7 Best DIY CNC Router Kit (Machines For Woodworking)

This is a CNC router table that’s right at the top of the price range. You get a quality set up and a really nice looking, aluminium frame and table for your money.

The working area on this machine is a massive 300mm x 600mm, and the depth capacity is a large 100mm.

Heavy Metal:

The construction of the frame and bed here are just quality. Accuracy levels will be high with such a well-engineered piece of kit.

Lock and load:

The Piranha XL comes with three different router clamps. You can use a Bosch, a Dewalt or a Porter Cable router with this unit but neither are supplied, so you’ll need to factor in the cost of buying a dedicated router, or use one of your existing ones.

Put it on the table:

The table here is quality. It has really handy clamping grooves and comes with two clamps, although you’ll probably need a couple more for everyday use.

The table is sturdy and large, and I can find nothing wrong with it.

Big unit:

One negative with this machine is the relatively large footprint, coming in at a whopping 500mm x 775mm.

Although this machine provides a nice big cutting area, that’s matched by the area you’ll need to find in your workshop.

If you have limited space, this probably isn’t the one for you.

This option is basically the MySweety 1610 Mini Mill kit with an added GRBL control unit, giving you CNC capability.

It’s a good budget option. 

The 1610 has a high-quality Aluminium frame and the working area on this unit is small, measuring just 160mm x 100mm, with a depth range of 45mm.

You’ve been framed:

The aluminium frame gives this unit some decent rigidity and accuracy.

General construction quality is good and this machine will accurately cut smaller components and pieces. 

Although the travel isn’t massive on any axis, if you’re doing smaller and more intricate work, then this is a great little machine.

Cutting edge:

The supplied spindle is good quality and although it’s only suitable for shallow cuts and light-duty machining, it’s reported to be reliable and sturdy enough for hobbyist tasks.

Table and clamping:

The table on this unit, although small, is sturdy and practical.

It has a nice clamping rail system integrated and comes with four clamps,

Hence:

You’ll be able to start working pretty quickly once you get this little machine out of the box and assembled.

Size matters:

There’s two ways to look at the compact nature of this CNC Mill.

You get a smaller working area and therefore your project capability is limited, but the footprint is tiny, and it’ll fit anywhere easily.

It’s also lightweight and portable, so it’ll be a decent option for many woodworkers.

This is basically a less expensive option in the Piranha range and compares well to the earlier Piranha XL, although as the name suggests, you get a smaller working area with this machine than with its bigger brother.

That measures in on the FX as a very respectable 300mm x 330mm, with a height range of 75mm.

Well-built:

The Piranha FX is a well-engineered machine and its combination of steel and aluminium alloy offers great rigidity.

You’ll get good accuracy from this machine and it’ll handle some heavy work if you need it to, eating up hardwood carving and shaping jobs easily.

Cut to the chase:

Like its bigger brother, the FX is not supplied with a router, but it comes with three different clamping modules that will take either a De Walt, Porter Cable, or a Bosch router.

This works out great if you’ve got one of these lying around the workshop.

However:

You’ll need to factor in the extra cost if you’re going to need to buy a dedicated router to use with this unit, so bear that in mind before buying.

Back to bed:

The bed and indeed the general construction of this machine is well designed and well executed, so you’ll find it easy to set up for jobs and your work shouldn’t move about.

It comes with a couple of clamps, which is a nice touch, but you’ll likely need a couple more.

The cost of this unit allows for that, though, so there should be budget to get the bits you need to get working.

Collared:

It’s worth noting that there have been some reported problems with some of the router clamps supplied with the FX.

They don’t always perfectly fit the routers that they’re supposed to accommodate, so be prepared for some fettling and fiddling in some cases.

This is a surprisingly good package for its place in the range of pricing.

It has a really nice table and good general construction, using high-quality materials. 

This gives you a very nice working area of 400mm x 580mm, and the depth range is a decent 75mm.

Alloy:

The build here is attractive and sturdy.

The material is an aluminium alloy and there’s no noticeable flex or movement, allowing this table and frame to carry out some heavier-duty tasks without flinching.

