Does leaving the motors powered all the time (“Motors - ALWAYS POWER MOTORS”) diminish the lifespan of the motors and subsystems?
Stepper motors are frequently used in applications where they must hold the same position for long durations of time and are therefore powered all the time. For example: 3D printers, industrial automation equipment, other CNC machines. Leaving them always powered will not diminish the lifespan of the motors.
It will however consume a small amount of electricity which may be a concern if you are operating FarmBot with off-grid electricity. This idle consumption of power will also slightly increase the temperature of the motors, though it is unlikely that this factor alone would result in damage.
I measured a while ago and it is not insignificant… I did not note it down but could it be 10W with all motors? Without movement, just powering them on…?