First time owner, background in related industry but no actual hands on experience actually running a CNC or using all the accompanying software.
Did tons of research of all options from a consumer perspective. My background in the manufacturing industry has taught me one thing above all, you need a well engineered machine and a quality build, but above all you need a relationship with the manufacturer. Support availability is one of the most important considerations.
All reviews lead me to the Shapeoko 5 Pro (4x2) with the VFD spindle.
Built a solid table between placing the order and delivery. Boxes showed up at my door ahead of schedule, no complaints from me, I was eager to unbox and see what I had purchased.
Video tutorials and the actual paper manual did their job. Between both of these I was able to find answers to 98% of all the questions I had during the assembly.
Finished the build (very pleased with the manufacturing quality), downloaded all the software, ran through the set up wizard…and the machine jams up and makes a noise you don’t want a machine to make. Remaining calm I email Carbide 3D support, exchange a few emails describing the issue, getting prompt replies from different techs on the team chiming in.
Ultimately I asked for a phone call because I was over my head and need to walk through the troubleshooting process with someone live. Ended up on Facetime with Tyler T, after getting some assistance from Eugene via email.
Long story short, Tyler walked me through several different diagnostics, one by one. His understated knowledge and technical savvy changed my day from one of controlled panic…lol, to an immediate sense of confidence that I chose the correct company to partner with. This is a significant investment for me, so I did everything I could to choose correctly among different options. Conclusion: I chose correctly!
Excited to progress through the learning curve, and with time be able to transfer designs in my head to tangible end-products.
**Shout-out to Malik and Leanne in Sales for their help in the purchase decision and process.
Below are a few pictures of my set-up. Very happy with everything!
