Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine Review!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ก.ย. 2020
- UPDATE: Since we filmed this video (which was not sponsored), Bantam Tools has decided that, while they will still have a pro-level subscription option, they will open up full feeds and speeds override to non-subscribers. Here’s their blog post about the announcement: www.bantamtools.com/blog/spee...
We test and review the new Bantam Tools Desktop CNC, a powerful three-axis milling machine for precision carving of aluminum, wood, and other hard materials. Jen walks us through her experience using the CNC as a stepping stone from 3D printing and laser cutting, navigating the CAM workflow with Bantam Tools' user-friendly software. Here's how this machine can fit into maker spaces and home workshops to level up a maker's digital fabrication skillset.
NOTE: This is not a sponsored video.
Shot by Jen Schachter and edited by Norman Chan
Find out more about the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC here: www.bantamtools.com/cnc-milli...
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Tested is:
Adam Savage / donttrythis
Norman Chan / nchan
Joey Fameli www.joeyfameli.com
Gunther Kirsch guntherkirsch.com
Ryan Kiser / ryan.kiser
Jen Schachter www.jenschachter.com
Kishore Hari / sciencequiche
Sean Charlesworth / cworthdynamics
Jeremy Williams / jerware
Kayte Sabicer / kaytesabicer
Bill Doran / chinbeard
Ariel Waldman / arielwaldman
Darrell Maloney / brokennerd
Kristen Lomasney / krystynlo
Intro bumper by Abe Dieckman
Thanks for watching!
#cnc #review - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
UPDATE: Since we filmed this video (which was not sponsored), Bantam Tools has decided that, while they will still have a pro-level subscription option, they will open up full feeds and speeds override to non-subscribers. Here’s their blog post about the announcement: www.bantamtools.com/blog/speeds-and-feeds-override-are-included
Well done Bantam Tools 🔧
Thank god, cuz as soon as she said subscription to set your own feeds and speeds that was a huge no no from me. Glad to see they saw the errors there.
@@CozzyKnowsBest Well done? They got called out on opportunistic behavior and had to backpedal. What is good about that?
@@johnarnebirkeland nah, looking into it you always had control of feeds and speeds but not on the fly. I think any subscription software can be opportunistic but their speed of reaction to the community was worth a well done. Now imagine a huge company like Apple or Facebook making a positive change like that without being dragged in front of Congress.
I wish to present a motion the the floor of calling this thing an "overpriced 3D desktop engraving machine" and never speaking of this episode again 😑
Sidebar But I would love to see Adam get into a 5 axis Hass and crank out like 50 lightsabers in one episode. Or some AvE copper swing presses is also acceptable
I would rather get This Old Tony to do a Maho conversion for me!
You'll need a time machine to see the end of that project
Make sure your brain does metric and standard
I know what you're thinking...
Spindle bearings...
The price is a bit out of my budget, but it's good to see more desktop CNC machines in the wild. I can see myself owning one in the future.
The price and subscription pretty much make it unreasonable for any home user. This is a pretty good machine to have sitting in makerspaces or schools because of the easy software, but otherwise any hobbyist would be better served with something like a shapeoko or any other DIY solution. Although that auto-probing sure does look nice though.
Hi there! Just a heads up we do offer monthly payments through Affirm to help make the Desktop CNC Milling Machine more affordable. We're also running a referral program to help people save more in addition to the discounted launch price. As for the subscription pack, this is totally OPTIONAL. Every Desktop CNC Milling Machine comes with a base pack of the Bantam Tools software for FREE and is loaded with a number of powerful features like the automated probing routines, SVG support, and Fusion 360 templates.
@@bantamtools @Adam Savage’s Tested Was this a sponsored video? Did you supply the machine to Tested free of charge on the condition they made a review?
It seems a hell of a lot like you sponsored the video given how much you're responding in the comments. It'd be pretty unnaceptable for Tested to make a sponsored video without a transparent declaration of it being that way around.
@@ImmoSci I believe that reviews should always be transparent about where the reviewed product came from, no matter if it was sponsored or not. This video didn't do a great job in that regard.
@@bantamtools I have to tell you, I am on the fence. Mostly because of the subscription feature to get full software access. For that price point, I can't justify it.
basic users dont get updates ... great product support!
This is a very well prepared and executed review. Thank you!
Glad you did a more in-depth review then other channels
$3600+ saved you a few clicks
let'sNotMakeThisPersonal + subscription. man what a shame
Video shows the price at 40 seconds.
Oooh, big yikes.
