Legacy Woodworking Machines

[FJ Baker]

I'm still in the process of trying to find the right shopbot for me. I've been researching different machines and the software that runs them on the internet for months. However, the nagging problem is that I am just getting into this, so I have no experience with cnc, I don't know anyone else who does this sort of work, so researching on the internet just seems to make me more confused.

Primarily what I want to do with a cnc is build decorative pieces in wood for furniture, relief carvings of one sort or another. Obviously the versatility of the machine will hopefully add to the different types of work I can do with it, i.e. signs, cabinets, etc.

Does anyone have any experience with or know anything about the Artisan machines from Legacy Woodworking? It seems like it does a ton of cool stuff having a fifth axis but for some reason or another my gut says no, stick to looking for a Shopbot.

Will all these machines; Shopbot, Artisan, Cobra, and Laguna and all the others basically do the same thing?

I'm feeling like I did when I first started to learn about woodworking. You know, you want to learn how to make a particular cut and there are 100 different techniques and 100 different ways to do each technique, you just have to find the way that you prefer to do it.

Thanks for any thought or opinions that anyone can share. I have found this forum to be extremely helpful since coming across it a couple of weeks ago and it is another one of the selling points for me on the Shopbot. If anyone feels uncomfortable about posting any potentially negative opinions, please feel free to email me directly at fjbchicago@gmail.com.

Still searching in Chicago,

FJ Baker

[Gary Campbell]

John...
Let me make a stab at this, but first remember that you are asking the "Chevy" guys to make comparisons to Ford, Toyota and Dodge. That said, I can answer most of your questions fairly impartially.

"Does anyone have any experience with or know anything about the Artisan machines from Legacy Woodworking? It seems like it does a ton of cool stuff having a fifth axis but for some reason or another my gut says no, stick to looking for a Shopbot."

I personally have no experience with Legacy Machines, but have looked at their products, and would like to build a similar machine using ShopBot control because it is more flexible. (and easier to learn) The machines I am familiar with are not a true 5 axis machine, they have 4 with the ability to raise/lower an end and are marketed as "a 5th axis". Other than that ability to incline the lathe centers, a ShopBot with an indexer can make the same parts. This combo will also give you the ability to cut full sheets or long lengths of stock. Something that is missing in the Legacy video that I watched.

"Will all these machines; Shopbot, Artisan, Cobra, and Laguna and all the others basically do the same thing?"

IF they are equiped the same, they should be able to do the same. There are many differences between these machines that may not be evident to a new or future user. Cutting power, cutting or rapid speeds and ease of use vary from machine to machine. ShopBot has multiple levels of machine performance in its lineup, the others, I am sure likewise. Make sure that you compare apples to apples. Personally I would not consider anything but a US made product. Make sure you factor support into the equation.

If you call ShopBot and tell them what you need the machine for, they can recommend a user(s) possibly near you that does similar and will do a live demo for you. I also offer myself for that task, albeit a bit of a drive for you.

[CNYDWW]

I've taken a hard look at Legacy CNC and have even seen a machine in action. They seam to be great machines if your purpose is to produce turnings and posts. One this i do not like about their machines is the rack and pinion drive system. The racks are made of narrow steel plate rather then a full width system like ShopBot. Another thing i've learned is you have to keep them very clean with that rack system. All in all, again they seam like good machines just not as versatile as a ShopBot at cost.

Just my two cents.
Regards
Randy

[gene]

I have both a legacy and a shopbot , each machine does a very good job at what it was designed for. I do use my bot alot more than the legacy. I dont need round collums that often but when i do i use the best machine for that job. the same for cabinet work . I cut a set with cabinetparts pro in about 5 hours .

[Brady Watson]

Call ShopBot and have them find someone near you to do a demo of their machine. There is nothing like seeing, hearing & touching something in person. Opinions on the internet are next to worthless - because YOU ultimately have to decide what tool is right for your particular business & the only way to do that is to see one in action - and be shown the steps to go from drawing to machined part.

Legacy just got into CNC & runs Mach3 control software, which if I am not mistaken, is only supported online via Yahoo groups or something like that. I don't know what Legacy does in terms of support, warranty and what fees are collected for support. ShopBot has a proprietary controller & is supported 100% for free. Even if you sell the tool to your neighbor...or a stranger - they will also be supported for free. This is unheard of in the CNC world.

-B

[myxpykalix]

I am about to save you a lot of money and aggrivation....

DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM LEGACY!!!

I have had one of their manual rigs for many years. When i first bought it, i went crazy and bought all the addons, ect and needed technical assistance. I would have to call a non 800 number sit on hold for over 30 minutes then get hung up on, call back, and get "oh the tech just left"

This happened repeatedly and soon i found myself putting a legacy group together on the net so we can help each other since we got no help from legacy. I would be happy to give you the link and go ask many users.
If you ask 100 people you will get at least 80 bad stories.

They are horrible at customer support. Their conversational cam software to run their machines on mach3 was months late even after guys had bought cnc's from them.

It's funny because they recently contacted me because they read a "gripe" i had and I went into great specificity because they wanted to know why I felt the way i did. That was a month ago...no response from them

This is why I went with a shopbot. It was like night and day. I asked probably 200-300 questions here before i bought mine. With one exception everyone here has answered my questions and helped me understand what i was doing before I bought my unit without hesitation.

I have made some good friends here, there is a willingness by all to help each other. That is fostered by the fact that Shopbot has a good product and GREAT support. They answer your questions immediately, are friendly, and don't try to aviod you.
I have talked to the owner of the company, he has written upgrades specifically that helped me do something with my machine which you don't see other companies do.

If you want to do a technical comparison, I can't give you the differences between them but if you have a machine that goes down I guarantee it will be down longer then if you had a shopbot.

I have owned a PRT Alpha with an indexer since 2006. I haven't called tech support since probably 2006 or 2007. These machines are stable and reliable and you get this forum, us and tech support.

Go check out the forums for these other machines and compare. Whatever model shopbot you choose you won't be sorry........


(Ted you can mail my check to the usual address lol)

[danhamm]

Brady, I don't think you meant..( Artsoft) Mach3 software is only supported by "Yahoo groups"..?

[kubotaman]

John, I owned one of their 1800's CNC machine and to really tell you the truth I couldn,t get rid of it fast enough!!! As Jack has stated their support really is the pit's. I had a conversation with Tracy, one of the owners, at length two years ago on a problem I was having and of course I never heard back from him as promised!!!!!! I now own a PRS Alpha and couldn't be happier. Keep your money and buy anything else other than a Legacy machine!!! Shopbot for the money really is a quality machine.

[shoeshine]

know nothing about Legacy. but...

just started working with another shop that usues a Laguna.

His machine is built like a tank. Integrated vacuum table. power, oh my god, power to spare. now his machine cost 4x mine so...

I will say however that I regularly do file conversions for him. Help him work through tortuous settings modifications in order to do weird stuff, etc.. We work primarily with artists and designers so we do a lot of odd one-off strange projects.

Without a doubt my shopbot software/machine integration and ease of use makes these strange projects much easier. And the support from the company and this forum simply rock. Especialy when I am trying to do something that the machine wasn't expressly designed for. The DIY ethos and ingenuity of this company/community is amazing.

When we need to power through 1240 brackets in 5/4 stock, his Laguna is the clear winner. (caveat: see price point above)

So as always, decide what you want to be doing and buy the best tool for the job.

[FJ Baker]

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for your comments, as they are greatly appreciated as I begin my way through this maze. I'm excited to get my machine and to get working.
FJ