CNCTOPBAOS 3 Axis 3018 CNC Router with GRBL Offline Controller,DIY Mini Desktop Engraver Machine,Carving Aluminum Acrylic PCB PVC Milling Cutting Wood Engraving Machine

I've been using this for a while now and I have to say it's kind of fun to use. This is my second CNC machine the first one I built myself using parts from old printers. This one is better though with a decent controller board.I recommend getting the offline controller to as that comes in handy to position the head over the workpiece.Building it takes a little effort but it's rewarding once you are done. I found that when you are tightening the bolts that hold the rails together the T nuts tend to turn and miss the groove. To remedy that I was able to turn the bolt fast with a small screwdriver just to get it snug, then tighten with the supplied hex key wrench. You can also stick another hex key wrench in the groove to keep thevT nut from turning and there are several hex key wrench supplied.I'd say the build takes about 3 hours using the advice above, but it will partly depend on your mechanical abilities.So far I've cut mostly wood with it but I intend to do circuit boards also at some point.The quality of the frame is pretty good too. It's very study and stiff, and the stiffness is what you really need so the positioning will work right. There's no wobble or anything like that. Just make sure that after you get the frame assembled, go over all the bolts and make sure they are tight.I might update once I start doing circuit boards.

UPDATED - This requires assembly, and I expected that. I wanted the frame with the 8020 so I can customize later if I need to. There were some problems with the parts I received, but the seller worked with me to make it right. This came with the old control board board, and the seller sent me the new one when I uploaded the picture of the old board. The plastic case on the new board needed to be reamed at the mounting holes for the bolts to fit through, so you will need a drill and some bits. One of the linear rod supports was also not machined properly so I could not install one of the linear rods. The seller refunded me some money so I could buy a file and quickly fix the machining issue. The seller contacted me quickly, and worked to make things right. I am taking off 1 star for the hassle, but the kit is as expected.

This little 3018 CNC Router has been a definite learning experience for me, and I have enjoyed (almost) every minute of it. The machine arrived unassembled (as described). Assembly was pretty straightforward. Watching a few videos about it definitely helped the process. I took my time with assembly, using a caliper to be sure all measurements were spot on. I also installed limit switches on all three axis. These were not included in the kit, but I highly recommend buying and installing them. In my opinion, they are a life saver for your machine and tools (bits). Plus, it makes Homing the machine much more simple...and safe.Once assembled, it was time to install the software and drivers. This kit came with everything on a USB drive. After a simple installation on a very old laptop (Windows XP!) and connecting to the machine via USB, it was up and running. The entire process from opening the box to having an operating machine took about three or four hours.Next, I needed some CAD/CAM software in order to actually create anything with the machine. I chose Easel, since it is simple, and has everything needed for basic designing. It even has a built-in G-Code generator. (G-Code is the "language" that the machine understands.)The machine ran a few simple designs flawlessly.After playing around with several basic designs and having some fun with the machine, it was time to actually make something with it. I decided to make a control panel for my model railroad setup. I drew the designs in Easel and loaded the G-Code into the machine. On the first cut, I had a little "incident". The Z Axis lead screw came loose from the coupling and crashed the tool into the bed plate. No real damage, except for a little hole in the bed plate. Lesson here? Use blue (not the red!) locktite on those grub screws.The second photo shows the results from that project. This is solid mahogany, and the machine cut through it with ease. Not bad at all for a sub 200 dollar machine. This is a great little Hobby level machine. It is not, nor is it intended to be, a professional CNC machine. As such, it does a great job, and has done everything I have asked it to do.There are paths to upgrade this machine, but that goes beyond the scope of this review. That all being said, I feel safe in recommending this as a hobby machine. Just need a little mechanical skill and a little time to learn about the operation of CNC machines in general.

Instructions were vague and did not include a parts list. Some parts were exact counts while other items might include 1 to 4 extras making accountability impossible. What I received did not match the pictures nor the description. Took several hours to assemble because the hardware was undersized and kept shifting or falling out of place. And not satisfied with company’s response regarding them send the wrong control board. 1-Star

Worked out of the box. I knew some things would need a littel help. Some linear bearing parts were warped on the bed, expected that with plastic. Just upgraded to aluminium. Other than that it’s been running great.!!

The media could not be loaded. Very satisfying⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Product was packaged good . No problems just had to clean the rails and found a small piece of wire in the power brick plug. So just inspect everything like you should. Found the writing in the manual did not match the drawings. ( follow the pictures).

I was impressed with the simplicity of the design...both as a usable tool and an educational machine to learn the principles of CNC technology. Engage your future engineers and instill DIY confidence in skills at a young age.