Overall nice kit. Was fairly easy to assemble, printed instructions helpful for reference if not entirely concise. Some tweaking and adjusting during setup made for a solid end result. Lots of internet resources to aid in good setup.

Linear bearings made a grinding noise when first assembled. Internet advised to "˜pack' them with grease, the provided instructions did not. Not sure if that's required/standard practice, but the noises are gone now. Disassembly of machine to remedy, minor annoyance.

Adding limit switches after the fact revealed the boards pin out labels do not not match the location of where switches go. Trial and error, was able to wire correctly. You're on your own for limit switches mounts and placement, several internet sources on the subject very helpful.

Aftermarket cable management recommended. No included pieces. Zip ties, cable wraps and myriad 3D print models made short work of the cable spaghetti one is left with after assembly.

Still tweaking configuration settings, not entirely sure the default are correct/optimal for the setup.

Have gotten good etching results with the laser (5.5w), able to cut thin wood also with multiple passes/slower speeds. Lots of smoke, consider an enclosure and fume control.

Spindle works, haven't used much beyond basic testing as of yet.

Purchased to learn basic cnc machine build and concept. Would recommend for that purpose. Solid build materials, injection molded pieces (not 3D printed). Happy with the kit.

My first impression is that most of the low reviews are from people who had trouble putting it together. The instructions aren't great, and I can imagine a lot of folks having trouble following them. I've also seen some folks complain about having to take things back apart - most of the catch nuts are twist lock. So you put them into the mounting channels sideways, and once you start to tighten them in place, they twist and catch inside of the channel. Once you realize this (it took me a minute of looking at them!), it becomes very easy to install the side arms and plexi shield.

Includes a thumbdrive with the driver, instructions for serial communications with the Arduino controller, 3-axis control software for the router (Candle), 2-axis control software for the laser.

I haven't tried the laser yet. Serial coms are only really useful if you want to set soft limits for the step motors. I purchased hard limit switches separately (only a few bucks, and they wire right in). You're gonna want to setup one or the other - it's stressful to walk away from this thing without some method of limiting the motors.
Candle is pretty neat, and allows you to talk with the router and manually move it. However, you can't design anything in that software, you need separate software to build stuff. I've been using Easel - it's free, but some advanced features are locked and you have to pay $20 a month to access them. Once you gen the gcode in Easel, you can open your file in Candle and send it to the Arduino to build.

Supposedly the 2-axis laser software is good. Like I said, haven't tried it.

There is definitely a steep learning curve. I've broken several bits, and screwed up about 4 attempts to make things so far. My last build was my first success, and I'm very much addicted now. The best way to build things is to get the compiler (Easel in my case) to break your design into several builds, then do a bit change between them. In this way, you make the big cuts with big bits and detailed cuts with ever smaller bits. It brings the build times way down, but does involve a bit change which is a chance for you to screw up your calibration. Just gotta be really careful. I understand the nicer machines accept a bit change command (where the router moves so you can easily change them), so you can make one big file and you don't have to run separate builds without messing up your calibration.

Anyway, had a lot of fun building this and am now having fun messing with it. Good luck to you!

This was my first cnc starter kit, easy to assemble 40 minutes, a few tries and off and running just be sure to install files as told to do

A high quality kit for those with CNC hardware experience. The instructions could be a little more detailed, but everything a builder needs to know is in them. The kit is complete. The included thumb drive further details the assembly and use of the machine. I would not recommend this to a novice unless they have an experienced helper. I am quite satisfied with the performance, quality and price. Price is low because it is a kit. The user assembles it, saving money.

Was able to set it up without any major problems. Was able to run the sample files right after setup.
So far, the router is very solid.
In order to create my own designs for cutting I ended purchasing Estlcam V11, which, after figuring out the proper settings for the material I am cutting, is working very well.
Not very happy with the laser end. (Can't get it to focus. The dial appears to be loose.)
I would recommend this product (and Estlcam V11) for doing CNC (using the spindle), which is mostly what I bought it for. Doing CNC at this price is a pretty good deal. The offline controller works great.