I am looking for a Used Shapeoco Pro XXL (33"X33"). I am located in Rochester NY. I do not have a whole lot of skills to assemble the machine. Can I get a machine in a good assembled and working condition?
The answer is yes, with conditions.
- Someone has to be selling one
- The seller has not already disassembled (fully or partially)
However, it’s not that hard to reassemble a machine and the benefit of assembling it yourself is learning the machine. I believe there are setup manuals listed on C3D’s site for the machine you are looking at. Not to mention the folks on this forum that own the exact model and would be helpful to get it assembled.
Speaking from the experience of a novice CNC user at the hobby level I respectivefully suggest -
If you purchase a Shapeoko CNC you automatically become:
-
A programmer responsible for learning a CAM program used for creating at a minimum tool paths (and possibly original designs)
-
An operator responsible for using a CAD program that controls the machine
An operator responsible for positioning and securing workpieces on the machine
An operator responsible for troubleshooting issues that arise from improper (hardware or software) usage of the machine -
A service technician to maintain the machine
Looking for a machine that is ready to use reduces the chances of successfully becoming all three of these.
1 Like