Which machines best for home use ???

[A_Camera]

I see this said all the time and it really annoys me to honest. It's wrong to say any machine can cut MDF because while they can physicly cut the material that doesn't mean they do it correctly or very well.!!! . . . . I could make Sawing machine nibble away MDF but it will give shite results.

I see all the time these cheap Slow machines being advertised for cutting MDF and the truth is they can't even reach the half the feed rates needed for cutting MDF correclty.

MDF is very abrasive. Cutting with wrong feedrates wears tools out very quickly and leaves poor or burnt finish. The whole point of CNC is to give superior result in shorter time than manual methods. Having to spend hours cleaning up after machine defeats the whole point.!!

Yes, you are right, but it also depends on the aim. If the aim is learning then almost any machine can be used, as long as the spindle can handle it. Speed may not be high and tool wear may be larger than you wish for, but the job will be done and the user will learn. But sure, some cheap machines may be far too weak for any decent job.

Crafty: I can not answer your question correctly without knowing your budget and size requirements so won't try untill you can give this info.

What I can say thru plenty of experience building machines for people who cut exactly the kind of Craft products your wanting to make is that buying low quality cheap chinese type machines is mistake that gets quickly realised.! . . . Simply put.!! If you have any desire to sell these products or make business from them you need machine that is of resonable build quality and can provide the correct feedrates required to cut the materials to acceptable standard which doesn't require lots of manual labour after the CNC as cut them.
Also it needs to be reliable because nothing worse than chasing faults on machine and nothing worse for business than not being able to supply the product.!

Unfortunalty buying machine off the shelf with the correct requirements for relaible business don't come cheap so you'll need a healthy budget.

Yes, definitely. If he aims at selling products it is wrong to start with a cheap and bad quality tool. But he said "I'd like to develop my knowledge and skills and learn how to cut/make MDF crafts" and for that, he may not need the very best and most expensive machine.

[JAZZCNC]

Yep the machine I'm looking at is only 4 mtrs /min @ rapid but I'll have to find a sweet spot :)

This highlights another point I missed.? Your sweet spot will still be bitter sweet and the machine will be working flatout just to achive mediocre work/performance. Anything that is working at or above it's limits will fail or wear away much sooner than machine correctly designed and spec'd for the Job.

Yes, you are right, but it also depends on the aim. If the aim is learning then almost any machine can be used, as long as the spindle can handle it. Speed may not be high and tool wear may be larger than you wish for, but the job will be done and the user will learn. But sure, some cheap machines may be far too weak for any decent job.

100% agree for the purpose of learning. I've always said they are great learning tool.
However and again in my experience with dealing with others the learning curve isn't any where near that new users expect. IME People have lot more potential for learning than they realise, Esp the Older generation.

So what happens is they Buy the Cheap but Limited learning machine only to realise in just few months or even weeks they have out grown the machine. End result is wasted time and money.
Also this is just looking at the BEST OUTCOME scenario. Often because they have bought cheap machine it's riddled with inferior complexity's and plagued with break downs. This results in there first Cnc experience being nightmare or less than enjoyable when really it doesn't need to be.!

Yes, definitely. If he aims at selling products it is wrong to start with a cheap and bad quality tool. But he said "I'd like to develop my knowledge and skills and learn how to cut/make MDF crafts" and for that, he may not need the very best and most expensive machine.

I didn't Say best or expensive. I said buy machine with "Resonable Build Quality". Yes it will cost more but doesn't need to Most Expensive Machien.
On the Craft side of things it makes no difference. There's lower limit and which point the quality suffers and the correction work increases.
IME Cheap inferior machines CANNOT reach this lower limit and result the quality and work required for correction defeats the point of using CNC.
And that's without getting into Excess tool and machine wear.!!

Buying for learning is great but IMO the money is better spent on decent machine and just Commit to the task with being determined to make it work. It's not rocket science or difficult to operate CNC machine.! . . . There's enough Muppets on here manage it Ok and that Includes Me. .