Running costs of CNC machines?

Hello everybody! This is my first post on this site, so apologies if it's not in the correct section.

I'd absolutely love to start doing hobby CNC stuff. I have no background knowledge in CNC or any other related field, so am completely clueless, really.

I've found a few prices for CNC machines, but roughly how much does it cost to run one?

How long do the cutters last when cutting aluminium?
How much electricity is use?
How much is an easy-to-use CAD/CAM package going to cost? I say easy to use rather than 'best' because of how opinions vary on what is 'best'

Are there any other questions relating to cost that I've not considered?

I've been eyeing up the x5 on http://www.syilamerica.com/products.php but not sure how reliable/good it would be.


Any help/views/opinions would be appreciated.

Regards,

Kyle.

Hi Kyle

Don't worry about the cost of running it, that is the least of your worries :naughty:

Before buying a machine, Google it, Youtube it, see what people are saying about it. A bad review may mean the reviewer is a twit. A good review may simply mean he hasn't found the problem yet. No reviews could mean it's been re-branded because all the reviews were crap. You want to see lots of reviews.

Remember that routers cut wood, milling machines cut metal.

Before you buy software download a demo and see how steep the learning curve is. Make sure you can produce a G code for your own design of the kind of thing you want to make before buying anything. If they don't offer a demo it is not for you.

Good luck

Robin