Very heroic of you; thank you. Two words: entry and level. Two more: fck and that. I'm sure that 2 years later, there are better and less expensive. I just want a learning tool, I don't expect to actually do anything remotely good w/ the 3018 I'm looking at. And a sub? F&T again..
Question ... is this an independent purchased review, manufacturer supplied review or sponsored review?
It'd be nice if they at least let us know if they're being a shill or not.
Put it this way, if its not a shill, people always over emphasize that it is not.....
@@danielgeorgianni1687 Usually they're very clear about whether it was given or loaned to them like Spot or the DGI drones.
Yeah, especially given the subscription price issue, this review feels a bit too positive. Might just be politeness, but without disclosure I'll assume the worst until tested states otherwise
@Tee Dawg, Tested replied to an earlier query and said that this isn't sponsored. That said, the review does seem very "feels good in the hand"...
I'm getting one STAT, I missed out on Juicero and I'd hate to miss a deal like that again.
Glad to hear you're interested in getting a machine! Let us know if you have further questions. Also, if you head over to our TH-cam channel you'll find a number of projects and resources we've been working to develop for the machine.
@@bantamtools guys...google juicero
Bantam Tools bruh this was sarcasm, making fun of your awful subscription model. You’re the Juicero of CNC machines.
The juicer that had to be connected to wifi to squeeze a pouch... Believe one TH-cam reviewer called it the juicy jizzer
3500$ and you get a mini cnc with half a software pack... Surely for that kind of money there are better products out there..
Thanks for doing such a thorough review! It was nice to see you take on multiple projects... Often times these sorts of reviews only show one simple part, and then say "So far I'm impressed, I'll keep working it it and follow up later". I felt like you were very thorough with your "initial review", thanks for doing such a broad set of projects!
I hope you are being sarcastic.......
Absurdly expensive turn key solution married to crippled subscription software, this is incompatible with the maker ethos
Well said!
Hi @brocktechnology! To clarify, you don't need to buy the subscription pack if you don't want to. Every Desktop CNC Milling Machine comes with a base pack of the software for free and includes automated probing routines, SVG support, Fusion 360 templates, and more.
@@bantamtools But you took features out to gatekeep them behind a pay wall.
The ability to manually adjust feeds/speeds on a CNC machine isn't an optional add on, it's a requirement.
@@bantamtools when do you add micro transactions?
I have no issues if you can stream custom G-code, then I will see the software as an added bonus. Still expensive 3600 even if the software was included.
Clearly this women understands her machine and its limitations. She provided a lot of information in an understandable manner... Good Job! I also like that machine.
You have to pay extra for feeds/speeds overrides? Yikes..
Gotta love a good pay wall. "But wE'll giVe yOu monTHy upDaTes"
Yeah... I was pretty much hooked until she said that. Now, Bantam can kiss this opportunity good-bye.
But it has q ComMuniTee EchSystem.... ugh
Yikes yikes yikes indeed. When you're learning it's absolutely essential to run the first part with your hand on the feed override the entire time, especially if you're programming yourself.
Just edit the code. S is spindle speed F is feed.
How about a full disclosure statement for this video? This really felt more like an ad than a review, with big shortcomings glossed over all the while singing the praises of the product. It's easy to say it's a great tool if you got it for free, but based on the results I saw i wouldn't pay the asking price.
Nothing against the host, but it would also have been nice to get a review from someone with some machining experience who can discuss the thing's limitations as compared to more expensive machines. I balked when she said it was as capable as more expensive machines. It has to have some limitations to explain the price difference.
Excellent review!
Wow what a great video, awesome presentation
I would just like to say you did a really nice job showing this! Since this is a big investment for me this puts my mind more at ease when it comes time to purchase! Thank you!
What a great introduction to this new machine, and I can't wait to see what else you create with this, Jen!
Great review! Thanks for sharing.
I have no use for this thing and I totally love it!
Awesome review and content, Thanks 🤟🏾
After Adam's builds Jen's videos are the best on Tested. I would like to see more. She is a great maker.
Cool commercial. I even watched commercials during this commercial
A commercial with a commercial break!
@@paulthorwesten7377 HAHAHA,
Me: thats cool (checks price) no it's not
Look up price of even the cheapest HAAS lol
That's cheap as shit. I mean, you're not doing steel with it, but depending on the lifespan, this is amazing.
