New here. Be gentle. I run two ExelCnc machines

[EddyCurrent]

Ian,
You mentioned you do other programming, I can see how using variables in G code will seem natural to you and I'm expecting the same myself, I used to write a lot of C code for PC's in the 80's using an Amstrad 1512 then later an IBM PC clone, I also guessed you might be doing repetitive work and hence not playing with the code much.

[alboy]

had a look at the exel machines myself and got a couple of quotes, what put me off was the price and the cost of all the addons and 'extras' glad to hear you are happy with them though.
Im still researching lol.

[EddyCurrent]

had a look at the exel machines myself and got a couple of quotes, what put me off was the price and the cost of all the addons and 'extras' glad to hear you are happy with them though.
Im still researching lol.

That's why I went for the self build, though it does create an 'outage' on your life for a while, the trouble is the older you get the more you are running out of life.

[IanBarley]

For me the price was worth it. I needed a tool for my business not a project and I know that it would have cost me more in hours spent than it did in money to get a machine as capable and reliable. If I was doing it for fun the decision would have been a different one.