7 projects started 0 completed
I have less than 20 hours on my machine and have had nothing but problem after problem with it. I have started seven different projects and have yet to have one complete without some kind of error or part breaking.
Two Z axis stalls. After several calls found out my belt was not tight enough. In the process of trying to figure out what was wrong the tech told me to clean out the z motor buy removing the 3 screws on the motor housing cover. Turns out my machine was missing a screw, only had two in it.
My handle for raising and lowering the head keeps falling off.
The bit tip locater does not pivot out far enough and the bit misses it. Talked to tech and they said it pivots from underneath and just needs some lubricant and it will work... Half a bottle of WD40 later it still doesn't work.
I was running a project and heard a noise. Stopped the machine and discovered that a set screw from the factory shipped carving bit had come off and shot through the quick change chuck. Of course the chuck is considered a consumable so it is was not covered under warranty even though I was using a factory bit. It also ruined the bit adapter.
Now it is failing to locate the board thickness. The first time I was able to manually enter the thickness. Now when I enter it in it goes right back to enter the board thickness and will not continue.
Even on the half completed projects it did not carve as was designed in the software. It has left whole words out, carved something where it was not supposed to be located at.
Would not recognize a board was loaded.
I am sure I am forgetting other issues I have had with it. Keep in mind there are less than 20 hours on the machine.
For the most part technical support has been very good other than twice when I called all the techs were busy and my number was taken and told someone would call me. They never did. I had to call back in until I got someone.
The point is... A new machine should not have these issues. I have read all the other problems that users are having and have to laugh. We are all a bunch of suckers! In theory the machine is great, but it in reality it is not very well built. I read a post from one user that said any tool you buy ie. table saw, planer has its problems. Funny, I have lots of woodworking tools and have never had any issues with them right out of the box, but I do buy quality products, at least until I bought this machine. I guess the saying is true "you get what you pay for" There are other CNC routers out there, most in the 10's of thousands of dollars. So the $1,800 for a carvewright seems to be a great deal, but its kind of like buying a new car that's $10,000 cheaper than anything else out there but it doesn't start or will only go 5 miles without breaking down. By the time you get done with all the repairs you would have been better off saving your money and buying a better car. They say that every machine has to pass their QA before being sold. I think their definition of quality and mine are totally different.
My advise to anyone who is considering buying one... If you like spending all your time fixing things and not carving then go for it. Otherwise, save up your money and buy quality, or just purchase some hand carving tools and learn to carve by hand, I was able to salvage 3 of the seven projects by finishing them by hand. I could have actually carved all 7 by hand in the amount of time it has taken me fooling around with this thing.
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and would take forever for the heater to get it warm
Originally Posted by Jon_d
