I have the Shark HD510. I have made over 130 projects on it now. Some of those projects have been 17 of the same pattern. Lanterns, canteens and coins 30 on my last batch.
It does what you tell it to do. Its rugged. No fiddling with it.
Pendant works fine with the exception of don't vacuum over it the static discharge will make you unplug it and plug it back in. If you don't vacuum over the top of it works fine. USB port prefers short file names and it has some limitations as far as how many folders you can have in the root directory. I have used it with long file names and 20 files in the root with no problems but if it's not reading the new files move the old toolpaths into a old tool paths directory and it will work fine again. I would add a 3' long usb cord that puts the wear and tear of unplugging the usb on the end of the cord instead of into the side of the pendant...(phoneman experience 42 years plugs wear out)
Put down 2 pieces of 3/4" MDF using nylon bolts holding the first board down to the ttracks. Then glue a new nice flat waste board on top of that. Then level it with a planer bit in the CNC. After that gets cut up I flattened out a 25"x25" section and use a quarter inch piece of plywood as my waste board. I have replaced 4 of them these past 4 months. I like clean cuts and almost always cut through the material. A fence on the left and the front end makes easy alignment of parts. I use screws and fine brad nails. Most any thing you put up much higher than that you can figure on hitting it at some time or another.
The water cooled spindle to me is not a big issue... I like it that the router Blows the chips clear and I can see what it is cutting even in a 1/8" grove. The noise and dust is cleaned up with a foam box. With out this box your shop will be one dusty mess.
If you don't lock down your material and it stands up and binds the router it will blow a fuse in the main controler box that is where the power cord that feeds the controler box it is accessed from outside and it's in your manual but I have blown 2 fuses in the past 6 months and both were my fault one cutting to deep and fast with a 3/4" pocket bit and the other was when a piece of walnut stood up on it's end and jambed inbetweeen the router collet and the edge of the shark... 3" puck round and it jambed it all up and blew a fuse. After replacing the fuse (buy them from shark they are hard to find locally and same price as local wholesalers)
I upgraded Vcarve to pro cost about 300.00 so I could use the tiling function past 25" and the gadgets. I think I have made over 40 boxes now with the box joint creator.
Build a foam 1" thick box that sits over the top of it with 2 plexiglass windows and a 4" dust port on one end and the end you work from put a 1" opening so fresh air can sweep across the table to the dust port.
Here is a bunch of stuff I have made with the CNC plus a shop vac quiet box and box fan filter box and more as well as the CNC box
Shop update 2019 (tzo.com)
I don't have any regrets on this machine. I have not had to call shark on any thing. I have hundreds of hours now on the shark. I lube it about every 30 hours (Granger has the lube. I do wish the grease zerks were a bit more handy) Retirement is great.
Feel free to email if you have any questions.