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Well looks like I am adding to the eqiupment arsenal. Pulling the trigger on a stinger III. I researched as many machines as I could and keep coming back to Camaster. Looks like they have awell built machine and not the only but one of the best support networks around. Wish me luck.
Albert,
You don't need any luck :)
You bought a nice machine from a good company which makes the next step much easier.
I bought the Stinger II when it first came out, its a rock solid machine that is capable of some serious work.
Congratulations!
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Thanks Keith, I agree with you so far they have been great to deal with. I am sure I will enjoy the machine. I am getting aspire with it. It seems to be a fairly popular software.
Albert,
No matter what CNC machine you purchase you can't beat the investment in Aspire. Vectric is a great company and their support for the software they provide is second to none IMO. What impresses me the most about both VCarve Pro and Aspire is how easy they are to learn and the versatility of both programs. I have to admit that I struggle learning new software and the more complex it becomes I tend to give up real quick. I seriously doubt that I could run my CNC Router with any other software because of my own limitations.
I was at IWF this year and was able to take a close look at the new Stinger III. Joey and Paul have done a great job making improvements to the Stingers since they started building them and they have done the same for their Cobra line of routers. The techs at CAMaster are also a great resource, they have helped me several times and they are generous with their time with plenty of patience. I switched from a ShopBot to the Stinger II and the transition was reasonably easy to do but I still operate a ShopBot at CNU so I have to concentrate and switch mental gears when I change machines. ShopBot makes a good router, their approach to operations is a bit different and their control software was created and is maintained in house. CAMaster supports the Wincnc controller which is real easy to learn and operate, the big plus is that you can use your computer to design or make changes while your router is running. ShopBot's control software feeds the data to the router continuously so your computer is dedicated to running the router when it is operating.
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Al, my last machine was the cobra 508 x3 which is now the stinger three, I am soon to pick up a new 5o8 atc cobra, if I can be of help to you I am on camheads and my number is on my website, these fellows made a commitment to me when I went camaster in o7 and never let me down in any form,,, there is a saying on the Camheads forum,, " we elevate others, we elevate ourselves" this has proven true for thousands on that forum and their owner. feel free to call, comes in handy on a weekend !!
Thanks guys. I may take you up on that James. I have spent quite a bit of time on the camaster forum and it was one of the deciding factors for me. It would be tough and costly to have to go through such a learning curve without a strong network of support. I have had to learn to run my laser and the wide format printer without any formal or in house training (and still learning) and don't know if I could have done it without phone support and the online forums. So in a few weeks it starts all over lol.