Lunyee 3018 Pro Ultra Review: A Real Upgrade for Hobby CNC Machining

Written by William Davis

Most entry-level 3018 CNC machines are perfectly fine if your main goal is engraving plastics, wood, or nameplates. But once you start pushing into real cutting—especially hardwood, PCB milling, or aluminum—you usually start running into rigidity and consistency limits sooner than expected.

The Lunyee 3018 Pro Ultra feels like it was designed to address that gap. After using it for PCB prototyping, wood machining, and some light aluminum cutting, what stands out isn’t just power — it’s how stable and predictable the machine feels once you get into actual cutting loads.

It’s obviously not an industrial machine, but in day-to-day use it lands much closer to a “serious hobby CNC” than a typical starter 3018 kit.

 

 

Frame Rigidity and Real-World Stability

The first thing you notice during assembly is the weight. That might sound like a small detail, but with desktop CNC machines, mass really does translate into damping — and better damping usually means cleaner cuts.

Instead of thin extrusions or plastic structural parts, the Pro Ultra uses a heavier aluminum frame and thick gantry side plates. In real cutting scenarios, that ends up mattering more than most spec sheets would suggest.

When cutting hardwood or dense plastics, the machine stays planted. You don’t really hear the high-pitched chatter that’s common on lighter 3018 machines when cutter load starts changing rapidly. It’s not silent, obviously, but it sounds more controlled.

The X-axis runs on 12 mm linear rails, which helps maintain smoother motion across longer toolpaths. Some cheaper 3018 machines tend to show slight flex or vibration when direction changes stack up over long runs. Here, motion generally feels more consistent, even during longer jobs.

The moving table + stationary gantry layout also helps distribute load more evenly. Surface finish consistency — especially during pocketing — is noticeably better than typical rod-based 3018 designs. This is one of the areas where the 3018 pro ultra really starts to separate itself from basic entry-level machines.

 

 

Spindle, Tool Holding, and Cutting Accuracy

The spindle is still DC motor driven, but the bigger upgrade is the ER11 collet system. If you’ve used set-screw tool holders before, the difference is pretty noticeable — especially with smaller end mills or PCB engraving bits.

Measured runout staying roughly in the 0.05–0.1 mm range is workable for most hobby CNC precision tasks, including PCB isolation routing and fine engraving work.

All three axes use T8 lead screws with dual brass nuts to reduce backlash. In practice, that translates into pretty reliable position repeatability. For multi-tool jobs or multi-pass finishing cuts, that kind of consistency often matters more than raw speed. This is also where the 3018 pro ultra starts to feel closer to a small desktop milling platform rather than just a modified engraver.

 

 

Real Cutting Performance

Aluminum Machining (The Real Stress Test)

Aluminum is usually where entry-level CNC machines start to struggle. With conservative feeds and decent chip clearing, the Pro Ultra handles light aluminum machining better than I expected going in.

During testing, I machined a custom aluminum bottle opener. The finished part had clean outer edges, sharp internal features, and fairly minimal burr formation. The machine held load steadily through most of the cut — no sudden chatter spikes or obvious frame resonance.

 

Chip evacuation stayed fairly consistent, although like most small desktop machines, deeper slots still benefit a lot from air assist or manual chip clearing. Surface finish required very little post-processing, which was a nice surprise.

That said, this still isn’t a production aluminum CNC. Feed rates and tool selection matter quite a bit, and aggressive cuts will still overwhelm a small DC spindle. But for prototyping and small functional parts, the 3018 pro ultra feels very usable within realistic limits.

 

 

PCB Milling Performance

PCB milling is where motion stability and runout really start to show.

Using height mapping to compensate for natural PCB board warp, the machine produced clean isolation routing with consistent trace width. Pads stayed fully isolated, and even denser routing sections held pretty uniform toolpaths.

Low spindle runout combined with stable axis motion makes this a strong option if you’re moving from chemical etching to mechanical PCB fabrication. For a desktop machine in this class, the 3018 pro ultra lands in a practical middle ground between very cheap engravers and much more expensive precision systems.

 

 

Software, Firmware, and Daily Workflow

The machine runs standard GRBL firmware, which is a big long-term advantage. It works with common software like Candle and UGS, so you’re not locked into a proprietary ecosystem.

If you’ve used hobby CNC machines before, tuning steps/mm, acceleration, or toolpath settings should feel familiar. Nothing here feels unusually complicated.

Limit switches on all axes are a small but genuinely useful quality-of-life feature. They reduce crash risk during testing and make homing repeatable.

Cable management is functional but not particularly refined. A little manual routing or zip tie cleanup helps quite a bit. Not a major issue, just something most users will probably tweak during setup.

 

 

Who This Machine Is Really For

This isn’t just an engraving machine.

It makes the most sense for users who want:

• A rigid 3018 CNC upgrade

• A hobby CNC capable of real cutting, not just surface marking

• A desktop CNC that can realistically handle PCB milling and light aluminum

If your workload is purely engraving, it might honestly be more machine than you need. But if you want to machine actual parts rather than just decorative surfaces, the added rigidity becomes noticeable pretty quickly.

 

 

Final Thoughts

The Lunyee 3018 Pro Ultra feels like a response to one of the biggest weaknesses of entry-level 3018 CNC machines: structural flex and vibration under real cutting loads.

The heavier frame, linear rails, ER11 tool holding, and lead screw drive system combine to create a machine that feels predictable and controlled during machining.

For PCB prototyping, woodworking, plastics, and light aluminum machining, it sits in a very practical performance zone — significantly more capable than basic 3018 kits, without jumping into much higher desktop CNC price tiers.

It’s not trying to be an industrial machine. But for serious hobby work and prototyping, it’s a very balanced, confidence-inspiring platform.