Costimator Reviews

“very user friendly workflow”

Pros

It lays out the expected expenses for each business operation clearly and the reports feel reliable and accurate.

Cons

It's a great program, nothing to complain about.

“Poor feature recognition issues”

Pros

The program can still work for you if you're ready to spend the time entering all your tools, materials, speeds and feeds yourself and if you don't rely on the automatic feature recognition that 3DFX is supposed to provide, it may end up being a decent fit for your process.

Cons

Biggest problem is with 3DFX feature recognition. On parts we'd consider simple, it misses at least half of the features and on more complex parts it struggles even more. In other cases, it identifies features incorrectly so you have to catch the mistakes manually especially when the part includes irregular features.

“flexible for manufacturing needs”

Pros

Its Cost Modeler feature lets users build estimating tools that closely match the company's actual processes and work centers which makes estimates feel much more accurate and relevant.

Cons

One thing I'd still like to see is the ability to adjust and save window sizes so they always reopen at the exact size I prefer.

“reliable cost modeling tools”

Pros

Very adaptable because it can be configured to fit just about any manufacturing process.

Cons

It does take some time to fine tune everything properly. The reports can also be confusing at times especially for someone who isn't familiar with how the output is presented.

“quick cost modeling”

Pros

There is not a single positive that I can point out.

Cons

This software feels like nothing more than a set of spreadsheet style calculations that spits out a very rough cost estimate. The same result could be put together by just about anyone using Excel. On top of that any modern CAD/CAM system can produce much more accurate cycle time estimates than this very crude tool.

“dynamic process building”

Pros

It's really easy to use. The cost modelers are excellent and the software stands out for its speed and accuracy.

Cons

I honestly haven't run into any issues with it. It works very well and covers everything we need.

“its fast, reliable and flexible”

Pros

The software is very user friendly and feels simple to handle during day to day work.

Cons

The setup options are quite limited for different processes and having to select every process manually means extra data entry work.

“simple setup process”

Pros

Setting up Costimator was pretty effortless even without a lot of prior knowledge. The software continues to stay current and improve over time which has been a big plus. One of the best parts is Cost Modeler since it lets users customize the software around their specific needs. MTI also keeps in touch after the sale which makes the support feel ongoing rather than one-time. I also appreciate the scan and attach capability for adding documents directly into the system, along with the reports and notes features. Being Windows-based helps and the software comes loaded with features, databases and even pictures of different tools for reference. The webinars are helpful too.

Cons

A feature for working with 3D CAD software files would make it more complete. It would also be better if creating reports with exactly the information the user wants was more simple.

“Outdated approach”

Pros

The sales rep made a very convincing case for the product and the presentation set high expectations.

Cons

Actually using the software has been disappointing. The 3DFX option for importing solid models is very limited and the machining calculations fail to factor in raw material which is a major issue.

“great pitch but weak software”

Pros

Getting started with Costimator was easy and the Cost Modeler feature is especially powerful. It gives you full control over the process you're modeling. The results stay consistent, the drag-and-drop feature works well and the yearly software upgrades are a nice bonus. The import/export utilities make it possible to connect with other software and I also appreciate the user-defined standards and cutting data options. On top of that the after-sale support, training and web based training sessions have been very helpful.

Cons

One area that could be improved is making report templates and import/export templates simpler to create. It would also help to have more training specifically focused on template creation.

“Impressive cost modeler control”

Pros

Navigating to the information in the database is quick, dependable and very convenient. It's not hard to understand and adjusting it to fit the way our business operates was pretty easy as well.

Cons

I really haven't run into any major negatives yet. The only challenge we've had relates more to how our previous costing package was configured. We apply markups using factors like 1.25 or 1.5, while Costimator only supports percentage-based markups.

“Packed with useful features”

Pros

The set up software up was simple and effortless so the learning period was pretty short. The after sales support has also been really good and I havent run into any issues using it.

Cons

The configuration side can be a bit tedious although MTI support does help a lot with getting everything set up. Also, a few of the internal UIs could be cleaned up to feel less cluttered.