7 Best CNC Routers for Woodworking Reviews

Disclaimer: All claims are strictly my personal opinion. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Have you ever noticed an etched message or a name on the cap and lid of a product? Do you also want to create a personalized message for showing your love and concern for someone special?

Get it done with a CNC wood carving machine on the premises of your home. CNC wood carving machine is loosely used for a laser engraver that can carve and cut metal, wood, and other materials with efficiency and precision.

But since with different models and configurations available in the market, getting the one that suits your requirements and avoiding the one that never caters to your engraving and carving needs is jeopardizing…


QUICK PICKS

Here are my recommended products picked out through amazon you would be interested in depending on your budget…

BEST PICK
JFT 6040 CNC wood carving machine and Stone +metal engraving...
JFT 6040 CNC wood carving machine and Stone +metal engraving...
1 year machine part Free warranty.Shipping By DHL Or FedEx,3 To 7 Days Fly To You.; usb port.Mach 3 software is simple and intellgent,Z axis travel up to 100mm
USB Port 6040 Cnc Wood Router (800w Spindle) 4 axis cnc...
USB Port 6040 Cnc Wood Router (800w Spindle) 4 axis cnc...
One Full Year Warranty!Shipping By DHL Or FedEx,Take 5 Or 7 Days To Fly To You

7 Best CNC Wood Carving Machine Reviews

Here is my list of the Best CNC Routers for Woodworking in 2021;

1. Desktop Laser Engraving Machine for Woodwoking


  • Weight: 4.0kg
  • Laser Type: diode
  • Engraving Area : 410*400 mm
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Materials: Wood, leather, plastic, paper, aluminum oxide, non-reflective plating, and lacquered metal.

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Fixe-focus laser head.
  • Eye protective acrylic shroud.
  • Scale lines on x and y aces.
  • Easy assembly.
Things to Consider!
  • May not cut acrylic smoothly.
  • A bit hard to work with.

Overview

New to laser engraving? ATOMSTACK is a great place to start. It's affordable, practical, and safe to use; therefore, a perfect companion for your engraving many materials.

This machine comes with a unique laser focusing process. You don't have to fix the laser focal point. Instead, it uses a fixed focus laser to make engraving easier.

The machine is also impressive since it requires less protection when doing the carving. An acrylic shroud made of the same material as the safety goggles make it relentlessly safe to use. But better if you wear safety goggles. Anyhow, an extra layer of protection would always work when you forget to put on your safety goggles.

The best thing about this wood carving machine is its large working area, giving you ample room to fit your various engraving needs. What's more, the precise scale lines on both axes make measuring the lengths of a workpiece fast and quick. You cannot only do wood carving, but you can cut wood at the same time, too.

The machine is worth a genuine recommendation for making the whole process absolutely effortless.


2. GOWE CNC Router Wood Carving Machine


  • Weight: 45kg
  • Laser type: CO2
  • Engraving Area: 600*400*80 mm
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Material: Wood, desk plates, military badges, and name tags, industrial parts, and others.

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Adjustable engraving speed.
  • A great choice for commercial and industrial carving applications.
  • Hard aluminum alloy rack.
  • Engrave along the x, y, and z-axis.
  • Robust.
  • Linear bearing rail.
Things to Consider!
  • Hefty price tag.

Overview

Regardless, What you want to carve or engrave, this machine could be a handy tool to get you through your several engraving needs.

The driving force of this machine is its 2 phase hybrid stepper motor, known for providing convenient control over a certain application. No matter, What is the size of the load is, the speed of the machine remains unaffected. Along with this, it can engrave anywhere from 300 to 3000mm per minute.

Not only can this engraver carve along the standard x and y-axis, but additionally, it gives strokes along the x-axis. With an engraving depth of 80mms, the machine is fit for DIYs and industrial-level engraving jobs.

What not? This tool comes with a linear bearing rail that is the backbone of many industrial machines. Under heavy and stuff loads, the machine performs exceptionally well. The chrome-plated shaft gives the machine its aesthetic appeal while maintaining a protective coating to avoid corrosion.

Since the machine is for CNC engraving tasks, it's a huge investment. Gauge your requirements before buying this workhorse.


3. 3018 Pro 3 Axix CNC Router Engraving Machine


  • Weight: 15.52 pounds
  • Laser Type: diode
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Material: rubber, leather, bamboo, wood, paper

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Simple to use
  • Affordable
  • Great for starters.
  • Compatible with Laser GRBL.
Things to Consider!
  • Not for carving hard materials.

Overview

Luckily, all CNC engraving machines don't cost you an arm and a leg; some are affordable and have a smaller footprint to make wood carving easier. MCWDOIT falls into this category.

If you want to carve your favorite design onto wood to create beautiful family tags and badges but don't know how to start engraving, this one is a true helper. All you have to do is connect this device to the PC with a USB and install your favorite COM number to print a design to a workpiece.

