CNC Router Machine 3018-PROVer Mach3 with Mach3 Control, Limit Switches & Emergency-Stop, Plastic Acrylic PCB PVC Wood Carving Milling Engraving Machine,XYZ Working Area 300 x 180 x 45mm

I needed custom engraved tags for electrical junction boxes and when I was getting prices online it was getting outrageous, plus there was a lead time. Buying this CNC proved well worth it and the tags are now at Oyster Point in south San Francisco.Instructions are clean and very easy and satisfying to follow. Everything fit perfect except for me not wanting to spend a lot of time aligning the T-nuts on the sides of the extrusions to attach the blue plexiglass side guards. It still installed just fine, just my t-nuts were a little crooked.If you have some experience running a CNC, you can have it homed and cutting within 15 minutes of it being built. The instructions were simple for setup on the flash drive. I built mine over the holidays and took my time with distractions so it probably took me a couple hours.Machine is moderately loud at 6000 rpm that it's tough to have a conversation with it running. It comes ready to run with items such as 4ea hold down clamps, 10ea V-shape carbide engraving bits with ER11 collet. Only thing it doesn't come up with some dust resistant lubricant for the threaded rods and maybe a sacrificial table surface. The extrusion router top is nice and I'd hate to scratch it.The machine is well engineered with all components appearing to be of just enough strength to work together to do its job of engraving. I engraved stick font (found font online to use in sketchup) into plastic 2-ply name tags. If the engraving is rough, slow it down or increase the number of passes (or both).As a disclaimer I have some Mach3 experience though it was years ago and I didn't feel like re-learning a new software. I used free version of Sketchup and added a plugin by phlatboyz. Years ago I watched video tutorials to self teach me how to use sketchup to make the designs, then use the plugin to convert to G-code and then cut in Mach3. I'm still learning fusion360 and because I needed to use this machine for a small job I stuck to the software i'm familiar with. Keep in mind that Mach3 demo only allows 50 lines of code which is enough to engrave like 14 simple letters so lookup the price of Mach3 before you go this route. If you are starting out brand new, I suggest you practice becoming familiar with Fusion360 and then converting to G-code for Mach3. Sketchup with plugins has its limitations.

The machine itself is a solid performer for what it is, a beginner's machine that has a small footprint, easy to assemble, and capable of light duty work. What this particular package includes is Mach 3 CAM software, and that software is not a good choice for beginners unless they enjoy a steep learning curve topped with a lot of opportunity for painful missteps along the way. If you are experience with Mach3, this is for you. If not- get the other version of the 3018 that is not Mach3 enabled, and you will be much happier. The Sainsmart support staff is helpful, professional, and responsive. They will make every effort to resolve issues quickly. THAT is always a plus!

The media could not be loaded. This is my third 3018 from SainSmart. Initially I got the regular 3018 and then decided to step up to the 3018-MX3 with it’s updated safety features and more professional software. I’ve been happy with both and at first I wasn’t sure I wanted to upgrade again so soon, but boy am I glad I did. Even though the MX-3 only took about an hour to set up this one comes mostly preassembled and it’s the more difficult bits that are already done which made it go much faster and let me get right to using it instead of spending extra time in setup. The three biggest upgrades for me from the MX-3 (aside from the sexy blue finish) are the sturdier frame, the emergency stop button (which I hope to never need, but feel much better having), and the z-probe having a preinstalled connector to attach to the board. This definitely my go to machine when I start a project now.

I have a graduate degree in math and physics. Hardware seemed OK but software to create a design was impossible to understand and link to hardware. Returned it.

This seemed like a decent entry-level CNC machine for the aspiring hobbyist. In reality this machine came without the requisite software to use and the corollary offline controls do not fit the control board this model comes with. It's outdated and/or missing software is not even recognized by my PC and this machine has now become a large useless paperweight on my desk. Attempts to update the software through the tech support on the Sainsmart website have likewise failed to address the problem. Neither my PC nor the GRBL software recommended by the manufacturer work as advertised with this product. Even my friend who has a degree in Software Engineering cannot get this to work.It was fairly straightforward to assemble though. So, there's that at least.

I recently bought this machine. While in the process of assembling it, I was almost done putting everything together when I did something very stupid. One of the last steps is wrapping the cables together with the included plastic curly cues. I had finished wrapping the cables that lead to the spindle and I went to clip off the excess. Unfortunately, I clipped one of the cables along with the extra plastic. I know, really stupid, right? Just chalk it up to me being excited to get started working with the machine.At any rate, I contacted SainSmart support, just to inquire as to where I could purchase a new cable. It was my error so I was planning to pay for it. Instead, they quickly sent a new set of cables at no cost to me.Now, I'm up and running and CNCing. Excellent support SainSmart.

I wanted to get into CNC machines and decided the Sainsmart 3018 was a good entry level machine. Having little knowledge or experience with CNC machines led me to frustration until I sent an email to Dia at Sainsmart tech support. They were very patient and understanding and provided me with great support. They cleared up all of my issues and got my machine running like a top! I want to state that I am most pleased with their product as it is very well engineered with excellent assembly instructions. Their product and customer service is wonderful. A very happy customer. Dan