Hi Mark:
Are you looking for something cheap and used, or does your budget allow for a new machine?
Are you looking for a specific set of capabilities like large taper cutting ability or speed or precision?
Do you have the space in your shop to accommodate a large machine or are you restricted in size?
Are you good at fixing cranky CNC machines or will you be fully reliant on tech support to keep it running?
Are you looking for a project or a tool?
Will you accept uncertain reliability to get a cheap machine?
Are you by nature fussy and persnickety about your tools and your work or are you by nature reasonably relaxed about such things?
By way of some answers to your questions here's a summary of my experience:
I bought a reconditioned Sodick A320 vintage 1996 from EDM Network in Illinois in 2008; my introduction to wire EDM.
I bought a 3 day training course with it.
I had the machine until 2011 when I traded it in for a brand new Chmer which I still own.
The Sodick was a pretty simple machine with no power Z and no autothreader but I got it with a rotary axis which was necessary for my work.
I cut a lot of stuff on it, some of it quite fussy.
It was tired when I got it and its reliability (rather it's LACK of reliability) was a problem right from the outset despite the limited warranty I got with it when I bought it.
I had board failures, and computer failures, and drive system failures and discharge cable failures, always at inconvenient times.
Fortunately the Sodick was cheap to fix, and I had superb support from Larry Wetmore at EDM Network, so I was always able to get the old girl running again.
However, I also had accuracy issues and had to compensate for those with creative programming.
The machine cost me about 40 thousand Canadian dollars when the Canadian and American dollars were about at par.
I bought the Chmer to solve those problems with the Sodick.
Nice convenient machine (except for the horrible Chinglish manuals).
It's a mid class machine, not that accurate (tenths rather than split tenths) not that nicely fitted (think Chevy rather than Cadillac), and pretty basic in capabilities but pretty bulletproof too once the teething troubles were sorted out.
Those were mostly to do with getting it to talk properly with the rotary axis I bought for it, but EDM Network eventually sorted all that out too, and it's run reliably since then with almost no hiccups at all.
I paid about 120 thousand for it, so three times the price of the Sodick, but I got five times the machine, so it was worthwhile for me to do the upgrade since I had become pretty dependent on having the capability to hand whenever I need it.
It gets the second most use of all the machines I own, and has been a steady moneymaker for me.
I have seen equivalent machines to the Sodick on Fleabay for ten thousand dollars but with no rotary axis (they're EXPENSIVE) and no support.
If you get lucky they're good, simple easy to run and maintain machines; if not you'll likely have a similar experience to mine.
If you go this route, a tech who knows the guts really really well is essential unless you have tons of time to fart about diagnosing and fixing it.
Larry Wetmore was very good indeed, but I haven't been in contact with him for several years, and he was a Sodick guy, so he is most useful only if you go with that brand.
If you buy a Swiss monstrosity from that era, you'll get the remnants of a Ferrari, but with Ferrari prices for service and parts too, so be warned.
If you go new, what you can get depends on the size of your pocket book; my personal hard-on is for a Makino but I couldn't justify the price so I bought the Chmer for half the price.
Whatever you do, don't get an orphan...you'll likely never be able to keep it running, and the first board failure will leave you with a boat anchor.
Cheers
Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
www.vancouverwireedm.com