SainSmart Genmitsu 3018 PRO question

[karolisd]

Hi,

I am looking to buy my first hobby cnc router, not looking for anything fancy right now. SainSmart Genmitsu 3018 PRO seems to have good online reviews.

If I go to sainsmart website, I can buy the machine for around 230 eur + shipping. On the other hand, the internet is full (aliexpress, amazon, etc) of noname "3018 PRO" routers without the sainsmart logo, but they look pretty much identical to the one being sold on sainsmart. These are usually around 170 eur or so.

My question is: is it the same machine? If not, what are the diffrences?

thanks,
Karolis

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[handlewanker]

Hi....I've gone down this path as I want to mess with a small CNC router for fun carving and engraving etc but after buying a 3018 (still in the box) I decided to build one to my own design (instead of replacing the light components) with linear rails and ballscrews all round and a 500 watt motor all running on Mach 3....... basically beefing it up to make it perform better but still only wanting to carve wood and plastics etc.

I think the frame of the 3018 design is way too weak and flimsy to cut metal or make anything that requires dimensional accuracy.

At the moment the build is 75% finished with the mechanicals and is at the Z axis stage.

This is not a case of making it cheaper than the buy in model but as an improved construction with more sophisticated components etc while still maintaining the 3018 envelope.

There are a lot of differences with the various models mainly in the configuration of the framework as it' s a big boy's Meccano set after all and is a bolt together extrusion design with a very small motorised spindle of approx 200 watts for the cheapest and a funny brass tool bit holder as opposed to an ER chuck.........you definitely only get what you pay for and it runs on GRBL not Mach 3..

Upgrading to a 500 watt brushless motor will cost A$150 approx.
Ian,

[richard_senior]

Hi,
I am looking to buy my first hobby cnc router...
Karolis

The 3018 pro (even the generic unbranded ones) are pretty much all the same.
You'll probably need to make some small alterations to the machine when you first use it.
see here : http://www.richardsenior.net/cnc3018pro/

[handlewanker]

While on the subject of the 3018 as sold on Amazon, Banggood and Ebay etc, I think anyone wanting one of these miniscule routers could do far better if they sourced the components and built it from the ground up using more robust parts in the design.

A lot of the design is based around the actual sizes of the components that are sold without going to custom cut lengths etc.

For instance you could get an off the shelf 300mm long 12mm SBR linear rail, but unless it is cut to suit it would make the overall size of the machine more than the 3018 envelope which expands as the components are put together.

If anyone is at all interested in a DIY build I can supply the dimensions of the frame, rails and ball screws of one that I'm currently building that will make a much more rigid and capable router as opposed to buying in one that needs pulling apart and reworking.

The shop bought 3018 is built around 2020 ally extrusion but going to a 2040 would be a better choice and cost only a small amount more.

It's in reality a Meccano set and you have to work around the spacings of the extrusion slots without resorting to re-drilling the extrusion.
Ian.

[karolisd]

The 3018 pro (even the generic unbranded ones) are pretty much all the same.
You'll probably need to make some small alterations to the machine when you first use it.
see here : http://www.richardsenior.net/cnc3018pro/

Very interesting article! Thank you.

As I was reading through the comments about 3018 machine, I noticed most of the complaints were related to high vibration and similar issues. This led me to an idea that the 1810 would be a better choice for me, since the construction is almost identical, but the length of the rods is almost 2x shorter. Unfortunately, 1810 was sold out in EU at the time (it still is), which kept me looking around and I found this site:

https://indystry.cc

This is a site by a young fella from I don't know where, although he sounds eastern european. He creates CNC machines and makes them open source so anyone can assemble those machines at home. I like the concept and I like the way his spindle is moved instead of the bed like 3018 does. So at this time I am pretty tempted to go the DIY way, although not 100% decided yet.