A 3018 machine costs $100–400, and the price climbs with the frame, the spindle and the Z travel rather than the work area, which barely changes. Bits, clamps and a probe add a little more.
Logged September 2026Moulded-plate 775 kits cost $100–150, the best-known 775 kits and the laser bundle $150–250, and 500W all-metal frames $250–400. Plan another $50–150 for bits, clamps, a probe and a spoilboard.
Every 3018 machine on sale in 2026 falls in the $100–400 range, split into three bands. The work area barely moves across them; almost all start from 300 × 180 mm. The money buys stiffness, spindle power, Z travel and how much comes pre-built.
No 3018 climbs past the top of the $250–400 band. Above it sit 4040-size routers such as the Genmitsu 4040-PRO and FoxAlien Masuter Pro at $500–650, with larger beds and stiffer frames.
From the plainest kit to the Pro Ultra, the spread is about $250–300. It pays for the frame, the spindle, Z travel, linear guides, limit switches and pre-assembly, in different mixes on each machine. Which of those matter depends on what goes on the bed: pine signs need none of it, brass nameplates need most of it.
The Pro Max comparison covers the top band in detail, and the maker notes sort out which names share a frame.
The lowest band is the classic 3018-PRO in its plainest form. RATTMMOTOR and CNCTOPBAOS build it with black injection-moulded side plates, an aluminium work table, stainless lead screws and a 775 spindle rated 10,000 rpm at 24V.
These kits are not stripped of the useful parts. CNCTOPBAOS ships a cased GRBL 1.1f board with a power switch, a cooling fan and ports for an E-stop, a probe and X, Y and Z limit switches. Its offline controller reads G-code from an SD card, so a job can run with no laptop attached.
The savings show in assembly and in the Z axis. Expect more parts to bolt together, a moulded Z carriage that flexes in hard stock, and switches that arrive as ports rather than parts.
3018-SE V2 Mini CNC Router |
CNCTOPBAOS 3018-PRO CNC Router |
Twotrees TTC3018 CNC Router |
Genmitsu 3018-PRO CNC Router Kit |
Genmitsu 3018-PROVer V2 CNC Router |
LUNYEE 3018 Pro Max 500W CNC Router | |
| Type | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine |
| Spindle | — | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 500W spindle |
| Work area | — | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | 284 × 180 × 41 mm | 300 × 180 × 80 mm |
| Frame | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic | All-metal | All-metal |
| Linear guides | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Offline controller | Not included | Yes | Not included | Yes | Not included | Yes |
| Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here |
The middle band holds the three most bought 3018s and the one bundle that adds a laser. Here the extra money buys support, documentation and a parts range that fits without drilling.
The Genmitsu 3018-PRO has a raised base for stability, an assembly that needs no positioning, a 300 × 180 × 45 mm work area and an offline controller. Its value is the ecosystem around it: probes, clamps, Z assemblies, Y extensions and lasers made for the exact frame.
The TTC3018 Pro is the most interesting price step in the whole range. A metal Z is the upgrade 775 owners most often buy later, and here it comes fitted without leaving the band.
The laser bundle makes sense for anyone who knows they want both heads. Bought separately, a 5W module costs $75–150 on its own, and the laser notes cover what it burns.
The TTC3018 Pro adds an all-metal Z on a T8 anti-backlash screw and a set of 10 cutters to the plain TTC3018, and stays in the same $150–250 band. It is the cheapest way to a stiffer Z without swapping parts.
Get it hereThe top band splits into two ideas. The PROVer V2 keeps a smaller spindle but arrives pre-assembled with its safety parts; the 500W machines replace the whole frame with aluminium profile.
| Machine | Spindle | Z travel | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genmitsu 3018-PROVer V2 | 775, up to 10,000 rpm | standard 3018 height | Pre-assembled gantry, one-piece aluminium spoilboard |
| WolfPawn 3018 500W | 500W, 0–12,000 rpm | 60 mm | All-metal frame, E-stop, limit switches, integrated supply |
| ACMER Ascarva 3S | 500W at 48V | 78 mm | ESP32 board, six limit switches, tool setter, 11.5 kg |
| LUNYEE 3018 Pro Max | 500W, 0–12,000 rpm | 80 mm | 12 mm rods, handwheels, offline controller, 5,000 mm/min |
| LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra | 500W | 80 mm | HGH15 linear guide on X, scale-grid aluminium table |
A 500W spindle and an 80 mm Z matter in aluminium, brass and thick hardwood. The all-metal frames hold the bit steadier, so passes can go deeper before chatter starts.
