Originally Posted by
adam_m
Just adding my 2 cents... but for what you're planning to do with you machine (wood, plastic and aluminum) and the table surface you're planning to have, I don't know why you're being talked out of going with a G540. It's compact, a single unit, takes up little space and has been nothing but solid for me. They have good service as well, I had one driver go bad and Gecko replaced it for free.
My experience is limited but I have had nothing but good/solid performance from mine. Granted the parallel port is old tech but I only run 4 axis on my machine anything more than that and yes you need another solution.
. so by my standards and from one beginner to another, I wouldn't hesitate.
Adam,
p.s. I think my build is in one of these threads on the forum if you're interested. I run the following, KL23H2100-35-4B steppers, Power Supply-KL-600-48, G540, Mach3, Windows 7pro (dedicated machine)