Entry-level CNC laser cutting machines: Costing from $20,000 to $50,000, they work well for cutting materials like metal, plastic, and wood with precision. Mid-range CNC laser cutting machines: Priced between $50,000 and $200,000, these offer advanced laser cutting capabilities and versatility.

As a general rule, if you choose wisely you should be able to build a system for somewhere between 1.5x to 4x less than a similarly sized commercial machine. The bad news is twofold. First, it's still going to be costly. The more pre-engineered components you buy, the costlier it will be (but less risky as well).

One profitable way to make money with CNC machines is by manufacturing precision parts and components for various industries. CNC metalworking machines can produce high-quality products with utmost precision from small intricate pieces to large-scale components.

Summary. So as we've discussed, the CNC machining process can be challenging to master but it is certainly not out of your reach. You should expect it to take over 3 years of hard work to master but it can take just a few hours of easy tutorials to create basic parts.