Great to hear! I think they make the best entry-level CNCs by far. Great price and offer some serious features that most people will love in their workshops
Great vid Steve, I have a Genmitsu 4040pro and I’m upgrading to this one with the extension 6060. Thanks for the tip on the offline controller! Cheers Mark
Was very impressed with the CNC. I have been using a MillRight Carve King (original wood version) four (4) years, without any problem. Looking to expand business, so, I thought I would give this a try & see how it stacks up to my Carve King. Pushed the button & placed the order yesterday - Friday, Sep 16th.
@@chriskwakernaat2328 Yes I have. It cuts just great. It is much more quieter than my Carve King and does not kick up as much dust when cutting. The only issue I have with it are the T-Tracks. On the Carve King they run left to right instead of up & down, as they do on the PROVer. I find the left to right running of the the T-Tracks easier for clamping to wood.
Have been using mine with Fusion and UGS for over a month now and pleased with it. The only problem was that I first set it up with a Genmitsu 1hp router with a relay switch and the router cut off in the middle of a job. So I removed the relay and now manually power on the router. Still haven’t figured out what caused that.
These are very similar machines, so I don't know if one is "better" than the other. I know that the Genmitsu controller supports a 4th axis (i.e. rotary) - not sure about the Fox Alien. Genmitsu has been making CNCs for a long time and has a very good reputation in entry-level machines. The Fox Alien marketing material does have some misleading information, though. For example, they claim that the Genmistu does not support rail upgrade, which isn't true. The Fox Alien uses liner rails rather than rollers and on a CNC this will only cause issues in the longer term because linear rails don't deal with dust very well. Even though they are enclosed to some degree, they are going to clog up with grease and dust.
Yes, though if this is your regular material, you'll probably want to upgrade to a trim router rather than the small spindle provided. Beyond that, it's really just a case of the getting the feedrate right for your cutting toolpath.
I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t recommend that anyway. You’re far better to buy a complete laser if you need this. This way you can still run a CNC job while you are laser engraving.
I was looking at that and for a 4th axis spindle too. I now think (like Steve) that I’ll get a separate laser machine. There is one by Genmitsu for under $600 that looks pretty good.
I bought a 4030 last year., Mine was half the price of yours but it is tape drive. I could not get GRBL to operate the machine. I can move the axes with the key board but do not know how to -pull up the controls on the computer. My spindle runs o.k. I love the size of the working surface and everything seems to work manually. My machine sits idle these days..
I always like to hear user stories, even to highlight struggles. As far as getting gcode to the machine there are a couple of ways. If you were trying to use Candle, then you probably ran into nothing but grief because it isn't a great program. Universal Gcode Sender (UGS) is much better, and there is a new app emerging from Sienci Labs called GSender (sienci.com/gsender/) that is probably the best right now, and it is actively being worked on . You do of course need some way to generate gcode (e.g. Vcarve, Carvera, Easel, etc)
I bought this machine and they do make a dust boot. I was wondering your impression of the 400 watt spindle. Would you change to Makita or DeWalt router?
Yes there is a dust boot but it should really be included in the main package to make this perfect The spindle works well but is probably a bit light for serious production work. A router provides more power but it will be very loud, so wear some ear protection.
Agreed, the 4030 is really at the gateway to commercial CNC, and this is just a limitation Genmitsu made to keep the cost down. Other than potentially having to truck your laptop around, this isn't a big issue. You could look for a cheap used laptop to keep connected to the CNC - it would only have to run UGS or Candle to send gcode. Then you could use a USB stick to shuttle between your design and your production environments.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you for the reply. I was thinking Vcarve can control the CNC. I just purchased a Genmitsu 4030 V2, and was not too happy with their software and was looking for something better. What is a good software to control the machine? Is Mach or Artcam a good one to use with my machine and will it work on my machine?
@@macvideoworld Mach is more of a kernel at the machine level, and since your 4030V2 already knows how to interpret gcode, you really only need something like Universal Gcode Sender (UGS). It's opensource and easy to use and much better than Candle in my opinion.
