Genmitsu, CNCTOPBAOS, RATTMMOTOR, Twotrees and VEVOR all build the same 300 × 180 mm desktop router. The differences sit in the spindle, the Z carriage, the controller and what else is packed in the box.
Logged September 2026The 3018-PRO is an open design: an aluminium-profile router with a 300 × 180 × 45 mm work area, a 775 spindle, an ER11 collet and a GRBL board. Genmitsu's kit is the most bought and includes an offline controller; CNCTOPBAOS and RATTMMOTOR build it with boards ready for limit switches and an E-stop; Twotrees' TTC3018 Pro adds an all-metal Z.
The 3018 Pro CNC machine began as an open design, and the name now covers kits from Genmitsu, CNCTOPBAOS and RATTMMOTOR, with Twotrees and VEVOR building close relatives under their own model names. Underneath, the parts barely change.
Because the bones match, many parts cross between brands. A 300 × 180 mm MDF spoilboard, a 42 mm dust shoe or an M6 T-track clamp fits most 3018-PRO builds, and a GRBL board from one maker drives another's steppers.
The choice between builds comes down to four questions: what the kit includes, how stiff the Z carriage is, what the controller can plug into, and how good the maker's documentation is.
For the wider picture of materials and first projects, the what a 3018 cuts entry starts from zero. Genmitsu's own two frames get a closer look in the Genmitsu 3018 entry.
| Build | Spindle | Work area | Controller | Extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genmitsu 3018-PRO | 775, 24V | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | GRBL, offline controller included | Raised 4 cm base; bundles with bits, probe, laser or Y extension |
| CNCTOPBAOS 3018-PRO | 775, 120W, 10,000 rpm at 24V | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | Cased GRBL 1.1f; offline or touchscreen controller versions | E-stop, probe and limit ports; 12V laser header |
| RATTMMOTOR 3018-PRO | 775, 10,000 rpm at 24V | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | GRBL board; offline controller version | E-stop and limit support, cooling fan |
| RATTMMOTOR Upgrade 3018-PRO | Board supports up to 20,000 rpm | Not stated | GRBL board with power switch | E-stop and X/Y/Z limit switches fitted |
| Twotrees TTC3018 | 775, 7,000–9,000 rpm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 32-bit STM32 GRBL board, USB | ER11 collet for 0.5–7 mm bits |
| Twotrees TTC3018 Pro | 775, 7,000–9,000 rpm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 32-bit GRBL board, USB only | All-metal Z, T8 anti-backlash screw, 10 cutters |
| VEVOR 3018 (60W) | 60W, 11,700 rpm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 32-bit board, GRBL 1.1 | Rotary speed knob; Y extendable to 400 mm |
From each maker's published specifications. 'Not stated' means the maker gives no figure for that build.
Two 3018-PRO kits with the same frame can land very differently on the bench. The box contents decide whether the first plywood coaster happens that evening or after a second order of bits and clamps.
| Build | What comes in the box |
|---|---|
| Genmitsu 3018-PRO | Offline controller; bundles add end mills, an MDF spoilboard, a touch probe, a 5W laser, a Y extension or a dust shoe |
| CNCTOPBAOS 3018-PRO | 4 GB USB drive with GRBL software and manual; versions with an offline controller, a touchscreen controller, or limit switches and an E-stop |
| RATTMMOTOR 3018-PRO | Paper manual and USB drive; a version with an offline controller |
| RATTMMOTOR Upgrade 3018-PRO | E-stop button, X/Y/Z limit switches, orange resin Y-axis sides |
| Twotrees TTC3018 Pro | Ten cutters, ER11 collet, tools and more than 40 parts to assemble |
Bits run out first, since the glue in MDF and plywood dulls small carbide quickly. A 40-piece 1/8-inch set covers flat, ball-nose and V profiles for the first months.
Kits that include limit switches save a wiring job later. Kits with an offline controller free the laptop, which matters most in a garage or shed.
Birch plywood is the kind first material for any of them: stable, cheap and honest about a dull bit through fuzzy top veneer. Twotrees' kit, with more than 40 parts to put together, doubles as a lesson in how the axes move.
