I've had this machine for about 2 months now and have yet to use it because of many problems from the beginning. I had a bad relay in the 500w control box as well, it never came on one time. Tech support made me do tons of testing and make videos of what I was doing to prove it was bad. Finally 4 weeks later they sent me a new control box like they did for you. Since then, I have had to replace one of the Y motors and some wires. Now still trying to figure out why the Y axises are moving in the opposite direction. Tech support is really responsive, but it's only through email or Whatsapp between 1am - 4am. They would rather you rebuild the entire machine than replace it with a new one. Now I understand why it is a $5oo dollar cnc! I would not buy another one or any other of their products.
This is the third review of this machine I have watched and not one reviewer bought the vacuum attachment. Is there a reason you opted for no dust/chip removal? To me it seems like an obvious option unless there is a design issue with the vaccuum assembly. By the way, thanks for the excellent, honest review.
I might have to make a separate review about that but TwoTrees sent me this machine so I didn’t really get a say in what they included unfortunately. Appreciate the feedback though!
I bought the vaccum, it makes a huge difference. It's not perfect but you get maybe 90% less chips flying everywhere. And the LED attached is a nice touch. Only design flaw is maybe the tube has to be carefully set, when I started a job I didnt see it was touching the 500w spindle fan so it melted it a bit -_- but that's probably on me though
All of these budget cnc’s have two easily, and cheaply remedied issues. First, should have mounted vacuum inlet as close to the bit as possible so as to keep the cut path clear and the bit cool. Second, how they mount the spindle motors, is completely inadequate. It should have a big beefy aluminum mount as close to the work as possible and another at the top. I bet as a bit starts to cut you could measure measure the deflection of the motor with a wooden ruler. Should be barely measurable with a dial indicator. Good review and video.
I’ve had to use a shop vac a lot with aluminum and the shocking sucks. Weirdest thing I use in my vacuum cleaners are dryer sheets. But with the shop vac I hold the hose with a dryer sheet and I haven’t had any shocking. Hahahahahaha
Great review... I get that you were trying to push the limits of the machine for this review, but one thing I've found with a lot of the complaints about the various inexpensive China sourced CNC machines (routers, lasers, etc...) is that people try to push them too much. They're not industrial machines. They're not meant for pumping out parts 8hrs a day, 5-6 days a week. If you're a hobbyist, what's your hurry? I mean seriously... Dial down the feed rate, don't be so aggressive with your cuts and you'll find you'll get much better results. If you're intent is to do production work with one of these types of machines, you're barking up the wrong tree and need to rethink your goals. I have one of those $1200 12" x 20" 50W CO2 Chinese laser systems and it's great... Does everything I want it to, but I'm patient and don't push it too far or too fast. BTW... For cutting aluminum, use Isopropyl Alcohol as a cutting fluid. Stinks a lot less than tapping fluid and it will evaporate without leaving any residue. The usual warning about using it in a confined space, with any open flame applies. For a shock resistant chip removal, make an extension for your vacuum nozzle out of cardboard tube... Should mitigate or eliminate any shocking issues. Again... Great, non-biased review. I've been considering this machine for routing acrylic sheet to make parts that I'll convert to metal by burning the acrylic out of investment molds.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually had a bit talking about this exact same thing (this is a hobbyist machine, priced to reflect that, etc...) but it didn't make the cut unfortunately cause it came off a little more frustrated sounding than I intended. I see lots of the same complaints about these hobbyist machines and I agree with your response, this machine isn't meant for that. For a $500 machine it's pretty good! Thanks again for the comment, glad you liked the review! 👍
@@ModernHobbyist I think you covered the shortcomings well enough that it should be obvious to most that this is not a machine you use for heavy production and that people need to have realistic expectations for it. I guess I've seen too many people complaining that these hobby machines don't hold up, or that they can't turn one into a full time Etsy knick-knack maker. At least on the laser side. You need a machine (like an Epilog or Universal) that's an order of magnitude more expensive for that... But anyway. Enjoy your honest, no nonsense take on this machine.
I would like to know what the name of the machine and brand you have when you said "I have one of those $1200 12" x 20" 50W CO2 Chinese laser systems". I don't have a machine yet, and don't really know anything about them, but I want to get started without having the hassle he went through. Also does the machine you mentioned cut through acrylic with the laser? Cutting acrylic was what I had in mind.
i keep watching reviews of these hobby machines and every time i get to the end Im left thinking my 50's Bench master Mill is still better. Having owned some serious CNC's in the past these all feel like toys.
Your Benchmaster is a professional tool used in the workplace. These are hobbyist tools used for someone who's having fun. Insulting a hobbyiest cause they aren't buying a tool that is just way more than they need for the job is just asinine.
@@WalkerRileyMC I was not intending to insult anyone for their choice of tool. I was purely commenting on my experience and the limitations I see these units having. That said a bench master mill is very much a hobbyist machine it just happens to come from a very different era of production. It was sold and advertised as a hobby level machine at the time. I'm not boosting either it cost me less than one of these but also requires a totally different skill set to use.
@@SorenX2008because I use my mill for all my wood and metal work and I'm debating between getting a dedicated CNC or converting my Mill to CNC with a DRO. The cost for either is similar.