Dude, if 4k is too expensive for a CNC machine then you won't get any happy with this hobby
don't bink look up the foxalien same thing for 300$
The Beaver sweet will do that
Trying to wrap my head around removing a Z probe from a collet, then inserting a cutting tool of random length into the same collet and somehow not having a wreck due to an unknown tool length. Where is the magic wand located, and do you sell them separately?
The machine touched off on the corner of the bed when a tool was fitted @7:22- I assume this set the tool length. But yeh 2 collets should be supplied.
Normally the probe on these "desktop" CNC machines are only really used for locating the edges of the part; getting the length of the tool stick out is another problem entirely. Some of the nicer machines I have seen actually have a separate sensor pad for the tool touch off on to help with that problem.
Awesome a video on Batman's Tools.....oh wait.
You can convert a Sieg X2 mini mill to CNC for about $1000 that price also includes the mill.
aouch! no protection for the ballscrew / linear rails?!?
not even a ball screw, just a trapezoidal screw
Great video Jen! Looks to be a pretty capable machine for the size and a great option for beginners looking to get into CNC. I like the idea of Fusion 360 CAM templates.
Hi, I'm wondeirng what was the most difficult part for you when using cnc ? Would you think it's worth to get a bigger one ?
Like the bantam cnc. Wonder if it'll go a bit bigger too do jobs. From 4x4 inches too 12x12inch sized jobs
Madness. For that price you could buy an actual CNC machine second hand from an auction.
Yeah one with accuracy, stability, cooling and so on. With the low budget parts that they have used, it's way overpriced
As far as tooling and fixtures goes, the Little Machine Shop website would be a good way to go.
I wonder if LinuxCNC would work with this ?
I love the maker space I had access to before the pandemic, CNC is my favourite tool to use. Informative and through video and the price point is what you would expect and everything is subscription these days for advanced features so no surprises there. Personally I have only worked in wood and I throroughtly enjoyed your video like I do everything that Tested brings to me. Thanks again.
computer numerical control is your favorite tool to use?
Sounds cool, kind of like glow Forge for CNC. Works great out of the box but costs five times as much as any other similarly capable machine.
Can you give an example of the other similarly-capable machine that cost 5 times less? I am about to buy one of these and would love to see a fully enclosed product like this at a better price.
You should try PocketNC like the one JohnnyQ90 using. Cool work and nice TinyCNC you got there :D
yeah that is a sweet machine
@@danielkrogh9748 Yep :D Very
Subscription?? Bit weird. Especially at that price! What happens when the server goes down? Screw proprietary subscription services.
Hi there! Just wanted to clarify a couple things. First, you don't need WiFi to use the software. You install it right onto your computer (either Windows or Mac), connect your computer to the machine, and you're ready to roll. Second, you don't have to purchase the subscription pack of the Bantam Tools software, if you don't want to. We realize that the subscription isn't going to be for everyone. That's why every Desktop CNC Milling Machine comes with a base pack of the Bantam Tools software for free.
Bantam Tools you have every incentive to hold back important features to make more money.
@@bantamtools There's no way that your software doesn't periodically verify its subscription status to keep those 'premium' features unlocked. When you discontinue it in favor of a new solution or product, or god forbid just go out of business, how do they know that the real meat of the features you're locking behind a paywall are going to remain available? Either way it's a bullshit and greedy as hell move especially on a product at this price point. Letting people just flat buy the software features in an update package would still be greedy, but at least then they'd know that they own the features they want without worry of losing them at your 'premium' subscription whims.
@00:57 Hold up there... The Bantam too is just a 2.5D Milling Machine as you cannot mill all 6 sides without flipping/turning the stock yourself - Top side without overhang access, Sides without overhang access, Bottom without access. The only 3D Milling Machine in that prosumer price class ( I know of ) would be the Pocket NC 5-Axis CNC Machines - Top and Sides with full overhang access, Bottom with limited overhang access.
Thanks for this video.
The software works in inches. Can I set the software in mm?
This looks like a cool machine to do lots of stuff with. I’ve been looking for a machine to make my own challenge coins.
We used an older model in school. It's a great product!
Holy sponsored advertisement video, Batman!
I don't understand! This machine is selling for $4000, but how come everything is so cheap, Nema 17 stepper motor, lead screw, 250w spindle… for the cost of all these hardware configurations, I would pay no more than $1000 for this thing.
This is a fantastic review. So much in depth info its also a tutorial. Good Job.
Can’t wait for this tech to get cheaper and more capable in the next 5 years!
You can get a 4 axis Sherline cnc mill for less, and it doesn't have a subscription cost.
