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Thread: 3 1/2 years later....

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    TX
    Posts
    803

    Default

    I found my first machine because I had been working with a guy locally that had two. I didn't know a THING about operating a CNC machine. That was roughly 2008. I have had 5 ShopBots since then- and I do not regret any one of them. I currently am operating a 60 x 120 machine that I am upgrading to a 72 x 120. ShopBot may not be on the cutting edge at the moment but they led this whole revolution in hobbyist and small shop CNC. See them for the value that they carry. They were and are a valuable resource. And not being on the cutting edge means we are not on "the bleeding edge"- which you would be with a number of these other companies. I am not Pollyanna about this- but ShopBot is a fantastic organization. And it is up to US to make the forum as important as it used to be. My 2C worth. Monty

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    , Richmond Tx
    Posts
    1,086

    Default

    I am one of the guys that moved on several years ago. It was great to have had the inexpensive used starter machines from shopbot. I had prt, prs, and a small one. Their new pricing went above lots of the competition that are making machines with better components. A v-wheel riding on a angle edge, just doesn't hold tolerance as well as linear bearings. The controllers were glitchy and I had a lot of random issues. They ran good about 85% of the time for me. My current machine cuts better, smoother, and is 99.9% always ready to work. A large portion of the population does not want to assemble their own machine and there is also a competitor with that option using better components.
    I wish SB the best, but if they do fail, there are options for keeping the old ones running on different controllers.
    Kenneth

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Diamond Lake, WA
    Posts
    1,746

    Default

    Kenneth, I wanted to move on but I have to much invested in eCabinets and SBLink. I do many cabinet projects each year and didn't want to purchase another cabinet design program. The design software with a monthly fee doesn't appeal to me and the big boys are WAY out of my budget. So I've hung in there. I'm probably one of the last remaining holdouts running SBLink. Even ShopBot doesn't support it. I added an ATC to my machine last year and there are lots of hoops, I have to jump through, to make SBLink use the ATC. Got it working but it took awhile. Maybe when I retire and no longer need eCabinets or SBLink, and just want to do hobby stuff and projects for family, I'll sell the current machine and get one of the newer, modern machines. That way I can spend more time CNC'ing instead of trying to figure out why my machine worked on Friday but doesn't work Monday morning after being turned off all weekend....
    Don
    Diamond Lake Custom Woodworks, LLC
    www.dlwoodworks.com
    ***********************************
    Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in one pretty and well preserved piece; But to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, worn out, bank accounts empty, credit cards maxed out, defiantly shouting "Geronimo"!

    If you make something idiot proof, all they do is create a better idiot.

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