Thicker Belts

Shapeoko says the new thicker 15 mm belts on the Pro are far stronger than the belts on the Shapeoko 3, with the additional benefit of being highly unlikely to stretch over time. That means superior accuracy, particularly in the sense that it’ll be more consistent over time when compared to the Shapeoko 3.

New Electronics

Inside the new Shapeoko Pro you’ll find a new, superior controller board, Carbide Motion 3.0. This has been added due to the fact it has the connections necessary to accommodate new standard equipment such as Carbide 3D’s Bitsetter.

Integrated Bitsetter

Carbide 3D’s Bitsetter is one of those tools that makes your life a hundred, maybe even two hundred times easier, allowing you to run jobs using multiple tools without having to manually re-zero at every tool change. The Bitsetter is available as a $120 add-on for other Shapeoko models, but comes as standard with the Pro, getting a big thumbs up from us.

Integrated T-slot “hybrid” table

Carbide3D likes to call the table on the new Shapeoko Pro a “hybrid.” What it means by this is that you have an MDF table with integrated T-slots for more flexibility with your workholding. The T-slot rails are spaced approximately 75 mm apart, and he’ll give greater security with the pieces you’re working on.

Improved workholding is a common upgrade for people with older Shapeoko models, as well as other CNC machines in general, so having better flexibility here with the Pro should prove a timesaver across diverse projects.

Table Supports

Beneath the table are extrusions running perpendicular to the T-slot rails on the worktable. These sit on your workbench and give extra stability, especially when working on particularly heavy pieces or workholding clamps or fixtures are placed on it.

New Y-axis layout

Further differentiation over the Shapeoko 3 can be seen in the layout of the Y-axis, with the Shapeoko Pro repositioning it such that as the machine moves forward during operation, more of the table is available as working space.

Linear Rails

Stronger, better finishes and less vibration are all benefits of the new linear rails that are guiding every axis of the Shapeoko Pro. This is really one of the biggest upgrades over the Shapeoko 3, purely because this chunkier build should mean that you’ll be able to push the machine harder and faster than the Shapeoko 3 without any loss in quality.