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Genmitsu 3018-PRO CNC Router Kit |
Twotrees TTC3018 Pro CNC Router |
Twotrees TTC3018 CNC Router |
CNCTOPBAOS 3018-PRO CNC Router |
RATTMMOTOR 3018-PRO CNC Router |
VEVOR 3018 CNC Router | |
| Type | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine |
| Spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 775 spindle | 60W spindle |
| Work area | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | 300 × 180 × 45 mm | 300 × 180 × 40 mm |
| Frame | Aluminium + plastic | All-metal | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic | Aluminium + plastic |
| Linear guides | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Offline controller | Yes | Not included | Not included | Yes | Not included | Not included |
| Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here |
Every 3018-PRO build except VEVOR's 60W model uses a 775 brushed motor. Makers quote 7,000 to 10,000 rpm for it at 24V, and the load it can carry depends as much on the holder and Z carriage as on its label.
Cast acrylic rewards that speed range. A single-flute O-flute bit at moderate rpm clears a proper chip, and the cut edge comes off clear rather than frosted.
Copper-clad board is the opposite job: tiny depths, a sharp 20–30° V-bit and a board held dead flat. Here the 775's top speed helps, because a small V-tip cuts cleaner the faster it spins.
Faster spindles pull more current at start-up, so the GS-775M wants a 24V supply rated for it, such as Genmitsu's 4A adapter. Boards from CNCTOPBAOS and RATTMMOTOR state support for spindles up to 20,000 rpm.
Extruded acrylic is the trap. It softens at a lower temperature than cast sheet and welds shut behind the bit, so cast sheet is what to order for machining.
The GS-775M swaps into a 3018-PRO holder and runs to 20,000 rpm on 24V, with a 5 mm ER11 collet set and a noise-suppression board fitted. Pair it with a 24V supply rated for its start-up current.
Get it hereThe controller is where 3018-PRO builds differ most, and it shapes how a job starts. Every build here speaks GRBL, the open-source firmware that turns G-code into step pulses, so Candle, UGS and Easel drive them all.
| Board | Driver chip | Notable ports |
|---|---|---|
| CNCTOPBAOS GRBL 1.1f, cased | Not stated | E-stop, probe, X/Y/Z limits, fan, power switch, 12V laser |
| RATTMMOTOR GRBL 1.1 | Not stated | E-stop, limits, probe, offline controller, fan |
| Genmitsu replacement board | DRV8825 | Spindle up to 150W, 2- and 3-pin lasers |
| MYSWEETY GRBL 1.1f | A4988 | Spindle up to 150W, 2- and 3-pin lasers |
| Twotrees 32-bit | STM32 processor | USB only: no card slot, no Wi-Fi |
An offline controller is a small handheld with a screen, buttons and a card reader. It jogs each axis, sets the work origin, switches the spindle and runs a file from the card.
That is what turns a CNC 3018 Pro with GRBL control into a DIY mini CNC machine for a shed, with no computer beside it.
A replacement board is a common repair after a wiring slip. Match the input voltage, 24V on these kits, and the laser header type before ordering one.
Software for each step, from CAM to G-code sender, is laid out in the 3018 CNC software entry.
A stock 3018-PRO can engrave aluminium and brass, but a moulded Z carriage and 10 mm rods flex under side load. Stiffening the frame part by part turns chatter into a clean floor.
Even stiffened, a 775 frame treats metal as engraving work: light depths, single-flute carbide, lubricant and patient feeds. Nameplates in brass and thin 6061 panels are realistic; deep pockets are not.
Owners who need metal every week tend to outgrow the 3018-PRO frame. The 3018 Pro Max comparison covers 500W frames with 80 mm of Z, and the 3018 upgrades entry ranks every add-on by payoff.
The frame design and work area are shared. The spindle, Z carriage, controller board and kit contents differ from maker to maker.
Frame parts, a 775 spindle with an ER11 collet, a GRBL board, a few bits and software on a USB drive. Genmitsu adds an offline controller; some CNCTOPBAOS and RATTMMOTOR versions add limit switches and an E-stop.
Yes, with an offline controller. It runs G-code from a card, jogs the axes and switches the spindle; Genmitsu includes one, and CNCTOPBAOS and RATTMMOTOR offer versions with it.
The Twotrees TTC3018 Pro, with an all-metal Z on a T8 anti-backlash screw. A Genmitsu 3018-PRO can be retrofitted with the Aluminium Z Axis Assembly V2.
Yes. The CNCTOPBAOS board takes 12V three-pin modules from 0.5W to 20W, and Genmitsu's board takes 2- and 3-pin lasers.
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.
