3020t cnc

[Richardtweed]

Hey guys

I'm looking at this cnc router https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07TF6P59Q/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A37Q6QTPY7C5J7&psc=1

But the problem I am having Is it seems these type of routers don't mention in the description that they will work with windows 10. Is this normal or is it possible to make them work with windows 10? I just don't fancy going back in time and installing windows xp on my laptop.

Thanks for any help in advance

[Clive S]

Hey guys

I'm looking at this cnc router https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07TF6P59Q/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A37Q6QTPY7C5J7&psc=1

But the problem I am having Is it seems these type of routers don't mention in the description that they will work with windows 10. Is this normal or is it possible to make them work with windows 10? I just don't fancy going back in time and installing windows xp on my laptop.

Thanks for any help in advance

This machine or should I say machine controller won't run with Win10 as it needs the PPort and Win10 does not support that. I would think twice about this machine , what do you want to cut with it?

[Doddy]

The combination of a laptop with a parallel interface and Widows 10 rings some alarm bells. There is a version of Mach3 that supports 64-bit W10, but you still would need a laptop with a parallel interface. Maybe worth looking at third-party motion controllers to provide the parallel interface from the lappy (e.g. UC100, or the much more capable bigger brothers).

You didn't ask about the choice of router... don't expect to nibble much aluminium with that.

[Richardtweed]

I will be mainly cutting stab wood and resin with the alluminium. Are these routers not very good?

[Clive S]

I will be mainly cutting stab wood and resin with the alluminium. Are these routers not very good?

They are at the lower end of junk and trouble as you can tell by the price.

[Richardtweed]

Can you recommend anything or am I going to struggle getting one for £300 ish

[Clive S]

Can you recommend anything or am I going to struggle getting one for £300 ish

Are you wanting this as a hobby to play with if so it's a good toy to play with.

To get a good set of drives and motors would cost more than that.

Sorry to put a damper on it

[Richardtweed]

Yes it's only as a hobby to be honest, I have wanted to learn about cnc for a few years now so I have decided to bite the bullet but I'm overwhelmed at all the information and technical details involved.

[Doddy]

Don't lose sight of the previous thread where I warn of the frustration of using a poor device. You'll likely get much better results from your CMD300 (albeit the cutting volume is much reduced).

[Richardtweed]

Sorry I only just noticed you had replied to me doddy, thanks for the advice. I have now decided to scrap the idea of the chinese cnc but I really would like to leave my mill as a manual one so my question is are there any machines available for about £1500 and any company's that would finance such a small amount?

[Richardtweed]

When I do a google search the only machines that come up are industrial size

[magicniner]

The market for hobby is so flooded with rubbish that sells well to the poorly informed that any manufacturer would struggle to compete if they offered a good quality machine at a reasonable price, this is because everyone who is uninformed thinks they should be able to buy something for the price they have in their head and that price is based on the rubbish on offer! :D

[cropwell]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07TF6P59Q/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A37Q6QTPY7C5J7&psc=1

Currently out of stock, which is just as well !

[Richardtweed]

Yeah I'm hearing pretty bad things the more I search these chinese machines, is it possible to get something for about £1500 and any where that does finance on them? I only need it for hobby use and will be cutting stab wood and resin with it, if I cut alluminium it will be very very small cuts of no longer than 65mm.

[cropwell]

The recurring theme on this forum is 'build your own'. If you buy a cheap chinesey one you will find it a learning experience, and that is probably all. The people that have done that then want to move on to something sturdier, faster and more accurate.

[Palletlad]

I brought the 6040 version of what you are looking at a couple of years ago and only now sorted all the gremlins from that experience to be able to get mine to work.

To connect with Windows 10 you can buy a controller (UC100, UC300 or UC400) I went for the UC400 as replaced the parallel port connection with an ethernet connection which then made it compatible but as mentioned earlier the components were trash I ended up replacing every interior component which added to an easy £500 to the price bracket.

to give you an idea this was what was inside the control box:26344

[Skiprat]

Hello

I bough a 6040 Cnc machine off eBay from a lad who got it but his missus went wild and told him to sell it. I won it for around £480 i think and at the time they were approx £1200+.

I got it home and used it to build my bigger one which is on the forum and i have never upgraded or fiddled with it. It came with the ball screws and the crap cheap controller that everyone had problems with but in my case it has never let me down and is absolutely spot on every time i use it.

I am expecting it to go "bad" as described in other threads but until then i will leave it alone.

But it is heavy and if you can get a bargain like i did i would go no lower than a 6040 as they can be modified to do great work if need be.

Cheers Skiprat

[Doddy]

Have to agree with skiprat, 3020 is a bit on the light side, my MD was similar size and that just added to its list of inadequacies

[cropwell]

I bought a 6040 Cnc machine off eBay from a lad who got it but his missus went wild and told him to sell it.

It's like the joke - "I bought a CNC machine and her indoors went ballistic, she told me to get rid of it or she goes. So reluctantly - She is 53 years old and a good cook - anyone interested?"

[Kitwn]

Sounds like you boys need to implement the policy my wife and I use...

Each month we each get an equal fixed sum to spend on our individual hobbies. What you buy is your own business. How long you save it up for a special purpose is your own business. If you run out of money that's your own problem.

Works wonders for helping you decide what you will and won't decide to spend your money on. Removes any possible source of arguments about what you've bought.

Kit

[Doddy]

Sounds like you boys need to implement the policy my wife and I use...


Mine is better. She doesn't ask. I don't tell.

[Kitwn]

Mine is better. She doesn't ask. I don't tell.

Ah yes, but that means she isn't telling either :smile: