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Any Benchtop CNC Routers under $3000 That Might Offer 6-inch Z Axis Travel?

#5 ii Alive!

Aluminum
Joined
May 12, 2018
Hello, All.

I am looking to purchase the first CNC router for my small shop. I do not need a table larger than about 16" x 16" and I would prefer to buy an American-made model from a vendor with good phone and customer support.

The one thing I really need is a standard router with an extended Z Axis travel feature of at least six inches (6"). It appears most benchtop machines in my price range ($3000, max) offer three inches. I need roughly double that.

Does something like this exist out there? I don't mind paying extra for some kind of extension kit, if necessary.

Please don't bump me in price. This is already twice what I had budgeted for this machine, and I never finance anything, always pay cash.

Thanks,
#5
 
I have a something like $6000 router (not bench mounted) and it doesn't even have 6" of travel soooooooooo....good luck with that. Not sure that product exists for $3000
 
I have a something like $6000 router (not bench mounted) and it doesn't even have 6" of travel soooooooooo....good luck with that. Not sure that product exists for $3000

Me neither. I don't imagine it would be impossible to DIY it.

thanks very much.
 
Seriously, take your $1500.00 budget and buy some legal weed. Smoke some and imagine "one pill makes you smaller, one pill makes you tall". Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall...........
Buy a crappy XxY that fits your needs. Look at the Z parts. Buy longer parts on Amazon/Ebay.
 
Seriously, take your $1500.00 budget and buy some legal weed. Smoke some and imagine "one pill makes you smaller, one pill makes you tall". Go ask Alice, when she's ten feet tall...........
Buy a crappy XxY that fits your needs. Look at the Z parts. Buy longer parts on Amazon/Ebay.

Thank you for your condesending post. I hope you feel better about yourself now. God knows I couldn't possibly live up to your greatness. May I touch the hem of your garment?

Go pound sand, pal. I suggest you retake your Anger Management classes and take a good long look in the mirror. It's not a pretty sight.

Thanks for absolutely no help.
 
I never finance anything, always pay cash.

I'm a cash customer myself also.

When I was first starting out on my own, I bought my first VMC for $1100 including loading. It had some wear but was still far more accurate than a benchtop router. I suggest you consider the same. If you don't have room.....start looking for ways to acquire room
 
I'm a cash customer myself also.

When I was first starting out on my own, I bought my first VMC for $1100 including loading. It had some wear but was still far more accurate than a benchtop router. I suggest you consider the same. If you don't have room.....start looking for ways to acquire room

Hardplates, Thanks for your advice and detailed response. I tend to do a LOT of research before pulling the trigger, and I also have a revenue goal to reach before I invest. I'm very disciplined in this way. We have money in the bank, and I plan on keeping it that way. At current projection of sales, we're three to four months out from acquiring our first CNC.

And yes, I like paying cash and owning the machine outright. But yes, I'm wide open to suggestions, except at this time I just absolutely refuse to go over $3000 for a machine. We're a tiny concern, and to do so would ruin our year. I'll likely buy an entry-level machine within my budget for now and perhaps look for a second round in a year or two.

On the shop size, our house has a converted garage, so our shop is also tiny. However, having lived here more than 30 years we have beaucoup equity in our home, so we plan to take out a small equity loan and break ground on a shop in our backyard by the end of 2021. THEN I will have room some room to consider a larger machine.

Thanks!
#5
 
Thank you for your condesending post. I hope you feel better about yourself now. God knows I couldn't possibly live up to your greatness. May I touch the hem of your garment?

Go pound sand, pal. I suggest you retake your Anger Management classes and take a good long look in the mirror. It's not a pretty sight.

Thanks for absolutely no help.
Wow, one tough guy who takes no crap!
Ha ha ha ha! Fookin get over yourself. I gave you help. Doubt you are qualified to receive it or understand it. By your reply it looks like you are not qualified to sweep my floor so there is that. I/we can help, but you are after hobby level stuff. Did you look where I pointed? Or are you expecting a solution to be handed to you?
You have not even said what you wanted to accomplish, type of part or material, or tolerances. Correct answer at this point is MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
 
Wow, one tough guy who takes no crap!
Ha ha ha ha! Fookin get over yourself. I gave you help. Doubt you are qualified to receive it or understand it. By your reply it looks like you are not qualified to sweep my floor so there is that. I/we can help, but you are after hobby level stuff. Did you look where I pointed? Or are you expecting a solution to be handed to you?
You have not even said what you wanted to accomplish, type of part or material, or tolerances. Correct answer at this point is MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.

Get lost, moron. I have a workpiece that is less than two inches across. What the hell do I need a $200,000 HAAS for a two-inch piece of plastic? Unlike you, I run an actual business with fat profit margins. I'm not some wannabee loser who trolls forums because he can't get a woman and lives in his mommy's basement.

Interestingly, everyone else here has been gracious, generous and helpful. I doubt you know how.

Go get a friend -- if you can find one. Loser.

Buh-Bye, Troll
 
Get lost, moron. I have a workpiece that is less than two inches across. What the hell do I need a $200,000 HAAS for a two-inch piece of plastic? Unlike you, I run an actual business with fat profit margins. I'm not some wannabee loser who trolls forums because he can't get a woman and lives in his mommy's basement.

Interestingly, everyone else here has been gracious, generous and helpful. I doubt you know how.

Go get a friend -- if you can find one. Loser.

Buh-Bye, Troll

You should read this.
cnc forum posting guidelines

I offered some humor AND a few suggestions. No idea why you got your panties twisted. Read the forum rules. Personal attacks are not allowed here.
Do you really need 6" Z on a 2" square part? Most likely not. The class of machine you are looking is somewhat in the disposable class. So you select one that you can cut a hole in the deck and fixture that part with a lot of it below the bed.
 
Practical Machinist has a long standing policy against posts about hobby style machines. While you may have a viable business, the machine you describe falls soundly into that category because of price and work envelope.

Had you enquired about the same work envelope at a practical price, we could offer you some suggestions about some very functional “dental” and “office” mills.

Had you enquired about that price point machine without the small work envelope/ size, we could have offered suggestions about old Bridgeport style machines with CNC conversions, or even dated VMCs with tool changers.

As it stands you are asking about a shitty little Chinese router that in all likelihood is not viable for any sort of business. You may find some outlier cases of people making money with little stepper motor based machines (I know one guy making a living with a fleet of home made routers made of wood), but I assure you that the vast majority are languishing is some antagonistic crank’s garage.


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