LUNYEE 3018 PRO MAX CNC Machine 500W All-Metal CNC Router Machine 3 Axis Limit Switches & Emergency-Stop with GRBL Offline Control for Cutting Wood Acrylic MDF Plastic, Working Area: 300 x 180 x 80mm

Well worth it at this price point. Very sturdy and reasonably designed for a small desktop CNC milling machine. It was fairly easy to assemble. The instructions for assembly were decent. Did have to look at the website for a few things. The printed instructions that came with it had a QR code for help that was a broken link. But, a simple Google search brought me to the Lunyee web site. The web site was simple to navigate and has lots of good stuff like info and software. The version of machine I received as shipped came with a PCB control board with one thing I didn't like. The E-Stop would make the machine stop 'eventually' but not always right away. I contacted customer support via email and got a quick response. The emails came fast and they worked quickly to resolve my concern. They sent me a new PCB and now the E-Stop works as expected with immediate stop when pressed. I have only carved wood with it so far and it seems to do a good job. I recommend getting a dust collector setup similar to what I have in the photo. The Lunyee part for dust collection that attaches to the spindle column was a separate purchase. Then of course you would need a hose and dust collection system. I went with a DIY version of a 'Dust Deputy' and a shop vac. The hoses etc. fit without clamps to the Lunyee part. You can use the 'Offline Controller' or a USB connection to a computer; but not both at the same time. You can only connect one at a time. The preferred method is a computer with the right software, but in a pinch or just to test it out, the 'offline Controller' works decent as a standalone option. Seems to have enough power for soft wood and plastic. I have not yet tried with hardwood; should be alright at slower speeds. For some soft metals like aluminum, I would only do relatively light engraving and shallow milling.

I am very impressed with this CNC. I had done a great deal of research before buying this model from Lunyee. There are surprisingly few video reviews or blogs talking about this CNC, but I really don't understand why. To me, the best part of the entire tool is the aluminum module for the laser/spindle motor. It holds it very securely. Unless you accidentally jam the end mill into the work piece there is no significant deflection, unlike other similar desktop CNCs. I have had no problem milling wood (obviously) and aluminum.Pros:The frame is well constructed. All hardware lined up perfectly. Checking the tolerances on the gantry mount to the frame, it was dead square. The assembly was very fast (maybe 15 minutes?) and the provided manual was adequate. I think I had to refer to their youtube video on wiring once or twice to confirm a connection or two.Cons:There are really only a few that I've come across after using this for a couple of weeks.* First, this is an excellent CNC for a first time hobbyist... HOWEVER, there is pretty much nothing provided to get you started on cutting your first workpiece. This could definitely be improved, even if it's just a couple of walk through videos using easel or UGS or something similar.* Second, the emergency stop button has NO EFFECT when sending GCODE through UGS or Easel. It seems to only function when using the offline controller. I discovered this when I tried to emergency halt when I had forgotten to send a G28.1 to set a reasonable home and it tried to bury the end mill into the bed.* Third, the screw down hold downs provided are really designed for T-Tracks. The Ultra does not have T tracks in the bed, though you could certainly build them into a spoil board. This doesn't have much impact on me since my use case has me screwing the work piece down to the bed directly, but you should be aware of it. I could imagine a new user being puzzled as to how you are supposed to use these with the bed.Overall, I love it. It's fairly quiet (I mean, you can certainly hear it running, but in a workshop the noise is negligible compared to other things you're running. The dust extraction I have sucking up the chips is easily twice as loud as the CNC), cleanly designed, and pretty easy to operate. I would definitely buy this again.