Thank you for this video. I am looking to upgrade my 3018. My 3018 has a standard 75W spindle. Noise is of some concern to me so, can you tell me please, would this 400W spindle be louder or quieter than a standard cheapy 75W spindle. Also, I notice that the Sainsmart3020 V2 has a 3040 extension kit. The 3020 with the 3040 extension kit is almost half the price of the Prover 4030. Would this be a better and cheaper option, do you think? Or are the components of this 4030 better quality? Thanks
First the 400W spindle is very quiet, though the noise level of any spindle becomes irrelevant once the bit touches to wood. 😉. There are some significant differences between the 3020 and 3040V2 that would make me want the latter. For example the use of ball screws and the addition of a more robust gantry. It also has a serious controller that provides for extensions like a 4th axis. Basically the 3020/3040 is just a larger 3018, but the 3040V2 is more of a professional CNC. So unless price is the sole decider, I would personally buy the 3040V2
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you for your reply. I know what you mean about the volume going up once the cutting starts. I am hoping that, with a more powerful spindle it will be quieter because of less vibration. I am hoping to control the noise a little by having shallower cuts. Being so cold in the winter I am using the CNC indoors. I am satisfied that the neighbours are not that concerned about the 3018 and so, by what you are saying, the 400W spindle should not be more of a problem. I almost bought the 3020, with this years BF discounts. By the sound of it I would have been disappointed. I will save my pennies. I also like the thought of the 4030 having the option of a 6060 extension. Do you know if that is any good? Thanks again.
@@alandimery3379 If you just want to reduce the noise, make yourself an enclosure to put it in. I've been talking to Sainsmart about doing a video about the 6060 extension upgrade, but I haven't seen the kit yet. It should be fine since it's just some aluminum rails and a new cable.
Well I did say the price is relative. If you were longing for a Onefinity or a Shapeoko then this CNC is a very good deal because for a fraction of the price it can produce very similar results. If you are looking for price then buy a 3018 for $200, but I can guarantee you will regret it If you want something solid for less money then the TowTrees TTC450 is also a fine CNC for its price, which is about half the cost of this one
@@IronMan-yg4qw My job isn't to sell you the most expensive thing or to sell you anything, really. There are products with good value-for-dollar in every price range, and my job is to find those and let you know why you would want them. FWIW, Genmitsu/Sainsmart do have lower-cost CNC machines that are also very well built and would be great for a hobby user on a tighter budget.
@@IronMan-yg4qw For full disclosure, if you bought one of these with my affiliate link, then I would earn a small amount. But whether you buy this or something else isn't a huge issue for me. What's important is that you buy what works for you. I'm an average Joe too. 😉
I just ordered this today. It's my first machine for my first business. It looks promising.
Sweet!
I bought genmitsu's 4040 pro I love the detailing of their machines and the customer service is pretty great, this XL V2 is on my radar too!
Great to hear! I think they make the best entry-level CNCs by far. Great price and offer some serious features that most people will love in their workshops
Great vid Steve, I have a Genmitsu 4040pro and I’m upgrading to this one with the extension 6060. Thanks for the tip on the offline controller!
Cheers Mark
Glad to help. I’m talking with Sainsmart to try to do a follow up video where I upgrade this one to the larger rails.
Was very impressed with the CNC. I have been using a MillRight Carve King (original wood version) four (4) years, without any problem. Looking to expand business, so, I thought I would give this a try & see how it stacks up to my Carve King. Pushed the button & placed the order yesterday - Friday, Sep 16th.
Excellent. I hope it serves you well
did you cut with it yet?
@@chriskwakernaat2328 Yes I have. It cuts just great. It is much more quieter than my Carve King and does not kick up as much dust when cutting. The only issue I have with it are the T-Tracks. On the Carve King they run left to right instead of up & down, as they do on the PROVer. I find the left to right running of the the T-Tracks easier for clamping to wood.
Hi Steve. Nice review.
I think you should change the title in TH-cam to 4030 instead of 4020 (good for searchability).
