Like you said, it is better than me with a palm router and some chisels (I mainly use it on wood)
@Arek I learned a lot about how to troubleshoot my machine tho so I am somehow happy that is what I started with
Not an expert in the field, but the millright stuff looks really appealing to the price.
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Omio x8 2200L
You will not find something more powerful than this for the price. Trustttmeee
Only con is the work area isnt that big
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2500$? Wow. Now even I’m pretty tempted :I
good catch for the price. For the price you can not ask more. Even self made will bring you close to this price
Specs:
Standard come with HG20 Linear Guide Rails(for XYZ axis), 40V Switching-Power, OMIO556 Stepper Drives, High Performance USB Motion Control Card (would like to know which one), Limit Switches, Wireless Control Handle, ER20-2200W Water-cooled Spindle (classical chinese one but far better than all the wood router most of the people use).
@arek whatever machine you take, what you want to not be really limited soon are:
- Linear guide rails or ball screw. In router linear is simpler and is really rigid
- High rpm, powerful spindle above 1.5w. Not routers (f.e. Dewaele ecc…), because a router doesn’t have double bearings as support of the spindle so it will flex under cut with alu.
- 36V or higher. It’s stupid to leave back power when you can push everything more.
- metal frame. You cna only find aluminium for that price but it’s ok. The heavier, the bifier the better. You can always think of fillede the aluminium frame with epoxy granite.
- Size wise the smaller the more rigid but depends what you want to do with it. Z travel is always the problem with router style CNC, so take it into accout. X and Z axis are what add most of the flexibility. the longer the less rigid the machine is.
- Stepper motor NEMA 17 high torque, or better NEMA 23 if the machine requires.
- Optional but you can do it later. Close Loop Stepper motor (drivers are often included), that will make it a real precision machine. They have a feedback loop circuit to keep the position and correct it. Really precise.
- Driver and breakout board if you do not go to high cost one, all the classical 4-5tth axis are fine. Often run it with Mach3 or Linux CNC.
As you can see the machine @Boardnamics suggested has a lto of these feature. For that price is really good.
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Best bet is to check with local websites for some used maschines I guess
You may also consider a Sorotec maschine if you don’t mind to order from a German shop. Their stuff is really decent, but mind you this is basicly ther mechanics alone. You have to add motors, electronics and spindle to that one.
Electronics/Software:
The controlunit kits from sorotec are also dencent, but are another ~1k €, cheaper is a real DIY controller.
I can recommend (for normal 2.5 CNC Milling/routing) the Estlcam clamp adapter(and software,simple and easy to CAM software), together with integrated stepperdriver motors (or servos) controled by an old ThinkPad for example. Than there is only a power supply for the Motors(36-48V +500W) needed, maybe some relais if you want them (kinda quality of live … starting a vacuum, the spindle) and than you are ready to go.
I think this one is only German… eventhough Christian Knüll (solo Developer of EstlCam Software) can help you out if you ask him by mail. christian@estlcam.de
https://www.estlcam.de/estlcam.php
Motors:
You can either order fancy JMC servo motors (or even real expensive namebrand stuff) which range from 85-300€ ea or cheaper kinda noname servos like these
https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/Integrated-Stepper-Servo-Motor-3Nm425-oz-in-24-50VDC-NEMA-24-Closed-Loop.html?search=servo
or just go with regular NEMA 23/24 steppers (2.5 Nm or more).
And BTW I can really recommend these cheap china spindles from ebay for their price (only make sure to properly ground the spindle, the connector ground is often not attached!!!) they are also very decent with the cheap Huanyang VFD.
PS: I know all that wouldn’t be a of the shelf thing that is ready to use, but in my opinion a viable option and way better than more or less any complete DIY builds.
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I bought parts from Soretech, great company nothing to say. But put together a CNC is not for everyone. Although helpful because either you have a Daltron, Haas… and you do not care to pay someone to fix it. Otherwise soon or later…more sooner than later 
, you will have to tram the machine, adjust it ecc… I started with a small Stepcraft router pre assmebled and spent 2 months to tune it and make it cut precisely. I could have just made my DIY one since I unmounted 4 times at least.
Now got a semi finished milling machine retrofited to CNC and I get much more out of it, while I spent only the double compare to the small router. This to say, that if you are going to buy it assembled or not you will have to be able to fix anyway.
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Sure, but the sorotec kits are really not that hard to assemble and meet the size requirements OP set (which is actually quite high, it makes conversions of normal mills to CNC unlikely)
… getting the electronics and everything else running to your satisfaction is harder.
Maybe I’m a bit biased tinkering with that stuff is basicly my biggest hobby, I also actually only assisted to assemble a CL Kit once (yet). But in my opinion with some paiciance, kind of an eye for mechanical engeneering and basic electronic stuff (like how to get a relais working, stuff I can touch and stuff I don’t want to touch, P=V*A) you should be able to get a Portal mill running.
