Carvera Desktop CNC Machine

The Carvera is an awesome machine. I really like it, and it has worked well with both Makera CAM and Fusion 360 software. It is big enough for what I want to do and powerful enough for anything up to aluminum, brass, and copper. Wood and plastics are no sweat. It is accurate and I like auto leveling, making a pcb is quite easy on this machine.

The only thing I’m not happy with is the way they shipped extra items. I ordered my Carvera as part of a holiday special and it was supposed to come with the ID tags pack and the pack of extra bits. These were with a few hundred dollars, and were a big reason I bought the Carvera. The mill itself shipped quickly but I had to email Makera twice and wait two extra months before they shipped these extra items. I did end up receiving them, but since they are a significant part of the value I would have been much happier if they had been bundled in the original shipment.

Overall I really like the Carvera. It is easily the most user friendly CNC machine out there. But make sure you stay on top of them until you get everything you ordered.

Let me kick things off clearly: The Carvera CNC is probably the single biggest purchase I've made in my maker journey. At over $5000 USD, expectations were sky-high, and hardware-wise, it's genuinely impressive. So yeah, I'm not exactly planning on ditching this thing anytime soon.

The Good Stuff:

Beautiful and Robust Hardware: Seriously sleek design, solid build quality, nice lighting—it's a genuinely elegant addition to my workspace.

Super Quiet Operation: Noise? Honestly impressive how quietly this thing runs. I can have it running right behind me in my office and be completely unbothered. Leave the room and close the door? It's barely audible over my condo's hvac unit.

Parts Quality: The sample projects I've tackled so far turned out great. It's clearly precise and reliable with the materials I've tried.

What Could Be Better:

Long Delivery Time: Took over 80 days to get here—longer than the 1–2 month shipping window listed in their FAQ at the time.

Underwhelming Software: The Carvera Controller software is unintuitive and frustrating. File management is unreliable and restrictive. I can't simultaneously access the machine from multiple devices, so I'm stuck awkwardly juggling between my PC and tablet. Not exactly seamless. Plus, no clear indication if I need to keep the controller app open on my PC while milling, and I really don't want to risk wasting material to test that out myself.

Makera CAM Software: It shows potential, but it's still very rough around the edges. They provided neat example G-code, sure, but where are the actual source files or example projects to learn from? I shouldn't have to blindly fumble through it to process my own designs.

Documentation & Support: They've got plenty of YouTube guides, which sounds great until you realize they're all long (20–40 mins), and good luck if you're just trying to quickly find one specific function or setting. The official wiki and documentation is minimal and scattered, and having to dig through Discord server conversations just to piece together critical information is frankly a mess.

Hardware Setup Frustrations:
Despite their video guides stating that newer C1R serial-numbered units would come pre-configured, I received an older C1 version (in 2025), meaning I had to manually disassemble the back of this 100+ lb behemoth myself to install the wiring conversion kit for the 4th-axis harmonic drive module. Finding out I had to do this after I’d already painstakingly set the thing up in a tight office space? Not fun.

Room for Hardware Improvements:
While the machine is awesome in general, the built-in The vacuum could definitely use a power boost; Stronger dust management would be welcome. Honestly, I’m hesitant to even try milling carbon fiber sheets, which is frustrating since I specifically want to make drone parts, and this machine was advertised as capable of doing just that. Carbon fiber isn’t just messy, it’s dangerous, releasing fine conductive dust and airborne particles that can irritate lungs and cause long-term health issues. Maybe it can be done safely, but no official guide or safety documentation was provided, which makes it feel unnecessarily risky especially for someone new to machining like me.

I'd also love to see a spindle upgrade eventually, something beefier so it can reliably handle tougher materials, especially since I'm hearing aluminum milling can be hit-or-miss depending on the alloy and settings. (For the record, the aluminum samples included worked fine for me so far, but tougher metals like steel seem like they'd push the machine beyond its comfort zone.)

The built-in 2.5W diode laser is a cool addition, but it feels more like a novelty than a workhorse tool. It works, but its utility is limited, and I really wish it had more power or functionality to be genuinely useful.

Bottom Line:
Am I still excited? Absolutely.
Am I also a bit disappointed and cautious? Yeah, that too.

The Carvera is a powerful, well-engineered piece of hardware that clearly has the bones of a great machine. It's quiet, precise, and beautifully built. It's a seriously premium desktop CNC. But right now, it feels like it's being held back by immature software, inconsistent documentation, and some onboarding missteps that shouldn’t exist at this price point.

That said, I don’t regret buying it. I’m making good parts, learning more every day, and genuinely hopeful that the ecosystem will grow into something more refined, especially with how active the community already is. If the software catches up with the hardware, this thing will be unstoppable.

Final Rating: 4/5.
The hardware earns it. The potential keeps it there. And the community makes me believe the rest can improve.

Its not an out of the box experience and how could it? CNC machining is more often an art form and a profession than just a hobby you can learn in a weekend.

Shipping was great, considering the amount of weight needing to be moved over the whole globe. No issues with german customs, great work!
The machine itself is quite different to a 3D Printer - it feels sturdy, well designed and rigid. The protection was adequate.

Using the machine requires some time, as you have to learn the specifics and how to prepare your jobs. Its much more interconnected than older CNC machines, comes with remote managing, CAM and even tutorials for your first projects.

The fusion 360 Profiles provided are great and make my life easier.
Yet, i had some troubles using Makera CAM and Fusion to make custom jobs. I guess its my own machine learning curve.

I love this little CNC. prefect for someone who wants accuracy and repeatability. Great for novices as well as people who just want to save time and effort thanks to the auto Z probe and auto tool changer. The built in vacuum is pretty good as is the laser. They do the job. The software interface is very easy to use and intuitive. And if you need more, there is a great Wiki page dedicated to the Carvera. I have owned and operated 4 CNC machines now and this is by far my favourite.

What problems I had, the Carvera team helped me with in resolving so the customer support is there along with a Carvera community to share projects with and help eachother. I use their Discord channel and Facebook to connect.

Farm-design is a product design company that has been delivering innovative solutions for leading companies in Turkey and Europe for the past 21 years.

Over this period, we have completed hundreds of designs for office furniture, toys, electrical appliances, and medical devices—many of which include working prototypes.

To ensure success and provide smart solutions, we develop functional prototypes in our workshops. Our machining workshop is equipped with manual tools from Proxxon, Bosch, and Dremel, including lathes, milling machines, drills, cutters, and sanders. Our 3D printing workshop houses five FDM printers (Ultimaker S5, Bambulab) for rapid concept modeling and three SLA printers (Formlabs) for producing durable prototypes. For small-batch production, we create plastic injection molds for our desktop injection and vacuum forming machines. Additionally, our CNC workshop features laser cutters (Gravotech) and a 4-axis CNC milling machine (Roland MDX-40A).

Despite our extensive equipment, we previously faced limitations in producing PCBs and precise metal components (especially aluminum and brass for medical devices). We relied on external suppliers, which meant long lead times and high costs due to minimum order quantities.

That changed when we introduced the Carvera Desktop CNC into our workflow. This machine has become the missing piece in our design process—a true game-changer. Now, we can produce double-sided PCBs in less than a day, allowing us to test and refine designs quickly. We also manufacture all our critical metal parts in-house, eliminating the need for external CNC workshops.

The Carvera Desktop CNC is an essential tool for both professionals and hobbyists. Makera, the company behind Carvera, is dedicated to excellence, prioritizing product quality and innovation over profit. Their commitment ensures that Carvera remains one of the best CNC solutions on the market.