Looks like I may be a little late to the party having just found out about Firecontrol. Should I switch over from Mach3? I have the original CrossFire table that uses Mach3, although I’m not a huge fan of the program in general even with the amount of money it cost.
Should I stay or should I go?
Thanks!
Easy decision to make. You don’t have a choice. Unless you get a new controller, only Mach 3 will control your existing one.
Perfect! Thank you so much for the prompt reply!
I am considering buying a unit. Which is better, Mach3 or FireControl. Why?
Thanks
If you bought a new system, you don’t have a choice. The newer systems only come with FireControl. If you bought an older system from someone, you could get a Mach3 control.
I have Mach3 and like it, but the Mach 3 application is old and costs $150. FireControl is free with CrossFire.
IMHO I really like Mach3. All my CNC machines run on it (mill, router, laser engraver). With Mach3, I’m in control, I can tweak it the way I want and it’s quite stable. If I had the floorspace, I would certainly get a Pro and retrofit it with my own control box (as I did with my Crossfire), Mach3 and a THC3T.
I have to agree. IF I got a Pro, I’d probably retrofit it with my own controller and Mach3. I’m currently replacing my CNC Router, which is currently controlled by a LinuxCNC controller, with a 4 axis controller and will use Mach 3 as the UI.
Having said that, this is probably pretty easy for people like Cletus and me who have built up machines before. If you need ‘turnkey’, keeping the electronics supplied by the Mfr is a good idea. At least until you have learned enough to do your own.
Good point.
Unfortunately, Mach 3 isn’t an active development project for it’s manufacturer anymore. They’re pretty much focused on Mach 4. They haven’t made an end-of-life announcement for it yet, but I would expect that sooner or later that will happen. I’ve not been fortunate enough to have 1 software to control them all as each CNC has had it’s own software controller (laser, shopbot, plasma). I just tell myself it helps keep my brain flexible as I age 
For me that’s a really good thing. If it works, don’t ‘improve’ it! I’m tired of having stable systems turned upside down by updates that change the behavior. Please stay focused on Mach4 and its silly license subscription model.
As far as I’m concerned it is at its useful ‘plateau’. I don’t think there’s been any development on Mach3 for years. It’s been on 3.043.066 since 2012.
How is that working for ya? 
My wife isn’t mumbling about dementia or Alzheimer’s yet