Just ordered new Haas TL-1

I'm just getting my first CNC machine. I've spoken to a few guys who run a TL-1 for my specific industry and they seem to like them although one did complain of having a lemon that costs him a lot of time. However all of those are the older model. They've redesigned it and I'd like to know if any of you have opinions based on experience with the new model.

Marc_S said:

I'm just getting my first CNC machine. I've spoken to a few guys who run a TL-1 for my specific industry and they seem to like them although one did complain of having a lemon that costs him a lot of time. However all of those are the older model. They've redesigned it and I'd like to know if any of you have opinions based on experience with the new model.

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If you already ordered it isn't it a bit late to ask for opinions?

I find the TL series from HAAS is the accidental model that took off in sales. Haas found a market and could not keep up with machine tool sales in this area. I think it was made as a affordable machine in the oil business but found its way into the job shop or vise versa. TL stands for toolroom lathe I believe. The used machines did not depreciate in value that much. Older machinists like it because you can run small lots of parts along with the onesy twoseys jobs. And it does not have fast rapid so it is not so intimidating. I know a couple of guys that have learned programming on these machines.

You may want to take advantage of the maintenance schedule feature on these machines control and also check the thrust nuts on the ball screws regularly.

You will find them in places that want the large swing. We got an used '05 TL3 and besides the 3 easy but annoying fixes it has been OK.

I like mine, and I'll be interested to hear about the new ones. Mine is about 6 years old.

Keep us posted on how they treat you. Being in California, there is no reason you should not get outstanding service. We have a Haas SL-10 and a horizontal mill. They have been good to us.

I would love to know how the new design works out. I have a TL-2. I use it for prototype work. I do simple stuff from the control using MDI and the handles. For complicated stuff or any production I use CAM, Fusion 360. It works for me, a very versatile tool, and very accurate. I do not think the lathe is appropriate for production work, except in some special circumstances, although I think many people end up using it this way.

Andy

when I requisitioned a non-enclosure TL-2 in 2008 i was highly dismayed at being upsold on an upgraded coolant pump only to find out that coolant leaks EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!
Only real fix would be to place the thing in a coolant tank... or order the enclosure.

It's a comic fail on machine design in a few ways that gets overshadowed by how handy and useful they are. Early models had a stationary control panel.... good luck getting to the tailstock.


males need not stand to close the handles when in auto mode. LOL. ask me how i know.

Marc from Spartan?

I have a 2015 TL1 with all the new whizbang stuff. I bought new over used for a couple features but mainly because I looked at the pricing and couldn't stomach a 5 year old used machine for 85% of a new one. It does things well for how I want to run them in our industry... call me sometime and I'll give you a heads up on it.

Josh @ Patriot Valley

Wow

I just looked and apparently the new TL models have doors so you can close them for coolant/chip control? I used an older one that was basically a regular lathe with a cnc control, absolute crap for chips and coolant. Of course an ST10 is *only 16k (base price) more, and that gets you a 12 station turret, 6.5" hydraulic chuck, and a small selection of blocks for tooling.

moonlight machine said:

If you already ordered it isn't it a bit late to ask for opinions?

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Of course not I'm obviously not asking for your opinion on whether or not I should buy it. Not so obvious to some I suppose.

Gobo said:

Keep us posted on how they treat you. Being in California, there is no reason you should not get outstanding service. We have a Haas SL-10 and a horizontal mill. They have been good to us.

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So far they seem good to work with. I got it from Selway in Fremont and I've had only positive experiences with the people I've dealt with.

mkd said:

when I requisitioned a non-enclosure TL-2 in 2008 i was highly dismayed at being upsold on an upgraded coolant pump only to find out that coolant leaks EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!!!
Only real fix would be to place the thing in a coolant tank... or order the enclosure.

It's a comic fail on machine design in a few ways that gets overshadowed by how handy and useful they are. Early models had a stationary control panel.... good luck getting to the tailstock.


males need not stand to close the handles when in auto mode. LOL. ask me how i know.

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Ouch! I won't ask lol. This one comes with a new pump and I think a 20 gallon tank I forget. I've reviewed and researched so many specs now I can't remember the exact specs I'm getting

bohemr13 said:

Marc from Spartan?

I have a 2015 TL1 with all the new whizbang stuff. I bought new over used for a couple features but mainly because I looked at the pricing and couldn't stomach a 5 year old used machine for 85% of a new one. It does things well for how I want to run them in our industry... call me sometime and I'll give you a heads up on it.

