Is there such a thing as too much torque?

[HereinCS]

I'm starting a plan for a wood/aluminum cutting machine. The price b/w a nema 23 and 34 isn't that significant for me. I've already got a gecko 203v. Is there anything down side to going with the nema 34 just to have that extra power?

[SirSmash]

I'd go with Nema 34, you can't really have too much torque unless you're shredding gears and such. A Nema 34 sized motor shouldn't be doing that unless your entire machine is made from plastic. Even then you don't have to use all the available torque.

[ger21]

Depends on the specific motor, but typically, Nema 23's will spin faster than Nema 34's

It's actually possible that the 23 will have more torque at higher rpm than the 34.

You need to look at the rpm you'll be using, and how much torque each motor has at that rpm. Holding torque is measured when the motor is not spinning. Having more torque when the motors aren't moving may not be much help.