CNC mills have been around for la long time, but unlike FDM printers they haven't really come down in price a lot (for ones that cal cut aluminum well). You can certainly get a 3018 CNC router for like $250, but this won't really cut metal well.
I wish I still had my Carvey. The perfect desktop Cnc machine.
did you try the Carvey with aluminum and brass?
@@Oscar-gx2yf Thin stock, yeah. Worked great for brass plate labels and such
It has 4 axis? I need to make brass engraved rollers, and I don't know which CNC to buy. I need it to have the 4 axis rotation axis.
Pretty slick.
Where does one purchase the metal stock?
Is the collet Chuck removable with an R8 taper or something? 🤔
I repair CNC machines for a living and all I can see when this thing is running is the fact that the bed has no way covers and all those chips are building up around the wipers for the bearings. Even worse is the axis screw is exposed as well. That's a horrible oversight for a mini machine in this price range and will kill the table bearings and axis screw very quickly if you use it for metals. Seriously, a set of accordion way covers would cost 50 bucks or less for this thing.
That was my first thought as well. Screw the software ecosystem, I can work around it, but all of those exposed precision surfaces, bearings and screws are a complete dealbreaker. Without any dust control it will eat itself quickly.
Plus I don't foresee a long life for that aluminium T-slot table.
I do believe this a highly engineered and well thought out product; they obviously have perfected their design life expectancy. The problem for the consumer is the designed built-in obsolescence looks to have been made to wreck the machine if you use it for metals for extended periods. And with the current setup they could get away without those extra protections because they probably think the primary use of the machine will be with softer materials like plastics and wood. I checked their website and I didn't see any specs for the kind of Aluminum the machine can handle but, they do sell a grade of 6061. Since they don't specify the grade I am guessing it's the cheaper, softer, annealed stuff.
I would have also liked to see an option for using some type of coolant(or a provision to add it on at a later date) to help prevent the aluminum from getting too hot and then start getting gummy and fouling the tooling. So without a coolant option, I think that thing would only be good for nibbling at the aluminum and not doing any sort of "heavy" cutting(Or at least as heavy as you could go using only 1/4" mills).
What do you consider to be the ideal beginner CNC?
Love it when someone who knows what they are doing shares their knowledge. Really appreciate your insights.
What fully enclosed CNC would you recommend, with your experience?
Can you use fusion 360 or do you have to use what you get with it?
Amazing
Does it have any type of 3d scanning capability? If you have an item you want to duplicate that you dont have blueprints for?
What a sweet job. Here fuck around with this 4,000 cnc and let us know what you think
looks real nice..
How much did they pay you and were is the "sponsored" disclaimer?
I was waiting to hear it could mill steel. Want to make folding knives. Specifically, pockets in blades to receive bearings for blade pivots.
Still great for prototyping. 👍
Hi James! The Desktop CNC Milling Machine was designed with rapid prototyping in mind :) Steel is not an officially supported material on our Desktop CNC Milling Machine. It's designed to be optimized for machining aluminum. Because the lowest spindle speed is 10K RPM and steel requires a much lower surface feet per minute compared to aluminum, you'd need to run smaller tooling when machining steel (3/16" and below). Also note that there’s no coolant system on the machine, which means you’ll need to take great care when machining steel. While this machine can cut steel, machining it is not covered in our warranty. Hope this helps!
@@bantamtools That's not what I'm looking for, but it still sounds like something I want and could use. Will it manage G10, micarta, and stabilized wood?
@@jamesbarisitz4794 If you are still interested look at winston moy's channel. He works for carbide 3D which make the nomad.
I read the title wrong and thought it said Batman Tools and I was like "heck yeah!"
That's a cool machine, I want one bigger to be able to cnc car rims.
Haha that was funny. Watching that machine cut with the video sped up is the same speed out machines run at normally.
Does it work with other cam softwares or only theirs?
Are those cast parts the machine is made from, or just sand blasted?
It'd be cool to see Jen do a one day build!
th-cam.com/video/NvryPJFkPlM/w-d-xo.html
Hmm... thinking (if need be) covering a non-conductive workpiece in a thin piece of (slightly tacky foil) might do the trick in getting the auto-probe to detect the workpiece, but then again, manual probing probably doesn't take that long.
Wait, you pay $3600 AND STILL HAVE TO JOIN A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE?!?!! LOL!!!!
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. Would definitely just go with Fusion.
@@Theexplorographer Fusion doesn't control the machine. it just generates the g code. She is using fusion gcode at 1 point in the video with the bantam software but can't even override the feed rate without subscribing! lol
3600 is a pretty affordable price for a CNC machine. Most full scale ones cost 10 times as much on the cheap end. The subscription is bullshit thou.
