This is a pre-purchase article based on the TwoTrees ED1’s official specs, its sales terms, and first-hand information on the machines it’s compared with. I used lathes and milling machines at a technical college (kosen), but I don’t own an ED1 yet. Items I haven’t been able to check on a real machine are kept separate from confirmed facts.

Looking at a titanium Apple Watch band, I sometimes think it’d be fun to cut that shape myself.

From there my interest spread to mechanical watches, custom keyboards, metal keycaps and machine parts like a Stirling engine, and in the end it comes back to a CNC.

With a 3D printer, you can already make plastic parts at home. But I assumed that cutting aluminium or titanium into watch parts or a keyboard case took the kind of machine tools you find in a big factory.

That’s when I came across TwoTrees’ new desktop CNC, the ED1.

A 300 × 200 × 120 mm working area, a 600 W, 18,000 rpm spindle, 5-tool automatic tool changing, an enclosure, auto-levelling and a 4-axis option. On top of that, the maker lists not just aluminium but mild steel and titanium among supported materials.

I set out how I compare desktop CNCs in my earlier guide to choosing a home CNC (Japanese). This time I apply those points to one machine, the ED1.

At first glance, it packs in a lot of the features individuals have wanted in a CNC.

But this is a point to stop and think.

“Titanium supported” on a spec sheet isn’t the same as being able to make titanium parts reliably.

In this article, I go through the parts that matter to a buyer one at a time: not only what’s attractive about the ED1, but coolant, tool changing, accuracy, rigidity, how easy it is to use at home, and how it compares with the C500 and D1S.

To give the conclusion first: the ED1 is a machine I really want. But as of September 2026, I’m not pressing the reserve button yet.

The short answer: a CNC I’d buy once it’s been proven

What’s attractive about the ED1 is that it automates, all together, the parts of home CNC work that tend to be a hassle.

  • Tool changes are automated with a 5-tool ATC
  • It supports auto-levelling and tool setting
  • The enclosure makes chips and safety easier to manage
  • 300 × 200 × 120 mm is enough working area for small parts
  • A 4th axis, probe and dust collector can be added

On the other hand, if titanium is the main goal, there’s still too much unconfirmed.

  • The public information doesn’t show what kind of coolant or MQL it has
  • Spindle runout, backlash and repeatability aren’t published
  • The measurement conditions for “±0.01 mm” aren’t known
  • There aren’t enough independent aluminium and titanium machining reviews of production units

So rather than calling the ED1 a finished product to reserve right now, I rate it as a strong candidate for people who can wait for hands-on testing after the first units ship.

What this article covers

I look at the ED1 in this order:

  1. The ED1’s specs, and what they mean for real machining
  2. How practical the ATC, probing, accuracy and coolant are
  3. How well it suits aluminium, titanium, watch parts and keycaps
  4. How it differs from the C500, D1S and ToolDance X1
  5. If I were buying with my own money, under what conditions I’d buy

What is the TwoTrees ED1?

The TwoTrees ED1 is an enclosed desktop CNC router meant for homes and small workshops.

The main specs published on the maker’s official page are as follows.

ItemTwoTrees ED1
Working area300 × 200 × 120 mm
Spindle600 W, up to 18,000 rpm
Tool changing5-tool automatic tool changer
Rated accuracy±0.01 mm
Weight38 kg
ConstructionDie-cast, aluminium, ball screws, linear guides
EnclosureAluminium + plastic, sliding hard-shell cover
ConnectivityWi-Fi, USB, TF card
FirmwareGRBL-based
4th axisOptional
Camera720p, 30 fps
PriceFrom USD 2,099 at Super Early Bird

Officially, supported materials include wood, MDF, acrylic, carbon, aluminium, copper, brass, mild steel, titanium, gold, silver and gemstones.

But for mild steel and titanium, there’s a note that long machining runs are not recommended.

This matters a lot.

It doesn’t mean the ED1 can’t machine titanium at all. But the maker itself isn’t recommending uses like spending hours carving a large part out of a block of titanium.

Why the ED1 caught my eye

I used lathes and milling machines at a technical college.

When you actually machine something, lots of hassles show up that are hard to see on a drawing.

Change the tool. Set the tool height. Clamp the workpiece. Re-set the origin. Clean up the chips. Deal with the cutting fluid. When it’s done, measure again.

