3-axis Knee Mills

I'm considering adding a 3-axis Bridgeport to my tool room. Have many 2-axis EZTrac's now. Toolmakers love them. Curious if 3rd axis Bridgeport is reliable or if I should go for true 3-axis CNC machine? Anyone with experience out there please reply.

i have a tree 425 cnc knee mill 4 axis and a bridgeport 2 axis ez path.
i prefere the full cnc that has at least 3 axis . you can preset tools and calibrate them, you can do a program stop, tool change and switch tools and maby maby run a lot of 5-10 pcs and have better z depth control.
with a 3 axis you can also thread mill a part very easy.
bottom line is a three axis will do a lot more and is not that much more money
pat.

I think the Bridgeport CNC mills are just too
light in construction for any serious work
that would make a CNC machine advantageous.
I think a HAAS Mini Mill would be money better spent. You get the ATC and full a
3 axis CNC. Also you get the option for
4th axis. I like the #40 taper on a full
three axis machine. We have the 3 axis
BP at work and it works well but the company
could have gotten a lot more for the money if
they would have gotten a real CNC machine.
If you do get the 3 axis BP get the #30
Quick Change Spindle it makes tool presetting
possible and it also opens more options for
tooling. Good Luck.

Although a dealer for the Bridgeports, we also recommend you look carefully at the intended use before purchase of the 3-axis, and I'm assuming you're buying out of dealer stock or used, since they are bye-bye. Much better choice would be for you to look at a Milltronics VK series if you want to stick with a knee mill. It gives you true 3rd axis via a box slide section, but retains the ability to use the quill manually just like your current ez-traks. If you want to look at bed mills (open style) then they have even more options to explore. I know your tool guys initially will rebuff a new control, but the ease of use the centurion gives is equal to the Trak control, and then it is much more powerful when they get used to it. I have many satisfied customers that have both in their shops, and it is just a matter of matching the machine to the use.

HTH
-MC
www.SilverHorseRacing.com