[rsilvers]

I am looking to buy a 6040 router for under $2000, and I was looking at the FoxAlien and the various Chinese unbranded ones.

I want to be able to sometimes cut aluminum even though I am getting it for wood, and I am under the impression that I want a ballscrew machine because belts don't like the forces. FoxAlien has a $2000 one, but it is a disposible brushed motor, so it would need at least another $300 put into it to make it decent.

Genmistsu has their $999 machine, but it has regular threaded rod and is a 4040. It also has a cheap motor.

Potential issues with the random Chinese machines are they may not work with Win64. They don't run GRBL, and I hear Mach3 control is less good? Not sure why or if that is true.

I want extra Z height in case I want to sometimes use a vise or want to machine an electric guitar body. Once I limit myself to needing extra Z height, this is the one I keep coming back to. Can anyone tell me why this might be bad choice?

I have decided on this one. Someone tell me why it is bad:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/224328852649

[ardenum]

for 2 grand I'd want a ballscrew, linear rails(not round ones) and maybe even closed loop steppers.

Not interested in building it yourself? you can do something better with extrusions some 20-30mm aluminum plates and a few patient weeks of work. If you got lucky you could even snipe a small granite plate on ebay for cheap to mount everything on to.

[rsilvers]

for 2 grand I'd want a ballscrew, linear rails(not round ones) and maybe even closed loop steppers.

Not interested in building it yourself? you can do something better with extrusions some 20-30mm aluminum plates and a few patient weeks of work. If you got lucky you could even snipe a small granite plate on ebay for cheap to mount everything on to.

I am known to take on large projects but am overwhelmed redoing a large boiler replacement with new plumbing and wiring, solar, and minisplits.

This unit does have 16mm ballscrews. The round shafts are 20mm on the Y axis, which seems pretty large. It’s 132lbs shipping weight.