I've had friends ask me which plasma table I chose and why, so I wanted to share my experience. Let me start by saying that I haven’t used any of the high-end machines, so this blog doesn’t reflect that type of equipment. My experience with CNC machines is somewhat limited, mostly based on research I’ve done online. That said, here are my thoughts on the plasma table I chose.

I have a good background in electronics and CNC equipment. A few years ago, I even designed a complete CNC plasma table in Solidworks. I bought Mach 3 software as the controller and became familiar with it. However, after finishing the design, I didn’t have the necessary funding, so the project was put on hold for a couple of years.

During that time, I kept researching various CNC plasma table manufacturers. Many of the lower-priced tables had terrible reviews. Some were so bad that users couldn’t even get replacement parts and ended up scrapping the tables altogether.

Eventually, I found a company called JD2 and liked what I read about them. I appreciated that they built their tables out of stainless steel and developed their own operating software. A friend of mine bought a JD2 table, and I had the chance to try it out. I also had the opportunity to test another table by Arclight.

In my opinion, JD2 is a far superior option in the price range I was considering. The gantry on the JD2 table is much more robust and heavier than the others I looked at. My friend who bought the JD2 couldn’t say enough good things about their customer service, which was a big selling point for me.

I ended up buying a used JD2 table, set it up at my shop, and started working right away. I’ve had to call JD2 several times for technical support, and I must say, they are extremely helpful and professional. While the wait to speak to someone can be long, once you get them on the phone, they go above and beyond to assist you.

Their in-house software is straightforward and easy to use, and the table has worked flawlessly for me most of the time. I have no complaints. If you’re thinking about buying a CNC plasma table, I strongly recommend avoiding the cheap options under $5k—you’ll just be wasting your money. Stick with a reputable company like JD2. I highly recommend them over other brands in this price range.