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When you think of a CNC machine, what comes into your head? We’d imagine it’ll be a relatively sizeable, reassuringly heavy object comfortably capable of tearing through big lumps of whatever it is you need tearing through. That’s all well and good, of course, but what if you don’t have the space for a big machine? What if you need something small?
If that’s the case, you’re probably in the market for one of the machines mentioned in this article. Truth be told, there aren’t an awful lot of smaller CNC machines designed for hobbyists out there, but we’ve scoured the web and found a few that hold a solid reputation. They’re all small enough to fit on most desktops or workbenches without much difficulty, and can handle a variety of materials – so they should help you in any number of possible projects you have in mind.
How to Choose a Small CNC Machine
Our top picks for small CNC machines aren’t exactly the products of a healthy harvest. Most compact CNC machines are specialist, professional-grade units costing many, many thousands of dollars. This sort of machine certainly has a place in the pro arena then, but what about the hobbyist space?
With barely a handful of good quality small CNC machines out there, our choices can feel a little compromised. Machines that take up as small a footprint as possible are ideal, but they must also retain the ability to comfortably work on a variety of materials and possess the sort of strength and sturdiness that suggests long-term, consistent working results. Small and flimsy offerings will only result in users needing to buy twice instead of once.
That immediately rules out the swathe of brand-less small CNCs you can find on the likes of Amazon and AliExpress. While often fun projects for users beginning a foray into the world of making, we don’t expect most of these machines of uncertain origin to hold up over time. Especially if frequent work is being carried out on harder, denser materials. CNC machining is subject to and requires strong forces, and as such, the stresses placed on the machines when working add up over time. A solid construction is, therefore, vital, and generic CNCs that are low in price are almost certainly always low in performance.
More Great CNCs
The Best CNC Routers – Buyer's Guide A few years ago, entry-level CNC machines 1810 in size (meaning they had a 18 x 10 cm work area) were fairly common, but nowadays, 3018 (30 x 18 cm work areas) seem to be the minimum. Finding smaller than this is possible, but perhaps inadvisable for the reasons mentioned above. One place you’ll find work areas smaller than this is within the few prosumer machines that are just about affordable enough to slide into this category.
These compact, yet powerful CNC machines pack a real punch and feature software and customer support that inspires confidence, as well as capabilities and features that cheaper machines will struggle to match. If money isn’t a big concern for you, small CNCs like this will provide a superior experience when it comes to CNC machining on a small scale.
Small CNC Machines
Top Pick: Carbide 3D Nomad 3
A top-notch CNC from a company with a great reputation, Carbide 3D’s Nomad 3 is probably the best small CNC machine on the market right now, but that quality comes at a hefty price.
The Nomad 3 will set you back $2,800. For that, you get an extremely capable mini CNC from a company with a solid track record of providing great machines and assistance to its users. For instance, if you make a mistake with the machine during assembly or use during the first 60 days, Carbide 3D will send you replacement parts.
The Nomad 3 is not a new machine; it’s the third major revision of the 883 series and features several upgrades, including internal lighting to help you track what’s going on, as well as a helpful BitZero V2 work probe. The entire machine is made in California and comes with MeshCAM and Carbide Create CAM software.
With approximately a 200 x 200 x 75 mm cutting space and a footprint of 445 x 483 x 432 mm, the Nomad 3 should be a good fit in most places you might want to work, whether it’s a workshop or a desk, and is also designed to work with a host of pre-existing workholdings. Woods, plastics, and aluminum should be a piece of cake for this machine.
Designed to be strong, simple to use, and safe (the spindle will pause if you open the door during work), the Nomad 3 looks to be one of the top choices for anyone looking for a mini CNC machine… but it will cost you.
Carbide3D Nomad 3
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Small CNC Machines
Budget Pick: Sainsmart Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max V2
Sainsmart is no stranger to small, affordable CNC machines, and its Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max V2 is about as small as you should go when it comes to recommendable small CNCs.
The $549 Pro Max V2 is an admittedly basic machine compared to the other picks on this list, though given its far lower price tag, this is to be expected. Basic doesn’t mean it isn’t capable though, and the build of this little 15 kg CNC consists of an exceptionally sturdy aluminum construction, with dual steel linear rails, and an aluminum spoil plate with an etched scale.
Sainsmart is big on selling this particular model in its range as an upgradable platform, so there is the facility to increase its size and spindle (via extension rails, and larger spindle mounts, both optional extras). Compared to the older Pro Max, the V2 already comes freshly updated with an upgraded controller, Z-probe, and a slew of pre-assembled components, allowing the machine to get to work quickly and efficiently. No need to spend a long time building this, it comes mostly built already.
