Tormach · Benchtop mill
PCNC 440
A real cast-iron CNC mill that runs on household 120 V and cuts steel.
$8,995Base mill with PathPilot. Stand, ATC and enclosure extra.
Work area254 × 159 mm
Spindle560 W
DriveBall screw
MetalAluminum & steel
Will's take
When you’re done pretending a router is a mill, this is the mill.
The PCNC 440 is in a different category from everything above it. It’s cast iron with dovetail ways, it weighs hundreds of pounds, and it cuts steel — properly, all day — while plugging into a normal 120 V outlet. PathPilot’s conversational programming means you can make simple parts without CAM at all.
It isn’t a desk machine: plan for a stand, a floor that can take the weight, and options that push the total well past the base price. The 10,000 rpm R8 spindle is also slow for tiny tools. If steel is the goal, though, nothing else here comes close.
— Will
What I like
- Cast iron — genuinely cuts steel
- Runs on 120 V single phase
- Conversational programming built in
- Huge community and resale market
What I'd watch for
- Very heavy — needs a stand and a solid floor
- Expensive once optioned
- 10k rpm spindle is slow for small tools
Spec sheet Tormach PCNC 440
| Work area (X × Y × Z) | 254 × 159 × 254 mm 10.0 × 6.3 × 10.0 in |
|---|---|
| Spindle | ¾ hp AC motor, R8, Poly-V belt up to 10,000 rpm |
| Drive | Ball screw |
| Linear motion | Dovetail ways |
| Frame | Cast iron |
| Enclosure | Optional |
| Tool changer | Optional ATC |
|---|---|
| Controller | PathPilot |
| Software | PathPilot with conversational programming |
| Metal | Aluminum & steel |
| Footprint | 42 × 36 in on stand |
| Released | 2014 |
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