Nearly 100watts of power:

This is a spindle router, but it’s not as limited in power as some of the other, smaller spindle machines.

You get a really powerful 800 Watts here and that’s enough to get through some reasonably heavy work, quickly and easily.

Footprint:

There’s only one real drawback with this machine.

The footprint is relatively large, measuring 750mm x 480mm, so bear in mind that you’ll need to allocate the space to use this unit.

This takes the number six slot in our list of picks, because it’s a great option for workshops with very little work or bench space.

This is a tiny machine with a footprint of only 260mm x 240mm. The working area on the DIY Mini is a miniscule 240mm x 180mm, and it has a working depth range of just 40mm.

Back to basics:

This is a basic little machine, capable of only doing smallest and lightest of CNC machining...

...but it would be a great introduction model if you want to dip your feet into the CNC world without spending very much cash at all.

This unit offers full, if tiny capability, and is a great, budget option if you want to see if CNC is for you.

This machine will perform fairly accurately too, and the construction material here is sturdy aluminium.

Spindle CNC:

This machine employs a spindle unit to get the cutting done.

This isn’t a very powerful spindle, so avoid if you intend to carry out heavier machining tasks. 

It’s a capable little unit for smaller work pieces, though. So, don’t necessarily rule it out.

Mini by name, mini by nature:

The DIY Mini 2418 has a really compact table, measuring only 260mm x 240mm. It’s built well and so long as your jobs are smaller, this machine has everything you’ll need.

This will fit almost anywhere, in even the smallest of workshops or hobbyist garages or sheds.

This really is a specialist little machine and if it’s the size that you need, you’ll have little to complain about.

This kit is an upgrade on our number six pick, in terms of size.

You get a working area of 300mm x 180mm here – as opposed to 240mm x 180mm, and the depth range remains at 40mm. 

So although these machines are identical, the table size is slightly bigger here and you get a capacity that’s 60mm larger on one axis.

Frame and materials:

As with its little brother, you get decent build quality in aluminium with the 3018, which results in no flex and a good user experience.

Accuracy is assured by a rigid frame and a nicely engineered table. It’ll do smaller jobs well.

Can it cut it?

The answer is, sometimes. This is a spindle router that isn’t very powerful, so this isn’t a machine for cutting hardwoods or for taking large amounts of material off in one pass.

A buyer of this device needs to be realistic about the sort of tasks it can perform.

Range and Table:

This machine is another great pick for people with really small workshops.

It’s a compromise with regard to its little brother in that it’ll take up slightly more space, with a footprint of 400mmx 330mm.

However, this is still really small, and you do get an increase of 60mm on one axis when compared with the 2418 version

Working area size:

You need to consider the sizes of parts and pieces that you’re going to be producing, and the table and working area on the router needs to be big enough to accommodate that

Material:

The router you buy needs to be capable of cutting the material that you want to shape. If you plan on working with hardwoods, and you want to produce larger cuts, more quickly, then you need to make sure that the router you choose can handle that

The software:

Look at the method for user interface and be sure that it’s easy for you to learn and use. If you’re entry level to CNC, then look for products that promise a good entry level experience.

Quality of build:

Buy the best kit that you can afford. Look at build quality and remember that build quality greatly affects accuracy and stability.

There are a few things to consider here, so listen up...

The first thing being what material you’re going to be cutting.

If it’s metals, then the Spindle machine is your best bet. 

For wood, CNC Routers are best.

Routers generally spin too fast for metal cutting.

Spindles cost more money than CNC Routers, so if you’re a woodworker, the choice is quite simple. And the CNC Router is your friend.

Read More: Best router for CNC machines

The truth of it is:

Mills are really expensive, and they don’t offer the same level of control that a CNC Router does.

Repeat work is also more difficult and less consistent with a mill than with a CNC Router.

The range of tools available for routers is also greater than those available for a mill.

And with a mill, you’re often paying for metal cutting capabilities, whether or not you intend to use that capacity, so again, for woodworkers, and for accuracy, the CNC Router wins.