AutoCad LT Replacement

You can try TurboCad, I believe they have an LT version also as well as a Demo.

AutoCAD WD iPad app I believe is also free, or at lease cheap........ it does have limited capabilities, as well as the Inventor app

I hate doing 'me too' posts, but since this is more of a 'vote' post, I join in with the two posters above me in the chain, Draftsight is a great replacement for AutoCAD.

You will have to get used to a few differences, such as a consistent application of command order, with some flexibility in the order for simple tasks. Where as AutoCAD has some commands that are 'Command, first selection, second selection, value, confirm' and others that are 'First selection, command, second selection, value, confirm' and others that are 'Command, First selection value, confirm OR cancel' Draftsight tends to follow the Command, Selections, Value, Confirm' sequence. It may take some getting used to, since your 'muscle memory' will insist on doing several things 'backwards' in DraftSight, because those commands were written backwards in AutoCAD, but you'll get the hang of it.

Just imported my first AutoCad.DWG into Draftsight.

I didn't have time to play with it but, it's all there.

Actually, they bought Spatial Technologies which Autodesk lisenced it's geometry kernal from and had had on and off merger talks with for years. When Autodesk decided they were going to try to sue about Solidwork's ability to import and export perfect DXF and DWG files Solidworks solved the problem by simply walking into Spatial's HQ with a metric buttload of cash. Now Dassault gets a chunk of every seat of Autocad sold and Autodesk is is livid about it. Dassault doesn't use it for anything. They have their own kernal they use. it was nothing but a means to crap in Autodesk's wheaties. Draftsight is another one. The idea is to make it such that people who buy solidworks seats don't have to buy Autcad LT or something to do things like schematics or simple 2d work with. Lesson to Autodesk,,,Don't want nothin don't start nothin...

I just loaded DoubleCAD XT 5 a week or so ago.

It looks much like the AutoCAD LT I have, and has most of the features I use.

It's free, but they have a pro version.

I have not used it enough to give it a recommendation, but I think it's worth a look.

Dassault Systems? Solidworks assault on Autodesk. That makes sense.

Just my opinion. I started using AutoCAD at work years ago, and wanted something cheap for personal use, so I bought a copy of TurboCAD. I still have to use AutoCAD at work: and hate it.

Having said that DoubleCAD made by the same people as TurboCAD is free and is designed to look just like AutoCAD LT.

You can get old versions of TurboCAD deluxe at very reasonable prices (not the pro version its getting to silly money like some of the other packages aimed at people with more money than sense). From your original post, I'm sure that an old version would meet all your requirements.

I hate to be the one odd ball, but I thoroughly love my AutoCAD 2012 LT.

It draws what i want and it does it fast. I have had little or no trouble. YES, its very spendy and moving into the 3D versions is $5,000 easily.

But the LT version works well. I tried Turbo and Solid and just could not get the swing of it. then again, i am NOT drawing the exact stuff you guys are....

Netmaker, Download draftsight and play with it, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Trust me.... Have I ever steered you wrong?

While I work exclusively in Solidworks, our guys who used to work in Autocad have transitioned to Draftsight and like it. As the others have said, the transition is pretty smoothe, the product itself seems pretty glitch-free (we use it mostly for facility-planning) and the price is right!

Thanks to all for your feedback and suggestions (and netmaker, I concur with your experience and haven't had issue with using AutoCAD LT, just concerned with the upgrade cost versus the budget).

Looks like I can go harass our IT person and have him load a couple of these onto my pc so I can try them (they lock our business systems to keep people from getting into the works and "modifying" things - not that I would do such a thing). Regards to all.