Yes, that is my current issue. Really, I just need to engrave and cut and I live in San Diego. My studio has no insulation or AC and I have had times where it gets to hot to run the machine and just couldn’t move forward due to the heat.
Are there any other perks that any of the Pro users can chime in with? I would truly appreciate this as I am going to be purchasing my machine very soon. I need this second machine pretty badly.
There’s no point to the Plus, get the Pro.
Active cooking in SoCal is a must.
Active cooling is big.
When I buy plywood that comes in 4x8’ sheets I have them cut it into 5 - 19" x 48" sheets and thus have much more efficient use of the wood. That is my major use of the passthrough. Also, 18x24 sheets are common and so no issues, or even 12 x 24 sheets.
Many third party hardwoods are 6”x24”. I routinely pass stuff like that into the front.
I’d miss that ability all the time.
i have one of these and i just chop off what i need. doesn’t really take any longer than setting it up to chop off in GF.
not saying your method is bad, just that there’s more than one way to skin a cat. before i got this, i routinely chopped them on the big laser at my office (20ft from my desk), but that’s when i wasn’t working from home and my wood was usually shipped to the office anyway. now this $50 tool does it quick and easy for me. i wouldn’t pay $3k for that unless i needed it for other reasons. there are plenty of reasons to own a pro, just got to make sure they’re worth the premium to the owner. i haven’t regretted the basic yet.
See, that’s just it, I’m not chopping anything. I skip that step entirely by jamming the longer piece in the front and aligning and go. It’s basically what @rbtdanforth was getting at with his very much too large for the machine pieces. These are “just a bit too large”, and it saves me time and setup (and like Mr. Danforth says, probably some materials).
It’s one of those things that if you have access to it you quickly realize how much you’d miss it if you didn’t have it.
Ask yourself “how many pieces that are 4x12 do you have?”
would you miss it “$3,000” worth? that’s my point. i’m not saying it isn’t useful, just that i would value it as bonus, not a primary reason.
fwiw, i only cut down when i use and i cut to the size i need. the saw is in the next room, i just walk over, plug in, cut what i need. i don’t think i lose much/if any material.
Me? Yeah. I’d miss what the pro can do $3,000 worth. Between faster jobs, passthrough ops, cooling and the convenience of the front door, I’d be irked all the time, and irking me is expensive. 
It’s also a matter of how much $3,000 is to each individual.
Many bonuses can make a reason. The ability to have pieces 19"x 48+" is another bonus , also the higher temps here in Florida,. the real question is if it is worth $3k to not have it!
yeah, i get that you’d miss all of that. i was just talking about the convenience part of longer pieces you don’t cut down. that’s a small part of the bigger picture. it’s extra on top of actually using the pass through to do longer pieces.
you guys are missing what i’m saying. you have to look at all of those things and decide if it’s valuable to you. some of them are littler things that, in and of themselves, don’t mean $3k. i think you need something big for you. cooling if you’re in a hot climate/space can be big. passthrough can be big for larger projects.
i.e., there are bigger ticket items that add significant value if they’re important. then there are smaller things that can add value, but in and of themselves aren’t enough (being able to cut down bigger pieces to fit or cutting on larger pieces stuck in). that’s an add in to me, not a primary reason.
I don’t think I am? We’re just disagreeing with you, on a personal level
Like I said, it’s worth the extra cash for me. How much one would pay for those admittedly smallish features is subjective.
i guess so? if you took away 5w, active cooling, and the back side of the passthrough, how much is sticking a bigger piece through a slot in the front really worth?
To me? A fair amount. As I said, irking me is expensive.
Pro owner in the Sacramento area here. My A/C struggles pretty bad in the summer once it gets above 100° outside, so the active cooling is clutch. Also love the ability to place artwork in the center of a 24"+ piece of material.
Timing, man.
I went Pro because you will rarely regret getting more than you need , but will always regret getting less than you end up needing.
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