should i buy an 07 VF3B

hey guys,

Looking at an 07 VF3B shortly.

anything i should look out for in particular? It has very low hours, so i don't expect it to have any issues really. has renishaw probe. 10krpm spindle TSC... not sure what else (is there an easily acceptable screen i can get to to see what other options it has?

Also what's the B in the name mean?

Cheers,
Trav

The easiest thing for you to do is call Haas with the serial number of the machine. I think the "B" is an option package. Does it have M.O.M. by chance?
They only offered it as an option for a few years in that time frame. It is a little red nozzle and line hooked to the programmable coolant nozzle that shoots streams of oil to the cutting tool from a reservoir on the back of the machine. I have a VF-3B built in 11/2007, so it may be considered a 2008,
but it has Minimum Oil Machining and it is fantastic for tapping in difficult materials(our reservoir is filled with Tap Magic). I bought mine used
with probably 2000 spindle hours in 2012, and it has been a great machine. The only repair I have had to make is a spindle drive belt. Make sure it has had a
clean and dry air supply to it. Water in the air supply means water in the spindle bearings, since Haas uses air/oil system to lube the spindle bearings.

pretty sure "B" is gear-box.

Options will be checked on a list on a sticker inside the rear cabinet door. Also in the manual/installation docs from when originally installed.
2007 is a sketchy year for control support. that machine is right on the line of Coldfire-I to Coldfire-II transition.
Coldfire-I is no longer supported, other than a $10k PLUS upgrade to Coldfire-II, should the main processor fail. (a part worth about $350)
I do not know the software version numbers off the top of my head to be able to help you determine which processor it is running.
But, it would be in your best interest to find out!

(I speak from experience)

but when well they stop supporting the coldfire-II control ? That is the next question .

D.D.Machine said:

but when well they stop supporting the coldfire-II control ? That is the next question .

Click to expand...

How about taking a break!

When you look at the hours...make sure its the machine hours...not the re-settable machine Power on hours.

I like to look through the Alarm history to see if something unusual pops out at you. Should be some Over Travel Errors, Low Lube, File not found, Tool Over Load...those are the norm. If you see, Drive error, Ground faults...those are worth a closer look. Sometimes its the X-axis cable or brushes need to be cleaned...other times its more. Check with Haas Service and request a report of service done to machine... At that age, expect X axis cable, a motor or two, Power supply and an amps two may have been replaced as well as a handful of limit switches.

I like to check for table play, spindle play...should only be a thou or two when pushed on hard and go back to zero.

I like to change gears, do a few tool changes, run axis limit to limit...look at table and enclosure for some Oops's. If it looks like an old garbage truck in there...you know it was treated like one.

Its a VARY valid question ... I would have NEVER Bought my SL10 if my HFO would have told me 6 months before when I asked them about parts for a 2000 model haas lathe and was told I could get any thing I needed for it .... 6 months later haas quit selling controller card at $1,200 and if the control goes out now the machine is scrap ,,,

I think knowing when Haas is going to start making customers pay $12,000 to fix there machine is VALID.

D.D.Machine said:

Its a VARY valid question ... I would have NEVER Bought my SL10 if my HFO would have told me 6 months before when I asked them about parts for a 2000 model haas lathe and was told I could get any thing I needed for it .... 6 months later haas quit selling controller card at $1,200 and if the control goes out now the machine is scrap ,,,

I think knowing when Haas is going to start making customers pay $12,000 to fix there machine is VALID.

Click to expand...

So to be consistent then, I expect you to bring this information and post it into every Haas post from now on. No exceptions or you are not being honest. Or maybe it was best used in the one post on that particular board issue! MAYBE? In nearly 20 years of Haas use, I have never replaced that board, or any other board except one that was taken out by lightning, so does not seem to relevant unless that problem comes up.

Just my 2 cents, probably worth less than that.

M

machineit2 said:

So to be consistent then, I expect you to bring this information and post it into every Haas post from now on. No exceptions or you are not being honest. Or maybe it was best used in the one post on that particular board issue! MAYBE? In nearly 20 years of Haas use, I have never replaced that board, or any other board except one that was taken out by lightning, so does not seem to relevant unless that problem comes up.

Just my 2 cents, probably worth less than that.

M

Click to expand...

Did the board that lightning took out cost $12,000?

If it did would you still have the same attitude?

Would you children stop bickering in my thread

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

machineit2 said:

In nearly 20 years of Haas use, I have never replaced that board, or any other board except one that was taken out by lightning, so does not seem to relevant unless that problem comes up.

Click to expand...

