One more question.....

[dray]

Techno CNC is right around the corner from me. Shopbot is 2k miles away, Shop sabre is another choice....

Shopbot seems to have the most users, I am a lil computer savvy do you suggest shopbot over the other competition?

Thx

[nappy1]

I just want to say that ShopBot is a good machine. Yes the support is beyond that which is normal. I own a Techno, and just like Komo, Shoda, and all the rest of the industrial machines the support is limited. YOU KNOW WHY? They don't need it. 4 years now and not one malfunction. The only problem i had is one that I caused. They are always there to help if needed.
Sorry guys I needed to vent that..............

[Brady Watson]

Danny,
Everybody reads THIS forum regardless of the machine they own. There have been more innovations using CNC with a ShopBot than I think any other.

If Hyde Park is right around the corner from you, then you are only 500 miles from ShopBot HQ and within striking distance of any number of ShopBot owners near you.

-B

[jhicks]

Danny, I think you need to determine what you want to do, how much you want to spend, how much you know, how much you need to learn, and how you will accomplish what you want with the least amount of time, expense, and effort.
Given that equation, I believe SB is the best bang for the buck in an environment where the user has a goal of starting on a lower level and modest budget rather then HIGH production volume commercial machines.
The key from my perspective is I didn't know ANYTHING about this world and was able to adapt until I became proficient on my own and with the help and assistance from this forum and its contributors.
There may come a point where you have reason to demand more than the machine is capable of or can not keep up with for your purpose BUT until then SB is a GREAT way to get into this world and see where you can take it or it can take you.
It takes a lot of volume to pay off a $100,000.00 machine but much of what you might do with one can be successfully accomplished with a SB at a fraction of the cost.
GOOD LUCK and spend time with a few SB owners as Brady suggests or go to a camp and you won't be disappointed.
Regardless of your direction, this forum is superior to any other, folks are extremely generous with their time, ideas, recommendations, and support. So visit often and learn a lot is what you get here from a world of contributors.

[nappy1]

Jerry,
Thats what I was saying. I just can't understand the
knocking of machines just because you don't need major support. This Forum and the discussions I have read is of tremendious importance. I commend you all for being so supportative.

[mikejohn]

Danny
I am with Jerry
As an entry level machine, particularly if you chose the right Shopbot combination, you get a lot for your money.
If you do outgrow it, there are ways of improving it, or moving on to something a little more powerful without spending mega amounts of money.
You can get a really good start very economically.
You dont have to have a spindle or vacuum hold down, or the expensive software to be able to produce great stuff, and to make money.
When you find the system you have can no longer keep up with your demands, then hopefuly you have by then found a way to make the money to pay for more powerful hardware or software.
Read this Forum well and ask questions, you will be guided along by very helpful people, and all for free.
And search all previous threads of interest, it's like a CNC university!
Maybe the biggest difference between the Shopbot and others, is many of us are not afraid to drill a few holes here and there to improve things!

.............Mike

[davidp]

Danny,

To continue Mikes point, a friend bought a big machine at the same time we bought our little PRT Alpha. Ours cost 1/4 as much as his and sure there are no Shopbot technicians in Australia but over the last two years I have always been able to fix anything that broke, which usually broke because of my stupidity.
My friend has a problem he calls the technician pays the $180 call out fee and the $120 per hour service charge plus parts and loses maybe two days of production. the most I have lost is 1/2 day and no hefty bills.

While I am not able to produce 2,000 parts in an eight hour day I can do it in 18 hours conversely when things are quiet I dont have to worry about the bank manager ringing up and asking for the payment that was due last week.

We have a spindle and a vacuum hold down and I would not go back to not having them but they are not 100% necessary to produce quality work. They just make it easier.

Shopbotters are not afraid to change, modify, or alter their machine. They are constantly experimenting with methods of work and in the process they gain a greater understanding of the hows and whys of a CNC. In my experieince other operators follow the rule book supplied by the manufacturer and hence miss out on so much. I am no guru but yet after only two years I am doing things on my shopbot that more experieinced operators keep telling me can't be done.

Search the forum and look at some of the work that is accomplished by Shopbot users and you will see hundreds real experts and then tell them it can't be done on a shopbot.


My 2 cents worth (probably not even worth that)

regards,

David

[harryball]

I spent time at every CNC booth at the IWF this past August in Atlanta. Some of the machines are far more powerful, engineered, robust, feature rich and so on than the ShopBot and there were a few that are not. I spent some time at the Techno booth as well. Very well built machines.

I am not a cnc guru nor do I want to spend my time becoming one... I want to work, I want the cnc to work and if I need it to do something different or I need to fix it, I want to ask someone for help and get it. Most of the other CNC companies would take my business card (Habitat for Bats) quickly decide I was a "small guy" and promptly become less than enthusiatic about answering my questions. Three were willing to spend time talking to me. I hope I don't break a protocol here but I'll name them, Techno, EZCNC and Shopbot.

In the end I figured that any of the machines could do what I needed of them. Techno was on the upper end of my affordability range... I could have done it but I'd have needed a loan. I had to determine how I would make the choice. In the end... I choose ShopBot. Why? Well, Shopbot managed to do something only a few companies ever do, they created enthusiasts not customers.

For an example look at Porsche. When I owned my Porshce there was NOTHING on that car I couldn't make a phone call or send an email and learn about. I blew a turbo once... three PCA members, two I'd never met, drove down here to help me swap it out. It's a family group.

I knew this cnc purchase was a big decision and I knew I didn't have big bucks to go behind me and pay for weeks of training and/or $180/hr plus call out if something didn't work. These CNC machines can be made very complicated and convoluted in a hurry. The big guys are in business to make and service CNC machines, not take time to support a fan club. Try to go to one of their websites, post a question to their forum and get an answer. I've received and even began to offer assitance on this forum from many other Shopbot enthusiasts. Such help has accelerated me along the cnc curve at warp speed.

I am not surprised that ShopBot is not a high speed CNC or that is has compromises in design to address costs. I'm frankly concerned about the wear characteristics of some components, I wonder how the rails will hold up, I don't like the higher sides, I think the dust collection could be better. But of all these things are openly discussed on this forum and we are free to create solutions and share them.

The ShopBot is a fantastic first CNC machine (it's a good 2nd, 3rd, 4th... as well). The learning curve has people up on the top throwing ropes down to you. It does the job well and is a great value. When I find myself complaining about something I consider the alternatives and then find a solution, quite often right here on this forum.

If I knew what I know now and was standing back at the IWF... I would buy ShopBot all over again.

Robert

[patricktoomey]

Just to chime in with more similar thoughts... Just like David, I'm also doing projects that are supposedly impossible on a machine of this level. I started out with a used PRT. I recently switched controllers to an alternate brand that uses micro stepping. I now have resolution that competes with the larger machines but yet I have still spent relatively little money. I'm making enough with my machine to keep upgrading it and as soon as I have the room I will be adding another ShopBot. After that I will consider a larger machine but I will still keep my ShopBots.

[bob_lofthouse]

We own 3 shopbots and for a short period of time owned 4 (i regret selling the 4th).

We have minor problems (most mentioned already on the forum) on a weekly basis due to the amount of punishment we put the machines thru. Most of the problems are very easily fixed/sorted.

I know of companies with big iron machines that have just as many problems as any shopbotter but have to pay big bucks to get them fixed

If we hadn't bought a shopbot we would probably still not own a cnc due to the initial starting prices of UK machines.