Guide · 3 min read
Router or spindle: what "spindle not included" means
Twelve machines in the record ship without anything to cut with. What they expect you to add.
The part of a CNC router that actually cuts is a motor holding a bit. Wikipedia describes a CNC wood router as "a computer controlled machine to which the router or spindle mounts", and those are the two options. A router is the handheld woodworking tool; the trim router or laminate trimmer is "a smaller, lighter version of the router". A spindle is a motor made to live in the machine, with its speed set electronically.
Some machines come with one, some don't
| Machine | Included | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| SainSmart 3018-PROVer V2 | Yes | 775 spindle, 42 mm diameter (included). Power and max RPM not published on this page. |
| SainSmart 3020-PRO MAX V2 | Not published | Not published on this page |
| SainSmart 4040-PRO | Yes | 75W, max 9,000 RPM (included; described as upgradable) |
| SainSmart 3020-PRO Ultra | Yes | 710W router, 6,500-30,000 RPM, 65 mm, ER11 (included) |
| FoxAlien Masuter Pro | Yes | 775 spindle, 10,000 RPM (included). Power not published on this page. |
| Two Trees TTC450 Pro (500W) | Yes | 500W 775 brushed, 8,000-30,000 RPM (included) |
| Two Trees TTC450 Ultra | Yes | 500W, 8,000-30,000 RPM (included) |
| FoxAlien Masuter Pro Max 2x2 | Yes | 500W brushless (included). RPM not published on this page. |
| SainSmart 4040-PRO MAX | Yes | 710W trim router, 6,500-30,000 RPM (included) |
| Onefinity Apprentice | No | Not included; takes a 65 mm spindle or a Makita trim router |
| SainSmart PROVerXL 4030S | Yes | 710W AC router, 6,500-30,000 RPM (included) |
| MillRight CNC Carve King 2 | No | Not included; Makita RT0701C mount only |
| FoxAlien Masuter 3S | Yes | 400W spindle (included). RPM not published on this page. |
| Makera Z1 | Yes | 150W, 0-13,000 RPM, closed-loop speed control (included) |
| SainSmart PROVerXL 4030 V2 | Yes | 400W, 10,000 RPM (included) |
| FoxAlien XE-PRO | Not published | 400W spindle in the spec table; the package list doesn't name it |
| Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30 | No | Not included ("Router and other accessories sold separately") |
| Two Trees TTC6050 | Yes | 500W, 12,000 RPM max (in the spec list) |
| SainSmart PROVerXL 6050 Plus | Yes | 300W, 12,000 RPM (included) |
| Makera Carvera Air | Yes | 200W, 0-13,000 RPM (included); quick tool changer |
| Onefinity Gen 2 Elite Woodworker | No | Not included; takes an 80 mm or 65 mm spindle or a Makita trim router |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 (19x19) | No | Not included; Makita or DeWalt router mounts and 1.5 kW / 2.2 kW spindles are paid options |
| Carbide 3D Nomad 3 | Yes | 130W brushless DC, 9,000-24,000 RPM (included) |
| FoxAlien CL-4x4 | Not published | Spec table lists a 400W spindle; the page also takes 65/69 mm routers and the package list names no spindle |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XL (35x35) | No | Not included; Makita or DeWalt router mounts and 1.5 kW / 2.2 kW spindles are paid options |
| Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4 | No | Not included; standard 80 mm spindle mount only. Optional 1.5 kW and 2.2 kW ER20 spindle kits and a 2.2 kW ATC kit. |
| Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro 4x2 | No | Not included; takes a 65 mm trim router or Carbide 3D's VFD spindle |
| Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 2x4 | No | Not included; standard 80 mm spindle mount. Optional 1.5 kW and 2.2 kW ER20 spindle kits and a 2.2 kW ATC kit. |
| Next Wave CNC Shark HD520 | No | Not included; built for 2.25 HP routers with a 3.5" barrel; optional water-cooled spindle mount |
| MillRight CNC Mega V 2 XXL (50x50) | No | Not included; Makita or DeWalt router mounts and 1.5 kW / 2.2 kW spindles are paid options |
| Makera Carvera | Yes | 200W, 0-15,000 RPM (included); automatic tool changer, 6 tools |
| Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x2 | Not published | 1.5 kW spindle, 8,000-24,000 RPM, ER16 (not listed as an included item) |
| Carbide 3D Shapeoko HDM V3 | Yes | 80 mm water-cooled spindle with VFD, 1.5/2.2 kW, 8,000-24,000 RPM, ER-20 (included) |
| Inventables X-Carve Pro 4x4 | Not published | 1.5 kW spindle, 8,000-24,000 RPM, ER16 (not listed as an included item) |
| Sienci Labs AltMill 4x8 | No | Not included |
In the record, ten of the eighteen machines that include something to cut with cost under $1,000. The twelve that don't are from Carbide 3D, MillRight CNC, Next Wave CNC, Onefinity and Sienci Labs, and their prices don't include a router. Sienci Labs' AltMill pages offer 1.5 kW and 2.2 kW spindle kits as add-ons. Sienci Labs says it plainly on the LongMill page: "Router and other accessories sold separately."
