The King of Budget CNC? | Sainsmart Genmitsu ProverXL 4030 CNC Router Review (with Aluminium test)

Sainsmart Genmitsu ProverXL 4030 Review and Test (Aluminium, Acrylic)
Laser Module:

Today I'm going to be looking at the Genmitsu ProverXL 4030 cnc router. Now I reviewed the 4030’s smaller sibling, the Prover 3018 over a year ago and I’ll leave a link to that video in case you’re curious. Now in the interest of full disclosure, Sainsmart did send me this machine to review; but they are not paying me for this review and have no input on what I say about the machine.The ProverXL 4030 came packaged in a large box with all the parts pretty well padded for the most part. More about the packaging later in the video. Now, Sainsmart markets this as an “easy to set up machine”. And honestly that is a real stretch. The Prover XL 4030 took me almost 5 hours to assemble and required a lot of patience to assemble. This isn’t a plug-n-play machine; be prepared to invest the time to get it running. The manual isn’t all that well written and mis-states certain details or doesn’t provide enough clarity on others. The most glaring example was the part that describes the wiring of the spindle. The manual states that there is no specific polarity for wiring the spindle motor. And yet the connectors on the spindle and the wiring looms are color-coded to assure proper connection. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but just something Sainsmart needs to work to improve. A few more pointers when assembling the machine. When attaching the x-axis drag chain to the frame, be very patient and careful when threading in the two screws, as there’s very little space to work with. You don’t want to end up damaging the threads by cross threading the screws. Again, another design issue Sainsmart can work on. Also, the wiring from the x-axis limit switches interferes with the screws that attach the mounting plate to the frame. I found that to be pretty sloppy design work and should just get fixed. There’s just no excuse for this. Another thing to consider when assembling the machine is the table or surface it will sit on. I recommend a table that’s at least 48 inches wide by 24 inches deep. This will give you enough space to accommodate the machine and control unit. You also want to make sure the table is extremely sturdy and can handle the vibration when the machine is working. I’ll leave a few table options in the description below the video, in case you need a sturdy table.

[DuncsWorkshop]

Thank you for your review. Just a point of clarification. You say that the ER11 collet can only handle bits of 1/8" in diameter (min 5:10). In fact the ER11 collet system has 13 collet size options from 1mm to 7mm in 0.5mm increments. My biggest cutter is a 25mm face mill on a 6mm shank. (for spoilboard flattening)

[jacobzehel]

Your reviews are very in depth and in tune, which for a consumer like myself is amazing!! You covered everything!! I mean everything!! Thank you for your honesty and expertise! One question: is the price worth it??

[genixia]

Try a 2-flute cutter on aluminium. That machine doesn't have the power or rigidity to push a 4-flute cutter fast enough to cut a decent chip. You might even want to try a 1-flute cutter on it. Speeds and feeds are critical - you need to feed fast enough that the cutting edges take a new clean cut each revolution. If your feed is too slow relative to revolution speed then the cutter ends up re-cutting the same chip multiple times. That causes heat-build up, poor cutter life, and poor surface finishes. With fast, low-torque spindles you need to feed fast - but here you don't have the power or rigidity to do that. Halving the number of flutes halves the cutting forces and thus the power and rigidity needed.

[raineytanner]

Thank you for your great review. I bought this and just putting it together was frustrating. The direction we’re vague at best and parts were miss labeled. I didn’t realize I would need to buy parts just to get up and running. Your information helped a lot!

[menons]

A very clear description and demonstration. Thanks.

[Festivejelly]

The V2 I think is deffo a game changer with the ball screws and closed loop steppers.

[twkrhgr]

er-11 supports shaft diameters up to 7mm

[cosmopswebelf]

Nice! Very useful video! but why imperial units? I have to watch with a notepad, pencil and calculator.

[iancrossley]

For aluminum cutting try using a water based cutting fluid like Kool Mist. You will get better results.

[crushvapor]

Great review, informative commentary, very believable thank you.

[OzSteve]

How do you connect the Dewalt router? Any video of that? Great review, thanks

[Franfran]

Hi ! Great video, thank you.

But, can you add a little text when you use imperial units to indicate the metric equivalent. Because, I have absolutely no mental representation of inches… and I a sure that I am not the only one.


(Just for the great dimensions, for end mills it is not necessary)

Thank you !

[rickdees]

There's a work around so you can power the DeWalt via the software without voiding the warranty

[mephistovonfaust]

Maybe the lack of QC isn't a deal breaker for you but for me it is. I can't trust a device to be reliable if it is delivered in this kind of condition.

[jeffrogers]

Excellent review and commentary! Seems like a solid DIY project tool.

[websurfer]

Great video review. I've never used CNC machine but I'm thinking of purchasing this for my wood working hobby. I have a couple of questions: 1) could I use my Makita palm router instead of purchasing the DeWalt noted? 2) What software do you recommend for a beginner? 3) I've seen mention in some reviews about spoil board sag being an issue with this machine. Have you had the same issue?

[waynehawkins]

Thanks for the video.
Question? If one buys the laser. Does the Sofware that comes with it allow you to managed the power level of the laser so one can control how much you want to burn. EG a power level that only burns tracks for a PCB board, or control the laser level to the point it cuts a PCB?

[dgnmkt]

Excellent review. Very informative and well presented. Really appreciated your recommendations and examples.

[JacobGolds]

Hello. Would you know if I'm upgrading to the 1000 x 1000 extension would i have an option for a bigger 4-axis rotary module? I don't have any cnc machine yet I'm just looking into buying one.

[andrewbarney]

2 flute or 1 flute cutter would be better for aluminum. But, this machine is pushing the limit with metal. Still, good honest review.