KRMx02 vs shark

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Jimmarks84
Posts: 96
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:44 am
Location: Huntsville, AL, USA

KRMx02 vs shark

Post by Jimmarks84 »

I figured I would share a bit of experience that I picked up today for anyone shopping for CNC.

I built a 50x51 KRMx02. My Dad saw my machine and had to have one. So instead of making one, he bought a "Shark". It's cute with its 24" square aluminum bed and Delrin (engineering plastic which is easy to machine and has good strength and rigidity) frame. He's in it for ~$3700. It's has no limit switches for homing the machine. The "control panel" is very rudimentary, I can't find a way to setup limit switches for homing, set soft limits, a place for manual input of instructions, or hook up a game controller. I will have to figure out how to get his touch off working.

On the other side of the coin, I'm in ~$4,200 (full aluminum bed) and 200hr of work for a machine 4 times the size and I have everything missing from above working on my machine. I wasn't a machinist or wood worker prior to this journey. I am a farm boy with a computer engineering degree. But I have learned loads and loads doing this myself.

If you're not a DIY person, you really don't need a CNC. Why? If you don't know how to mark and drill holes with precision and don't want to, you have no idea what struggles you are in for when you can't figure out why you part is jacked up after a tool change. It's the same as someone who wants a big kitchen and doesn't want to learn to cook. If you want to learn to cook or know how, you can have a nice kitchen, otherwise don't waste your money.

My machine has the potential for so many upgrades thanks to its flexible use of aluminum extrusions. I don't know how I can safely and limit switches to the "Shark".
msimpson
Site Admin
Posts: 3176
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2004 6:19 pm

Re: KRMx02 vs shark

Post by msimpson »

The Shark is a hobby machine, much like my early KRMx01. The KRMx02 was designed from the start to be a production machine.
Jimmarks84
Posts: 96
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 8:44 am
Location: Huntsville, AL, USA

Re: KRMx02 vs shark

Post by Jimmarks84 »

I guess my point is, why spend that kind of money on a crap CNC like a shark when you could build the same size KRMx02 for less money and probably 80hrs of work.
bnelson
Posts: 68
Joined: Sat May 01, 2004 3:35 pm

Re: KRMx02 vs shark

Post by bnelson »

I think its like anything. Folks just don't know. Good marketing can get folks to purchase anything.
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