Reveiw: Stepmores SM-3040 CNC Router/Mill

[ezekiel181]

Hi Craig any update on how the machine is?
I`m looking at getting one if there aren`t any serious issues with the build.

Also did you buy through Alibaba or some other avenue?

[craigrobbo]

Hi Craig any update on how the machine is?
I`m looking at getting one if there aren`t any serious issues with the build.

Also did you buy through Alibaba or some other avenue?

Hello, Well my ships docks today (if its on sscheduel).

Unfortunatly, there was a large import/duty/handeling fee of £466 so you will have to bear this price on top of the inital cost.

It would bring the cost similar to eBay machines but still a better spec.

I should have the machine in hand around mid next week provding everything goes smooth from here on and there is no hang up at customs.

Craig

[stepmores]

hi dear friends. i am eric from stepmores cnc . very glad to be on this page. hope you are fine. our 3040 cnc machine has a lof of improvement on the structure , it become more stronger and durable. more precision than before. also more beautiful. if any friend is interested in our machine , please contact me by email [email protected] or we can have a talk on skype : stepmores these are some pictures of our 3040m machines pictures.



main futures:
1. mach3 controller with USB port breakoutboard can be used on laptop.
2.This is upgraded 3040 for metal engraving. Suitable for aluminum,brass engraving.
3. Aluminum casting whole body wont transform for long use.
4. variable functional parts: limited sensor, calibrator, led light.

.

[stepmores]

hi guys. i got some inquiries for bigger machine. so i would like to show our bigger and strongger machine 600x400 600x900 version. X Y axis are both SBR25 supported rails and 25mm diameter ballscrew. whoe aluminium casting. very strong structure that some cutomers love it. we use mach3 USB port control board. yako stepper driver. see the pictures :
if any friend is interested in our machine , please contact me by email [email protected]

[stepmores]

hi guys. now we have some 3040 x3 sets , 6040 x 2 sets and 6090 x 3 sets in stock. and i would like to sell them at special price to change our workshop easily. but it is only for the friends from this forum. so once you send me email : [email protected] and tell me you are from this forum. i would like to give you our cost price to deal with these stock model 6040 and 6090. they are in stock. delivery time is right now !!

[Nixie]

Hi guys, bit of a newb here, but would this machine be good for me? I want to work in aluminium mainly, wood and plastics also but less, to make fairly 3-dimensional parts, that is - create underhangs, hollow/2 sided works. I will be using STL files, only have a WIN 7 machine with USB, and both my space and money budget is low!

I'm pretty novice but im sure I'd be able to get along with cnc given some time and experimentation. Can I expect good quality results with this machine and am I going to need to spend more money on other hardware to bring it up to snuff or is it already good as it is?

Thanks for your help! (in advance)

Chris

[irving2008]

Hi guys, bit of a newb here, but would this machine be good for me? I want to work in aluminium mainly, wood and plastics also but less, to make fairly 3-dimensional parts, that is - create underhangs, hollow/2 sided works. I will be using STL files, only have a WIN 7 machine with USB, and both my space and money budget is low!

I'm pretty novice but im sure I'd be able to get along with cnc given some time and experimentation. Can I expect good quality results with this machine and am I going to need to spend more money on other hardware to bring it up to snuff or is it already good as it is?

Thanks for your help! (in advance)

Chris

Chris

These machines are primarily 2d (cut from sheet) or 2.5d (cut varying depth/pocketing) routing. They will not do underhangs tho the 4th axis option may help if your workpiece is cylindrical. To do true 3d with underhangs you need 5 axis machine such as MINI 5 Axis CNC Machining center: http://youtu.be/NOcxwRUeh_4 but your budget won't get close I suspect.

[DarrenGrant]

Hi I found stepmores via this forum and although I haven't ordered a machine yet I probably will because so far Eric has given good advice via email and skype.

Before anyone says anything, I know I am new here so it might look suspicious that one of my first few posts is to apparently praise a machine manufacturer. So I have to stress I am not linked to them in any way and so far do not have one of their machines to give an opinion on. I just wanted to share with you my good experience so far and hopefully explain a bit more about buying from China. You can see what brought me here by looking in the new member introduction section where I explain what I am trying to do.

jimbo_cnc In China there is great pressure on price with sellers all trying to outdo the others on price. If for example you went to the world’s greatest electronics market Huaqiangbei in Shenzhen you will find that every seller will charge 10c less than his competitor just to get the sale. In this kind of environment it is difficult if you are trying to sell a product that visually is very similar but you have made some effort to improve the design as the buyers will look at the price and move on. Because of this you will see that Chinese suppliers rarely publish their prices as they want to be given the opportunity to explain why their offering is better when you contact them. For us this can seem a little unusual as we are so used to having everything clearly priced to buy in an instant. I know some people may even find this a bit suspicious thinking that the seller has something to hide and may be trying to offer different prices depending on how much they think you can pay.

In my experience it isn't like that at all, first the seller wants to feel comfortable that you are not a competitor fishing for information. Then they will usually give a fair price for a one off sale.

There is something else at play when buying from Chinese people that is difficult for British people to understand unless you have spent time in China or with a Chinese person to experience their culture. We are used to business dealings being rather clinical, we see a price and we choose to pay the asking price or not. In China traditionally personal relationships are created with 关系 (guanxi) there is no direct translation into English but the essence of it is that people feel they connect or not. While the young ambitious eBay sellers who will sell you anything to earn money don't take much notice of this traditional value especially with people from outside China you will find that in many more traditional businesses that guanxi is also part of business relationships. It is not uncommon for a Chinese person to ignore you or not sell you something because they feel your enquiry appeared inconsiderate or rude. Chinese people often find Americans very difficult because their demand that the customer is always right is not part of Chinese culture. You have to think more like the traditional independent shops where you would get to know the staff and you would hopefully trust them to give you advice about what to buy, as opposed to the modern supermarket culture where you virtually go in and out without even knowing the name of the person on the checkout.

Regarding shipping from China

All shipments regardless of the method used will be subject to VAT and possibly duty depending on the product being imported.

Now you have probably bought low value items off eBay etc and they are often labelled as being $2 value even if you paid $40 for something and therefore got it delivered in the post without charge that is not going to work for a huge machine in a crate. Unlike small postal items where only a small sample of packages are inspected for collecting VAT almost all large packages will have their paperwork inspected so that VAT can be charged on the import. This applies to all services such as FedEx, UPS etc as well as sea freight. So you WILL be charged VAT without a doubt, the amount depends on the value declared on the commercial invoice.

For parcels sent via a standard courier like TNT to a domestic address you will typically be charged £15-25 admin fee for collecting the VAT from you and giving it to HMRC. You will also have to pay the VAT before the package is released to you unless you have an account with the courier where they will charge it to your account.

For sea and air freight it is a little more complicated as this is regarded as a commercial service and as a result they tend to charge the going business rates for things so you may be charged as much as £50 for handling the paperwork and collecting VAT from you. You also need to find out if the service is to the door or just the port. If it is to the port you will be responsible for paying to get it from the port to your address, you can go and collect it yourself if you have a suitable vehicle but collect immediately you get the notification it is there, leave it there and you will be charged for storage. If nothing else pay the VAT immediately or you will be charged for it being held in the HMRC controlled area and that is expensive. If it is a to the door service then you are all set as the shipper has paid to deliver it all the way but the same warning applies make sure you are able to accept the delivery immediately or you will have to pay storage charges that are expensive at a busy port.

[stepmores]

see our control box. aluminum material . good for heat dissipation.

[jimbo_cnc]

How much for a 600x900 with 1.5kW spindle shipped to UK?