I used to subscribe to Myers channel but got tired of his overly long videos. I think they were long so more advertising breaks could be inserted. My spoil board and clamps are based on his designs but his designs are reruns of others before him.
Myers trys to get sponsors to pay for his stuff. Nothing wrong with free stuff but you must be up front with your bias if you are going to hawk others equipment for sponsorship.
I started with a shaepoko XXL it took over a month to set up and get squared with shims and other crap to get it squared etc. There after had to buy a HDZ after the original Z broke. Itās been nothing but problems
The onefinity woodworker was up in a half hour, zero problems since and now the XXL is collecting dust
Please donate it to a school program that could use it.
John there is a simple answer. Sell/Donate your Shapeoko and reclaim your space and problem solved. However complaining is not solving anything. There are always a few that have had problems but from what I have seen there is always a fix. Your fix may be to sell or donate your machine and maybe someone else will have success with it. Problem solved!
Besides the rough start, what are your observations as to the differences ?
extra program needed?
support?
parts availability ?
machine performance?
How do the two compare as to accuracy?
After you got your shapeoko up and running, what made you look elsewhere?
ācomplainingā may save someone else the grief I went though and wasted$. I use it for my laser only now
More than a rough start. many problems,support is good and they try their best. parts are available but you shouldnāt have to fix and jerry rig a new machine with shims,deal with broken v wheels etc. It;s just not a robust design. Sorry to speak my mind
No worries from me, I am an adult who is not easily offended and you can speak as freely as you choose as long as you can accept the same from me.
Glad you can still use it for laser work.
So, I take it rigidity is the main remaining issue? probably due to the only two v-wheel design?
What broke on your z ? I have the belt drive and itās ok, but maybe you can point me as to what to watch for?
Thanks
If you donate your XXL to a school I will pick up the cost of shipping throw in a little extra for your time. Send me a PM.
I have a love/hate relationship with my Shapeoko XXL.
I love the capabilities of the machine. I hate how nothing is ever as simple as it would appear.
The possibilities are endless, but so isnāt the trial and error that goes with every project. Which program will do what part of the design. No one program does everything comprehensively. Then the setup and the testing, and the double checking. I have limited time with my machine and spend far more of it tweaking and checking than I have to spare.
The design of the machine allows for many ways to set it up. But it is in constant need of setup. Ensure the screws are tight, make sure the axis have stayed true. Make sure the spindle is plumb. Check the tension on the belts. Clean the rails. None of these were covered in any real detail in any of the hours and hours of videos I have watched. When they hit record, everything is all ready to go, and the cuts never have more than a minor misstep.
My first time caving I had V-wheels explode causing my cutter to drop off the rails. It ripped the wood off the table and sent it flying across my basement. I still havenāt found that .25" endmill.
But the Carbide team was amazing. It happened on a Sunday afternoon. I fired off an email right after. Got a response almost immediately. Before I knew it I had replacement parts for every damaged part delivered to my door. Every time I have run into an issue, there has been someone here with an answer to my problem within hours.
Then there is the 3" Z travel. Well, I bought the T-Track and Clamp kit. Then once I went to install it, that when combined with an endmill in the cutter and that on my bed and I am left with barely room for more than plywood.
I love that the team is constantly working on improving the product line. But I hate that If I had just waited a few months my machine would have come stock with several upgrades that I would now have to pay several hundred dollars for. And now the XXL 4 is less than I paid for my 3 on a Black Friday deal a year and a half ago. That comes with the T-Tracks built in plus 4" of clearance.
As for the OF, it is obvious that Suckit set out to design a machine that simply solved the problems of the shapeoko and the x-carve. Belts are a pain and v wheels are problematic. Easy, screws. Setup time is arduous, easy, make it 3 pieces and snap together easily. Having to slave my laptop to the machine for a day of carving is a pain. Easy, give it a cheap tablet interface. It looks great. Sounds great. And I will admit, that I have had thoughts of selling my XXL and buying a OF. The idea of 5" of Z travel is very tempting in and of it self. Oh, and they have their own laser kit that they support as part of their package. And the fact that it comes with an E-Stop button was a nice touch. I completely trashed a nice piece of wood figuring out that you must pause the cut before you can hit the stop button, after clicking on it several times with no avail.
However, with so few machines out in the wild there is very little to back up their claims. And even less to demonstrate their commitment to quality and customer service. And the Carbide team has definitely set the bar very high on that.
As far as Myers is concerned, it is very clear that he is gone all in, and is hoping to become the Winston of Onefinity. His review of the X-Carve vs the Shaepoko video was what pushed me over the edge to going with the Shapeoko. It was a very well done review. In contrast, his OF review was little more than an infomercial for it. I am just hoping that by the time I am ready to upgrade I can find a machine with at least a true 6" of room for material under the cutter and 48" of cutting width. With the way the Shapeoko is evolving, it just might happen.
Where did you get the idea that I would donate to a school??
1} I use it for my laser
2} I would not wish it on a school
Also, To move it, It would take days and days to dis-assemble and pack up and upon arrival it would take a month to assemble and shim up and square it. I know this info is not popular here, but itās based upon my experience. I will waste no more time answering these messages. Best of luck to you all.
days to disassemble and a month to build. With pauses sureā¦
Thatās like having to go buy and milk the cow before you can drink a milkshake. There may be some pains with any kit like this, but itās not THAT bad.
Mr. Keen:
In case you happen to look again may I suggest using the Shapeoko as a plotter in addition to the laser. I have a simple attachment for that purpose made from PVC pipe and fittings for under $5.00 and 30 minutes. It only uses Mini Sharpies but might make the Shapeoko a little more useful for you.
Bill
ā¦Thanks
Bill,
Iām not sure why youād suggest something like that. It would take days and days to assemble the materials to transform this into something esoteric like a plotter, and a month just to get it aligned.
Looks like the XXL Pro is back in stock
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