What a CNC machine costs in Australia

Twenty-two Australian listings surveyed in October 2026 ask from $9,242 ex GST for a small new router to $402,880 for a double-column machining centre. In this set, new plasma tables ask $12,000 and $31,890, fibre lasers $80,000 and $182,500, and a used 2010 Haas VF2 mill $50,000. Maker, size and age drive the price.

A CNC machine is priced by what it cuts, how big it is, who built it and how old it is, so the same three letters cover a $9,242 router and a $402,880 double-column machining centre. This guide sets out 22 live Australian asking prices for routers, plasma and laser cutters, lathes and machining centres, what separates a $20,000 used lathe from a $370,000 mill-turn centre, the freight, installation, power and software costs the listings leave out, and how buyers fund the purchase.

What CNC machines cost

"CNC" covers routers, plasma and laser cutters, lathes and mills, and the price follows the type first and the maker second. The table lists 14 live asking prices from the machines4u.com.au marketplace on 22 October 2026, with the listing ID in brackets. Prices are ex GST and are the sellers' own, so they are indicative market data and not Ventas offers. "Not disclosed" means the listing does not show it. If you want the finance side first, see CNC finance.

Three things stand out. Type sets the band before brand does: the cheapest router, plasma table and CO2 laser in the table all ask under $15,000, while the two fibre lasers ask $80,000 and $182,500. Routers alone run from $9,242 to $128,000, and some listings do not show table size, spindle or controller, so compare like with like before you compare prices. And extras decide the real cost: Bodor includes an enclosure and metro training, the Axis CO2 laser quotes setup and training separately, and most used listings say nothing about either.

Used machining centres, lasers and big-name makers

In the Haas, Mazak and DMG Mori searches every priced listing is used, and new machines from the big names often say price on application. Hare & Forbes lists its new DN Solutions (Doosan) PUMA turning centres as "Ask for Price" (listing 1231413). The table adds eight listings, seven used and one new. None of the used machines shows hours.

Age moves price, but not in a straight line. Haas listings run from $20,000 for a 1999 SL20 lathe to $258,000 for a 2019 five-axis VF3SS, and the 2019 machine asks about 47 per cent of the $550,000 new price its seller quotes (seller's figure, our arithmetic). A 2002 Amada laser asks $245,000, more than a new 6 kW Bodor at $182,500, so age alone does not predict price. The VF-6B/40 shows the used risk: its seller reports $35,000 of repairs. Ask for service records, a run test under power, the control's age and the maker's parts and service support in your state.

What drives the price

Four things move the number most.

• Size. The 2006 Haas VF-6B/40 (1626 x 813 mm travel) asks $88,000 against $50,000 for the 2010 VF2 (762 x 406 mm), so travel can outweigh age.
• Automation. Tool changers, vacuum beds, bar feeders and sheet exchange add cost. The LNC 1530 with a 12-tool changer starts at $39,999, while the Masterwood nesting router at $109,000 to $128,000 adds drilling heads, unloading and CAD/CAM.
• Power. New fibre lasers ask $80,000 at 3 kW and $182,500 at 6 kW, against $14,400 for a 100 W CO2 tube.
• Support. Local parts, service and training are not in the sticker price, so ask what comes with it. The Bodor listing includes metro training and a 5-year factory warranty on its laser source, head and control.

What you pay on top of the machine

The asking price is rarely the invoice total. These costs sit on top, and the listings show how patchy the detail is.

Financing a CNC machine purchase

CNC machines are among the easier assets to fund because the machine is the security and there is a resale market, but lender appetite is not uniform. Recognised makers such as Haas, Mazak, Okuma, DMG Mori and Doosan, with a service history, read cleanly. Lenders can be more cautious with very old machines, because age limits apply at the end of the term, with unbranded imports that have thin local parts and service, and with one-off or heavily modified machines. An auction or private-sale machine can be funded but may need an inspection or valuation. Ventas is a finance broker, not a lender, so we do not quote rates here. They move with the lender, the security and the file.

Most buyers use a chattel mortgage, where you own the machine and the lender takes security over it. Our chattel mortgage guide explains it. Tax and GST treatment depend on your business, so ask your accountant.

Illustrative only, subject to lender assessment. A used vertical machining centre bought at $60,000 ex GST, like the Doosan DNM500 listing above. Freight is based on the $3,000 to $3,700 quoted on the Haas VF2 listing, rounded up for rigging. The other lines are our assumptions, not quotes:

And how it is typically funded across lender types:

Debt here is $77,000 of the $100,000. Equipment finance is valued on what the machine would resell for, not what you paid, so a lender may advance less against an older machine or one with thin resale demand. Freight, installation and training can sometimes be rolled into the equipment facility when they sit on the supplier's invoice, which lowers the cash you need. A property-backed loan secured on a home or other property can fund the gap, at the cost of putting that property at risk if the machine does not earn what you planned.

What makes a CNC deal fundable:

• The invoice. A supplier quote with make, model, year and serial number.
• The work. Orders, contracts or a trading history that show the machine will be used. A first machine needs a stronger story: operator experience and orders in hand.
• The machine. A recognised maker, parts and service in your state, and a run test or inspection if it is used.
• The business. ABN and GST registration, recent BAS and business bank statements.
• Security. Property you own widens the options on limits and terms.

To get a number from Ventas, send the make and model, the supplier and price ex GST, whether it is new or used and its year, the freight, installation and training on the quote, and how long you have been trading. Start at CNC finance, see laser cutter finance for fibre and CO2 lasers, manufacturing equipment finance for wider plant, or read can I finance a CNC machine. Finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Figures are indicative market data from the sources listed, not Ventas offers, and move with the market. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a professional. All finance is subject to lender assessment and approval.

This article is general information only and not financial, credit, or tax advice. Ventas Asset Lending is a finance broker, not a lender. Approvals are subject to lender assessment. Consider your own circumstances and speak to a qualified professional, including your accountant for any tax questions.