@@Mike-pb7jm Where can I find it that cheap? I've been seeing $450-$500 if I can find one of these for $150 I'll definitely jump on that if only to use for layout lines.
How much noise do these machines make when cutting acrylic? I would love to get one of those to play around with but I live in an apartment and dont want to send my neighbors to the insane asylum from the noise
Great video! What do you mean by "with the understanding to not throw any punches"? I'm not a native speaker and I'm unsure whether this means it's a sponsored video? There's nothing wrong with having a sponsored video I just don't understand your remark :)
Thanks! I said “I’m not gonna pull any punches” which basically means I’m not gonna take it easy on the machine. Many TH-camrs choose not to mention negative aspects of machines because they want the company to keep sending them free stuff, but I aim to never do that. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
Is this a side quest like "where in the world is the friendly hobbyist"? 😂 And the winner is the one who doxxes you first? Free $500 CNC machine is the price? 😂😂😂
u will label for a few items than its a pain in the arse and useless - sturdy? when u moved the spindle the entire machine flexed - the main issue with these small units - very very light cuts are needed - these cheap chinese-eum machines are more pain than gain - hit or miss - beginners usually toss them - cheap is always cheap
I actually had a whole segment where i talked about this but it didn't make the final cut. This is a $500 aluminum machine, it's intended for beginner hobbyists and as such isn't gonna be the sturdiest machine in the world but it's priced to reflect that. My review takes all of that into consideration.
I've had this machine for about 2 months now and have yet to use it because of many problems from the beginning. I had a bad relay in the 500w control box as well, it never came on one time. Tech support made me do tons of testing and make videos of what I was doing to prove it was bad. Finally 4 weeks later they sent me a new control box like they did for you. Since then, I have had to replace one of the Y motors and some wires. Now still trying to figure out why the Y axises are moving in the opposite direction.
Tech support is really responsive, but it's only through email or Whatsapp between 1am - 4am. They would rather you rebuild the entire machine than replace it with a new one. Now I understand why it is a $5oo dollar cnc! I would not buy another one or any other of their products.
The TTC 450 Pro is the actual upgrade to this machine, with much of the issues already or partialy delt with.
Good honest review. Thanks
Thanks for watching!
This is the third review of this machine I have watched and not one reviewer bought the vacuum attachment. Is there a reason you opted for no dust/chip removal? To me it seems like an obvious option unless there is a design issue with the vaccuum assembly.
By the way, thanks for the excellent, honest review.
I might have to make a separate review about that but TwoTrees sent me this machine so I didn’t really get a say in what they included unfortunately. Appreciate the feedback though!
I bought the vaccum, it makes a huge difference. It's not perfect but you get maybe 90% less chips flying everywhere. And the LED attached is a nice touch. Only design flaw is maybe the tube has to be carefully set, when I started a job I didnt see it was touching the 500w spindle fan so it melted it a bit -_- but that's probably on me though
What software are you using for design, Word, Fusion 360, Excel, etc.?
thanks for the review, really helps, im on laser cutting and want to try to get one TTC 450 pro, was doing some study on them
Can you make a video on how to program the things that you wanna make.Thanks
All of these budget cnc’s have two easily, and cheaply remedied issues. First, should have mounted vacuum inlet as close to the bit as possible so as to keep the cut path clear and the bit cool. Second, how they mount the spindle motors, is completely inadequate.
It should have a big beefy aluminum mount as close to the work as possible and another at the top. I bet as a bit starts to cut you could measure measure the deflection of the motor with a wooden ruler. Should be barely measurable with a dial indicator.
Good review and video.
I’ve had to use a shop vac a lot with aluminum and the shocking sucks. Weirdest thing I use in my vacuum cleaners are dryer sheets. But with the shop vac I hold the hose with a dryer sheet and I haven’t had any shocking. Hahahahahaha
I found if you try to move an axis too fast, or if the steps per mm is wrong for that axis, the axis will lock up.
How well does it cut carbon fiber sheets?
I'm looking for an inexpensive router for cutting frame components
Can this machine cut thick industrial felt?
Nice review! Thanks for that!
How do you think this compares to like a Stepcraft D600?
Para cortar mdf de 15 mm de cuantas pasadas estaria bien?
Great review... I get that you were trying to push the limits of the machine for this review, but one thing I've found with a lot of the complaints about the various inexpensive China sourced CNC machines (routers, lasers, etc...) is that people try to push them too much. They're not industrial machines. They're not meant for pumping out parts 8hrs a day, 5-6 days a week.
If you're a hobbyist, what's your hurry? I mean seriously... Dial down the feed rate, don't be so aggressive with your cuts and you'll find you'll get much better results.
If you're intent is to do production work with one of these types of machines, you're barking up the wrong tree and need to rethink your goals.
I have one of those $1200 12" x 20" 50W CO2 Chinese laser systems and it's great... Does everything I want it to, but I'm patient and don't push it too far or too fast.
BTW... For cutting aluminum, use Isopropyl Alcohol as a cutting fluid. Stinks a lot less than tapping fluid and it will evaporate without leaving any residue. The usual warning about using it in a confined space, with any open flame applies.