With its 300 x 205 x 78 mm work area, this machine has the largest space to create in this article, but it is a far rawer experience from a user’s perspective. However, whether as a solid, basic small platform to work on a wide variety of materials, an entry-level machine to learn all about CNCing, or a basis for upgrading, the Pro Max V2 is the best small CNC offering if you’re on a budget.
SainSmart Genmitsu 3020-Pro Max V2
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Small CNC Machines
Upgrade Pick: Bantam Tools Explorer
A single, lone dollar. That’s all you’ll see in return from $4,000 for the Bantam Tools Explorer. If that’s no cause for concern, however, what you’ll get your hands on is probably the most capable small CNC machine short of professional grade tools.
At 19 kg, the Explorer is a very lightweight small CNC machine, being only 4 kg heavier than the Sainsmart Genmitsu 3020 Pro Max V2, the Budget Pick in this list which is basic by nature. The Explorer is anything but, with a totally enclosed body equipped with carry handles (it even has an optional Pelican case for easy transportation), this CNC machine has been designed to get out and about. In the world of CNC, that’s an incredibly rare thing to be taken into account when engineering a machine like this. What it allows for is the unusual luxury for users to get around different locations and produce high quality components or prototypes from materials as strong as brass, aluminum, copper, engineering plastics, wax, woods, and much more. Should you need it to be, it can even be powered by a battery.
In terms of work area, we’re obviously not talking about a lot here. Yet 153 x 102 x 70 mm is plenty enough for a lot of high quality, small key components, and Bantam Tools’ own slick software (compatible with both Windows and Mac platforms) allows users a polished, professional-looking experience too. Users do have the option of upgrading this software to cover things like more file formats, bore and boss probing, color-coded SVG handling, and more, but the standard package covers most bases and won’t add to the already substantial outlay this machine requires.
It is expensive, but Bantam Tools has produced something pretty unique at a price point that comes up a hair’s breadth of what could be considered a professional pricing point. For that, you get a highly capable small CNC happy to go where you go, and work on materials that can have advanced professional applications. For some, that’ll prove highly, highly desirable.
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Other Machines
Recommendable small CNC machines are few and far between. There are a decreasing number of them out there, and you have to be careful where you put your money, as low-cost smaller CNC machines often come from companies with questionable track records. Many machines come with a lot of negative feedback, either about the machine itself or the company selling it.
As a category, there are few strong performers. The best options tend to reside at the higher end of the segment, where prosumers require compact yet strong and capable CNC machining. Hence, comfortable four-figure picks for the Top Pick and Upgrade Pick in this particular update of the guide.
If you fancy a DIY project, the tidy, sturdy-looking OpenBuilds MiniMill is a DIY mini CNC machine that you can have some control over the spec of, thanks to the company’s ordering system.
You can choose a number of different configurations for a MiniMill, allowing you to buy either a bare frame you can customize using parts you’ve sourced yourself, or a full kit for a working machine. Depending on your choices, this means this machine can cost as low as $550, but could be north of $1,500. With a small-ish footprint of 560 x 406 mm, it should be able to find a home in most workspaces.
The Millennium Machines Milo V1.5 is a DIY, open-source spin off of the aforementioned MiniMill. This project has been designed to work with aluminum and appears to be in a steady development cycle. This is not a machine you can go out and purchase, however. It will require you to source components and assemble into the final machine. As such, the quality could vary, depending on who’s putting it together.
With so few options in this category, we’ve stuck to getting the basics right. Machines with strong specs, from reputable brands, with good customer feedback. This is likely to remain a specialist, prosumer category for the foreseeable future.
What's Changed?
Update: March 27, 2024: We’ve updated this article to bring it into line with the more polished Buyer’s Guide format you may have seen across our website. The older Sainsmart Genmitsu 3018 model has been replaced by a stronger, more polished (if a basic Sainsmart machine can be labelled as such) Genmitsu with a slightly larger build volume and far better construction. Entering the list comes Bantam Tools’ Explorer CNC too. Its unique portability, refined user experience, and material compatability making it an easy recommendation for a smaller CNC machine. It’s about as professional-grade as you can get without paying professional pricing.
Update: September 20, 2022: Unfortunately, SainSmart’s 1810 Pro has been discontinued, leaving a void for good quality mini CNC machines. There really aren’t many recommendable small units around this size out there, so we’d recommend putting your money into a 3018 PROver from the same company instead. With the 1810 Pro’s discontinuation, the 3018 PROver becomes our Top Pick, and the Carbide3D Nomad 3 becomes our Upgrade Pick. If you can afford one, it’ll serve you well.
Aside from that, we’ve checked prices and availability, as well as potential new entries, but nothing has really received good enough feedback to warrant a place in one of our “The Best” articles. Buyers should be aware there are some very hit-and-miss options out there, and according to user and review feedback, customer support appears to be severely lacking in many places.
Lead image source: Carbide 3D via YouTube
License: The text of "Small CNC Machines: Our 3 Top Picks" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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