So, point #1 (and the only point) is if you assemble it then you can fix it. If you can't assemble it yourself (disability) you still want to be there directing everything so get a teen or an adult and make a day of it.
The reason is simple. These machines will require service on a regular basis and if you are on the phone trying to find somebody to fix it or maintain it for you then you are in trouble before you start. If you are completely disabled then I would go for a commercial machine with a local service agent. Otherwise, you are signing up for being a handyman on top of a CNC machine operator.
With any assemble-it-yourself machine you save money the same way the homebuilders in aviation save money, by buying a kit airplane. By assembling the machine YOU have the knowledge to repair and maintain it. You have the knowledge to also bug-fix it when trouble strikes (and it will strike, trust me). The biggest cost of both aircraft and CNC machines is the maintenance. The initial investment is trivial comparatively speaking.
BUT!!!!!!!
Despair not!
The instructions are simple and well illustrated. The journey is enlightening, you will learn a lot! AvidCNC is pretty darn good with their tech support. If these machines required more than a 5th grade education then very few of them would be in operation. So, there are a fair amount of people in the world that graduated the 5th grade!
Best of luck!
Last edited by subnoize; 05-30-2022 at 01:08 PM.
Reason: addition info