Looking to get into CNC machining. Wondering what the difference is between the 5.1 pro five and the four and which unit to buy. Hobby woodworker that wants to start a side hustle/business for retirement that’s coming up and getting things going before retirement gets here in 4 to 6 years. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
The SO 5.1 Pro has ball-screws and linear rails on all axes and is available in 4x4, 4x2, and 2x2 sizes.
The SO4 uses aluminum V rails and belts for X and Y, and for Z uses linear rails and a lead screw and is available in XXL (32" x 32"), XL (32" x 16"), and Standard (16" x 16").
If you can make money out of reduced machining time/increased material removal rates, then the SO5.1 is the machine to get, otherwise, for a hobbyist, the SO4 is fine (I’m still using my belt-drive SO3 Standard when I visit my mother-in-law).
For size selection:
- if working with sheet goods, get a 4x4 or XXL
- for boards, 4x2 or XL
- if your projects fit, get a 2x2 or Standard
The folks at sales@carbide3d.com will be better able to advise on financial aspects.
Thanks for the advice
I recently posted this to another user asking the same question.
I have an SO3 and the SO4 is its first cousin. The regular SO4 has the X and Y belt driven. The SO4 pro has linear rails but is still X and Y belt driven. The SO3 has 9MM belts and the SO4 has 15MM belts. Both the SO3 (now discontinued) and the SO4/Pro are good machines. However the SO5 is much superior. The SO5 is all ball screw driven taking away the belt systems. There is a cost difference but a CNC is a long term investment. Whatever you imagine you will make now will change in the future. Projects are like potatoe chips, you cant make just one.
The SO4/Pro is a solid platform but if you average out the cost increase for an SO5 over 5 years it is not that much. The SO5 comes in 4’x2’ and 4’x4’. That means you can cut sheet goods. The SO4 is 33" x 33". Even though you may not have in mind to cut sheet goods as stated earlier as you progress so will your project sizes. With the tiling option on all models in Carbide Create you can run unlimited lengths of material.
Any of the C3D machines are quality machines with excellent support. There are other vendors but C3D seems to be an excellent customer experience. The forum you are reading this on is an invalueable asset. You get advise from a wide ranging experience of real users as well as C3D employees. The forum is moderated so you dont get the noise you get on most social media.
So over time the SO5 may be a better choice than an SO4/Pro but it is your money to spend. Just spend it wisely.
One more thing to consider is the costs of tooling. C3D makes tools that are in their database and ready to use. You can add custom tools but C3D has enough tools available you may not need 3rd party tools. No matter what model CNC you get you have to feed it with tools.
My last advise is if you are a woodworker you will find many uses to supplement your craft. If you are not a woodworker a CNC is still very useful but you need to feed your machine with wood/metal and that means the ability to cut and mill wood/metal to use. People without woodworking experience try to make their CNC do everything. That is possible but having woodworking experience would benefit you but is not necessary. Besides tools and materials you will need a suitable computer to run the software. The software to design and then machine your projects is free from C3D. You can buy a pro license to add to the capabilities of the software but is not necessary and you should wait until you get your feet wet before investing in the pro. There are many other paid options for software but free software is a big advantage.
Good Luck choosing your poison.