upgraded safety measures. The 3018 PROVer has a good surface of 260 x 155 x 35mm, which is somewhat shorter than the 3018 Pro. While some may mistake it for a little CNC router, the all-aluminum chassis ensures a more durable and high-quality build. The transparent windows just on sides serve to keep dust contained and materials chips from floating away. The router employs an ER-11 collet screw driver and a 775 engine with a 10,000 RPM spindles and a power level of 120W.
It includes a three membership to Carveco Maker, much as the 3018 Pro. This CNC router machine comes tractor trailer, and getting it up – and – running should take no more than 15 minutes, making it an excellent user-friendly desktop CNC router. Additionally, a laser cutter may be added to the machine for an additional fee.
Maslow CNC
- Cutting area: 4 x 8 foot!
- Price: $549
Maslow CNC is a highly fast and reliable CNC router equipment developed by Maslow, an open-source community-driven effort aimed at making large size CNC accessible to everyone.
Despite its low shipping and purchase costs, this large 4 x 8 foot CNC cutting is strong and simple to operate. The Maslow garden is a tremendous source of inspiration, with amazing creations like as chairs, huts, decorations, desks, as well as a boat built with the Maslow CNC on display.
Maslow’s accessible network is a terrific location for cooperation and sharing your creations, in addition to supplying the wood CNC router. The Maslow Community Garden is a library of Maslow users’ creations, replete with tutorials on how to produce a variety of CNC router projects – so when you buy a Maslow CNC, you’re getting not only an inexpensive CNC router, but also membership to a community of like-minded creators. You may even purchase other people’s works through the Community Marketplace! To use the installation manual, the machine is quite simple to put together. It contains a variable cut depth and handy features such as z-axis capabilities.
Sainsmart Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030
- Price: $999
- Work area: 400 x 300 x 110 mm
The Sainsmart Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 is an excellent middle-ground option if you want anything more capable than the entry-level 3018 CNC routers but not as expensive as the Shapeoko or X-Carve.
The build volume is substantially greater than that of 3018 CNC machines, and the 110mm z-axis depth allows you to produce signs and other items with a lot of depth and contrast that you can keep or sell. Sainsmart is recognized for providing accessible, incredibly simple CNC kits, and the PROVerXL 4030 is no exception. It’s easy to use for beginners, yet it has enough power and size for skilled and experienced makers to construct intricate projects out of a range of materials including metal, wood, MDF, polymers, foam, vinyl, and more.
Improvement kits such as the 6060 extensions kit and 6060 aluminium spoilboard, as well as a laser module, are available. With the powerful crankshaft and new self remodelled control device and drive system, the base CNC router has already been powerful and large, and therefore should suit often these day-to-day CNC projects. Overall, it’s a fantastic mid-range CNC router that includes a 3-month subscription to Carveco Maker tools to get you started, though you may alternatively use Easel, Candle, or another program.
BobsCNC Evo 4
- Cutting area: 24″ x 24″
- Price: $1,230
The BobsCNC Evo 4 is widely recognized as one of the greatest CNC routers available, and it is the result of the company’s founders’ decades of technical expertise. This unique machine has a strong plywood chassis with repeatability of 0.002″-0.004″ (0.1-0.05mm). The Evo 4 replaces the company’s previous E4 CNC router. Every router BobsCNC produces is the result of decades of experience, extensive CNC and prototyping expertise, and a passion for creating, as seen by their website and goods. For most enthusiasts, we advise the Evolution 4, however BobsCNC also offers an Evo 3, that is almost equal in features but is significantly smaller in size.
The Evo 4 has a cutting area of 610 x 610 x 85 mm and is driven by a Nema 17 Stepper motor. It is supplemented by an SG20U rail system. It’s made to run on the Arduino Uno using GRBL1.1 firmware. It also contains a GT2 belt drive on the X and Y axes, a TR8 Acme Rod attached with an ACME Nut on the Z axis for faster Z-travel work, and home buttons on all axes. There’s no need to grease the Z-drive because it has a Derlin Acme nut. It may be used on light-weight wood and durable plastic.