Upgrading a cheap kit toward the same result adds up fast. The Genmitsu aluminium Z assembly alone sits in the $100–150 band, before a spindle to fill its 52 mm mount and a supply to run it. For metal work, starting in the top band usually costs less than climbing to it part by part.
The Pro Ultra notes cover what the linear guide changes.
| What you buy | Price band | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 775 kit, moulded side plates | $100–150 | RATTMMOTOR 3018-PRO and 3018-PRO MAX, CNCTOPBAOS 3 Axis 3018-PRO |
| 775 kit with offline controller | $100–150 | CNCTOPBAOS 3018-PRO and 3018-PRO-MAX |
| Compact kit with enclosure | $100–150 | 3018-SE V2 |
| 60W spindle, aluminium body | $100–150 | VEVOR 3018 |
| Best-known 775 kits | $150–250 | Genmitsu 3018-PRO, Twotrees TTC3018, TTC3018 Pro |
| Router with 5W laser in the box | $150–250 | Genmitsu 3018-PRO with 5W laser |
| Pre-assembled kit with safety parts | $250–400 | Genmitsu 3018-PROVer V2 |
| 500W all-metal frame | $250–400 | WolfPawn 3018, ACMER Ascarva 3S, LUNYEE Pro Max, LUNYEE Pro Ultra |
| Laser module | $75–150 | LASER TREE 5W and 10W, Genmitsu XCFL55-33 and FL55P |
| Controller board or offline module | $15–45 | MYSWEETY, Doesbot, F-Yi, Genmitsu boards and offline controllers |
| Wi-Fi controller or handwheel | $35–125 | Genmitsu GGW-UART, MKS DLC32 kit, MPG handwheels |
| Touch probe | $10–20 | SainSmart, Genmitsu photoelectric, Zhong Hua Jiang |
| Clamps | $15–30 | Fuzqq, LUNYEE, Genmitsu, Zopsc |
| MDF spoilboard | $15–30 | Genmitsu, Doesbot, LUNYEE, Genmitsu 3040 |
| Aluminium bed or vacuum table | $45–85 | Genmitsu 3040 T-slot, Fafeicy vacuum table |
| Limit switches or E-stop | $10–25 | Genmitsu, Zhong Hua Jiang, CNCTOPBAOS kit |
| 775 spindle upgrade | $25–40 | Genmitsu GS-775M, Zhong Hua Jiang 775 |
| Z assembly or spindle mount | $30–115 | Genmitsu holder and Z assembly V2, Srliya, Doesbot Z table |
| X or Y extension kit | $30–65 | Genmitsu, Daedalus, X-axis bearing kits |
| 24V or 12V power adapter | $10–60 | Genmitsu 24V 4A, replacement adapters |
| 40-piece end mill set | $60–70 | Genmitsu, LUNYEE |
Bands from the main configuration of each 3018 machine and part on sale in the US, checked September 2026. Bundles with bits, lasers or extension kits usually sit one band higher.
No 3018 kit is complete for real work. Most include a few engraving bits and simple clamps, and the first month usually adds a proper end mill set, better clamps, a probe and a spoilboard.
Together that is $50–150 depending on which pieces the kit already covers. Bits are the running cost after that: small carbide end mills dull in MDF and plywood glue, and break when feed or depth runs too high.
Power adapters are the other surprise. A replacement 24V brick costs $10–45, and a faster 20,000 rpm spindle often needs a stronger one to start. The upgrade order ranks every part by payoff.
The last number worth knowing is the exit. When 300 × 180 mm runs out, a Y-axis extension kit at $30–65 reaches the 3040 size, and a 4040 router costs $500–650. For most owners the extension kit comes first.
Somewhere in the $100–400 range in 2026. Moulded-plate 775 kits cost $100–150, Genmitsu and Twotrees kits $150–250, and 500W all-metal frames $250–400.
For wood, acrylic and PCB work, yes, once a probe and good clamps are added. For aluminium and brass, a stiffer frame in the $250–400 band cuts better.
They add a 500W spindle, 60–80 mm of Z, an all-metal frame, limit switches and an E-stop, or in the PROVer V2's case pre-assembly and safety parts.
About $50–150 for a touch probe, low-profile clamps, an MDF spoilboard and a proper end mill set.
When jobs keep outgrowing 300 × 180 mm and a Y-axis extension kit would not be enough. 4040-size routers cost $500–650 with larger beds and stiffer frames.
Not 3018 machines, but bought with them: 1/8-inch end mill sets for the ER11 collet, and the 4040-size routers owners move to once 300 × 180 mm runs out.
