Hello all, hope everyone is well.

I'm looking to upgrade from my 3018 and I'm looking for some recommendations on machines, there are alot of options out there and not sure which direction to go.

This will be a hobby machine for various personal projects.

Requirements
  • Price: £1000-£1500
  • Work Area: 400*400mm - Ideally extendable in the future when I get more room
  • Router Support - not a deal breaker
  • Cutting/Engraving Materials: MDF, Plywood, Hardwoods, Acrylic, Aluminium


Some of the options I've looked at are:

Ooznest - I like the fact they are UK based both from a supporting UK companies and also from a support point of view. I'm still pretty new to cnc so having that UK support will no doubt be useful. The size can be extended and it does support router mounts. Price is on the upper end. Most reviews seem positive, some people suggest you can get more for your money elsewhere.

Fox Alien - Vasto - Looks pretty decent, hardware looks good, has ball screws (I hear these are better), doesn't look like it's extendable and delivery is likely to push the price a bit too high.

Fox Alien - 4040-XE - This one seems a middle ground between the Vasto and Maustro Pro, belt driven, 400*400 not extendable

Fox Alien - Masuter Pro - This is the cheapest of the machines, extendable to 400*800, belt driven, wonder if the lighter construction may cause issues down the line.

Sainsmart - Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 - This has the smallest working area for 400*300 but is extendable, has router support and scew driven. Seems decent, heard mixed reviews.

Sainsmart -PROVerXL 6050 Plus - Bigger newer machine, doesn't look extendable at least not yet, but it has a larger starting size than the others of 600*500. Upper end of the budget and may not be in stock in the UK.

Bulkman/yuyongindustry - Loads of options, cheap prices, being new to all this, not sure if this is a good option due to the lack of support and full diy kit style.

PirntNC - Similar to above, full diy kit not really what I'm looking for at this moment.

Any advice is greately appreciated, thanks.