How a CNC router works — its axes, motion systems, bits and software — is explained in the CNC router guide, and laser machines, which some buyers weigh against a router, in laser cutters and engravers. This guide is about choosing a router.
Start from the work
| Work | Kind to look at | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Small parts, inlays, engraving | An enclosed desktop machine | A small work area and short Z |
| Boxes, trays, small panels | A benchtop gantry | Whether a router is included |
| Furniture parts, larger panels | A mid-size gantry, 33 in or more of travel | Floor space, a stand and the power it needs |
| Work larger than any bed | A handheld machine | Depth per setup, and tape on the work |
| Whole 4 × 8 ft sheets | Full-sheet industrial machines | Not reviewed here |
Kinds as the makers cited describe their machines. Not a ranking.
For a wood CNC machine for beginners, the same rule applies: buy for the size of the work you will actually do first. A benchtop machine is covered on its own in how to choose a tabletop CNC.
Machines by their makers' figures
| Machine | Kind | Work area (X × Y) | Z | What turns the bit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbide 3D Nomad 3 | Enclosed desktop | 8 × 8 in | 3 in | 70 W spindle, included |
| Onefinity Apprentice | Benchtop gantry | 16.5 × 16.5 in | 4.5 in travel; 5.25 in gantry clearance | 65 mm router or spindle, not included |
| Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2 / 4x4 | Mid-size gantry | Described as 4 ft wide; Y not stated on the pages reviewed | Not stated on the pages reviewed | 65 mm router or spindle, supplied by the buyer |
| Onefinity Elite (Woodworker, Journeyman, Foreman) | Mid-size gantry | 33 × 33, 49 × 33, 49 × 49.125 in | Z slider ~165 mm travel | 65 or 80 mm spindle mount |
| Shaper Origin | Handheld | No fixed area: tracked by tape | 43 mm cutting depth | Built-in spindle; 1/4 in shank bits only |
Each figure as its maker publishes it. 'Not stated' means the pages reviewed give no figure. Not a ranking, and no prices.
What each specification decides
| Specification | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Work area | The largest part in one setup | 16.5 × 16.5 in (Apprentice) to 49 × 49.125 in (Foreman) |
| Z travel and gantry clearance | The thickest stock and the longest bit | 4.5 in Z and 5.25 in clearance (Apprentice) |
| Motion system | Stiffness and repeatability | V-wheels (Shapeoko 4); ball screws and rails (Shapeoko 5.1 Pro, Onefinity) |
| Router or spindle | Whether you must buy one, and its mount size | 65 mm mount (Shapeoko 5.1 Pro, Apprentice); 65 or 80 mm (Elite) |
| Power | The circuit it needs | One 15 A 110 V circuit plus the router's own (Onefinity) |
| Software | What is included to draw, make toolpaths and run it | Carbide Create and Carbide Motion (Carbide 3D); RealTime CNC with a computer (Onefinity) |
| Space and weight | Where it will stand | Nomad 3: 65 lb; Origin: 6.75 kg, ~21 lb (9.75 kg) and 23.5 lb packaged, all on Shaper's own page |
What each specification decides, with examples from the makers cited. Not a ranking.
Two things are easy to miss. Several machines arrive without the router or spindle, and the trim router or spindle needs its own power. And a portable CNC router machine such as Shaper's Origin trades a fixed bed for a fixed depth: it can work across anything it can sit on, but only to its own 43 mm per setup, guided by hand.
What a CNC router cannot do
| Kind | Cannot | Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop | Take panels larger than its bed | A gantry machine |
| Gantry | Exceed its own travel in one setup | Cut in sections, or a larger machine |
| Handheld | Cut deeper than its own Z in a setup | Several setups, or a gantry machine |
| Any | Cut square inside corners with a round bit | Dogboned corners |
General limits, from the makers' figures. Not a ranking.
Dogboned corners, and what a first project teaches about them, are drawn on CNC router projects.
Safety— Safety equipment is part of the setup
Carbide 3D's rules apply to any machine: eye and hearing protection, a respirator suited to the dust, dust collection, and never leaving the machine running unattended. See woodworking safety rules.
Before buying a CNC router
- The size and thickness of the work you will cut first
- Work area and Z from the maker's own pages
- Whether a router or spindle is included, and its mount
- The circuit the machine and router need
- The software included to draw, make toolpaths and run it
Sources
Specification-based: every figure is the maker's own for its own machine, from its own pages, and where a maker's pages disagree — Shaper's three weights, Carbide 3D's two Makita model numbers, the Nomad's two names — each is shown. Where a page gives no figure, the table says 'Not stated'. Full-sheet industrial machines were not reviewed. Nothing was tested and none is ranked; no prices are given.
- 1.
Nomad 3 Desktop CNC Mill. Carbide 3D.
Used for: Nomad 3: 8 × 8 in X/Y and 3 in Z; a 70 W spindle at 8,000–24,000 RPM; 65 lb; 110/220 V, 2 A; works fully enclosed; Carbide Motion, MeshCAM and Carbide Create software; its page also calls it the Nomad 883 Pro.
- 2.
Shapeoko CNC Routers. Carbide 3D.
Used for: Shapeoko 4 on V-wheels; Shapeoko 5.1 Pro on ball screws and linear rails; the HDM as Carbide 3D's most rigid machine.
- 3.
Shapeoko 5.1 Pro CNC Router. Carbide 3D.
Used for: Shapeoko 5.1 Pro in 4x4 and 4x2 sizes, described as 4 ft in width; HG-15 linear rails, 16 mm ball screws on X and Y; a 65 mm router or spindle supplied by the buyer — the Carbide Compact Router (110 V), a Makita trim router named as RT0700C in one place and RT0701C in another, or a VFD spindle kit; Carbide Motion and Carbide Create included.
- 4.
Apprentice CNC Router 16.5" x 16.5". Onefinity CNC.
Used for: Apprentice: 16.5 × 16.5 in cutting area, 4.5 in Z travel, 5.25 in gantry clearance; ball screws; a 65 mm trim router or spindle, not included; RealTime CNC RTS-1 controller with a computer required; one 15 A 110 V circuit, the router on its own power connection.
- 5.
Gen 2 Elite Series. Onefinity CNC.
Used for: Gen 2 Elite: Woodworker 33 × 33 in, Journeyman 49 × 33 in, Foreman 49 × 49.125 in; a Z slider of approximately 165 mm travel; ball screws on all axes; closed-loop motors; 65 or 80 mm spindle mount; 600 W power supply; one 15 A 110 V circuit.
- 6.
Origin Specifications. Shaper Tools.
Used for: Origin: a handheld CNC router with 43 mm cutting depth, 1/4 in shank bits only, position tracked from ShaperTape; 120 VAC; listed at 6.75 kg in its specifications, at ~21 lb (9.75 kg) in its jobsite section and at 23.5 lb packaged with accessories.
- 7.
Machine Safety. Carbide 3D.
Used for: Eye and hearing protection, a respirator suited to the dust, and never leaving the machine unattended.
About this buying guide
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