For a shock resistant chip removal, make an extension for your vacuum nozzle out of cardboard tube... Should mitigate or eliminate any shocking issues.
Again... Great, non-biased review. I've been considering this machine for routing acrylic sheet to make parts that I'll convert to metal by burning the acrylic out of investment molds.
Thanks for the feedback! I actually had a bit talking about this exact same thing (this is a hobbyist machine, priced to reflect that, etc...) but it didn't make the cut unfortunately cause it came off a little more frustrated sounding than I intended. I see lots of the same complaints about these hobbyist machines and I agree with your response, this machine isn't meant for that. For a $500 machine it's pretty good!
Thanks again for the comment, glad you liked the review! 👍
@@ModernHobbyist I think you covered the shortcomings well enough that it should be obvious to most that this is not a machine you use for heavy production and that people need to have realistic expectations for it.
I guess I've seen too many people complaining that these hobby machines don't hold up, or that they can't turn one into a full time Etsy knick-knack maker. At least on the laser side. You need a machine (like an Epilog or Universal) that's an order of magnitude more expensive for that...
But anyway. Enjoy your honest, no nonsense take on this machine.
I would like to know what the name of the machine and brand you have when you said "I have one of those $1200 12" x 20" 50W CO2 Chinese laser systems". I don't have a machine yet, and don't really know anything about them, but I want to get started without having the hassle he went through. Also does the machine you mentioned cut through acrylic with the laser? Cutting acrylic was what I had in mind.
i keep watching reviews of these hobby machines and every time i get to the end Im left thinking my 50's Bench master Mill is still better. Having owned some serious CNC's in the past these all feel like toys.
Your Benchmaster is a professional tool used in the workplace. These are hobbyist tools used for someone who's having fun. Insulting a hobbyiest cause they aren't buying a tool that is just way more than they need for the job is just asinine.
@@WalkerRileyMC I was not intending to insult anyone for their choice of tool. I was purely commenting on my experience and the limitations I see these units having. That said a bench master mill is very much a hobbyist machine it just happens to come from a very different era of production. It was sold and advertised as a hobby level machine at the time. I'm not boosting either it cost me less than one of these but also requires a totally different skill set to use.
Why would you be comparing a milling machine, or a CNC mill, to a CNC wood router?
@@SorenX2008because I use my mill for all my wood and metal work and I'm debating between getting a dedicated CNC or converting my Mill to CNC with a DRO. The cost for either is similar.
@@Mike-pb7jm Where can I find it that cheap? I've been seeing $450-$500 if I can find one of these for $150 I'll definitely jump on that if only to use for layout lines.
How much noise do these machines make when cutting acrylic? I would love to get one of those to play around with but I live in an apartment and dont want to send my neighbors to the insane asylum from the noise
That’s a tough call, this machine is actually rather quiet compared to most CNC routers but it’s still a CNC router. 😬
500w spindle and a cheap relay for control. It should be a contactor atleast.
You have a 3d printer? Make a cover for the stop button so you can't accidentally turn it off
Great video! What do you mean by "with the understanding to not throw any punches"? I'm not a native speaker and I'm unsure whether this means it's a sponsored video?
There's nothing wrong with having a sponsored video I just don't understand your remark :)
Thanks! I said “I’m not gonna pull any punches” which basically means I’m not gonna take it easy on the machine. Many TH-camrs choose not to mention negative aspects of machines because they want the company to keep sending them free stuff, but I aim to never do that. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
You need to earth your shop vac hose
Make a nozzle extension from a cardboard tube... End of shocking your machine.
I'm opt'd for a Shapeoko tbh.
Isn't that way more money and not even in this price class?
@@pdxcerealkilla9847 What is this price class? Useless??
@@pontiacg445 it doesn't seem useless at all and seems pretty capable for $500
your link to the 2 trees site contains a trojan
Funny they didn't provide the same courtesy to me, must be I'm not reviewing thier product.
That’s too bad! I didn’t actually tell them I was reviewing their product, but maybe they had my email flagged 🤔
In one of your videos you were wearing an Iowa State sweatshirt; are you in Iowa?
Yup!
Is this a side quest like "where in the world is the friendly hobbyist"? 😂 And the winner is the one who doxxes you first? Free $500 CNC machine is the price? 😂😂😂
Servo , never stepper😮
Try to contact them if you’re not a TH-camr, this video proofs this machine sucks. Bad publicity
u will label for a few items than its a pain in the arse and useless - sturdy? when u moved the spindle the entire machine flexed - the main issue with these small units - very very light cuts are needed - these cheap chinese-eum machines are more pain than gain - hit or miss - beginners usually toss them - cheap is always cheap
I actually had a whole segment where i talked about this but it didn't make the final cut. This is a $500 aluminum machine, it's intended for beginner hobbyists and as such isn't gonna be the sturdiest machine in the world but it's priced to reflect that. My review takes all of that into consideration.
@@ModernHobbyist get what u pay for - beginners really need to know this - good job on videos
of course this is an unbieast review and isn't bought,wink, wink, nudge, nudge.
Sounds like a disaster actually…