[Newbest]

Just curious. Every post I see begins with **HELP**

Any recommendations on companies with excellent customer service? Chinese or anywhere else?

[koenbro]

Mill? Or Router?


For spindle/router and Plasma Table, try Avid CNCRouterParts. Excellent products, multiple tiers of precision, assembled or DIY electronics, and very good US-based tech support. You cannot cobble together a better and cheaper machine.


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[Thomas91]

Greetings! I have a Chinese machine that I bought from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/LiFuJunDong-E...g=UTF8H7JFZ9=1
I cannot say that the machine is perfect, but the main problem in it is not malfunctions, but the lack of information on correct operation. If you know "how" then the machine works very well. I want to make a series of videos on working with this machine, tips for beginners. Because I don't really want someone to go through the difficulties that I went through.

[tgdavies]

I have a 6040 from https://www.omiocnc.com (it was called carving-cnc when I bought mine.

I just bought the bare mechanism (including steppers) and did the wiring and electronics myself with a G540 and an ethernet smooth stepper)

It's performed well, no issues at all.

[routalot]

Mill? Or Router?


For spindle/router and Plasma Table, try Avid CNCRouterParts. Excellent products, multiple tiers of precision, assembled or DIY electronics, and very good US-based tech support. You cannot cobble together a better and cheaper machine.


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I don't doubt the good intentions of this post,but the OP gives no clue as to their location and we can't deduce what might be their best local supplier.I really wish people would include their location and have noticed a trend where if I post to a topic started by a newbie with no location my email inbox starts getting all sorts of offers from people holding millions of dollars that they would like to give me.

I have seen very well constructed Chinese machines and from speaking to their local distributor,I get the impression that the factories in China will produce to the price point that has been insisted on by the customer.If he is seeking the absolute cheapest machine-they will do it and if the specification calls for better components they will do that too and it will cost more.If you look at the architecture of the machines on offer and disregard the paint scheme or names on the graphics,it isn't too hard to see that quite a few come from the same supplier(s). The problem seems to arise when importing directly to a country where the business day doesn't have much overlap with the factory that built the machine or when the local importer doesn't employ somebody with the knowledge to talk a possibly novice CNC user through a problem.Then at some point the machines get sold on and nobody seems interested in fixing comparatively minor issues and referring to companies affiliated to the established names only gets disparaging remarks as they try to preserve the value of the brands that have been around for longer.I would be happy to go with a Chinese machine if I could see it operating with a program created with the software I used and if it was clear that the hardware was up to the job and not down to a price point.I also suspect a lot of the cheapo machines will be featured on this site in future as hobbyists pick them up cheaply to retro-fit in some shape or form.

[allencncrouter]

India 1325 cnc since 2013 year
https://youtu.be/iwYnTA63TOs
https://youtu.be/3tD-y6q09G0

[Allmotors]

If you are worried about not knowing how to operate the machine, this is unnecessary. Because you can contact the supplier to get free technical guidance.
Here are reducers, drivers and motors for sale from China, If you are interested. http://metonec.com/

[chopper13]

