Shopbot PRT apha or PRSstandard?

[WoodMarvels.com]

I've had a wonderful time with my ShopBot Desktop that I got in 2011 and still works totally fine to this day and I've been saving-up to buy a PRSstandard for quite a while but recently a friend of mine put his top of the line Shopbot PRT apha for sale and I'm torn. I'm due for something far bigger now - Desktop is being kept, it's wonderful for small parts.

The PRT apha would be a fraction of the price of a brand new PRSstandard with a lot of extra bells and whistles but I don't know how much more life is left in the PRT or what issues it had before things moved onto the PRS???

I really can't find much documentation about the PRT systems or even if they are upgradable to PRS???

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jon

[coryatjohn]

I suggest either waiting for a PRS Alpha to come along or save a little longer.

[bobmoore]

the prs standard is a better machine than the prt alpha for most people. you should give us some idea what your intended usage will be to get the best answer.

[Brian Harnett]

I am still getting along with a 2003 48 x 96 prt with a prs controller, depends on what you are doing. Most of my stuff is custom small runs not major production. I am building a smaller machine for mainly mortise, tenons and dovetailing.

[WoodMarvels.com]

I've decided to just get a PRS in the fall - there have been a tremendous amount of improvements since this PRT hit the market and although the used car may look great, there is wear and tear through the years that will start to reveal itself regardless of how well it's been maintained.

Thanks for your feedback,
Jon