@@Aoskar95 The full ones have this thing called rigidity and around 100 times the horsepower, you can get a decent toy like that one for a similar price without subscription
@@Aoskar95 lol you can buy a Shapeoko that will cut aluminum just as well (and have a larger work area) for $2200... or you can buy a Tormach that will cut aluminum 5x better (and also have a larger work area) for $5500. This machine makes no sense at this price point.
Would it work with graphite? In order to make electrodes
Great video Jen!
Build your own. You can put together something with a comparable build area and capabilities for way under a grand.
You can put something together with 10x the area under a grand. Also doesn't come with a stupid subscription and proprietary software.
PS Shapeoko's used to be around $500, the later upgraded ones are over $1k, but still more attractive than this thing.
Doubt you can hold tight tolerances for under a grand.
Terrific review! Thank you
can i use this machine for silver custom necklace ?
you can get a .312 collet for the ER11 holders
Nice review ad, but when you enter the 3- to 4k range then the selection of cnc machines gets quite extended in the price bracket of this machine like Stepcraft and others.
Stepcraft isn't enclosed. I am definitely looking for a better machine than this like you are talking about, but it has to be enclosed.
Are there any plans to open source the design?
If not are there any open-source equivalents to this?
Price seems a bit much but I suppose other CNC machines aren't built for a desktop? Feel like you'd still be better off with something like an inventables table or something despite the software being a little harder.
Can it cut shape of rolex bezel?
Where is the "Paid Advertisement" tag?
This was not a paid review. We will always disclose when it is.
@@tested Thank you. As I'm sure you can see from other comments, this one seemed sponsored to some of us. Ah well, live an learn. Stay Safe.
Probably going to get some hate on this one. Comes across a little too much like an Ad or informercial. Also, the vernacular at least here on YT, a mill is a precision tool. So putting mill in the title people will probably expect a demonstration of the precision and accuracy of the machine.
No hate so far, in fact most people agree it feels like an ad even if they say it isn't.
Nice!!
Still way too expensive, specially to the milling area volume.
Would a sheet of aluminium foil allow you to probe a non conductive surface?
On my machine running Mach3 I use the Aluminum tape for probing on non conductive surfaces.. Works well
Its so cute and tiny!
No flood colling available ?
perfect for my 80% lowers
In this CNC can we make diamond bangles make and indian prise pleade
Is the software compatible with Solidworks?
Will it take machine code from fusion? I'm guessing it would be subscription only if they do.
Hi Eric! The Bantam Tools software supports G-code, NC, and SVG files. Also, to clarify, you don't need to purchase the subscription pack of the software to use the machine. Every Desktop CNC Milling Machine ships with a base pack of the software for free, which also supports G-code, NC, and SVG files.
Could ask Adam to build a sound proof booth for it to go in, great piece of kit though.
Pro tip: Don't try to cut the material all the way to dimension in just one pass. Do a couple bigger rough cuts, then leave a few thousandths of material to take away in a finish pass and it will leave much nicer edges.
She literally says that at 8:03
I wanna make little cute pins myself without having to outsource a minimum batch in China. Would this or a cheaper machine be ideal?
Great ad
Hrmm, So possibly build a sound dampening enclosure?
"I'm also thinking Bantam will continue to dial in these default settings...."
Based on what? There's a lot of speculative comments like this throughout the video that really come across strangely in a product review.
Especially a non-sponsored one
Why did you flip your mirror handle part between engraving and cutting? just to see if you could get it to line back up? You should've been able to do the engraving pass, then do the cut pass from the same side, then you don't have to probe again and you know it's aligned as long as your files are aligned.
Can it cut aluminum and lead
Honestly I’d rather make my own using the wide amount of open source material there is for a fraction of the initial price and no subscription. Also unsure what educational spaces have the funds for this kind of machine, lots can barely afford books...
THEN DO IT!
The free and public maker spaces I have frequented have had budgets for several upmarket 3d printers; hence, price should not be a non-starter.
Our high school shop certainly wouldn't and the local votech already has the big boy toys.
Very well done Jenn you are so wonderful to watch and listen too and incredibly talented I can't wait to see what else you get into in the future Thank you for all you and tested do
Solid and complete unit. Didn't come with much in the way of tooling .
Looking like a kid on Christmas morning around the 6:00 mark and made me smile.
Does it not have you touch off the tool?