I'm in the market for a new CNC router for milling plastic, wood and some aluminum. After weeks of research I have narrowed down my selection to the Avid Benchtop Pro 2424 and the Axiom Basic AR4 and am trying to figure out which machine is more rigid. I'll be installing an Acorn controller, 24k spindle, and servos on either of them so they would be equal from those aspects. The way I see the pros for either machine right now are:

Axiom:

- Welded steel base, which should generally be more rigid than the Avid's aluminum extruded/bolted base, although the Axiom's steel beams look a bit thin on the pictures

- Higher weight instills more confidence in it being rigid


Avid:

- Sturdier looking gantry

- Dual drives for the X axis rather than the single drive on the Axiom

Can anyone speak for the rigidity of either of these, ideally someone who has seen or worked with both?