I have had my Chinese 6040 heavy duty machine for over 6 years. It has performed flawlessly in that time. That's the good part, the down side is there was very little help once the goods were signed off. I ended up sending emails every week none stop until I got a response from the seller. After telling me it did not have the limit, tool and VFD controls hooked up I questioned why the respective sockets were on the rear of the control box. Answer, we can't help manufacturer no longer in business. Strange how 3 years on they still sell the same machine! I have since built my own controller so I know what it has or not and how it works, I gave up on the mystical black box controller as no one seemed to know what parentage the BOB was. Always figured the Chinese controller would crap out some time. Strangely it hasn't as it is now running my number two router quite happily. I grew a pair and opened the black box to discover that the sockets on the back panel were all hooked up. So with some playing around I managed to sort out everything but the VFD control, the auto setup in Mach3 didn't work with this BOB so I had to figure it out myself. If I grow a bigger pair I might attempt to sort out the spindle control with Mach3.
First problem is that I managed to get a manual for a VFD from the seller before the BS started. Trouble is the VFD is not named and the manual may not be for this one. I'm reluctant to reprogram the VFD as if I make a mistake then the potential is to destroy the VFD, not something I wish to guess with while it works manually.
The original router is very strong construction and there has never been an issue with the wiring. However when I went to change over spindles I discovered that the spindle wiring was messed up, even though it works. One end of the spindle cable the green is earth, when it gets to the spindle end that green earth wire is no longer an earth, black cable becomes earth! I ended up having to replicate the error to get the spindle to work. Somewhere in the cable the colours change but as yet I can't see any breaks or joints. Makes me wonder if the spindle termination pin 4 is indeed not the earth as per normal. I have played with 3 different router models from this seller and the only real problem comes back to after sales backup, useful for the initial few months then BS. Essentially they all worked out of the box, I don't like the cheap BOB and drivers but they work. Across all three the common fault is the lack of the relevant port/pin information. Essentially the seller has made mistakes with the information supplied. Like USB files not being able to be accessed, output pins not turned on, silly frustrating things that should have been checked before sale. I have two routers and my friend has had two. All are still working faultlessly now we know better! They have proven to be reliable for both of us once we sorted them out. One thing I have yet to check out is the capability to run the tool centering program, as I understand Chinese BOB's don't like running these VB scripts. My initial test supports this but since then I have learnt a little more and have yet to try again. The tool height script works fine.
My second router I bought as a frame kit with stepper motors only, from a different seller. They tried to palm off smaller lower powered stepper motors but as I would not sign it off until I got the ones I paid for they sent replacements. Arrived half way around the world in 10 days at their expense, pretty good. All I had to do was supply the wiring for the steppers, the complete works for the VFD/spindle and the controller. The limit switches and wiring were included with the kit.
Buying a frame kit is the way I would go, if there is a next time, you are in control of the electronics and wiring. The two areas that can be problematic from China, but not always. Also buying through Aliexpress allows some degree of arm twisting before it is signed off. I usually make sure I get the manuals with the products or I don't buy. Not a problem with some of the better sellers. Read their feed back and check how long they have been in business. I never buy from anyone with less than a 94% feedback score or less than 3 years of sales.
If I just ran the original router and black box controller as it arrived with XYZA axis functioning with manual control of the spindle it would still be going as it was. But I had to have better and control the spindle, tool height and limits and coolant pumps. The router has changes a lot and can run unattended all day as long as I have programmed it up correctly! I have total control now with water cooling for the stepper motors and spindle, running through independent radiators and pumps. Independent suction and spray coolant systems. I ran a 3D program for 7 hours non stop with the temp not going over 24deg C and it all shut down on completion by itself. No having to hang around to turn off spindle, cooling pumps and everything else. Just the control box to shut down manually, I have however wired in a safety so with power off the system shuts down and won't restart when the computer reboots. The controller has to be manually turned back on, with the black box controller when the box is plugged in it is on, no master switch. A failing I think, easily fixed with a manually resettable switch, like on a drill press, power off switch off until manually reset.
I remain happy with my routers, but I selected heavy duty machines specifically to take the thrashing I can give them at times.
I recently managed to blow up my BOB through my stupidity and have redone the controller with a cheaper Chinese BOB and gone to stepper drivers as well. Using DQ542MA drivers with a "new" BOB that has 3 relays, it's own on board 5V and 12V source. Makes it easy to run high powered relays and power for my diode laser, when I get around to fitting it. I also have a Warp9 fitted and it all works nicely. The previous BOB was a TB6600 with stepper drivers integrated. Worked fine until I did something stupid! Now the new system runs so quietly you wouldn't believe it is the same machine.
If it hadn't of all worked out of the box I would have been just another plea for help on here. Fortunately I realised it had to have an output turned on to work. That was the only stumbling point to start, didn't need all the other parts to work, until I got more ambitious.

[automationtechinc]

There are different size machines in Chicago

https://www.automationtechnologiesin...ine-cnc-router