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Looking into Lyndex / Nikken SK Collet tools. Need Opinions

Turbo17

Plastic
Joined
Aug 7, 2010
Location
Southern California
Hey guys.

Now were looking into these SK style of collets.

They're expensive but supposedly also very good.
Does anyone have any real world experience with this style of collet?

I would love some feedback from anyone that's used them or knows something about them
other than what they advertise.

Thanks
 
I've used Lyndex Nikken SK Collet chucks and had great results. Fixed the short tool life and drill walking issues I was running into with ER16 holders. I've also seen the Pioneer holders that look the same but I don't know the connection.
 
I had excellent results with SK6 for deep drilling and reaming in plastic.
Recently started using SK16 for milling (deep profiling), and the finish is much better than ER. The only thing, I wish they have a shorter gage length than 90mm.
The cost of Lyndex SK and Pionner SX is about the same. However, MariTool also have them, at a fraction of the cost.
 
I've been using SK style collets for almost a decade now. I have ER and SK and would ( have** ) take SK over ER any day. The initial cost is sightly** more, but in my humble opinion very much worth it. Run out is better. Holding power is better. And obviously, tool life is subsequently better. As well, I have a number of Lyndex-Nikken SK holders in SK10 and SK16. And I have ( on order ) a number more of MariTool SK collet holders. For the money, you cannot go wrong with MariTool holders.

** - When I ordered this last number of collet chucks, I could have gone either way. ( ER or SK ) Would not have made much difference in price. I chose SK because of the benefits.

MariTool also makes a 3" ( 75mm ) gauge line holder.

My two pence.
 
I've run ER 32 and SK16 side by side in the Robodrill. SK16 showed nicer surfaces and has never had a pullout problem, so it's clearly got something more to offer.

Having said that, does it offer enough over ER to justify the expense of Lindex/Nikken tools and $60 a pop collets? No, but when MariTook prices SK16 holders at basically the exact same as their ER stuff, and collets for only $21, it is almost a no brainer to go SK over ER.
 
The SK stuff is great but expensive. I tried Lyndex SK10 and Pioneer SX10 for a high volume, tight tolerance, drill job on our BT30 Brothers. The SK10 had less runout and was somewhere around 15% longer tool life. That said, my final production tooling order was for exact fit Schunk hydraulic tool holders.
 
The SK stuff is great but expensive.

Everything taken in context, expensive is a relative concept from person to person and shop to shop. Still, I don't see how one can stand by that when MariTool is putting out holders that compete DIRECTLY with Lyndex-Nikken ones, at fractions of the price. A current quote on a Lyndex SK10 is $294.00 USD. Current price on a MariTool SK10 is $115.00. ( $114.55 for the picky ones ) We own some of both. I defy you to show my how the Lyndex holders are any better or the MariTool holders any worse.

So, for 39% the cost**, one gets a quality holder, made right here in the United States of America, by another small shop owner, and a PM member to boot.

** - with some of the regular, every day promotions, they can be even less expensive!

One can't even purchase a Parlec PROBE HOLDER for that!! So tell me again how SK stuff is expensive?

Sure, one can purchase crap, imported holders for less money. But they are still crap, imported holders. They won't get any better over time. That's for sure. I think Frank and the boys over at MariTool have made it possible for the little guy to compete and offer quality at a reasonable price. One does not have to mortgage their life simply to tool up to make quality parts. As such, that savings can be passed onto the customer. Or it can be pocketed. Either way, the effect is tangible.

I get no consideration for posting this. I'm just a happy customer that also likes seeing small American businesses kick butt.
 








 
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