Bulltear CNC table

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Does anyone have one of their turnkey systems?  I talked with Matt the other day for almost an hour on a turnkey 4x8 water table with a PM65.  I was impressed by the sturdiness of their table and the cost of their machine.  I am a one man part time shop and would like to have a system that I could use to produce metal art and one off parts when asked for.  I was almost ready to pull the trigger on a 4x4 system from ShopSabre when I came across Bulltear.  The ShopSabre table is around $5,000.00 more for the 4x4 than Bulltear's 4x8 table.  Is there that much of a difference in quality between the two for that much of a difference in cost?  Any help would be appreciated.
Reply:You might want to check out this deal. It really is a deal...http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1088938Esab/Lorch ET-220iEsab 160i caddyThermal LM-200 Lincoln feedersThermal Pee-Wee 85sThermal 60i- 3phase /RPC powered (Beast)Thermal Drag-gun 35CINE 1500 Klutch 140i
Reply:I have no practical hands on experience, just research experience and I'm at the same stage as you. My perception is there are 2 classes of machines with appropriate price classes as well: hobbiest and professional.It seems the hobby class all use Mach 3 software and control packages from CandCNC. Some vendors in this space package the software with their machines while others don't. So the choice here comes down to what you percieve as the best quality table (construction, drive method, etc). The competition war with the hobby machine builders is to deliver a "turn key" kit for under $10K and there is alot of choices out there right now such as Bulltear, Precision Plasma and Trucutcnc.I haven't looked at ShopSabre until you pointed it out, but my first impression is they are a professional level machine using their own software and drive technology so I suspect their price will reflect that. The more appropriate vendor to compare them to would be TorchMate.My suggestion is to decide on a budget and that may restrict you to a hobby class machine. Your post suggests this is a machine you'll use "lightly" so a hobby machine is probably best for your application. If you need a machine that will run 40 hours a week and costs you money if it's down then stay in the professional class.Out of curioisity, what was the price quote from Shopsabre for their 4x4 table?
Reply:Many of the entry level/hobby class machine builders use stepper motor drives and a Mach3 based operating software....but not all. Many of these Mach 3 based systems use electronics and drive packages designed by www.candcnc.com  , a leading supplier of components for OEM cnc machine companies, as well as a supplier for "do it uourself" kits for building your own machines. Then there are a few companies with large user bases (such as PlasmaCam, TorchMate, Dynatorch) that use their own proprietary motion control software and electronics packages.....some use servo drives and some use steppers. Hobby/ Entry level machines (and some will disagree) are those with the ability to carry a single plasma torch, have relatively simple CAD and CAM software (easy to learn, easy to use) and are of rather lightweight construction ncompared to their expensive industrial cutting machine cousins....and typically can be purchased for less than $20k....with plasma and full featured height controls. You can buy cnc plasma machines without height control for as low as $4,000....)Industrial cnc plasma machines typically start at around $20k, and can cost a million dollars for large ones as used in shipyards. Often these machines will have multiple plasma torches (as many as 8) and oxyfuel (up to 24) as well as bevelling and marking capability. Some machines have cutting areas up to 50' wide and 350' long.A lot of choices! In my opinion....a ggod plasma and full featured height controls are absolutely necessary for best cut quality and consumable part life.Jim Colt
Reply:Mark, the ShopSabre quote for a turnkey 4x4 with water table and a Thermal Dynamics A80 cutter with a machine torch, is just a tad over $18,000.00 delivered.  The Bulltear setup with the 4x8 table was around $13,000.00 and a PM65 with machine torch.
Reply:I have the 4x8 table that I built using their gantry kit.  The build quality of the gantry is much better than any other reasonably priced table I looked at.  I paired it with a PM 85 and am very happy so far.  My only caution is that you should be prepared for little bit of a learning curve.  Since it is a table put together using parts from numerous different sources, you will need to go to each of the separate sources to learn how to best set up the table (ie: candcnc, bulltear, hypertherm, etc).  I liked that idea better than having a table that uses proprietary components that, if they break, you need to go back to the original company to repair or to replace.  With the bulltear table, I can obtain replacement parts and tech support either from Matt or from the individual component companies.  Some companies such as Torchmate and Plasmacam have a more simplified and intuitive initial start up procedure but if something breaks you are tied to them for replacement parts and tech support.  Just my 2 cents worth...if you have any specific questions let me know.
Reply:Look up my threads. You can find my opinions. I have a precision plasma HBL with candcnc electronics. And could not be happier. I am in my table just under $20,000 BUT that includes my compressor, running an additional 125 amp service, and i started with nothing but an empty 2 car gerage. I dropped off some 1/2 steel I cut to be used as a template for a guy that rolls steel and he was shocked that I cut half inch as cleanly as I did. I walked out of his shop with a list of stuff he wants done. (and I went to him as the customer) his shop is the go to Shop for steel rolling, so I'm hopping to gain a good bit of work from him.To stay on topic, look at threads I have posted, and you can judge the cut quality fir yourself.Offering CNC Plasma cutting and welding projects.Follow me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/nobigdeal.fabSupport those that support WW.
Reply:Bulltear has been around for a while, I got involved with them and their Jeep parts back around 2004 and have watched the development of just about everything they offer. They have come a long way from what they offered initially and Matt (the owner) has a lot of experience with all types of CNC equipment. I believe that they offer a product that they will stand behind and can offer support for.