[taneq]

> As long as they don't skip steps. And they always do. So you end up running at 1/10th of the speed your tool could move at to avoid that, and even then you'll end up tossing workpieces because you lost synchronization somewhere along the line.

My experience has been roughly opposite of this. If you overload your motors, you're going to lose positional accuracy and probably wreck your workpiece regardless of whether you use steppers or servos. If you don't overload your motors then the difference is moot, and with steppers there's less to go wrong.

[PragmaticPulp]

In practice, hobby CNC machines use the closed-loop feedback systems to halt the machine and alert the operator that something has gone wrong.

Hobby-scale machines shouldn’t need closed-loop systems for positioning during cutting operations. Especially if they’re using a 300-400W (sustained) consumer router as their spindle as this article suggests.

Cutting forces at this scale are in the single-digit pounds. Nothing a common NEMA23 can’t handle with plenty of margin. Trying to push a low-powered spindle through the workpiece on a low-rigidity hobby machine causes more problems.