3 1/2 years later....

[srwtlc]

....and what has changed, any updates on the path forward?

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?24425-Post-Processor-Modification

Hopefully JimmyD's keyholes are working better! :p

[8Ball]

....and what has changed, any updates on the path forward?

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?24425-Post-Processor-Modification

Hopefully JimmyD's keyholes are working better! :p

Nothing has changed, and there will likely not be a forward path.

SB has fallen so far behind, that they can't afford to catch up to their competition.
I noticed SB doesn't list pricing anymore, but I saw a reference to $30K, which I will assume is their flagship machine (Alpha).
In that reference, it was asked what other machine could be purchased at that price, that exceeds the SB Alpha.
I don't have personal experience with every machine, I do know people that own many different brands, that all come in around the $30K price, and far exceed the Alpha.
There are many people importing larger machines, at significantly lower prices, and rave about them.

Doing any kind of search on quality cnc machines, SB is rarely referenced.
I can remember, when SB was the biggest name, and I longed for one. Since those early days in 2005, I've witnessed a steady decline in SB overall.
There wasn't any significant improvement/advancements, especially compared to the competition. And by 2009/10, there was a LOT of new competition, with
new tech and better constructed machines. Nothing is bolt together these days.
There was the decline on this forum. Less interaction, and fewer people posting. That seems to be an indicator of a loss in consumer following and support of the company.
That could be a major contributor to the reason the company doesn't care to advance; there isn't a consumer base to appease to. There isn't a reason to reinvest into
a failing company. I wouldn't expect SB to make it through 2022.

When I turn on the power, my expectations are simple. I want my machine to fire up EVERY time, I want it to remain reliable EVERY time, I want it to be accurate EVERY time, and also be rigid.

[coryatjohn]

When I was shopping for a machine back in 2012, I needed a "bolt together" machine to get it into my shop. The SB filled the bill and nearly 10 years later, is still pulling the load. While the SB may not be the best and certainly isn't the most up to date, it does what I want, when I want it. I've had very little problems with the machine, and it keeps on keeping on.

I would love to replace the entire USB system with something more robust and I hope 8ball isn't right that the company is swirling the bowl. It has been an incredibly long time since anything new came out of SB. Maybe they will pull through. I hope so.

A bad sign is the fact that this forum hasn't switched to an https interface yet. Virtually any site worth visiting now has https. It's a ten minute job to upgrade and zero cost. Like I said, a bad sign of their technical competence.

[Chuck Keysor]

Sigh............ I only look at the forum a couple of times a week to see if there is anything new.... hoping for the announcement of a total upgrade to my old PRT alpha. I haven't turned on my Bot in perhaps 3 years, but I gave up due to continual Com Errors. Like Coryatjohn, I needed a bolt-together machine as I had to get this into my basement shop.......... That feature alone could keep them viable if they updated their control system........... Sigh............. Chuck

[fredtoo]

Shopbot pricing: https://www.shopbottools.com/PriceList.pdf

[dlcw]

What I see more and more is people posting their SB machines for sale as they move to more current and better technology. This forum is dying off.

It is sad that SB hasn't kept up. My machine has been a workhorse since 2009 cutting hundreds of sheets of plywood per year along with many other projects. Every Monday morning, when I turn it on, I cross my fingers that it will boot up and connect. That says a lot right there. Many, many times I've shut if off on Friday, turned it Monday morning and spent the day troubleshooting, trying to figure out why this or that wouldn't work. VERY frustrating! SB tech support has continued to be reliable and very good.

I sincerely hope SB can get things figured out and move forward.

[8Ball]

Sigh............ I only look at the forum a couple of times a week to see if there is anything new.... hoping for the announcement of a total upgrade to my old PRT alpha. I haven't turned on my Bot in perhaps 3 years, but I gave up due to continual Com Errors. Like Coryatjohn, I needed a bolt-together machine as I had to get this into my basement shop.......... That feature alone could keep them viable if they updated their control system........... Sigh............. Chuck

If a bolt-together machine is necessary, there are other more viable options available for that as well. Take a look at the one located in Washington. They offer complete packages, or buy pieces as you want to expand, and they come in a standard and pro versions.
SB owners have pigeon holed themselves, and as you Chuck, have let their machine set idle for extended periods, because of issues and not wanting to troubleshoot just to cut a few parts.
For the price of a SB, I expect it to work every time, not sometimes. Purchasing a $500 toy, problems are expected, but not when shelling out thousands.
It doesn't matter how good customer service or tech support might be, when they need to be called 95% of the times the machine is turned on. For businesses, that is money down the drain, and for hobbyists, it takes all of the fun out of it.

As I've seen several people mention, SB needs a complete overhaul, from the bottom up. A failing company isn't going to invest that kind of time or cost, when they won't even answer their current customers with a fix for the simple issues.

[coryatjohn]

It doesn't matter how good customer service or tech support might be, when they need to be called 95% of the times the machine is turned on.
Now that's completely unfair. I, for instance, have no such fear and will turn my machine on with every expectation that it works every time. So there are good machines with reliable records.

[phil_o]

I've owned my Shopbot for 15 years. I am a hobbyist so it has not seen 8hours of use 5 days a week. However, my machine has had very few problems over the years and they were minor. In each case I was able to handle the problem myself or with help from tech support. I cannot say that I am disappointed with my purchase. I have produced many projects that I have either used to decorate my home, items I have sold or gifts that I have given as gifts. I am a woodworker with over 40 years of experience, 35 years teaching high school wood shop. The items I produced with my Shopbot were all things I could not have done with traditional woodworking tools.

Phil

[fredtoo]

I picked up my PRS Alpha in November of 2009 to provide support for my sign and graphics shop, moved it 3 times while upgrading my facilities and can positively state my Bot has paid for itself several times over. I had experienced the usual grounding problems at first but was easily solved. I have had a few unexplained cutting issues over the years but can likely count them on one hand. Hardware failures (not user inflicted) have only consisted of a proximity sensor and 24v power supply. Yesterday I ordered a replacement chinese spindle to replace the original 4hp HSD as its progressively getting noisier (and I too am winding down). The ShopBot folks have always gone the extra mile for me when needed and the forum has proven a valuable resource as I don't recall my being the first to have a problem which hadn't already been addressed. If the chatter of Shopbot's demise is accurate the cnc world will truly be at a loss :-(

[MogulTx]

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

[ken_rychlik]

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.

[dlcw]

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....