Spent $400 on a cheap CNC router kit that I should have known better

Picked up a no-name 3018 Pro off Amazon for $400 back in March thinking I was getting a deal. After three weeks of battling a warped frame, a dead spindle, and absolutely no customer support, I realized I could have bought a used Shapeoko for the same money. Has anyone else tried to save a few bucks on a machine and ended up paying more in frustration?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionarodriguez17d agoMost Upvoted

$400 really isn't that bad for a lesson. People blow way more on way dumber stuff. You got a machine that works after some hassle, that's not the end of the world. Plus you can always upgrade parts on those 3018s if you want to throw more time and money at it. The warped frame thing is annoying but you can usually shim it or bolt it to a flat surface. Dead spindle is just a $60 replacement. Compared to buying a new car or a bad stock trade, this is barely a blip.

parkerrodriguez17d ago

Jump straight into figuring out what's actually bent on that frame, @fionarodriguez is right that you can shim it or bolt it to something flat to save the whole thing. I did the same with a 3018 last year and a $60 spindle swap plus some MDF spoilboard got it cutting pretty decent for basic signs and stuff. Just don't chase perfect accuracy on these cheap machines - use it for what it can do and save the upgrade money for a real mill later.