Each step is necessary, but the more operations a part needs, the more setup time and the more chances for mistakes.

That’s why I was drawn to the ED1’s automatic tool changing, tool setting, auto-levelling and enclosure.

Not because you press a button and a finished part comes out.

It’s the hope of seeing how much of the truly burdensome part of machining can be reduced at a home-sized scale.

Is a 5-tool ATC really useful?

One big feature of the ED1 is that it can change between 5 tools automatically.

For example, making a small aluminium part might use tools like these:

  1. An end mill for roughing
  2. An end mill for pockets
  3. A drill for holes
  4. A chamfering tool
  5. A small tool for finishing

With manual tool changes, at each step you stop the machine, swap the tool, check the tool length, and adjust the origin or offsets if needed.

That isn’t simply five swaps. Each time you change a tool, the stick-out, the tightening and the Z reference can change.

The maker says a manual tool change takes 2–5 minutes, while the ED1’s automatic change takes about 7 seconds. For parts with many operations, that’s a big difference. TwoTrees ED1 official page

The ATC is especially valuable for things like watch parts or metal keycaps, where you want separate tools from roughing to finishing.

But having an ATC doesn’t guarantee accuracy.

Before buying, these are what I’d want to check:

  • How the 5 tools are held
  • Supported shank diameters and collet standard
  • Whether tool length compensation is fully automatic
  • Z repeatability after a tool change
  • Detection of broken tools or failed tool changes
  • Whether you can recover manually if the ATC fails

The ED1 is listed as supporting tool setting, but none of these figures are published.

So for now my assessment is: “The ATC is very attractive. But repeatability on production units is unconfirmed.”

What does auto-levelling do?

The ED1 has auto-levelling.

It measures the workpiece surface with a probe and corrects for height differences from place to place.

That’s handy when the material itself isn’t perfectly flat, as with wood or plastic. With thin plates or circuit boards, it can also be expected to reduce errors from how the workpiece is mounted.

But it’s risky to think of auto-levelling as a feature that makes the whole machine more accurate.

What the probe corrects is mainly the height of the workpiece surface. It doesn’t fix the machine’s rigidity, spindle runout, tool deflection, backlash, thermal drift, or how the workpiece is held.

To think about real accuracy, you need to separate at least these:

  • How accurately the machine moves to a commanded position
  • Repeatability: returning to the same position
  • Spindle and tool runout
  • Deflection under cutting load
  • Temperature changes in the spindle and workpiece
  • Repeatability of tool length compensation
  • Accuracy of the fixture holding the workpiece

The ED1’s published “±0.01 mm” is an attractive number, but it isn’t stated under what conditions it was measured.

So I don’t read the figure as “finished parts will always come out within ±10 µm”.

Does the ED1 have coolant?

The thing I personally cared about most this time was coolant.

In short, I could not find the following on the ED1’s official product page as of September 2026:

  • Liquid flood coolant
  • A coolant tank
  • A coolant pump
  • MQL (minimum quantity lubrication)
  • Through-spindle coolant
  • A dedicated air blast for metal cutting

The official page lists the enclosure, dust/noise control, and a dust-collector option. But there’s no clear mention of MQL like the C500’s, or of flood coolant like the ToolDance X1’s.

For wood and plastic, this isn’t a big problem.

With aluminium too, it may be possible to machine with shallow cuts, suitable tools, and a way of clearing chips.

But cutting titanium or steel for long periods is another matter.

Cooling and chip evacuation become important to carry away cutting heat, avoid re-cutting chips, and extend tool life.

Titanium in particular tends to concentrate heat at the cutting point, and getting the tool or cutting conditions wrong has a big effect on tool life and finish.

To cut titanium on the ED1, I’d want to assume short runs and shallow cuts at the very least, and check whether an external air blast or suitable cooling can be added.

Having an enclosure doesn’t automatically solve chip handling either. If you vacuum metal chips with a dust collector, there are safety precautions that differ from wood dust.

Can it make titanium keyboard or watch parts?

For small titanium parts, there are reasons to hope for a lot from the ED1.

The working area is 300 × 200 × 120 mm, so there’s room for metal keycaps, small watch parts, thin plates and fixtures.

And because it has an ATC, it’s easy to split roughing, pocketing, drilling, chamfering and finishing.

But “can make” and “can make efficiently at consistent quality” are different things.

