Wanting to buy CNC Mill, Nothing fancy, but functional, up and running

Very new to CNC, but have manually ran Mills, Lathes, etc for years. We have a small fab shop, and I need to be able to repeat a process on GM differential carriers. I can do it manually, but at an hour a piece, I sure would like to program something to do it. Would love something like a Tormach, but would like to stay in the 4k to 5k area on price. I live in DEEP south Texas, so I would have to drive to pick just about anything up.

Let me know your thoughts, what you have, advice, etc, My eyes and ears are open!

Eddie

My experience recently says that $4-5k is a little too optimistic unless you are really good at hunting finds and being patient.

Quick search on craigslist comes up with these possibilities:

CNC Mazak Vertical Milling Center VQC 15/40

CNC Milling Machine

1996 Bridgeport TQ22 VMC (CNC)

Way overpriced for dead machines If you want to try revive them and can get them in your budget, might be worth a shot:
Excel Kiwa 510-Colt Vertical Mill CNC Machining Center VNC w/ Fanuc

MAZAK AJV-25/405 CNC Vertical Mill Milling Center w/ 30-Tool Changer

http://austin.craigslist.org/tld/5379476066.html

http://austin.craigslist.org/tld/5379498273.html

I have a Tree Journeyman 310/Millennium 3100 with an Anilam 1400 control that I may get rid of in the near future. It's fully functional (it had an easy life in a prototype mold shop) and currently under power. I am working on replacing it with a more modern VMC. If something like it would suit your needs I'll let you know if and when it needs to go.

A Bridgeport Boss 5 or 6 might suit your needs. Around here in SW Ohio 5 to 8 hundred dollars. Internet shopping is for the those who don't know how to get good deals. Look in the corner of machine shops. Most have stuff they want gone.

I Need Help Finding A VMC

Okay I am expecting flack for this request because I am sure someone has asked this question before and it can be found in the archives however I have not found what I am looking so I'll pose the question: In looking for a used VMC I am told to do research on it. Trouble is I can't seem to find a place to find this research. I am looking at several mills and it appears that there are deals to be had however I am new to the CNC world. I have limited space in my shop and a Haas Minimill seems to be the ideal size but is too pricey for my budget. $10k including shipping. Any suggestions on an alternative or where I can research these things?

Check you inbox. I've got a boss 8 bridge port and a Takasawa macv2 that are extra for my needs.

Tim

Tin Knocker said:

Okay I am expecting flack for this request because I am sure someone has asked this question before and it can be found in the archives however I have not found what I am looking so I'll pose the question: In looking for a used VMC I am told to do research on it. Trouble is I can't seem to find a place to find this research. I am looking at several mills and it appears that there are deals to be had however I am new to the CNC world. I have limited space in my shop and a Haas Minimill seems to be the ideal size but is too pricey for my budget. $10k including shipping. Any suggestions on an alternative or where I can research these things?

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Lots of us have the same problem. Small space, low budget. There isn't really an answer that you are going to like. I have been researching this problem for years and am getting closer and closer to spending the $25 000 on a used Minimill or even a brand new little Sharp


http://www.ebay.ca/itm/NEW-SHARP-SV...205470?hash=item56752f0dde:g:4g4AAOSw~OdVX3V1

Decide what's most important to you.

If it's budget, then you'll be waiting around for a while to find the right deal.

Coupled with the above, if you don't mind working on stuff yourself, things can be had much quicker and cheaper.

If it's size you'll have to trade off functionality to stay within budget.

If it's 'newness', you'll be waiting a while to find something new, even then you may have to work on it.

Once upon a time I got a 1993 HAAS VF0 in very good shape for 10,500. Got to work straightaway and it was good.

Recently I bought a basket case Fadal for a grand and spent several months refurbishing it. Still less than 5k all told. It's old, slow-ish, ugly-ish, and the control is ancient-ish. Just got a 128K memory upgrade ordered for it, which should put me at 156K.

Deals can be found and had, you just gotta be in the right place at the right time.

If resale is important, HAAS.

If parts availability is important, HAAS.

If ease of use is important, HAAS.

If you can work on it yourself, figure out stuff, and be self-reliant, then Fadal.

Fadal isn't going to be as nice (come on, the handwheel scroll in the editor on a HAAS is genius), not as fast, not as expensive, and much easier to work on.

As for Japanese machines, stay away from anything with a Yasnac control, parts availability is a crap shoot with the various models.

Don't attempt a retrofit unless you REALLY know what you're doing and have the cash and time to follow through.

Japanese machines last forever, but the control electronics don't (the control part is true for all machines), so just because a MC-500V pops up for cheap, don't get all giddy.

The more off-brand the machine is, the harder it's gonna be to find info and parts, this is especially true for older Japanese machines (they are really well built, just not supported for as long as they live).

I've owned Japanese, US, and Czech machines, all have good and bad points.

Tin Knocker said:

In looking for a used VMC I am told to do research on it. Trouble is I can't seem to find a place to find this research.

Click to expand...

You found the place.. You just posted there/here...

Google... "oddball machine" site:practicalmachinist.com

If the only thing that comes up is you asking about it, don't buy it...

I don't care how cheap the machine is.. Parts availability(and cost) and support are probably more important than the
machine itself when trying to get into a machine for cheap... You need to factor in the cost of getting it going and
keeping it going...

And I was serious about not getting excited when you see a Matsuura MC-500V-2

I searched ebay and found one that had pictures taken at the auction where the dealer bought it. Screen wasn't on, tons of people gathered round similar early 80's era Mats machines.

They wanted $9500 for the machine, I'll bet they didn't pay over $3500 for the machine.

I'd recommend a Fadal. They are easy to use and parts are easy to get/not expensive. The control is ancient, but it is user friendly once you get yourself into the 1980's pre-Windows "computer mindset". I think if you double your budget you can probably find something good enough for what you are doing.

RH68 said:

I'd recommend a Fadal. They are easy to use and parts are easy to get/not expensive. The control is ancient, but it is user friendly once you get yourself into the 1980's pre-Windows "computer mindset". I think if you double your budget you can probably find something good enough for what you are doing.

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While I agree a Fadal will fit his needs and budget, I disagree he has to pay 20k to get a good machine. Right now 10k should get you a decent Fadal.

Perry Harrington said:

While I agree a Fadal will fit his needs and budget, I disagree he has to pay 20k to get a good machine. Right now 10k should get you a decent Fadal.

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His budget is 4-5K. 10K IS double his budget.

Econdron said:

His budget is 4-5K. 10K IS double his budget.

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'Doh, the other thread ON THE EXACT SAME SUBJECT, his budget was $35k IIRC.

47nomad said:

A Bridgeport Boss 5 or 6 might suit your needs. Around here in SW Ohio 5 to 8 hundred dollars. Internet shopping is for the those who don't know how to get good deals. Look in the corner of machine shops. Most have stuff they want gone.

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yeah, because all machine shops are lined up in rows like a mall, and you're free to wander around in them.

At 100 dollars an hour that buys 100 of them done for you at another shop. Are you getting more then 10 a week? I think you have not talked about through put of the item in your shop. If these are not eating up all hours of your week in your shop. From the vague idea of past automotive parts I have worked on. CNC is more a chase the squirrel around then it is a help. That being said a conversational cnc for punching bolt patterns, power tapping or skimming a sealing face is quite fast and easy.

The reason I describe full cnc as being a pain as that your going to be indicating and shimming a casting in and none are the same. So there is always some wiggling of the casting. Nothing is pop it into a vice and pound it with a hammer.