Guide · Spindle kits
Spindle upgrade checklist: kit, system and the parts you still need
What Carbide 3D, PwnCNC, VEVOR and Genmitsu spindle kits include, how a kit differs from a finished system, and the parts you may still have to buy.
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Short answer
Read the kit's parts list line by line, then list what it leaves out. Kits differ widely: some include the mount, boot and chiller, others ship a spindle and VFD with no enclosure or reservoir. The usual gaps are a mount or adapter plate for your machine, a boot for the new diameter, a hose, collets for every shank you run and, on some machines, an adapter cable.
Kit or finished system
PwnCNC sells both. Its Spindle System differs from its kit in that the VFD is installed in a finished enclosure, programmed for the selected motor and tested before shipment.[1] Its kit does not include a finished VFD enclosure.[2] With a kit, the enclosure and connections are your job and a qualified electrician's, following the maker's manual.
What kits include, by maker
- Carbide 3D 65 mm ER16: 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 in ER16 collets and an ER16M collet nut.[3]
- Carbide 3D 80 mm: an 80 mm dovetail mount, a water-cooled spindle, an enclosed 220 V VFD, a Shapeoko 5 Pro gas strut kit, an 80 mm Sweepy 2.0 boot and a CW3000 chiller,[4] plus 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 in ER20 collets and a nut.[5]
- PwnCNC: ER11 kits include 1/16, 1/8 and 1/4 in collets; ER20 kits include 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 in.[2] Water-cooled kits include a 110 V pond pump and tubing, but not coolant or a reservoir.[2]
- VEVOR 010298669207: the listing says the kit includes the spindle, a 2.2 kW VFD, an 80 mm clamp, 14 ER20 collets and a 20-piece bit set.[6]
- SainSmart's earlier Genmitsu water kit: an 80 mm holder plus adapter plates for PROVerXL machines and for the 3030-PROVer MAX and 4040-PRO MAX.[7]
- Genmitsu 300 W spindle: sold as a spindle only, or with a power converter box rated at 480 W.[8]
Does a kit come with a mount?
Sometimes. Carbide 3D's 80 mm kit does; PwnCNC's kit page says the mount is not included unless you select it.[2]
What you may still need
- An adapter cable. Carbide 3D's guides say the Shapeoko 5 Pro needs one between the kit's communications cable and the controller.[9]
- A machine adapter plate. PwnCNC's mount needs a separately sold, machine-specific plate on machines other than its Dominator CNCs.[10]
- A boot for the new diameter. Carbide 3D's 80 mm kit includes an 80 mm Sweepy 2.0;[5] PwnCNC says the current PwnBoot is for 80 mm spindles only.[11]
- A hose that will not clog. Carbide 3D does not recommend 35 mm vacuum hoses with its 80 mm spindle.[12]
- Collets for every shank size you plan to run, in the spindle's own system.
Checklist
| Item | Where the makers say it comes from | Have it? |
|---|---|---|
| Spindle and VFD | The kit | |
| VFD enclosure | PwnCNC system: included; PwnCNC kit: not included | |
| Mount in your body size | Some kits; otherwise sold separately | |
| Machine adapter plate | Sold separately for PwnCNC mounts on most machines | |
| Adapter cable | Needed on the Shapeoko 5 Pro (Carbide 3D) | |
| Collets and nut | Kit sizes vary; buy the rest in the same system | |
| Dust boot for the new diameter | Some kits; otherwise sold separately | |
| Hose | Check the boot and the maker's hose note | |
| Pump, tubing, reservoir, chiller | Water kits vary; PwnCNC omits the reservoir | |
| Coolant | Per the spindle maker's manual |
Parts for the collets you still need
No spindle kit is approved in our catalog yet. Collet sets are, one per system:
Picks that fit2 products
Match the system printed on your spindle: the ER11 set (15-piece for 1/8 and 1/4 in) for ER11 spindles, or the ER20 14-piece set (1/16 to 1/2 in) for ER20 spindles. Neither fits ER16.
ER11 set with metric and inch sizes
Genmitsu ER11 precision spring collet set, 7 or 15 pieces (1‑7 mm; 15‑piece adds 1/8 in and 1/4 in)
ER20 set up to 1/2 in
Genmitsu ER20 router collet set, 14 pieces (1/16 in to 1/2 in)
Next
Questions
What is the difference between a spindle kit and a spindle system?
At PwnCNC, the system has the VFD installed in a finished enclosure, programmed for the motor and tested before shipment; the kit has no finished VFD enclosure.[1][2]
What else do I need to buy with a spindle kit?
Often a mount or adapter plate for your machine, a boot for the new diameter, a hose, collets for every shank you run and, on the Shapeoko 5 Pro, an adapter cable. Read the kit's parts list to see which it already includes.[9][10]