Pretty relevant to me. In my 4 years in business, owning 3 HAAS mills now, I have replaced "that" board.
And two MOCON boards, and one I/O board. Not to mention two Vector-Drives, and two Servo-Drives.
A spindle motor, and a gear-box. Two Z-ball-screws. And, countless little shits.
And, my machines are not old beaters.

It is quite relevant. And a bullshit situation.

I am not really inviting the dog-pile that D.D. keeps getting attacked with on myself.
But, until you have been through this issue, you simply do not understand the resulting ass-chapping!

And, that does not include the at least 1/2 dozen random boards I have seen replaced in other peoples machines while I was an employee over the last 20 years.
It certainly DOES happen. The proof is in the current state of used HAAS machine prices.
One just needs to surf ebay for a few minutes to see the obvious price delta between Coldfire-I, and Coldfire-II machines.

xa-mont said:

Would you children stop bickering in my thread

Click to expand...

Yeah, much better to remain ignorant of a possible hosing by a manufacturer due to them deciding arbitrarily that they will no longer support a critical component for a machine you're deciding to buy. I personally would want to be aware of this issue, but if you're happy with the risk of the machine being held for a $12K USD (plus installation) ransom, well, have a great day.

Great support at a rational price was a reason to buy Haas, now not so much...

Milland said:

Yeah, much better to remain ignorant of a possible hosing by a manufacturer due to them deciding arbitrarily that they will no longer support a critical component for a machine you're deciding to buy. I personally would want to be aware of this issue, but if you're happy with the risk of the machine being held for a $12K USD (plus installation) ransom, well, have a great day.

Great support at a rational price was a reason to buy Haas, now not so much...

Click to expand...

I'm glad to get the info. No need for people to cry at each other though.

Sent from my LG-H815 using Tapatalk

Milland said:

Yeah, much better to remain ignorant of a possible hosing by a manufacturer due to them deciding arbitrarily that they will no longer support a critical component for a machine you're deciding to buy. I personally would want to be aware of this issue, but if you're happy with the risk of the machine being held for a $12K USD (plus installation) ransom, well, have a great day.

Great support at a rational price was a reason to buy Haas, now not so much...

Click to expand...

The big problem I have with this situation is that these machines are only 10 years old.
In my perception: HAAS is labeling their product as "disposable".
Everybody keeps saying we have become a disposable society. Are they just jumping on the bandwagon?
10 years is not that old for a well-built machine tool. Especially one that has not seen severe service (heavy production).

Or, is it a money-grab? Your guess...............

If they were dumping support of 20 year old machines? I may have a different perspective.
But, just like has already been pointed out countless times. Support (including reasonable parts/service cost) was a HUGE factor when I bought my machines.
$10-14k to repair a failed processor board is completely unreasonable. And, their reason for this situation is bogus!
I was told by a HAAS customer service representative (first name Carlos),
that the fact that a specific chip on the board is not available anymore, is the reason the board is obsolete. (I have the conversation saved).
It has been proven a bunch of times that said chip is in fact NOT obsolete.

You be the judge........

Good luck OP. I hope it turns out to be Coldfire-II equipped. It could be a great machine. Mine work their balls off for me.

With 35 years in the trade and 25+ being self employed I have learned that a machine is only as good as the support behind it ,,, I ordered a new a Mori CL200-500 and it has been a great machine ,,, "BUT" 3 years ago the mori went down and it has not made a part in 3 years ,,, mori and mits keep pointing the finger at each other as to who needs to fix it ,,,
That is why I picked up the SL10 haas lathe. I was not expecting to get a machine as nice as the mori and I did not pay a mori price for it ... but I did call the HFO and was told that parts were easy to get for them so i picked it up after everyone was telling me how great haas was at there parts and service ... If my HFO would have told me in 6 months haas was going to take a cheap $1,200 board swap and make it into a full $12,000 rebuild i would have never got it ,,,, even if my HFO would have told me about haas stopping sales of there boards I would have picked up some spare boards to have in stock ,,, but NO haas just goes and screws over all of there customers with machine before 2007.

Someone would have to be nuts to even look at a haas older than 2007 unless the price was 12K under what a 2008 was worth or more ... and whats to say Haas is going to keep supporting the coldfire-II control ... Haas is a "ONE" owner company and he can do what ever he wants. he made the choices to stick his finger up at me and everyone else that owns pre 2008 machine, just like he made the choice to start selling the new nex-gen control YEARS before it was ready for the shop floor and he made the choice to shut down the HMC line ... Just go look at what the prices are doing on all pre 2008 machines and on the used HMC machines and tell me how you think haas has your back...

I do like the older haas controls and there machines are not bad if you come into them knowing that there a light machine with a HP rating of a shop vac.