Whether you
are starting a new woodworking business or taking an existing business to the
next level, the type of woodworking equipment you use will affect the quality
of your work and how much of it you produce. Every woodworker wants to get top
quality CNC Router woodworking machines, but not everyone gets
them. To make sure you end up with commercial woodworking machinery that meets
your needs, remember the tips below as you shop for equipment.
Read
Customer Reviews
Every equipment manufacturer sings the praises of its machinery,
regardless of its reputation. If you want to know how a machine really
performs, reading customer reviews is a great way to find out. In some cases,
equipment does not have any formal flaws, but it is not ergonomically designed,
and does not synchronize well with the rest of the line. In other cases,
equipment has recalcitrant parts that cause problems almost immediately. Again,
you will not find out about these drawbacks from the manufacturer, but you may
hear about them in woodworking forums, where woodworkers give unsolicited reviews
of equipment they use.
Search
the Secondary Market
If woodworking equipment has poorly designed components, operates
poorly, is difficult to configure with the rest of the line using automation
software, or presents other problems that compromise production, most
woodworkers will not own it for long. They will sell to an equipment reseller
who may or may not be able to correct the hardware’s problems. If you notice
the secondary market seems to have a large supply of a relatively new piece of
equipment, it may not be a coincidence. The equipment could be a lemon no one
wants to own.
Do
not Depend on a Warranty
New
equipment and some used equipment that is almost new come with a warranty. In
most cases, the warranty for new hardware is one year, after which time the
owner is responsible for repair costs. Although a warranty is a form of
investment protection, do not view the warranty period as a time when you can
find out whether hardware will be reliable. Because commercial
CNC Router woodworking machinery has
a long lifespan, some manufacturing flaws might fail to show up until after the
warranty period is past. Investigating the reputation of equipment before you
buy it is the key to predicting its reliability.
Choose
the Right Construction Grade
Top quality woodworking machines come in three construction
grades: hobby grade, mid-grade, and industrial grade. The quality one receives
from any grade depends on whether it supports the production needs. If you need
industrial grade equipment, you will not get good results from using hobby
grade or mid-grade equipment. The equipment will prematurely wear and break
down. While you do not want to overinvest in equipment that has too much
capacity, trying to use a lower, less expensive grade of equipment than you
need causes more financial problems than it solves.
