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Just threw $600 at a cheap CNC router and instantly regretted it
Saw a deal on a Chinese 3018 Pro CNC router for around $250 on Amazon last month. Thought I was saving cash for small PCB projects. Spent another $350 on bits, a spindle upgrade, and a dust shoe because the stock stuff was garbage. After 3 weeks of fighting with bad software and wobbly frame alignment, I gave up and sold it for $100 on Craigslist. Should have just rented time at i3 Detroit's machine shop. Has anyone else gotten burned by cheap hobby CNC gear?
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aaronsullivan7d agoRising Star
Had a buddy do the exact same thing with a 3018 last year. He spent more time tweaking the frame with a level than actually cutting anything and eventually just trashed it in frustration. That "cheap entry point" trap is real, you end up burning more cash than just renting quality equipment from the start.
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emeryj667d ago
Yeah @aaronsullivan, I totally get that, my first CNC project was turning a square piece of aluminum into a smaller scratched up square piece of aluminum. I think I spent more time watching YouTube tutorials on why my cuts were wavy than actually making anything useful.
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nguyen.angela7d ago
Heard @aaronsullivan mention that the 3018 is basically a paperweight unless you sink more money into it than just buying a real machine. Kinda makes you wonder if DIY is actually worth it sometimes.
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