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Looking at purchasing a new to me vmc

fuquamatt

Aluminum
Joined
Sep 27, 2016
I have currently been looking at purchasing a new to me vmc. I have a $20000 budget and am looking at a few different machines and would like some opinions on them, such as durability, things that I would have to replace, average cost of maintaining the machine. I am looking at a couple different fadals, either 4020, 3020, and 3016. There is a couple of Kitamura Mycenter 3. I see that there is a few different type of mycenter 3s, some have a side mount tool changer and some have the tool changer in the back. Currently I have a mycenter 1 with fanuc om and I really like the machine. I have also ran accros a 1994 Mori Seiki MV-40, I know mori seiki has a really good reputation but I have not found that much info regarding this machine, it does have Mori/Fanuc F-M6 controls on it. I have also considered a used Haas but with my budget it would be a late 90s model machine and I do not know how good a Haas from the 90s would be. I am open to any opinions on machines and if there is something else that I should considered please let me know.

Thank you.
 
Currently having a Kitamura kinda screws you. If you get a Fadal or Haas you will find out just how nice your Kitamura really is. I would look real hard at the Mycenter 3s available before anything else. Other than being excellent machines you get free phone tech for the life of the machine with no "registration" fee. Among the many things to look out for make sure the head is perpendicular to the table, there are no gibs to adjust, you have to machine the head clamp rails or replace the turcite on them, and what control with what options.

If the Kitamura is in good working order then there should be virtually no maintenance costs. Only thing that comes to my mind is way wipers and rubber bumpers which I ran into on mine. Those fast rapids are hell on the rubber bumpers in the way covers.
 








 
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