Methodology

How the sheets are made

An independent catalog only makes sense if you understand how it's built. Here we explain where the data comes from, where automation's work ends and a person's begins.

MakerSpecs è curato da juppiter78, maker italiano che documenta progetti CNC e laser dal 2012. Niente redazione anonima, niente affiliati nascosti, niente AI farm — schede verificate una per una. Se trovi un errore, scrivimi: rispondo io.

The data comes from the source, not from us

Technical specifications are extracted from the manufacturer's official website with deterministic, versioned tools, and show the recording date. We don't rewrite from memory: we read the source. If a value can't be verified, it stays empty — a missing field is better than a made-up number.

AI is a second reader, not the author

Artificial intelligence helps us flag anomalies in the data and frame a machine's market positioning. It doesn't write the sheets and doesn't decide what to publish: every suggestion is validated by a person before going online. It's an extra check, not a shortcut.

A single, real byline

Behind the sheets there's no generic "editorial team": there's a real person, with a verifiable history — the BoxedCNC blog since 2012 and mentions on Hackaday. When contributors join, each will have a name, an honest bio and a verifiable external profile. Never fake bylines to fake an editorial team.

Data and opinions stay separate

A technical value always has a source. An editorial judgment — strengths, caveats, who a machine suits — is stated as such. We avoid brochure adjectives ("revolutionary", "best-in-class"): if something is good, you can see it from the numbers and the context.

Tiers are based on the real cost

The use tier (from F1 entry to F5 industrial) doesn't look at the bait price of the "machine body only", but the cost to actually put it to work: base plus essential accessories. A cheap but incomplete out-of-the-box machine doesn't move up a tier just because it costs little.

Prices have a date

The prices shown are list prices, with the recording date, and are reviewed at least every three months. When something relevant changes — a market withdrawal, a silent spec change, a safety issue — we flag it directly in the sheet.

How we sustain ourselves

Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we receive a commission at no extra cost to you. It's never the criterion by which we choose what enters the catalog, and brands don't buy ratings or better positions. Editorial independence is non-negotiable.