Josh @ Patriot Valley

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Hi Josh yes that's me so I guess my cover is blown haha. Same username I use on all of the forums I frequent. Thank you for the offer to help. I'm a little nervous about it because I've had excellent results from my manual lathes and I've built a lot of tack driving, match winning rifles. It would just be nice if I could do more of them in a month. I think it will make more than the payment and all of the cost analysis formulas I've run look good. My biggest problem has always been that I'm buried in work and I lose a lot of customers because they have to wait so long. It's been this way for 7 years. One other builder I know has a TL-1 and a TL-2 that are much older and he laughed about how long it's taken me to switch to CNC.

I felt the same way about buying used. The nice used ones carry such a high resale value I just couldn't do it. With new I can get easy financing, a factory tech to come spend a day working with me (I'll have several of my common barrel jobs and muzzle brakes ready) and it's the newer nicer model. I wouldn't buy a used one for 50% of new. That high resale value is one of the reasons I decided to get it.

Yes they do have doors and I was told there is an easy way to bypass the safety feature that disables it when the doors are open.

I think I paid 37,000 including tax with a Bison 3 jaw, tailstock which was 2,500 all by itself, remote jog handle and conversational software upgrade.

I've been running a 2005(sold 2006) TL-1 that has performed very well. This is the one machine that the intuitive programming system has real value and makes sense. I do alot of radius and full radius work in 304 stainless-- easy to use the intuitive to do a 1 up and then the control has a recorder that records all the canned moves and puts it together as a single program. Still have to know G-code to get things tweaked to maximize efficiency. Lots of Haas videos out there and read, read, read that manual.

Well, I've extensively used a slightly older TL-2. The style from right before the "new" version. From a usability standpoint, honestly, it SUCKS until you adapt to it. The last version of TL had a tailstock that only locked down every 4". Well, that means if your part is a certain length, you have to stick it way out of the chuck in order to get your tool up to it without crunching the carriage up against the tailstock... having two different length size centers helps, like a real MT4 center, then a smaller one (MT2 or MT3) on an adapter. Whoever designed that must have never actually run a machine before... or done any critical thinking of any sort...

But, from what I see, the newer ones are much better. Tailstock has its own bed, basically, can lock anywhere. They now don't come open like the one I've run is, which in some ways limits the "accessibility", thinking about it from a manual-to-CNC standpoint... I liked the handles myself, but they are - ah - dangerous.

Ours is not very rigid compared to a (much older) SL-30, in some ways. Once I attempted to turn a rather large part, steel 9" diameter by 20-something long. Not happening on the TL, chatter so bad it alarmed out the machine. Threw it in the SL30, it did fine. So watch that. It's also rather weak, but that too I think was changed with the new version. Don't plan on tearing through steels above a 3 or 4" diameter, but you can do decently well.

I mean, all in all, I'd totally buy a new model TL1 or 2. Good machines for the price, IF you're only doing single-quantity parts or simple larger quantities. Anything more, and an SL will run circles around it... but, then, you lose a lot of length capacity. If not that, you're buying a daggone $150,000 lathe, vs. a $40,000 lathe...

Hi Marc,
The beautiful thing is that the parts/threads will all be the same, and perfect, with a much lower stress level (and much faster), once you have the setup and program worked out. I think you made a very good choice. I shopped those lathes, and for what you do, likely the best choice. I paid my dues in manual shops years ago,and have been in your shoes. IMO the Haas control is by far the easiest to use for someone coming from a manual background. Not likely you will need parts for a while, but if you do, a couple of days max will get them.
Since I don't do barrels, I don't need the same stuff you need. (I have a HL2 and a SL10) Threading on a CNC is so painless, and they come out the same (perfect) every time - you are going to LOVE that part. I still have my old 16X40 Hwacheon, but seldom use it.
Agree with buying new, since the used value on these seems to stay so high. The newer sheet metal seems to work a lot better than the older stuff for handing coolant and chips. Tailstock better too, agreeing with those that posted above.
Hope the machines treat you as well as you treat your customers!!!!

Marc_S said:

I'm just getting my first CNC machine. I've spoken to a few guys who run a TL-1 for my specific industry and they seem to like them although one did complain of having a lemon that costs him a lot of time. However all of those are the older model. They've redesigned it and I'd like to know if any of you have opinions based on experience with the new model.

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Now that you've got some time with it. What's your thoughts on the new style TL machine?
Good leak proof enclosure?
Tail stock finaly good?
Rigidity?
Repeatability?

I may be in the market for a jobber 1-10 off CNC with cheap/plentiful length soon for my garage setup