I’m new to the CNC world. I have a home workshop that is reasonably well equipped; and reasonably crowded So my question is, what size machine would you recommend?
Background: I want to do small wood inlays, carve outlines into deep charcuterie boards, personalised names & initials, etc. But if it takes off I can see doing larger signs, etc. I was initially going to get a laser, but the CNC seems to be the best tool for what I want.
The 5 Pro seems to be what I’m looking at… but 4x4 or 4x2? What would you recommend for a home workshop? It would fit SO much better I my shop to get the 4x2 but would I ever regret not getting the 4x4? Thanks in advance for your advice and thoughts.
Sounds like space may be more premium than the convenience of a larger machine. The front & back of the machine are open so you can tile larger jobs if necessary.
You can always fit jobs longer than the machine onto the machine, using tiling. You need clearance front and rear to do it, but it’s possible.
The width you are stuck with. So, the decision between 4x4 and 4x2 has fewer future constraints than deciding between 2x2 and 4x2.
If you are wanting to, say, carve a large design into a tabletop, then a 4x4 may make sense. Unless you have some specific plans for projects that would fit a 4x4 better than a 4x2, then my personal choice would be to go for a 4x2. More shop space available now would win over some nebulous benefit in the future.
I bought a used SO3 XXL. Glad I bought it. It takes up a 4’x4’ space but the old saying is better to have and not need it than need it and not have it. Since tiling started a while back you can get a smaller foot print but I am glad I bought the XXL. The majority of my projects dont need the XXL size but when I do I am glad I have it.
I can only talk from my experience - I’ve got a single car garage as my workshop and opted for the Shapeoko 5 Pro 4x2. It takes up approximately one quarter of the floorspace (when accounting for enclosure, room to open the doors etc.). I was tempted by the 4x4 but when I got the tape measure out, it was just going to use up too much floor space.
You can always use the extra cutting area but to @WillAdams’ point, I’m mostly working with boards rather than sheet goods so 4x2 is plenty for me. If I was doing furniture or other sheet goods I would be much more in favour of a 4x4.
If it helps you picture it, this is my 4x2 machine at the back right corner of my garage.
Seems to be a common question only the person asking can ultimately answer based on shop space. I went with the S5Pro 4X4 and will sacrifice a couple of square feet of space. I would go with the biggest size you can fit, its always easier to cut a smaller project on the 4X4 but you can’t cut a larger piece on one of the smaller footprints with the exception of tiling. It would seem the most flexible of the small foot prints would be to go with the 4X2. This would allow 4’ wide projects and tile option for longer pieces.
You have to decide what size you can put in your shop, get the 4X2 over the 2X2 if you have room.
I bought a 4 Standard since it was my first foray into CNC and also I’m in the garage so space is at a premium. It;s a perfect size for my current situation but I would definately go to a 4x2 if I had more room.
First of all, welcome to the world of CNCs and the forum!
Personally, I opted for the SO 5 4x4 because I had the space for it. Initially, I didn’t anticipate needing that size, but a project came up where the 4x4 capacity proved incredibly useful—it allowed me to complete the entire part in just one setup.
However, it all boils down to available shop space, which is always at a premium.
Other considerations to keep in mind include dust/chip collection, access to non-GFCI receptacles due to reported issues, and potentially the need for extra grounding to prevent problems from static buildup.
If I’d have bought new I’d have gotten a 4X2, though I have now cut a piece wider than 2’ and it was convenient. But I could just as easily made those cuts on a table saw or with a track saw.
A 4x4 machine ends up wanting a table that is around 5x5, and that still leaves you with almost no space to put down a tool or keep bits or whatever. That’s big even in a relatively spacious shop.
The big table does allow you to dedicate different parts of the table to different holding jigs etc, which is convenient.
If you really need to work efficiently with sheet goods on a CNC then a 5x10 with a vacuum system is probably what you are looking for. That’s about the size of an aircraft carrier. With 4x4 you still need an alternate system for breaking sheets down. If you work with 5x5 baltic birch as your starting material even cutting a sheet in half won’t get it on the machine without tiling.
So my question is, what size machine would you recommend?