I concur with that Steve. title is off.
Done! Fat fingers when I typed this 😉
Have been using mine with Fusion and UGS for over a month now and pleased with it. The only problem was that I first set it up with a Genmitsu 1hp router with a relay switch and the router cut off in the middle of a job. So I removed the relay and now manually power on the router. Still haven’t figured out what caused that.
Sounds like the relay is faulty or beyond its maximum currenr
Feb 2024 update, Genmitsu now have dust collection boots for both the stock spindle and a palm router.
Yes, though I will probably just 3D print my own
what is better and possibly why?
genmitsu 4030 XE PRO V2 or Fox alien 4040 XE PRO with ball screws
These are very similar machines, so I don't know if one is "better" than the other. I know that the Genmitsu controller supports a 4th axis (i.e. rotary) - not sure about the Fox Alien. Genmitsu has been making CNCs for a long time and has a very good reputation in entry-level machines.
The Fox Alien marketing material does have some misleading information, though. For example, they claim that the Genmistu does not support rail upgrade, which isn't true. The Fox Alien uses liner rails rather than rollers and on a CNC this will only cause issues in the longer term because linear rails don't deal with dust very well. Even though they are enclosed to some degree, they are going to clog up with grease and dust.
Hi Steve.. Great review of this CnC.. I just have a question for you? Will this CnC be able to cut 5/5 hard wood boards?
Thanks!
Yes, though if this is your regular material, you'll probably want to upgrade to a trim router rather than the small spindle provided. Beyond that, it's really just a case of the getting the feedrate right for your cutting toolpath.
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you.. I was just wondering if I needed to upgrade to a router or not..
Hi Steve i liked your report but there is a dust collecter as I am getting one with my machine
Nice, thanks. I didn’t see it on their site when I looked
Hey Steve, Thank you for the video! Does Genmitsu make a 10 or 20 watt laser specifically for the ProVer4030v2 or do other brands fit on it?
I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t recommend that anyway. You’re far better to buy a complete laser if you need this. This way you can still run a CNC job while you are laser engraving.
I was looking at that and for a 4th axis spindle too. I now think (like Steve) that I’ll get a separate laser machine. There is one by Genmitsu for under $600 that looks pretty good.
@@daveprather9960 😀
I bought a 4030 last year., Mine was half the price of yours but it is tape drive. I could not get GRBL to operate the machine. I can move the axes with the key board but do not know how to -pull up the controls on the computer. My spindle runs o.k. I love the size of the working surface and everything seems to work manually. My machine sits idle these days..
I always like to hear user stories, even to highlight struggles. As far as getting gcode to the machine there are a couple of ways. If you were trying to use Candle, then you probably ran into nothing but grief because it isn't a great program. Universal Gcode Sender (UGS) is much better, and there is a new app emerging from Sienci Labs called GSender (sienci.com/gsender/) that is probably the best right now, and it is actively being worked on .
You do of course need some way to generate gcode (e.g. Vcarve, Carvera, Easel, etc)
I bought this machine and they do make a dust boot. I was wondering your impression of the 400 watt spindle. Would you change to Makita or DeWalt router?
Yes there is a dust boot but it should really be included in the main package to make this perfect
The spindle works well but is probably a bit light for serious production work. A router provides more power but it will be very loud, so wear some ear protection.
was hoping they had a offline controler so wouldnt have to take my pc to the workshop.
Agreed, the 4030 is really at the gateway to commercial CNC, and this is just a limitation Genmitsu made to keep the cost down. Other than potentially having to truck your laptop around, this isn't a big issue. You could look for a cheap used laptop to keep connected to the CNC - it would only have to run UGS or Candle to send gcode. Then you could use a USB stick to shuttle between your design and your production environments.
The offline cont for the v1 also works for the v2
@@JORMA-gc7tx Sweet! Thanks for the info
Hi Steve, it looked to be about 8cm. How long did it take to carve with those quality settings?
This took less than 30 minutes
Can you use this cnc on hard wood as well?
