Carvey vs Nomad 883 Pro

Could someone tell me if (and why) they think that the Nomad 883 Pro is a better investment than the Carvey? I wanna know the pros and cons before I make a decision. Thanks

Nomad is:

  • Made in the U.S. by a small self-funded company
  • uses leadscrews
  • includes a license for a version of MeshCAM tied to and usable with the machine
  • has a custom spindle which is well-integrated with the balance of the machine
  • doesn’t lose interior “working area” to measurement features — you actually get 8" x 8" x 3" of work area

Previous discussion here:

Note that the price consideration is now in favour of the Nomad, since the price is the same for both, but Carbide 3D currently has free shipping, and as noted, offers a copy of MeshCAM (w/ the caveat that it’s intended for use w/ the Nomad)

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I’d also add that our frame is all precision machined here in our shop. Our frame doesn’t use any sheet metal or Chinese pillow blocks to hold the linear bearings.

We also use 20mm linear bearing for the X and Y rails. I believe they use 16mm.

There’s a reason we like to highlight our frame in it’s unassembled state and they do not.

Finally, our workflow does not depend on cloud software that can be unavailable or change without your permission. You can run our software on your Mac/PC in a totally disconnected environment.

Let me know if I can answer anything else for you.

-Rob

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