Having a quality and well-built machine is a true pleasure, and this device is uniquely designed to give you this joy. It features a sturdy casing that can last for a long time. Added to this, the external fan keeps this machine and its parts cool. The device automatically shuts off when sensing something unusual under its laser head.

This 2in1 engraving and cutting machine is a great device for a person who wants to surprise his family with his creative imagination.


4. Desktop Laser Engraver and Wood Cutter


  • Weight: 4.0 kg
  • Laser Type: diode
  • Engraving Area: 410*400 mm
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Material: all wood, bamboo, plastic, paper, leather, PCB board, aluminum oxide, non-reflective plating, and lacquered metal

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Precise results.
  • Automatically stops to prevent fire.
  • Better than a zoom laser engraver.
  • Large engraving area.
  • Engraving and cutting simultaneously.
Things to Consider!
  • Don’t use it when kids and pets are around.
  • Can’t process transparent materials.

Overview

Whether you're a weekend warrior who wants to create some extraordinary work of art by carving wood or a pro who wants to engrave a jewelry ornament, this machine is for you.

Featuring user-friendly characteristics, it allows a user to carve several materials with precision and accuracy. Unlike a zoom laser engraver, it features a fixed focus laser head that has a focal length 50% smaller than other standard laser engravers. This results in precision and superior performance.

If you use LaserGRBL software, fret not, since it works with several premium software, including this one and LightBurn.

Working with any laser machine is quite risky since it creates harmful radiation. But this machine is a lifesaver as it reduces UV rays to 97%. Be mindful and wear safety goggles to keep an eye on your laser engraving.

A large working area with quick length measurements along the x and y-axis makes engraving wood and other materials a piece of cake.

Reasonably priced, this machine is known for getting the task done while maintaining safety parameters.


5. Drilling CNC 3020 Router 3 Axis Engraver


  • Weight: 19kg
  • Laser Type: diode
  • Engraving Area: 300*200 mm
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Material: soft metal, wood, plastic, and acrylics

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Simple usage.
  • Single-ended fixed head
  • Three-dimensional engraving.
  • Multitasking machine.
  • Emergency stop button.
  • Air cooling system.
Things to Consider!
  • Not for engraving metal, glass, and transparent material.

Overview

Take your CNC crafting to the next level and create the masterpiece to flourish your CNC business with this mate.

A typical engraving machine allows you to design along x and y axes, whereas an exceptional can go along the third direction to carve wood. This one is exceptional so far since it does three-dimensional carving. And when equipped with the 4th axis, you can do the walnut carving, which is fairly difficult.

Consider that the working area is somehow smaller than its contenders, but the 80 mm depth of engraving is similar to any standard Laser cutter engraving machine. If you know how to apply certain pressure to try out different depth levels to get a final look, this one won't let you down to create a mind-blowing ornament.

Engraving induces heat; therefore, to keep the tip of the engraver cool, it features a cooling air system. With an emergency stop button, a smooth engraving experience becomes your destination.


6. JFT 6040 CNC Wood Carving Machine

Best CNC Router for Woodworking

  • Weight: 71.8 kg
  • Laser Type: CO2
  • Engraving Area : 600*400 mm
  • USB Connectivity: yes
  • Carving Material: wood, plastic, soft metals like aluminum

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • Free warranty.
  • 0.2-0.3mm precision.
  • Three-dimensional engraving.
  • Supports mach3 software.
  • Water-cooled spindle.
Things to Consider!
  • Not a beginner-friendly device.

Overview

This machine is for those who want to have performance and precision without being worried about the budget. Even though it's relatively pricier than many other standard laser wood carving machines, it also is comparatively less noisy, more efficient. It is stronger because of its aluminum alloy metal frame.

Integrated with a high-quality 2 phase stepper motor and a water-cooled spindle, this device can bear the heavy-duty, industrial-grade CNC wood carving applications with no hassle. A water-cooled spindle motor is more capable of doing long-term engraving work than an air-cooled spindle, so it's a huge bonus you'll get with this device.

The three-dimensional engraving is more fun, and this laser cutter engraver won't deprive you of getting this fun. Allowing you to carve several materials, including glass, fiber, solid wood, bakelite, granite, this machine is one of its kind.

We recommend this machine if money is not an issue and your prime concern is efficiency and precision; the machine remains a champion for nailing it flawlessly.


7. 4 axis 6040 CNC Router Wood Carving Machine


  • Weight: 70kg
  • Laser Type: CO2
  • Engraving Area: 840*480 mm
  • USB Connectivity: Yes
  • Carving Material: PVC, plastic, foam, metal, wood, carbon fiber, glass fiber, and others

See at Amazon!

What we Like!
  • 2 phase 57/3A stepper motor.
  • Three-dimensional transmission.
  • Water-cooled spindle.
  • Bigger working area.
  • Stout construction.
  • 1-year warranty.
Things to Consider!
  • Not for beginners.