These are the kinds of jobs I’d consider realistic on the ED1:

  • Small profile cuts
  • Shallow pockets
  • Thin titanium plate
  • Short finishing passes
  • Titanium cuts after proving the toolpath in aluminium
  • Small prototype runs of watch or keyboard parts

On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend these:

  • Carving a large part out of a thick titanium block
  • Long runs cutting deep pockets
  • Running unattended without cooling
  • Small-batch production with titanium as the main material
  • Expecting ±10 µm guaranteed at inspection-report level

How does it compare with the C500?

The machine I most want to compare the ED1 with is the NestWorks C500.

ItemED1C500
Spindle600 W / 18,000 rpm800 W / 18,000 rpm
Rated accuracy±0.01 mm±0.02 mm
ATC5 tools, about 7 s ratedATC, 1–7 s rated
CoolingMethod unconfirmedMQL officially advertised
Weight38 kgAbout 95 kg
Closed loopUnconfirmedClosed-loop NEMA23
4th axisOptionalOptional
PriceFrom USD 2,099VIP USD 2,599, 4-axis VIP USD 2,999

The C500 has many features that look favourable for metalwork: spindle power, weight, closed-loop motors, MQL, a steel worktable and more. C500 official site

On the other hand, it weighs about 95 kg.

At home, it isn’t the kind of size you put on a desk and move around easily. It’s also a crowdfunded product, so there are risks around price, delivery and support for the first batch.

The difference is that the C500 leans toward a proper metalworking machine, while the ED1 is an all-in-one desktop machine you can manage at home.

I’ve also summarised the C500’s specs and its comparison with the ToolDance X1 and Carvera in a separate article, comparing desktop CNCs for metalwork (Japanese). Here I focus on where it differs from the ED1.

The ED1 looks easier to bring into a home, and the C500 looks designed with titanium and steel in mind.

But you shouldn’t compare the C500’s ±0.02 mm directly with the ED1’s ±0.01 mm, because it’s unknown whether the measurement conditions are the same. You can’t say the C500 is worse on accuracy alone; in real machining, including rigidity and cooling, the C500 may actually have the edge.

How does it compare with the D1S?

The HiMill D1S is a small CNC that’s cheaper and lighter than the ED1.

ItemED1HiMill D1S
PriceFrom USD 2,099From a USD 1,039 sale price
Working area300 × 200 × 120 mm280 × 200 × 80 mm
Spindle600 W / 18,000 rpm250 W / 13,000 rpm
Tool changing5-tool ATCManual quick change
Weight38 kg17.8 kg
CoolingUnconfirmedNo liquid coolant
Recommended materialsListed from wood to titaniumMainly aluminium, brass, copper

The D1S is a good candidate for people who want to start machining aluminium on a budget. Officially it shows an example of machining an aluminium part for 16 hours, and an example of machining TC4 titanium. HiMill D1S official page

But the D1S doesn’t recommend long runs in steel or titanium either.

Compared with the D1S, the ED1 is clearly ahead on working area, power, Z height, enclosure, ATC and camera.

In exchange, it costs about twice as much.

Who is the ED1 for?

The ED1 is easiest to recommend to people who:

  • Want to handle wood, plastic, acrylic and aluminium on one machine
  • Want to automate tool changes as much as possible
  • Want to make watch parts, keycaps, fixtures or robot parts
  • Mainly make small parts within 300 × 200 × 120 mm
  • Want an enclosure and a camera
  • Want to move on to metalwork after a 3D printer
  • Want to prototype at home what they’ve designed in Fusion 360 or similar
  • Are willing to take on a new product while understanding the first batch hasn’t been fully proven

Conversely, it’s still hard to recommend to people who:

  • Want to machine titanium for long hours every day
  • Want to carve large parts out of steel or titanium
  • Need flood coolant
  • Want ±10 µm guaranteed on finished parts
  • Want unattended overnight runs or small-batch production
  • Need plenty of spare parts and user examples right away

If I were buying with my own money?

To be honest, I really wanted the ED1.

A 5-tool ATC, an enclosure, auto-levelling, a 4th axis and 300 × 200 × 120 mm is a very attractive combination for anyone who wants to make metal parts at home.

Precisely because I’ve used milling machines at a technical college, I can imagine the value of automating tool changes, alignment, chip cleanup and dealing with cutting fluid.

Even so, I’m not reserving one right now.

There’s more than one reason.

