# Best CNC machine under $3000



## Jussi (Aug 9, 2021)

Looking to get a CNC later this year but want to get started on researching now. I'd like to keep it around $2500 with a $3000 hard cap for the hardware. After a brief search the 2 that seemed the most promising were the shapeoko and onefinity. Are there others you would recommend?


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Welcome to the forum! I've heard good things about both machines, probably more about the Shapeoko, though. What will you be machining, primarily?


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## Jussi (Aug 9, 2021)

Oh yes forgot to mention that. I'm a member of many woodworking forums so I always just assume. But it will be wood. Hardwood, softwood, mdf. If it's doable I'd like to try plastics/acrylics but it's not a must.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Jussi said:


> I'm a member of many woodworking forums


Understood - I'm on several woodworking, Luthier, and CNC forums. What I meant in asking what you'll be making was more to find out if you'll be doing signs, 3D carvings, plaques, engineering work, etc.

Are you signed up at our sister forum, Woodworking Talk?


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## Jussi (Aug 9, 2021)

difalkner said:


> Understood - I'm on several woodworking, Luthier, and CNC forums. What I meant in asking what you'll be making was more to find out if you'll be doing signs, 3D carvings, plaques, engineering work, etc.
> 
> Are you signed up at our sister forum, Woodworking Talk?


Ah ok. signs and plaques mostly. At least for now. I'd like to delve in to 3D carvings eventually but that will be in the far future. I'd like to get a robust system that has little maintenance as possible. This has me leaning towards the onefinity as it has a ball and screw system which if I understand correctly is much sturdier than a belt system and will have less issues. But again I'm open to opinions. Especially on machines I have not already listed so I can get a bigger data pool to do my comparison.

Another thing that would be nice is to be able to scale the machine to do more complicated tasks in the future.


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Just thinking out loud, but what about a used machine to start and then work your way up to a more robust machine? In that price range of $3k I'm not sure what you'd find but folks are always buying CNC machines and then finding out they don't understand the design software. Lots of machines sitting around gathering dust instead of making chips!


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum @Jussi ,,,


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## marecat3 (Nov 30, 2010)

Welcome to the forum


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## GerryAttrick (Jan 14, 2015)

Welcome Jussi

Full disclosure..I have a Shapeoko and have no complaints. Support from company is best I have ever heard. Join their forum..Community Carbide 3d and lurk to find out what owners are doing. Ask questions and you wont be mocked however basic. You can download a great free pdfbook that can give you a great intro to CNC..not just Shapeoko
You can download the CAD/CAM software from Carbide 3d for free and play away while you decide what machine you finally want.
You tube videos to watch from
Winston Moy, John Clarke, Chris Powell and Myers Woodshop(Ben Myers)


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## Jussi (Aug 9, 2021)

Thanks for the welcomes and the response. @difalkner I actually have bought most of my tools used, mostly craigslist, but am hesitant with a CNC as I'm not too familiar with them and wouldn't know what possible pitfalls to avoid. @GerryAttrick Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will start with one the free software for now.


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## Rob Bragg (Feb 7, 2017)

Jussi said:


> Looking to get a CNC later this year but want to get started on researching now. I'd like to keep it around $2500 with a $3000 hard cap for the hardware. After a brief search the 2 that seemed the most promising were the shapeoko and onefinity. Are there others you would recommend?


You might look at C4N they have a pretty sturdy machine for the money.


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## wyzarddoc (Dec 31, 2006)

Just a suggestion --> Find out what software comes with the machine. When I bought my 1st Shark cnc it came with Vectrics software which is a $800.00 for free. I have since upgraded several times.


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Welcome to the forum @Acctek .

Would you like to post some of your projects to the forum?


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Welcome to the forum @Acctek


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