Overview

Again, this machine is another versatile and efficient CNC wood cutting machine by JFT Co, LTD. it bears all the close similarities with the above-mentioned machine, except its working area. It provides a slightly bigger working area than its predecessor and several contenders.

The best feature of this device is its industrial-grade two-phase stepper motor that features a water-cooled spindle. This type of motor works excellent under heavy pressure loads and cools down the tip of the laser head for delivering optimal precision.

This machine could be a beneficial tool to any tool shop where industrial-grade engraving applications are processing. An impressive engraving depth, speed accuracy, 3D engraving, and cutting, along with a customized carving speed, let you do the said job with real ease.

A beginner may find this tool difficult to work with since it comes with a learning curve. But hard work goes a long way, and if you could have tolerance and learn using it, perhaps, it might become your sweetheart.


Buying Guide for a CNC Wood Carving Machine

Allowing you to create personalized engraved gifts for your loved ones and designing engraved 3D tags and badges for businesses and organizations, the uses of CNC wood cutting machines are limitless.

Long gone are the days when only a specialist wood engraver could do this job. Now, you can have your personal wood carving machine to create personalized items. A CNC wood carving machine is a no-brainer for those people who know how to use a 3D printer. It's a computer-controlled machine that carves a design onto a workpiece once provided with a CAD design.

Despite being simple, buying a CNC wood carving machine that fits your engraving and carving requirements is a daunting task, especially when you have so many options to consider.

This being so, we've come up with some things that you should consider before buying this sophisticated technical tool.

Factors Affecting CNC Wood Carving Machines

With the rapid development of CNC technology, engraving machines are extensively popular in several industries, including the paper-cutting industry, the wood-carving industry, and the handicraft industry. The main objective of using any CNC wood carving machine is to have higher precision and superior performance.

It is interesting to note down that performance and precision of a machine are affected by engraving speed, accuracy, and the material that you are going to engrave.

Let's say you want to engrave a wood piece; for this, the engraving speed and engraving power should be different than the speed and power required for carving on metal and other materials.

Similarly, the engraving speed determines the engraving efficiency.

Therefore, it's the main requisite to know your requirements and engraving materials before buying a wood carving machine. Also, look at the engraving area a machine offers; some machines come with a small workspace, whereas others have large ones.

You should also pay close attention to other details, such as your carving requirements. If you want a machine for personal use, invest in buying a small machine with useful and flexible features.

And for industrial-grade use, it is worth investing in a machine that comes with higher laser power.

CNC wood carving machines can cost you some $$$ to $$$$ to even $$$$$, so know your budget to pick the best fit for you. Bear it that a cheaper engraving machine may consume a lot of energy and eventually increase your budget limits.

Along with this, it requires proper maintenance and occasional repairs too, when necessary. So get the one that an authentic repair facility backs.

To get the best out of this wonder is only possible if you keep these things in mind and act accordingly. Else engraving is bound to be topsy-turvy.

Final Verdict

Before you rev up to start your first CNC wood carving project, better adhere to these simple tips to obtain smooth results.

  • Practice first.
  • Keep the surface clean.
  • Don't overheat the head of your tool to engrave fastly; the results could be vice versa.
  • Explore carving dimensions and depth to create an impactful piece of art.

By observing these tips, you would enjoy a better working experience. Leave the rest to your CNC wood carving machine.

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People Also Asked about CNC for Woodworking

Here are a few questions that people need to know about CNC routers for woodworking;

What is the Best CNC Wood Carving Machine?

Here is my list of the Best CNC Routers for Woodworking in 2021;

  1. Desktop Laser Engraving Machine for Woodworking
  2. GOWE CNC Router Wood Carving Machine
  3. 3018 Pro 3 Axis CNC Router Engraving Machine
  4. Desktop Laser Engraver and Wood Cutter
  5. Drilling CNC 3020 Router 3 Axis Engraver
  6. JFT 6040 CNC Wood Carving Machine
  7. 4 axis 6040 CNC Router Wood Carving Machine

Are CNC wood carving and laser engraving machines the same?

A CNC wood carving machine is a laser engraving machine that aims at cutting material by using heat to create a design.

How much does a CNC wood carving machine cost?

It depends on the configurations of your CNC wood carving machines. If you're an overseas buyer, the shipping cost, tax, and custom claims would tremendously increase your overall budget. Anyhow, it may cost you some hundred dollars to some ten thousand dollars.

A CNC wood carving machine with a water-cooled spindle or a CNC machine with an air-cooled spindle?

A water-cooled spindle motor is better when doing long-term carving tasks. It will keep teaching cool for a longer period.

What is the difference between the accuracy and precision of a wood carving machine?

Don't confuse both terms with each other as both imply different connotations. Accuracy determines how closely a machine measures a certain value, while precision means if the measurements and results are reproducible every time you perform a specific task.

David Houghton
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