Does anybody has any experience with eBay DIY CNC routers?

[BigLouis1971]

I was browsing for CNC routers on eBay and I saw prices range from a few hundreds to several thousand USD. I was wondering if there's any difference between the cheap ones and the expensive ones. I'm very interested in the cheap ones but wanted to make sure here first. Thanks in advance.

[Mike A]

You are going to have to get way more specific. What do you want to do with the machine? That would be a good start.

[Vigo]

Some possible questions to check on. I am assuming you are looking at cnc routers that are primarily for wood.

How big of a sheet of wood you looking at and how thick?
What firmware drives it?
What software can I use with this?
Can it be modified to fix its shortcomings?
Does it come with the router/spindle?
How big of a router can it handle?
Does it have a dust collection system or can one be added?
Can I add a laser engraver?
How powerful are the stepper motors?
Are there reviews of this router on the internet?
Does it come with a system to secure my wood in place? (Keep in mind a spoil board will cost you space in cutting depth).

[menace]

I bought one of the aliexpress ones with a 200mm x 200mm x 40mm working area.  I use it to carve graphite blocks to pour molten metals into.  The hardware (basically a gearbest T8 clone) is very sturdy and good enough for my uses.  The software is based around the arduino so its GRBL based.  My typical workflow is to craft something up in fusion 360 (free with a "students" account) or tinkercad.  I then take it over to Kiri:moto (online free cam program) and get it converted into gcode which I then run through ugsplatform to handle the actual cutting.

I've had issues but overall I am very happy with the performance for the price (got mine for sub-300 (cdn$) shipped to my door last year )  I'm now looking into building a bigger unit that could handle bartop sized cuts.  I wish I had the room for something bigger but don't.

A quick youtube review: 

[bdn103]

It really depends on what you are going to be using it for. I originally started with a cheap DIY project, but before I got to far, I saw someone who had built a similar project and it was rather haphazard.  I went with a more industrial solution form www.cncrouterparts.com and have been very happy. I have better performance then a shopbot at a significantly smaller price. I have a 4' x 8.5' table running a 7HP water cooled spindle. I was cutting aluminum plate last night.

Brian

[lilshawn]

I was actually going to suggest cncrouterparts.com as well after seeing the results of some of the projects Wintergatan was using it for. A little pricey, but a good "almost turnkey" setup literally delivered to your door.