1. The evidence for titanium support is still thin

Beyond titanium appearing in the materials list, I want to see tool diameter, spindle speed, feed, depth of cut, machining time and cooling method.

2. The coolant method isn’t visible

Light aluminium cutting may be possible, but if titanium is the main use, there isn’t enough information on cooling and chip evacuation.

3. What ±0.01 mm means is unclear

It isn’t clear whether it’s positioning accuracy, repeatability or machining accuracy. Spindle runout and backlash aren’t published either.

4. It’s the first batch

Automated features like an ATC and probe need fine-tuning on real machines. There are no long-term reviews of production units yet.

Put the other way, once the following information is available, I’d want to buy one:

  • Aluminium machining videos on production units
  • Real machining videos in TC4 or Grade 5 titanium
  • Measured spindle runout
  • X/Y/Z positioning accuracy, repeatability and backlash
  • Tool length repeatability after an ATC change
  • Support for air blast or MQL
  • The chip tray and how to clean it
  • Noise levels with the dust collector running and while cutting
  • Clear explanations of Japan’s 100 V supply, shipping, tax, warranty and spare parts

If those check out and it can actually machine small aluminium parts reliably, the ED1 is a very strong candidate as a metal CNC you can use at home.

Summary: the ED1 is a strong candidate waiting to be proven

The TwoTrees ED1 squarely packs in many of the features people want in a home CNC.

In particular, the ATC, enclosure, auto-levelling, camera, 4th axis and 300 × 200 × 120 mm working area suit prototyping in aluminium and small parts.

On the other hand, to seriously judge its titanium support, 600 W, 18,000 rpm and a “supported materials” listing aren’t enough.

What’s needed are real cutting conditions, cooling, chip evacuation, spindle runout, repeatability after tool changes, and measurements of finished parts.

Here’s my current assessment:

The ED1 is very attractive for people who mainly work with wood, plastic, aluminium and small parts and want automated tool changes. But if titanium is the main goal, wait for hands-on testing after the first units ship.

To start on a budget, compare it with the D1S; to prioritise serious metalwork, the C500; for a stronger spindle and flood coolant, the ToolDance X1.

Still, for the balance between a home-friendly size and an ATC, the ED1 is the one I’m most curious about.

For the titanium keycaps I want to make first, I’ve already written about examples and my interest in the C500 in an article on choosing a desktop CNC from what I want to make (Japanese).

I’ll update this article as hands-on reviews and titanium machining data appear after the first units ship.

Frequently asked questions

Can the TwoTrees ED1 machine titanium?

The maker lists titanium as a supported material. But it doesn’t recommend long runs in mild steel or titanium. Small parts with short runs and shallow cuts may be possible, but judging it as a titanium production machine needs real cutting conditions and tool life to be confirmed.

Does the ED1 come with liquid coolant?

As of September 2026, I couldn’t find any mention of a liquid coolant tank, pump, MQL or through-spindle coolant on the official product page. There’s a dust-collector option, but that’s separate from cooling.

Is the ED1’s ±0.01 mm the dimensional accuracy of finished parts?

The official page says ±0.01 mm, but it doesn’t say whether that’s positioning accuracy, repeatability or machining accuracy, or under what conditions it was measured. So I don’t read it as meaning finished parts always come out within ±10 µm.

Which is better, the C500 or the ED1?

If you value ease of installing at home, weight, the ATC and all-in-one features, the ED1. If you value rigidity for metalwork, an 800 W spindle, closed loop and MQL, and can accept about 95 kg and a higher price, the C500 is the strong choice. Either way, if titanium is the main use, check real machine data before choosing.

Can beginners use the ED1?

On the operating side, the camera, probing, WeCarver CAM and enclosure reduce the burden on beginners. But with a CNC, if you don’t understand the tools, spindle speed, feed, depth of cut and workholding for each material, you’ll fail even with an ATC. Starting with wood and plastic, then moving to aluminium, is the realistic order.

Check the latest price, shipping date, included accessories and shipping cost on the TwoTrees official product page before ordering.

At the time of writing, I don’t own an ED1 and haven’t received one from the maker. The assessments in this article are based on public information and a buyer’s-eye review. If I use affiliate links in future, I’ll make the links in question clear to readers.

References

Prices, shipping dates, specs, options, shipping costs and taxes may change. The ED1 in particular is on pre-order, so check the official product page and the final checkout screen before ordering.