Top positive review
50 people found this helpful
My first year learning and using CNC Router Machine
By Karl Corpus on Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2023
I’ve never used a CNC Machine before purchasing the Genmitsu 3020-PRO MAX, and to be honest I didn’t know if I could figure it out. I have to say that I sure had a lot to learn. Granted I did watch a whole lot of YouTube and seen the different types of machines. The one thing that hooked me was the wood cravings that could be created that as a wood craftsman I could never accomplish with the limited experience I have. I chose this machine over others was first the price, ease of assembly (it comes mostly assembled already) and simplicity of the operation. I purchased my unit in July of 2022 but since I was not ready to start I didn’t open the box till June. Getting the 3020 was pretty easy. Learning the difference softwares and programs was the default part. The box it came in had all the parts and manuals to put it together but was missing a USB stick with the software! At first I was a bit taken back by this and sent an email to the customer service department. This is when I first realized I had made the right choice. A service member (Hong or Mr. Hong) was right on spot with sending me a link to download software. I used a Laptop with Windows 10 and was able to setup the comport and install Candle. A software that uses files called gcode (*.nc file) to tell the machine what to do. Also one of the files was a test file that craved a small 2.5D image. I know this now but didn’t know then that a machine with three axles will only crave 2.5D as the other 0.5 is the flat surface on the bottom. From this one file I was able to figure out the files needed to take a object (2.5D) and turn it into a work of art. To my surprise it actually takes three steps to complete first. 1st was finding the object files. Too my delight in found 1000’s of free files in a *.stl format online. As I’m not going to use these files or creations to sell I downloaded and modified using a software already available in Windows called 3D Build. I then downloaded a trial version of MeshCam. As my CNC machine is located in a spare room, I used another Laptop to modify the files, open these files with MeshCam to create the tool paths and convert the files from an STL file into a NC file that the Genmitsu 3020-PRO MAX uses. I only was able to convert 15 files using MeshCam before the trial version ran out. I have tried other softwares but after using MeshCam I will pay for the license ($250.00 one time payment) as other programs where not as easy to learn and the results as positive. I would have purchased the software already but ran into issues with the stepper motors. I started getting what I first thought was banding with the X and Y axis that increased very quickly, projects halfway completed were being ruined. I emailed Hong and told him my troubles and he sent 2 new stepper motors to me free of charge. I installed the new motors and it’s back to creating beautiful works of art. While the machine was down I was able to give the machine a good cleaning. My only drawback with the machine is that the manufacturer does not at this time offer a explanation kit for this model. I’m hoping one will come out in the near future. Overall I give this one an 4 1/2 Stars. It’s built strong, service is excellent and it’s a very good investment for anyone looking to get into using a CNC Machine.
Top critical review
9 people found this helpful
I struggled with the rating (see details). Conditionally recommended
By Dad, the engineer on Reviewed in the United States on August 13, 2019
The Genmitsu CNC 3018-PRO is one of the more polarizing products I've purchased in recent memory. In case you suffer from TLDR; syndrome, I will tell you this: the 3018-PRO is an incredible value... especially if you get it on sale. It's also a bit of DIY PITA. So, now you know the summary... time for the details. The Genmitsu CNC 3018-PRO arrives in a very compact box. That's made possible since the unit is COMPLETELY disassembled. This shouldn't be a huge surprise, considering the price point, but I'm telling you just in case. An important thing to know is that the mill's pieces appear to have come straight off of whatever machines were used to fabricate them. The aluminum extrusions are covered in metal shavings. All of the parts, including the bakelite pieces, have some machine oil on them. For best results, blow everything off with air (or brush it), and wipe down everything. If you are the DIY type (and I am), then a fully disassembled machine isn't really an issue... unless the assembly instructions aren't any good. On the plus side, the manual is pretty extensive (24 pages) considering the other types of vendors and devices in this market space. The english is clear, the diagrams are well drawn and easy to see, and the instructions of what to do with the software are clear. So what's wrong? Well, the diagrams don't explain what you're doing on any particular step. That's not necessarily a big deal, but I did miss using a spring as a brass fitting. It only took a few minutes to get it right, but it was still inconvenient. From unboxing to flipping the machine on took me about 40 minutes. TIP #1: It's not super obvious how some of the locking nuts are supposed to work, but they drop into the guide channel and spin onto locking position when almost fully screwed in. TIP #2: There are no instructions on how your working material is supposed to be secured to the table in the documentation provided. I did figure it out what to do with the hardware provided, but you should just look at the product page photos, and you'll see how the bolt + plate + screw arrangement works. Once everything was assembled and ready to go, I went to SainSmart's page to download the driver, firmware, and secondary software. No dice... I couldn't find it, so I had to copy it from the included mini-CD (but seriously... what about all of the people that don't have an optical drive?) on to a flash drive. Everything installed in a few minutes, and the mill was controlled properly from the GRBL software. The mill works, but it good to have realistic expectations. How well it works is heavily influenced by the spindle speed, the motor positioning rate, plunge depth, and the cutting tool quality. I used the mill with acrylic and wood, which are pretty much the softest materials you can use. Even with those I had to use really low step values to make sure that the side loads didn't cause too much bit deflection. I'd imagine better bits would help here. I think you'd want a more substantial machine if you want to mill some of the softer metals (aluminum, copper, and the like). As an introduction to CNCs, the 3018-PRO is a nice starting point. The polarizing thing for me is the price... I'd been looking at this item for a while, but never pulled the trigger at its normal price. A week or two ago the price dropped in a lightning deal by $50. If you can get that deal, I think it's a no-brainer. Value is a very subjective thing, though, so you may like it at the current price, too (YMMV). Conditionally recommended.
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