LUNYEE 3018 Pro Max 500W CNC Router

What sets it apart from a 775-spindle 3018:

• A 500W spindle. Several times the power of a 60W 775, so a 1/8 in bit keeps its speed in aluminium and copper.
• An all-metal frame. Aluminium profiles throughout and 12 mm optical-axis rods for the linear motion.
• 80 mm of Z travel. LUNYEE calls it the longest Z stroke among standard 3018s.
• Safety kit fitted. Six limit switches, an emergency stop plus handwheels for X, Y and Z.
• Offline GRBL control. Jobs run from the controller without a computer attached.

Rapid moves top out at 5,000 mm/min, and LUNYEE quotes carving precision of ±0.1 mm. Those are the ceiling; the working figure on any job depends on the bit, the stock and how it is held.

Copper is a rewarding first metal on this frame. It engraves with a bright edge, cuts predictably at modest feeds, and shows at once whether the spindle is trammed. Aluminium follows with a single-flute carbide bit and small steps down.

Its limits are those of the format:

• The bed is still 300 × 180 mm; long signs need a bigger machine.
• The linear motion uses optical rods and T-type leadscrews, not rails and ball screws.
• Steel and stainless are outside what a desktop 500W router is built for.
• Metal still wants shallow passes, sharp bits and chips cleared as they form.

Aluminium rewards patience on this machine more than power. Start with a 1/8 in single-flute bit, light steps down and an air blast or brush to clear chips, then creep the feed up while the cut stays quiet.

The Pro Max also switches between spindle and engraving modes. Its control board has a reserved 12V 3-pin port for a laser module, bought separately, which turns it into a 2-in-1 cutter and engraver. The modules that fit are compared on laser engravers for the 3018.

For the 3018 Pro Max family as a whole, including the 775-spindle kits sold under the same name, turn to the 3018 Pro Max page.

1. Assemble the frame on a flat surface and square the gantry before the final tightening.
2. Fit the spindle and connect the six limit switches and the E-stop to their ports.
3. Connect the 48V supply and the controller; trip the E-stop once to prove it cuts all motion.
4. Install a GRBL sender from the USB drive, such as Candle or gSender, and connect.
5. Home the machine and check every axis finds its switch.
6. Use the X, Y and Z handwheels to set the work origin precisely over the stock.

The handwheels are a small detail that pays off on metal. Winding the spindle down to a scribed line by hand is more precise than jogging in 0.1 mm steps, and it works with the steppers disabled.

Software the Pro Max works with:

• Candle and gSender as GRBL senders on the computer.
• Easel for simple signs and carves made and sent in one program.
• The offline controller for running proven files with the computer disconnected.

The 3018 software guide covers senders, CAM and GRBL settings in more detail.

The table hides one practical difference: what ships with each machine. The Pro Max ships with its switches, stop button, handwheels, offline controller and a USB drive of software, so the machine is complete on arrival. Check each rival for the same items before comparing on spindle and frame alone.

The Pro Max makes sense when:

• Soft metal and hardwood are the main materials.
• Homing, an E-stop and an offline controller are wanted in the box.
• The deepest Z among standard 3018s matters for vises and thick blanks.

Pick the Pro Ultra instead if the work leans toward brass and aluminium detail, where a linear guide on X adds stiffness; its page is LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra. The bundle with 40 end mills suits anyone starting without a bit collection. On the practical side, it needs a bench that takes 13 kg, a socket for the 48V supply and a plan for dust.