Pro vs Basic -- how did you choose?

[davidtu]

Looking at the AR8 series... Basic vs Pro... I usually lean towards getting a more capable tool than I need, so tempted at the Pro. Ultimately, this will be used on a hobbyist basis, not small-scale production / business uses. However, we have an immediate need for a relatively large production run, which is relatively simple profile cut about 40" long on 2 sides of a 3 x 8 doug fir board. For this job we need to make 200 of them. We will want to run one board after another as quickly as we can so the router will be operating 5-6 hrs a day... say on 5min working per piece off 1-2min setup. Is the benefit of the Pro mainly if we were to continue this level of production in the future? (which we probably won't--maybe similar to this every 1-2 years at most). Particularly for hobbyists, who has gone for Pro over Basic and why? Are there *downsides* of the Pro model?

We do expect to burn through a few routers in the process (DW618 most likely) but comparing $150 for those vs $1500 price premium for Pro indicates we can go through 10 routers before we'd breakeven. 

Or maybe to put it all more simply, under what circumstances would I regret having the Basic instead of the Pro; you know, Pro-envy?

[traindriver]

309CNC can tell you first hand his experience.  He bought a basic machine and used it to do V-Carve inlay, but kept running into issues he couldn't figure out.  Below is the link to the thread he created to get help figuring out what was going on.  In the end, it came out that his router, a Bosch, had too much runout in the spindle to do what he wanted.  

axiomprecision.proboards.com/thread/578/inlay-male-ridges-preview

As for me, I started out intending to get the Basic model, as I am a hobbyist, but I wanted to be able to do 3d carving, and when I talked to Axiom, they said that some 3d jobs take several hours, and that would burn up a regular router because they aren't intended for continuous use like that.  I got over the spindle sticker shock, and also talked myself into spending an extra $1k to move up from a 24 x 24 table to a 24 x 48 table as well, and I don't regret it at all.  The longest I've run my machine is 30 hours, doing a 18" x 18" 3d model.  Most of that was the finish cut.  That likely would have killed a Lowes/Home Depot router.  So that's why I chose to go with the spindle.

Hope this helps with your decision.

[stevem]

I started with the basic model and used it for a year with a Bosch 1617EVS. I must say the Bosch ran quite well without any problems, even on a 4 hour run. Then I went and got a spindle and set it up with the same cooling system as the Pro model, It cost less than buying the pro model, but if I had it to do over, I would have just bit the bullet and got the pro model and not mess with it.
The 3 H.P spindle simply has way more power that a router and is very quiet.
You will never be upset that you got the pro machine.

[gerry]

..and how much is your time worth changing brushes, bearings, and replacing routers, and diagnosing router problems? The spindle is quiet, powerful, water cooled, and will run for many, many hours with no problem. There is no way I would run another CNC with a router.

[uzumati]

Being new to cnc I talked to several people with experience before deciding between the basic or the 8 Pro I ended up with. For me it came down to the fact that routers are not designed for long term continuous duty while the water cooled spindle is more suited for the long carve jobs. Now that I have had it for a while most of my work is 30 mins or less per toolpath which a router could have handled nicely, but the few 3D carves I have done that were around 4-6 hour toolpaths would have pushed the router harder than I would have liked while the spindle was barely warm when finished.

[Deleted]

Even if you were to get a router of the same HP as the spindle, the spindle not only has more and better bearings and less rounout, but also a better torque curve so you'd be able to finish your 200 parts faster. Having less runout will also mean less sanding. The router you specified has quite a bit less HP (1.5 KW compared to 2.2 KW) than the spindle. There are a few other features that are missing like the extra port for adding a fourth axis, which may not be important to you. But overall, there is an old phrase in woodworking, "Buy your second machine first." Getting the Pro instead of the Basic applies here.

[davidtu]

Hmmmm… won't anyone take my wife's side in this?

[savannahdan]

I've used the Bosch 1617EVS router on a cnc machine and it works really good. There was a report that it works better on a cnc than it does as a regular router. Regardless, it is noisy, blows dust all over the place and that's even using a dust shoe and great dust collection system and it doesn't have the power the spindle does. I had to upgrade the mount from a plastic mount to a custom made aluminum mount. Obviously my vote is for the spindle. Good luck. Make your wife one of the real nice Vectric projects and she'll appreciate the extra spent for the spindle - I made my wife the breadbox and she loves it.

[RetiredAFChief]

I bought the AR4 Basic mainly due to $$$ and not knowing if I would be doing much with it. Since then I have learned that if you are going to buy a a CNC you should by your 2nd one first! So with that said, if I was in the position right now I would probably sell my AR4 and look at at AR8. There is nothing wrong with the basic model that I can see, just wish I would have gotten the bigger model. Hope this helps...

[davidtu]

Update: Thought I'd already posted so but we did end up following the prevailing advice and got the AR8 Pro+. Now trying to get it to do what we need it to, which it is not yet. Hint: see my other post.

Thanks to all.