Yes of course. It’s a legit CNC though if you want to do regular heavy duty work then a trim router upgrade is a better option
@@SteveMakesEverything like the one 6050?
Is it possible to use this with a better software like Vcarve Pro or somehting?
Yes. I used Vcarve to create the light bulb engraving. That will only create the toolpaths though. It won’t control the CNC
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you for the reply. I was thinking Vcarve can control the CNC. I just purchased a Genmitsu 4030 V2, and was not too happy with their software and was looking for something better. What is a good software to control the machine? Is Mach or Artcam a good one to use with my machine and will it work on my machine?
@@macvideoworld Mach is more of a kernel at the machine level, and since your 4030V2 already knows how to interpret gcode, you really only need something like Universal Gcode Sender (UGS). It's opensource and easy to use and much better than Candle in my opinion.
I am looking for a CNC but wwhat is the difference between the 4030 and the prover 3018?
The 4030 is a semi-pro machine with a proper spindle, ball screws and robust frame. The 3018 is more of a hobby tool
Thank you for this video. I am looking to upgrade my 3018. My 3018 has a standard 75W spindle. Noise is of some concern to me so, can you tell me please, would this 400W spindle be louder or quieter than a standard cheapy 75W spindle. Also, I notice that the Sainsmart3020 V2 has a 3040 extension kit. The 3020 with the 3040 extension kit is almost half the price of the Prover 4030. Would this be a better and cheaper option, do you think? Or are the components of this 4030 better quality? Thanks
First the 400W spindle is very quiet, though the noise level of any spindle becomes irrelevant once the bit touches to wood. 😉.
There are some significant differences between the 3020 and 3040V2 that would make me want the latter. For example the use of ball screws and the addition of a more robust gantry. It also has a serious controller that provides for extensions like a 4th axis. Basically the 3020/3040 is just a larger 3018, but the 3040V2 is more of a professional CNC. So unless price is the sole decider, I would personally buy the 3040V2
@@SteveMakesEverything Thank you for your reply. I know what you mean about the volume going up once the cutting starts. I am hoping that, with a more powerful spindle it will be quieter because of less vibration. I am hoping to control the noise a little by having shallower cuts.
Being so cold in the winter I am using the CNC indoors. I am satisfied that the neighbours are not that concerned about the 3018 and so, by what you are saying, the 400W spindle should not be more of a problem.
I almost bought the 3020, with this years BF discounts. By the sound of it I would have been disappointed. I will save my pennies. I also like the thought of the 4030 having the option of a 6060 extension. Do you know if that is any good? Thanks again.
@@alandimery3379 If you just want to reduce the noise, make yourself an enclosure to put it in.
I've been talking to Sainsmart about doing a video about the 6060 extension upgrade, but I haven't seen the kit yet. It should be fine since it's just some aluminum rails and a new cable.
only $1500, wow what a steal! ill buy 2! pfffffffffft. why dont you call this channel,, steves expensive stuff channel?e
Well I did say the price is relative. If you were longing for a Onefinity or a Shapeoko then this CNC is a very good deal because for a fraction of the price it can produce very similar results. If you are looking for price then buy a 3018 for $200, but I can guarantee you will regret it
If you want something solid for less money then the TowTrees TTC450 is also a fine CNC for its price, which is about half the cost of this one
@@SteveMakesEverything thats interesting thank you.
@@IronMan-yg4qw My job isn't to sell you the most expensive thing or to sell you anything, really.
There are products with good value-for-dollar in every price range, and my job is to find those and let you know why you would want them.
FWIW, Genmitsu/Sainsmart do have lower-cost CNC machines that are also very well built and would be great for a hobby user on a tighter budget.
i was beginning to wonder what kickbacks you were getting from advertising stuuf thats to expensive for the average joe. XD
@@SteveMakesEverything
@@IronMan-yg4qw For full disclosure, if you bought one of these with my affiliate link, then I would earn a small amount.
But whether you buy this or something else isn't a huge issue for me. What's important is that you buy what works for you.
I'm an average Joe too. 😉