Simultaneous 5-axis on a desktop. I really long for 5-axis. It’s just plain cool.

That’s how I found Xhorse3D’s Xmachine WM-100. It fits on a desk, does simultaneous 5-axis machining that tilts the stock while cutting, and has an ATC that changes up to six tools. Then I saw the price and stopped. The machine alone is USD 5,899, about JPY 885,000. Nearly 900,000 yen is a lot…

I kept digging anyway, and found a bigger condition than the price.

I don’t own a WM-100. This is research from the Kickstarter page and the maker’s announcements, with figures checked on 8 October 2026.

The short answer: individuals can’t buy one right now

For now, the WM-100 Kickstarter is only for “non-individual users” such as businesses. Simultaneous 5-axis CNC machines are export-controlled, and shipping one out of China needs a license. It isn’t a matter of just paying for it.

For businesses, it’s an unusual desktop machine that combines simultaneous 5-axis with an ATC. If you want to try 5-axis as an individual, look at 5-axis options on machines that individuals can buy. For example, ToolDance says the X1, which I’ve reserved, can ship to individuals.

Official specs and price

The campaign runs until October 25 and has raised about five times its goal, so there’s clearly a lot of interest.

What changes with simultaneous 5-axis on a desktop?

A 3-axis CNC can only cut from above. To cut a side or an angled face, you take the stock off, turn it, clamp it again and re-align it. Every re-clamp takes time and adds error.

With 5-axis, the machine tilts and rotates the stock, so you can cut from many directions in one setup. Simultaneous 5-axis keeps cutting while it tilts, so it can also cut twisted, curved surfaces. How that differs from “3+2”, which tilts, stops and then cuts, is in my 4-axis vs 5-axis article (Japanese).

A hands-on look by Sami Luo Tech: ATC at 11:22, tool measurement at 11:57, probing at 12:27, optical centering at 13:20, and cutting aluminium, stainless and more from 16:01. The video says the machine was used for a few days, so I use it only to see the features working, not as evidence of long-term reliability or accuracy. It is shown with YouTube's standard embed (privacy-enhanced mode); no video files or stills are copied to this site. Watch on YouTube

For the things I want to make, a shape with faces in many directions, like a chess knight, is where 5-axis comes in (chess pieces article). As I wrote in the C500 article (Japanese), another reason 5-axis appeals to me is the idea that with 5-axis, you could almost finish a part at the push of a button.

Why can’t individuals buy it?

The Kickstarter page spells out the reason.

In an August 29 announcement, Xhorse3D explained that its trial export license applications were approved for businesses, but none had been approved for individuals. Xhorse3D announcement “Ships worldwide” refers to where they can ship, not to whether individuals can back it.

DAP shipping also assumes a business buyer. You handle import clearance yourself or through a customs broker, and you pay the import duties and taxes.

How is the ToolDance X1’s 5-axis different?

The ToolDance X1 I’ve reserved also has a 5-axis module you add later.

The WM-100 is a 5-axis machine from the start; the X1 is a 3-axis machine you add 5-axis to. On export controls, ToolDance answers in its FAQ.

So under the same 5-axis export rules, ToolDance says the X1 can ship to individuals. What “eligible” means, and the production size and price of the 5-axis module, haven’t been announced yet. I’ll check once the Kickstarter starts.

JPY 900,000 is still a lot

I do long for it. But looking at it rationally, I wonder whether I’d really do that much 5-axis work.

The titanium keycaps I want to make first look doable with 3-axis cutting from above and re-clamping (keycap article, Japanese). 5-axis really starts to matter once the shapes I want grow, like a chess knight or watch parts.

At technical college I learned casting and forging as well as machining. What stuck with me is that cutting every part from a solid block isn’t always best. I think 5-axis automation pays off most for small-batch prototypes where you don’t want more fixtures or re-clamping, and for making complex small parts again and again. For how I work now, rather than paying about JPY 900,000 for 5-axis, it suits me better to start with the X1’s 3 axes and decide on 5-axis once my shapes grow and the production module is known.

What I’d do

Individuals can’t buy it right now, so the WM-100 isn’t an option for me. Even if that changes, it’s an expensive purchase for me today.

Still, simultaneous 5-axis on a desktop is just cool. If individual sales open up, or the details of the X1’s 5-axis module come out, I’ll add them here. My X1 research is in the X1 article.

References

Update history

  • 8 October 2026: First English version, translated from the Japanese article published the same day.