Although this desktop CNC router is now more costly than some of the more affordable CNC router alternatives, it is a very high-quality equipment that more than deserves the cost. It comes with two spindle choices, as well as a wasteboard and software. A Makita RT0701C Variable Speed Saw is also included in the package, and a laser cutter add-on is available from third-party dealers only
MakerMade M2 CNC Kit
- Price: $1,199
- Cutting area: 4 x 8 foot (and 3.8-inch depth)
The Maker Made M2 is an updated and improved version of the Maslow CNC. The Maker Made M2 has been updated and enhanced for 2022, and it still has a wonderful 4 x 8 foot slicing range, outstanding 1mm precision, and a laser engraver expansion kit. You receive an all-metal Z-axis, a 40-inch cut capacity per second, and built-in adjustable dust gathering for a more effective and dependable CNC cutting process with less fuss for the extra money.
With the Maker Made M2, you can cut cedar, drywall, acrylics, Nylon, thin aluminum sheets, and a variety of other materials, making it a great flexible CNC machine for both hobbyist and commercial CNC projects — naturally gifted makers have used it to order to achieve successful CNC signs, chairs, and furniture, among other things. It works with drill or mill bits ranging from 1/8 to 1/2 inch, and if you have any issues during your CNC machining, simply contact Maker Made’s US-based customer care, who will do their best to assist you.
Snapmaker 2.0
- Price: $1,199 – $1,799
- Build area: depends on model (from 150x150mm to 350x350mm)
This is the greatest CNC router combination 3d printing laser cutter on the market if you want a jack-of-all-trades CNC router. The Snapmaker 2.0 is larger, better, and one of the most famous maker machines worldwide, having received approximately $8 million on Kickstarter from thousands and thousands of Snapmaker Original devotees. We put the Snapmaker 2.0 to the test and were blown away by the precision of the CNC carver, particularly the deep groove v-bit to be used with the 4-axis rotational module add-on. The rotary module add-on transforms your Snapmaker into a 4-axis Cnc machines capable of carving 360-degree features into material blocks, in addition to being a conventional 2D/2.5D carver.
The results exceeded our expectations, as seen by the surface polish on the knight chess piece we tested below. The CNC toolhead can carve images on wood, PCB, acrylic, carbon composite sheets for DIY drones, and certain hardwoods, and can be simply replaced in and out. It’s speedier than the Snapmaker Original, which makes sense given the greater construction volumes, so you can finish bigger projects faster. It connects effortlessly by WiFi or SD card, and generally, the Snapmaker 2.0 is one for you if you’re searching for a less sophisticated CNC machine that can do it all for personal projects at home or for launching a business.
Inventables X-Carve 1000mm
- Cutting area: 29.5 x 29.5 x 4.5 inches
- Price: $2,599
The X-Carve is the “easiest, most sturdy, inexpensive CNC machine on the earth,” according to the Inventables website, and it’s definitely up there with the finest. The included 3-year Easel Pro software membership allows you to create items in minutes without the need for a steep learning curve, making this high-end CNC router table ideal for both beginners and pros.
The work area of this CNC router measures 29.5 x 29.5 x 4.5 inches, with a total dimension of 1250 x 1000 x 350 mm. Quality parts are used, including a DeWalt 611 spindles and mounting, a 1,000mm wasteboard, a carved bit mega pack, and the X-Carve pollution process control. Carving is more consistent with a broad gantry with tall walls and fewer ribs.
With Easel Pro, you can design, export, and carve all from one software. There’s no need to master sophisticated CAD or CAM applications because the software is so user-friendly. It’s incredibly adaptable, with unique design capabilities, file import choices, interactive applications, and extensive business capabilities, and each application has a shared link so you can share and participate with the community. The website Inventables features a variety of complicated creations made using the machine, besides a guitar, seats, plant stands, signage, and more.
The X-Carve CNC machining table kit includes everything you’ll need to get started carving, but it’ll cost you at least $2,599, so it’s not for everyone. While it is pricy, this is a high-quality equipment that is suitable for starting a home company, making it a superb CNC generator for purchase that will help you realize your entrepreneurship goals.