TWOTREES TTC450 CNC: Why You Should Buy It
Precision and adaptability are hallmarks of the Two trees TTC450 CNC, a state-of-the-art milling machine. Both pros and amateurs will find it useful, as we'll go over its features, performance, and user-friendliness in this review. Whether you're working with plastic, wood, or any other material, the TTC450 is an effective tool for a variety of tasks. If you're new to this machine and you are considering buying one, this guide will help you know if it’s worth it. You will be able to learn the specs, assembling process, and other key features of this machine.
Key Features of the Machine
With dimensions of 460 x 460 x 80 mm, the TWOTREES TTC450 CNC offers a spacious and robust workspace. Its sturdy aluminum construction ensures it will remain steady when you run it. You can use it to work on a variety of materials, such as wood, plastic, aluminum, and even metals.
It has a speed of 800 mm/min, and it runs on a translation screws drive system with a double Y-axis system. The machine itself comes with an 80-watt 775 spindle motor, and you can buy a 500-watt high-speed spindle, which is more powerful. I would like to thank the Two Trees team as they shipped the machine with the 500-watt spindle upgrade.
In addition to the aluminum build, the metal frames are reinforced with high-quality screw rods for stability purposes. Unlike the traditional v-slot screw drive option, the Y-axis features dualscrew drive and Z-axis optical axis drive, which ensures there is more stability.
It also comes with two collet sets and a variety of milling, curving, and v-shaped cutters that you can use on a wide variety of materials, including all types of plastic, wood, acrylic, Pvcs, soft aluminum, and many others.
Moreover, you can add upgrades like a laser module, CNC rotary, and dust collector in addition to the 500. By the way, lack of a dust collector is one of the disadvances of this machine as you will have to manually remove the dust from the working area using the brush that comes with the machine.
It comes with homing switches for X, Y, Z double limit switch +ESTOP and it supports a power supply of 120W, 24V, 5A.
Accuracy
Twotrees TTC450 has a dimentional accuracy of upto 0.1mm. This is impressive as it allows you to achieve intricate designs and maintain tolerance which is important when you are working on intricate designs especially those for prototyping and complex carvings and it also minimizes post-processing.
It also has a running accuracy of + or -0.1mm and repositioning accuracy of + or -0.0025mm.
Safety Features
Just near the power switch, you will find a red emergency stop button which you can easily reach and tap to stop the machine in case something goes wrong. When I was setting the machine, I had not set the switches correctly and when homing the machine, it produced strange sounds as it moved and stopping the machine was easier with this option.
They also ship the machine with goggles that you can use to protect your eyes from the debris or dust as the machine operates.
The spindle guard prevents burns, making the machine safer to use. It also comes with 6 Clamps that you can use to hold the material you are working on in the workspace to ensure that it’s firm.
To reduce vibrations and ensure smooth, accurate cuts, the reinforced gantry side plates offer better stability during heavy milling operations.
In the product manual provided, the following safety measures are highlighted too.
1) Ensure the machine installation is firm when using it for the first time.
2)Press the emergency stop button quickly when danger occurs.
3)Always wear the glasses when you are operating the machine.
4)Use the brush to remove debri. Don’t blow them away with your mouth.
5)When using milling tools, be careful with sharpness.
6)Stop the machine before loading and unloading the setting knife.
7)Don’t wear cotton gloves.
8)Ensure that you clamp the workpiece firmly before you start the operation.
Assembling and Setting it Up
The machine comes 70% pre-assembled and this makes the process of assembly easier. For my case, it took me around 2-3 hours to get everything set up. It took me long because snapping the drag chain on the end of the control box into the left Y-axis guard plate was quite a challenge. Also, I had forgotten to set the limit switches correctly which brought issues when the machine is homing. But thanks to the great customer support from TWOTREES as they were able to help me in knowing where the issue was.
You also get to have a manual that takes you step by step on the installation process. There is also a YouTube video on the SD card that is much easier to follow. I suggest using both the manual and the video when installing to ensure that you get it right the first time. The video below shows the installation process.
User-Friendly Control System
After you have connected all the necessary components, set up the CNC on your workstation, turn the power on by pressing the power button just near the touchscreen display. But before you do this, ensure that the emergency stop switch is popped up. When you turn the machine on, you will see the touchscreen displaying the word “CNC”.
The TTC450 is easy to operate thanks to its touchscreen display. You can adjust the axis, and even start and monitor the project using the touchscreen.