I agree on your points though most important thing for any mill is to limit flex, if it’s not stiff you won’t get the needed repeatability you need (and break a dozen endmills per job)
As you said linear guide rails are a must, also add ballscrews to that and the more frame material(at this pricepoint alu) the better.
In my opinion staying with normal steppers isn’t contemporary anymore, should be at least closed loop and at that point going with cheap china closed loop servos (like the one from OMC I linked or something from ali) is the way better deal. Sure they are at least twice the cost of a stepper but you actually can cut at decent feedrates, no steploss, good torque at high RPM and so on. All that will simplify finding the best RPM/feedrate/depth of cut balance (which safes tool life and makes cutting some types of material way easier) it also basicly allows you to pick some kind of tools in the first place.
Designing stuff, using CAM software picking the right tools/drills/mills is another thing you have to get your head arround, but OP said they have a mechanical engineer <- he should be able to get the basic stuff quick and after that it’s experience tbh.
PS: BTW the Omio x8 2200L looks pretty sweet for the pricepoint, just a bit smaller and maybe a bit more delicate. Didn’t know of this maschine before the price is so tempting.
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I totally agree. I tried to give aan overview with more options to try to limited the price. If you start adding everything the price go up really quicky. I agree that better to pay more once than less twice. plus the more rigid and efficient the machine, the more your mistakes are forgiven. Delicate machine needs way more attention to feed and speed. I have a Hass at Uni and sometime you just slam a feed and speed in it becuas eyou know what is aluminium, not steel, is gonna be fine, if not, just run the coolant and walla’. If I do the same with my mill at home I get into trouble pretty fast.
I have a BF20L CNC. Only things I would change are the nema, currently not close loop but never had probelm so far and a faster spindle (stock is 1HP 3K rpm, way too slow for decent aluminium work). Thinking of replace it with a 3kw spindle from Ali (the square one, easier to mount and more rigid). The problem that I will loose drilling and fly cutter 
. I could also mount it on the side in order to keep both but do not like too much the idea since will reduce rigidity…
Other option is replace the motor to high rpm one, convert it to belt drive, change spindle bearing for higher rpm one…but then I have to stop the machine for a while…
Routoutcnc - http://www.routoutcnc.com/index.m.html
Are good budget machines… it’s what I use at the school I work for. It’s routed out decks, the interior of my vw van and all my motor mounts.
The guy who runs the company is called mike and is super helpful on any issues and unusual setups.
He is also interested in the world of esk8 but hasn’t made one yet…
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Buying a machine is the easy part. Setting up the machine to use is the time consuming part. I built and extensively upgraded my X-Carve but understanding how to create the g code, sending it to the machine, and setting up the cut properly was everything. Without knowing how to do this you’re making scrap. CNC machining is not magic. It’s tedious and time consuming and those that do it right are rightfully paid well for it.
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Don’t mock the xcarve. Extremely reliable for a machine you have to assemble yourself from 1000 tiny screws and plates. That Dewalt 611 is loud though, and you’ll need to replace your motor brushes in it every few years. It will do aluminum, but not fast. You’ll want something with beefier rails than that for aluminum. But it will cut decks all damned day. That High Z looked real nice a few posts above.
Whoa my apologies I didn’t mean to insult your CNC 
Thanks all for additional input.
As I said we have a experienced mechanical engineer so he could handle all the boring stuff 
Building one myself - yeah I’d like to but I’m busy with other stuff, heck the thing I’m busy with is actually designing some custom stepper motor driver PCB.
Now I just have to choose few machines, get some comparison table going, prove that we really need it, how much money and time we will save and discuss it on a meeting.
Can already imagine our mechanical engineer saying that those all are crap because they won’t cut 14 liters of aluminium per minute 
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All depends what you are cutting with the. Of its just low profile aluminium than a big mill would be a waste anyway. You can import decent cnc mill fr China for that price as well. Most of the hobbie milling machine are rebranded from Chinese mill. Like grizzle, optimum, precision Matthew ecc…
Yeah i’ts mostly for flat big objects, that’s why I’m asking for a router not mill.
then router for sure. the working area is way bigger. You can also check for second hands. The price drops a lot.
example of classical chinese one that will do the job and is big https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2324145441181599/
Might be a great deal but I doubt boss will go for used one from a private listing on FB…
for sure I was just saying. This model you can get them from Alibaba for around 5K $
this one is a great action website. I know friend that got crazy good deals out of it https://www.troostwijkauctions.com/uk/
Machines of like 160K were sold for 8K 
I guess right person at the right time. It mostly for industry so big size machines.
https://allegro.pl/uzytkownik/CroMachine?bmatch=baseline-cl-dict42-uni-1-4-1024
I have exactly this one
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