From start to finish, no biased opinions.
I was in the same boat as all of us looking for a cnc router, only difference being that I needed a plasma table also. I liked the all steel machine and componenets but as most have experienced, their marketing sucks. So I almost ordered a dyna cnc since they have a good plasma bed that has nothing under the table-good for making a water table I had in mind. But I couldnt bring myself to buy a bolt together aluminum machine regardless of them telling me of its anti vibration qualities-again, BS. So I ordered the shop sabre not even knowing if they were a real business. No matter how many times they told me they sell 30 machines a month I still felt like I was going to get a a empty shoebox in the mail at the most. To top it off, the RAMS 3d they include also seems to be made in someones garage.
I held off from writing this review until I actually used the machine. It finally came, over a month late and without the torch height control, which i got charged for, yet they don't even have them really made yet. And here lies the mystery of SHopsabre, if they have sold so many of these things then how are they still figuring things out like how the plasma posts work and who is going to make the THC and why is the manual really wincnc's manual and not theirs? I dont know. I had a few broken parts when it arrived but they were simple things like IGUS carrier and an overpriced limit switch. And on this note, as I have read on here from a few others, how can you charge $750 for limit switches? I got them anyways. I opted out on the $1600 base for the machine since I could make it, and I opted out for the $1500 plasma table that doesnt come with the "plasma" machine. I also chose to order a $75 router bracket off ebay instead of the $750 one from them. To make up for the month delay in shipping and broken parts, they sent me a used warped plasma bed that came with half of the slats required. It took a rosebud torch, 2 forklifts, 32 bolts and a few trips to the metal store to get the table flat enough to actually fit on the machine. I would say this machine is really more intended as a router. Ok enough of the negative, just getting it all out here.
On the plus side, their sales team (Jason) and the owner (Jim) were very very nice people. I spent most of my time talking with Jason, who was helpful but not as knowledgable as Jim on many of the questions I needed answered. It did take some persistance to get the answers I needed, things that should have been included in the manual. But I did get them taken care of. I had to get posts made by Bobcad since Rams doesnt nest and is very limited-yet easy to use. I went with Bobcad and for some reason out of the 250 posts they have, shopsabre is about the only one not on there!!! Why I have NO idea,afterall they sell 30 machines a moth thats at least 360 machines out there. The posts I had made are posted online and they stuck them both up under wincnc router outlet and wincnc plasma.
The machine itself is very well built. Overall I am very pleased with it. I had the biggest challenge trying to figure out how to make it work as both router and plasma. I can send a pic if anyone is curious. My method will require a forklift though. Everything works smoothly and it is very solid, little vibration. I am running a 3 1/4 hp porter cable and have no complaints. I am probably forgetting some things that slipped my ind when writing this review but I am happy with the machine and after all was said and done, it was water under the bridge and I ended up with what I believe to be one of the better low cost cnc routers available. I hope that my experience makes others believe that they are a real company with a great product. Also, i should add-in their defense, that part of the reason the machine was late was because they were in the middle of a move. They need to really add some images and video and spice to their marketing and they could have a much better image. Speaking of image, one more negative comment, the pictures all show an emergency shut-off switch. Yet the machine does not come with one. It does however come with the 2 screws in front to install it and in the manual it says "DO NOT USE THIS MACHINE WITHOUT AN ADDITIONAL EMERGENCY SHUT-OFF SWITCH." So one would think if their pictures all have it and their own manual says that and the screws are there waiting for it that it would be there. I was told I only needed the esc key. But hey, for an additional $150 I could have the same switch that came standard on my chinese drill press! Again, I am a little pissed off at the whole experience but all in all I spent around $20,000 to get a great cnc. This would include the $16,000 for the cnc, the computer, metal for base and extras, router, $1000 for bobcad, $1000 for a machine torch for the plasma, dust collection system, brackets, cables,$2000 for a torch height control (that I still dont have but was charged for) and the misc. things not worth mentioning-like the beer to cool me off after turning down a $2500 first job because the machine was late.
Again, leaving aside my bipolar review, the team and machine are great. Even with my personal experience, I dont think most would actually go through this as I had a rare occurance. I am in the Oakland Ca. area and anyone who would like to come by and see the machine or a video, I would be more than happy to help as I know how much of a gamble it feels like buying soemthing blindly. I also want to help SHopSabre by giving them pics and videos of their own machine running so others can see that their product is much better than the make it appear to be.
hope this helps.  | 
04-15-2006, 12:46 PM
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