Help. is 7k for this CNC worth it?

[kcdesign]

I want to buy an cnc and found a owner that is selling his and he asks 7,000 for it. I don't know prices and do not know if its a good price or not.

ShopBot PRT Router
48" x 96" bed
4G upgrade
date of manufacture: 2003
comes with original shopbot software.

Thank You.

[supertigre]

If it's in good shape with a spindle or low time router and has a Shopbot steel frame then that sounds about right for value. If it's worth $7K to you is another thing altogether.

[Tom Bachman]

A great question....... I have located a similar machine and it's priced about the same. Does yours have a router or a spindle? The one I found has a router.

[kcdesign]

It has a router, and a steel frame.

[gerryv]

What you are considering "may" be fine but:
There are steel frames and there are steel frames. Shopbots have evolved in a good way over time and thus, we've had to pay a little more for these improvements but: Steel frame in of itself should not result in an assumption of good-to go. Some of those seen on popular buy-sell sites are so lacking in rigidity that they are incapable of producing competitive results if making an income or producing quality results are an issue in your decision making. That said, if a toy is what you need there's nothing wrong with that at all and the choices are wide although still needing caution.

[Brian Harnett]

Mine is a 2003, I bought it new, upgraded a few years ago to the prs controller I made my own steel table to shopbots plans for the most part.

It gets used a lot I have had no real problems.

It went for 6200 without the table or router.

Does it come with design and cutting software? if just partwizard that is really limited to do more than basic machining

[kcdesign]

He said that he has the original software from when he bought it, the software that moves the cnc can get it free from shopbot online.

[myxpykalix]

I would think that if it is an all original shopbot, then whatever model table it has is going to be fine.

[bob_reda]

If it has seen a lot of use check the rails. I don't know when shopbot went to the hardened rails. If they don't have them, it isn't a deal breaker you can always add them on.

Bob

[Brian Harnett]

I think its a fair price but there is a learning curve to operating these machines, unless you buy ready to cut 3rd party files.

A general strong background in design software will be a big asset to running the tool.