What the bigger machines expect
Where makers say what fits, they describe a round mount rather than a model. Carbide 3D asks for a "65mm trim router", either its own Carbide Compact Router or its VFD spindle kit. Onefinity lists a 65 mm spindle, a Makita trim router, and, on the Elite series, an 80 mm spindle. Onefinity also lists "RS485 PWM" control for spindles, which is how its controller can set a spindle's speed.
Reading the power figures
Where the spindle is included, the power figures vary a lot: from 75W on the 4040-PRO to 1.5 kW on the Shapeoko HDM V3, across sixteen pages that give a figure. Two more (3018-PROVer V2, Masuter Pro) include one without giving its power.
Power isn't the whole story either. The Nomad 3's spindle runs at "9000 - 24000 RPM" according to its page; the 4040-PRO's tops out at 9,000. Speed matters for how small a bit can cut cleanly, and that's beyond what this record tests.
How the bit is held: collets
Whatever does the spinning, the bit is gripped by a collet. Wikipedia calls a collet "a segmented sleeve, band or collar" and, for routers specifically, "the collet is what holds the bit in place". Spindle kits are often described by their collet. Wikipedia lists the ER family from ER-8 up to ER-50, and each collet grips a small range of shank sizes, since "a given collet holds any diameter ranging from its nominal size to its 1-mm-smaller collapsed size". Sienci Labs' AltMill pages offer "ER20" spindle kits, which is one place you'll see the name on a spec sheet.
The practical point for a buyer: the collet decides which bit shanks you can use, so it's worth checking what comes with the router or spindle before buying bits.
Speed figures in the record
Where makers give a speed range, it varies widely. SainSmart lists the 4040-PRO MAX's trim router at 6,500 to 30,000 RPM and the 4040-PRO's spindle at a maximum of 9,000. Carbide 3D gives the Nomad 3's spindle as "9000 - 24000 RPM". FoxAlien gives the Masuter Pro's spindle as 10,000 RPM. Several pages don't give a speed at all. The right speed for a given cut is a question for the bit maker's charts, and this site doesn't give cutting settings.
Power supply
A spindle or router adds to what the machine draws from the wall. Sienci Labs gives one of the clearer statements: the AltMill itself "consumes 500W", while its optional 1.5 kW spindle "consumes 1500W at max load". Carbide 3D notes its Compact Router is "designed for 110V operation". If you're planning a garage or spare-room setup, those numbers are worth knowing before you choose.
Before you budget
If a machine doesn't include a router or spindle, the price on the page isn't the price of a working machine. Check what mount it takes, and whether the maker sells a matching router, before comparing prices.
Sources
Read on 1 November 2026. Quotes are copied from these pages.
- Wikipedia: Collet
- Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4 product page
- SainSmart 4040-PRO MAX product page
- FoxAlien Masuter Pro product page
- Wikipedia: Router (woodworking)
- Sienci Labs LongMill MK3 30x30 product page
- Carbide 3D Shapeoko 5.1 Pro product page
- Onefinity compare page
- Carbide 3D Nomad 3 product page
- SainSmart 4040-PRO product page
- FoxAlien Masuter Pro Max 2x2 product page
- FoxAlien Masuter 3S product page
- SainSmart 4040-PRO MAX product page
- Sienci Labs AltMill MK2 4x4 product page