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Considering a VF-1...

rb1

Cast Iron
Joined
Nov 10, 2008
Location
AB, Canada
I am in the market for a VMC, something like a VF-1 would suit just fine.... was considering the TM-1(or)2, but the idea of the coolant spraying around and the limited RPM / girth... has me looking at the larger brother.

Most of what I have looked at from machinery dealers is priced high, so I have been considering just buying new...

I did find this one pretty close to me, it is a 2002 VF-1, with all the standard options and also has a renishaw probe, thru spindle coolant, 2 speed gear box, conveyor, and joystick priced at $36,250 USD (converted from the asking price in CDN funds). Seems pretty firm on the price.

No tooling included.

6500 hours

The probe was on my wish list... but the thru spindle coolant and 2 spd gearbox are options that I was not looking to get, and that may be driving the machine asking price up...

What are some thoughts on the asking price and those options?

I am mostly running aluminum, not a production atmosphere...

tia
 
This may not answer anything in your original post, but since I have both a VF-1 an VF-2 if you can find one in your price range get the VF-2. Exact same machine but the VF-2 has 30" of X axis travel. Didn't realize I was missing out when we only had the VF-1 until I gained the extra travel with the VF-2.
Curtis
 
This may not answer anything in your original post, but since I have both a VF-1 an VF-2 if you can find one in your price range get the VF-2. Exact same machine but the VF-2 has 30" of X axis travel. Didn't realize I was missing out when we only had the VF-1 until I gained the extra travel with the VF-2.
Curtis

What he said.
 
Is the 6500 hours power on time or cycle start time?
I have two VF2's, a 2004 with 15K hours power on time and a 2006 with 9700 hours power on time. The cycle start times are 6000 and 3700 hours.
There's a few other options we use like higher rpm, pcool, and 4th axis.
If the machine appears well cared for and not abused, I'd consider it.

I'd also want to see it under power, run some programs, watch and hear it run and change tools etc.

What's the differance in price vs. new? We had considered some used VF's years back but the used price was 75% of the new.
We cut mostly aluminum here too and have had very few machine problems.



Scott
 
What's the differance in price vs. new? We had considered some used VF's years back but the used price was 75% of the new.
We cut mostly aluminum here too and have had very few machine problems.



Scott

That's probably about a $65-70k machine new.

We have a VF-1 with similar options. Probe, 10k w/gearbox, 4th axis. Get the VF-2 if you can afford it. Most of our parts are small (less than 6"x6"x1.5" or so) but a few are between 30-40". No matter how much work you think you can fit into 20", it's never enough. When we make those 40" long parts they sometimes require 3 setups to machine one side, and another three to machine a second side of it. Having to stop, slide the part, and probe it 6 times to complete it really sucks. A VF-2 wouldn't have allowed us to make these in a single operation but it at least would have cut it to a maximum of two operations per side.

Also with the VF-1 I'm constantly having to creatively come up with ways to deal with the fact that when I have two vises setup I can barely hang a part out of the right side of the right most vise, and can only hang out about 2" on the left of the left most vise. Plus there's only about 3 or 4" between vises, which also can be problematic.

The 20" work envelope is so small it's really limiting. If we could go back 3 years and do it again we'd ditch the 4th axis and get the VF-2 for sure.
 








 
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