To adjust the axis, click the “Control” button and then move XY-axis to the bottom left corner of the machine then click XY clear and Z clear. Then move the XY axis awat from the corner. Click “Next” then “HHome” so that to return to the corner. You will see the XYZ axis moving to the button left corner. If there is an issue with your installation you it won’t reach the end. I had an issue with the limit switches before bit I fixed it later. Make sure that they are correctly set up during the installation process.
Then, click “Spindle” to see if it’s rotating, then click it again to stop.
After this, you can then place the material you would like to work on on the workspace and clamp it. The next step will be to insert the SD card and start machining. Another method of sending the file to the machine is by connecting the laptop to the CNC machine via USB cable or through Wifi and then using software like Candle to send the file.
Connecting the Machine to Wifi and Setting up Software
To connect to the Wifi, you go to the “Tool” section in the touchscreen then click “Wifi” and then entered your+ password. An IP address will be displayed and I typed it on my browser and I accessed the interface below.
In this interface, we can move the XYZ axis and I can also adjust the speed and other parameters of the machine. There is also SD File option where you can manage your files there.
Connect the USB cable to the computer and the Twotrees TTC450 machine. The machine supports various software, including Easel, Control Candle, Artcam, and Carveco. These are the ones that are recommended. In the manual, as well as in the SD card provided, they have given instructions on how to install and set up Candle. The process is straightforward.
Once you have installed Candle GRBL program, select the serial port and connection speed then click on the “OK” button. For my case the serial port option was empty as I had not installed the CH340 driver.
Once you download, unzip and install the driver, you will see the success window, as shown below.
When I went back to Candle software and then clicked on the refresh icon, “Com3” appeared in the connection section. You can prove this is the correct port by going to Device manager in your computer and checking Ports section. It should be the same as that in Candle software.
You can then import the files by going to File>Open. For our case, I used the test flower that came with the SD card and TwoTrees TTC450 text. I started by importing the flower and it appeared on the software. I then sent it to the machine by clicking “send”.
You will be able to see the simulation too. After sending the flower and the process completed, I got the file below.
I also worked on the second test print for the text and I got the results below.
In addition to the test files, I also went to the projects section in Inventables and got some interesting files like Welcome message below and modified it abit in SelfCAD. SelfCAD is an easy to use CAD software that you can use to create both simple and complex 3D models with ease. The video below shows the overview of the software.
After modifying the file, I then prepared it for CNC machining in Easel before sending it to the CNC machine.
After sending the file to the machine, the results were as shown below.
It will require a little bit of post-processing to be cleaned. I also prepared one for a scarf hanger, as shown below.
If you would like to work on metal materials, you can upgrade to the 500-watt spindle as it can work on them and it’s powerful too.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Plenty of room to work on a variety of tasks
- High accuracy of 0.1mm
- Ensure stability with a sturdy aluminum frame
- Suitable for use with various materials
- Connectivity via WiFi and the ability to run offline using an SD card
- Conveniently pre-assembled-70% pre-assembled.
- It’s affordable as compared to its performance and there is free shipping too.
- 24/7 customer support
- 1-year after-sale guarantee
Cons:
- No dust collection mechanism.
- The software installation process could seem complicated to some users at first.
Can We Recommend TWOTREES TTC450 CNC Machine?
Yes, for those in need of a powerful and affordable CNC machine, we will recommend you go with it. The support for a variety of materials, its ability to add add-ons like a laser module and CNC rotary, and its precise accuracy of 0.1mm make it a great machine. Many machines at that price tend to struggle to maintain dimensional accuracy, making it hard to work on detailed designs, especially for prototyping.
In terms of user-friendliness, the TTC450 stands ahead of some competitors by offering a more intuitive interface, including a touchscreen display and compatibility with widely used software such as Candle. While other machines may require more time and effort to connect or operate, the TTC450’s WiFi and SD card capabilities make it simpler to control projects both online and offline.
The 70% pre-assembled design also simplifies setup, contrasting with other models that often come in more complex kits. Despite minor assembly challenges, TWOTREES’ strong customer support provides a clear advantage in resolving any setup issues. For example, when I ran into an issue, they were quick to reach out to me to help fix the problem. The machine costs $379 and when you add an upgrade of the 500-watt spindle the price will be $497.84.
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and CAD tools without the steep learning curve.
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