Hello everyone, new to the forum. I’m getting ready to purchase a CNC for electric Guitar bodies and necks, 3D carving, signs, engraving soft metals, etc. Not for production but to start playing around as I go to part time at my day job.
Laguna has its IQ series through tomorrow at 2k off and free shipping, or I can look Shapeoko 4 xxl used, or wait on the new Shapeoko 5.
I have read a few threads I could find, but having to pull the trigger tomorrow if doing the laguna, I’d thought I’d check to see if anyone has both and feels strongly about 1 of those listed.
Save the extra couple thousand and go for the pro 5 with the 1.5kw or 2kw water cooled spindle kit when it comes out. You will have a bigger work area and enough left over money to invest in tooling, fixturing, and other upgrades like an enclosure. You can easily run aluminum with the 5 pro so wood projects like guitar bodies will cut like butter. The Laguna is nice but it’s a heavy machine with a smaller footprint.
The Laguna machines look nice and have a 3hp spindle. The one thing I did not like is that it is only 24" x 36". The SO5 can be up to 4x4’. So if you average the price of any CNC over 5 years there is very little difference on a yearly basis for your purchase. The one thing that caught my eye for the Laguna is it has the 4th axis available. How much you may need that depends. The other thing I did not see in the accessories or in the write up is they do not seem to have a BitSetter like the Shapeoko. Now this is a big advantage for multi tool projects. I am sure they have an equivalent BitZero but I did not see that listed as standard or in the accessories.
Laguna makes a lot of good machines. The down side is they make a lot of machines from tablesaws, bandsaws, and others that their primary focus is not CNC. Carbide3d is solely focused on CNC.
Another consideration would be the CAM/CAD software. Many times the higher end machines subsidies getting Vetric or other commercial software. Check into that because that can be a substantial expense added to the bottom line. C3D has Carbide Create which is free and pretty robust. It does not compete with Vetric Aspire but the is about $2000.00. So free vs $2000.00 is a no brainer for starting out. If you get proficient then you can switch to another CAD/CAM software.
So no dissing the Laguna but I have enjoyed my C3D machine. This forum is outstanding and from everyone the support is excellent. I would suggest you find a Laguna forum and check out what the actual users have to say. All machines and software have problems but how it is addressed makes a difference. I used to have a Shark and their forums are dead as a door nail. I am also a member on the Xcarve Inventables site and they are pretty good but not as good as this forum.
So take your time and pick what is right for you instead of what is right now. Sales come and go but over time the proof is in the pudding.
Thank you. I don’t have a lot of room in my woodshop, so the 2x3 was part of the attraction. The 4th axis would be awesome but is expensive. It could do baseball bats, Guitar neck shapes, etc.
There is an option for a barely used 4x4 Shapeko 4 for sale locally that has a beautiful cabinet with 6 roller drawers tools, accessories, laptop, and bits for $2,800. While not the quality of the 5 or the Laguna, it’s probably perfect for me?
I don’t miss using my V wheel So3 now that I have linear rails and ball screws but it’s still a very capable machine in wood. That table is damn nice though and you could always DIY some linear rails in the future. It depends on how serious you plan to get with doing CnC work. If you plan to just tinker around with it here and there go the budget route. If you plan to invest real time into learning Cad and Cam like Fusion 360 and want to mill aluminum then a rail/screw machine is the way to go.
Only spend what you feel fits your goals. Learning Fusion 360 is something that takes time and the initial learning curve is steep but it is well worth the effort.
If this will be your first adventure into CNC, I would stick with a Carbide 3D machine. I cut large amounts of aluminum with my stock Shapeoko 3. I have upgraded it with linear rail and can agree with @Able that I don’t miss v-wheels. However, the Shapeoko 4 has much improved v-wheels over the 3. A Shapeoko 4 can cut anything a Shapeoko 5 or Laguna machine can, just slower. Still plenty fast for a hobby. With a Carbide 3D machine you get the huge advantage of software, support and a forum that are all oriented towards helping people get started and learn. The Laguna is also significantly more money even with the discounts you are talking about. If you can afford to put down that kind of money, I would take a close look at the Shapeoko 5 with a spindle or the HDM. Or you could save yourself a bunch and get that used machine with all the extras or a Shapeoko Pro.
If the 2x3 size is an advantage for you, then maybe the 2x4 SO5 Pro will fit in your workshop. I know the 4x4 steals the show (I have a 4x4 on order), but there are 2x2 and 2x4 options that should be considered.
Thank you for the feedback, as well as everyone else. I passed on the Laguna and will look at the SO5. You are the main reason for the choice. Hardware doesn’t do much without software and Support. Thank you!
For the record, I have built 10 guitars on my 4XL (Bodies, necks, fingerboards and MOP inlays). Several are currently on world tours. The Shapeoko product is more than capable of producing high end guitars.
The only consideration with the Laguna is it’s a heavy duty machine and can use up to a 1/2 shank bits. This helps with chatter when cutting through solid body perimeters. I use the 1/4” shank bits and make it work but with bits 3” long the larger the shank the better.
You can put the 1.5kw er20 spindle on the 5 pro and use 1/2" tools and I second the recommendation of using 1/2" tools when you can as they have 4x the amount of carbide vs a 1/4" tool and are wayyy more ridged.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I bought a Shapeoko Pro XXL in July. This is my 4th CNC since 2005, and is the best by far. I use Vectric software for my designing and g-codes, but the Carbide 3D runs it like a champ. And the customer service is the best I’ve ever seen in my life. Good luck!
