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Whew! I pity anyone who's searching for a router these days. The market is literally flooded with them. Though I am affiliated with a router company, I will try to keep this post neutral to avoid a conflict of interest. Please allow me to me make a few suggestions. First, I list some general "good practice" when building a relationship with a prospective supplier/vendor. And Second, I'll give you some information specific to certain CNC Router Companies I'm familiar with:

[b]Is This the Right Company To Do Business With[/b]

Step 1: First, get to know the attitude of the manufacturer or dealer from which you plan to buy. Are they arrogant? Or, do they show a genuine interest in you and ask you what your needs are so they can help you choose the right machine for you? Basically, if you don't feel comfortable on the first phone call, or you are made to feel intimidated, it is probably a good idea to walk away! Maybe even RUN!

Step 2: Get references from them. Talk to their customers and see what their experience has been like. Do their machines perform well with minimal maintenance? Are they easy to learn? Are they easy to use? How has the company performed as regards technical support?

Step 3: Do what you are doing now. For each manufacturer you are interested in, check and see what information you can find on them in forums and message groups across the web.

Step 4: If all the information gathered in the first three steps is positive, great! Now, go visit them in person, or talk to them more on the phone. See how they treat you. Do they rush you? Or, do they take the time to really help you learn, rather than schmooze you? Ask more questions and listen carefully to the answers. If you ask enough of the right questions, their "true colors" will shine through.

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There are many CNC Router manufacturers out there. Here is some information on a couple of the CNC Router companies I know about. There are many others, I'll just mention a few.

First of all, I notice that AXYZ and Precix have already posted their info on this topic. I've never been under the hood of their machines. But, I have been around CNC Routers and the router marketplace extensively for years. I can honestly say, I have never heard a bad report regarding Precix or AXYZ. They've been in business a long time, and as far as I know are reputable companies with quality machines.
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Company 1:

[b][url=http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?45707]CNT Motion Systems[/url][/b]
Website: [url]http://www.cntmotion.com[/url]

CNT Motion Systems is a name that may not be so readily identifiable by all in the Sign industry. They are a small CNC router manufacturer with a great line of products in varying sizes. They have their roots planted firmly in CNC routers and have been in the business a long time, but many of their machines are used in other industries.

Price Range: Varies from around $20,000 to $80,000+

PROS: MACHINES ARE SELF-LUBRICATING AND EXTREMELY LOW MAINTENANCE - High quality machine, extremely sturdy, fast, and easy to use.

CON: No negative information here. There are already too many CONS in the world! Like Perry Como said, [i]Accentuate the Positive[/i]

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Company 2:

[b][url=http://www.clickaudit.com/goto/?45708]CAMaster CNC Routers[/url][/b]
website: [url]http://www.camaster.com[/url]

CAMaster.com is a new vendor of CNC Routers. However, they have over 30 years of experience behind them, because the creators of the WartHog CNC Routers, after selling the WartHog product line, now work closely with CAMaster to spearhead the marketing of their new line of products. This is not the same company, the same owners, or the same machines that manufactured CAMaster routers previous to 2001. This is just the same product name and trade mark. CAMaster's machines perform well, and, though they are a new company, they already have a great record of customer support in addition to their years of experience with CNC routers and signmaking.

PRO: Sturdily built machines, easy maintenance, extremely quick turnaround times. They keep most models in stock and ready to ship.
Price Range: $7,500 to $55,000+ Machines in various sizes.

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Other Manufacturers Include:
MultiCAM
ShopBot
ShopSabre
...and others too numerous to count.

CNCGUYZ, I have researched CAMaster. I have posted some more specific information which all here may find of interest. [u][b][url=http://www.signweb.com/stmg/forum/viewtopic.php?p=152302#152302]Click here to read that post.[/url][/b][/u]

Paul, I saw the post where you accepted my apology for unknowingly offending you and thought this thing was over.

Now, you saw [i]this [/i]post from [b][i]one week ago[/i][/b], now you're going to explode and call me a liar? You had your chronology of these messages mixed up. Please, let's stop this right now.

too bad there are no thread pirate icons here....

guys (guyz) please let this fellow have his thread back... take you quibble to the PMs.

deerhonter,

you should've asked for opinions of CNC owner only lol.

i work with and old Gerber dimension 200 work fine. kind of slow thought. the real stopper is the old software i use (graphix advantage).

I know that info helps you none. So i can offer you my research. I have met with a few guys few AXYZ and they are very nice and very knowledgeable. there is this guy Simon Knight that knows his stuff and will go out of his way to help you get the right machine for your application and your wallet. Seems like a very honest guy and company.

I have also met with some local (socal) guy from Multicam. They were also very nice and gave me an in depth demo of their machine. but be warned they are on the pushy side. They will hound you. but there machine (3000 series) seems solid. though owner reviews say they have lots of down time....

hope that helps...