Buying a used Fadal in 2023?

[BluishInventor]

Hi all,

I'm going to look at a Fadal 3016 tomorrow(personal purchase). The offer may be too good to be true(close to free) but the 2 photos i got look to be not abused though, you never know.

It has an 88 control(non HS). Read up on some of the differences of those. Have used Fadals before, but 10 years ago and forgot pretty much everything. Any good resources or a command list since it doesn't have the menus the 88HS menus do? I'll probably just watch some YouTube videos tonight either way.

It has power, so I can run through some movements, tool changes, spindle rpm, etc.. I plan to bring some tools to check backlash, squareness, etc. May just bring our shop's ball bar and see what that shows. I've been browsing through Bobw's posts on things to look through like ways and drawbar. Anything else to look out for?

Some other questions:
Are repair parts easy to find?
Are there any good upgrades to look into getting right way?
Is it worth owning a Fadal in 2023?

Thanks in advance!

--BI

 

[BluishInventor]

Found the CNC88 manual here https://nxgenparts.com/content/Fadal 2006 Legacy CNC88 Operator Manual.pdf

 

[CarbideBob]

Used machines are bad... buy new stuff only.

 

[Marvel]

Used machines are bad... buy new stuff only.

I've bought 4 used machines in the last 4-5 years, they have all paid for themselves easily over 10x with very minimal issues, I think combined I've put maybe $3k into them.

They all also have warranties with mechanical breakdown coverage with $1000 deductibles, cost about $400 per machine annually.

 

[mmurray70]

Hi all,

I'm going to look at a Fadal 3016 tomorrow(personal purchase). The offer may be too good to be true(close to free) but the 2 photos i got look to be not abused though, you never know.

It has an 88 control(non HS). Read up on some of the differences of those. Have used Fadals before, but 10 years ago and forgot pretty much everything. Any good resources or a command list since it doesn't have the menus the 88HS menus do? I'll probably just watch some YouTube videos tonight either way.

It has power, so I can run through some movements, tool changes, spindle rpm, etc.. I plan to bring some tools to check backlash, squareness, etc. May just bring our shop's ball bar and see what that shows. I've been browsing through Bobw's posts on things to look through like ways and drawbar. Anything else to look out for?

Some other questions:
Are repair parts easy to find?
Are there any good upgrades to look into getting right way?
Is it worth owning a Fadal in 2023?

Thanks in advance!

--BI

Try and find mid 90s or newer. Older machines have a weird 3 belt setup, really fine pitch ballscrews, not enough belleville washers, smaller servos etc.
I have a 1994 and 1995 VMC 4020 and they work well for us.

 

[BluishInventor]

Try and find mid 90s or newer. Older machines have a weird 3 belt setup, really fine pitch ballscrews, not enough belleville washers, smaller servos etc.
I have a 1994 and 1995 VMC 4020 and they work well for us.

I won't know much more about it until I see it tomorrow. If things check out, then I will do some more research into the specifics.

 

[Houndogforever]

It is 30 year old machine. I still have one, runs every day, mostly. Can't wait to part it out or sell it or whatever.
Of course not having money to replace it right now means, I gotta wait.

Hope it's dirt cheap. Should be under $10k for certain.

 

[markz]

I am looking at similar machine for purchase.
Do I throw money at it and buy, brand new, say, a) TRAK TMC 7, about $60 k base price, b) HAAS, 49 k base price, or c) a used fadal and put a new control on it such as NXGEN cnc. Don't know what the newer control costs, guessing 8K or so
What I am after: 3 axis, tool changer, coolant, 30 x 16 or 40 x 20 travels. Small footprint is best due to limited space. I do 1 offs, decorative pieces.
Control I am most familiar with, don't laugh, Mach3, 22,000+ hours experience. The NXGEN looks like it is built on top of Mach3, which is fine.

After reading this thread, anyone have any further thoughts on putting the NXGEN or similar control on an older Fadal? Did you do a conversion or did you go another route, new machine, whatever?

 

[LOTT]

Is it just me, or does that TMC7 give off tinkertoy vibes? Like it should be advertised as "My First CNC", in a kindergarten kind of way? No personal experience, that's just how it looks.

Having used and repaired retrofits I wouldn't go that route. It has some kind of allure to the uninitiated (myself included at one point), but it's just not worth the pain.

If you have the money and demand buy new, otherwise find a 10-15 year old mill that fits your specs with a FANUC or Mitsubishi control, that is under power making parts.

 

[LOTT]

Control I am most familiar with, don't laugh, Mach3, 22,000+ hours experience.

Just out of curiosity how did you spend eleven years working full time on Mach3?

 

[markz]

Started about 15 years ago with a hobby machine running Mach, now on my 4th machine, adding up the hours on the 4 machine, comes out about 22,000 hours. many of that is long runs unattended. Point is, that is the control, for better or worse, that I am familiar with
Thankyou for your feedback on a retrofit. Something to consider

 

[CarbideBob]

Just out of curiosity how did you spend eleven years working full time on Mach3?

How do you get eleven years?
My shop is called ESS ....Eight thousand, Seven hundred and Sixty hours per year the machines run if enough work.
I get 2.5 years at full production.

 

[markz]

To the subject at hand, which is a new machine, if I have, say, $40 - 60k, and want 40 x 20 travels, 3 axis, a tool changer, what would you buy?

 

[LOTT]

Gotcha, I was thinking man hours.

If 30 x 16 would work there are a bunch in that range listed online, at that point you need to start looking at part materials and tool sizes to set your priorities.

 

[LOTT]

If you don't mind Taiwanese this looks good on paper.

Used Feeler HV-1000 - CNC Vertical Machining Center - 8072719

Feeler HV-1000 for sale, more listings for other used CNC Vertical Machining Centers available! KD Capital Equipment is the leader in used CNC Machines.

www.kdcapital.com

 

[SteveEx30]

I wouldn't hesitate to retrofit a Fadal if its still in good shape.

 

[markz]

Thank you, indeed there are many machines shown. 40 x 20, or 30 x16, either would work, bigger is better but larger footprint is not.

 

[markz]

thank you Steve, have you had experience doing this, how did it turn out?

 

[RC Mech]

If you don't mind Taiwanese this looks good on paper.

Used Feeler HV-1000 - CNC Vertical Machining Center - 8072719

Feeler HV-1000 for sale, more listings for other used CNC Vertical Machining Centers available! KD Capital Equipment is the leader in used CNC Machines.

www.kdcapital.com

What’s the asking? Website has some bullshit about “activating pricing”.

 

[Codyyy]

I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Fadal even today. I learned a lot on one in 2016 in a class I took, preceded to work in various shops that have them and continue to use one in our shop to this day to make parts on the fly. I bought a ‘90s Compaq Presario and loaded OneCNC to send larger programs but I basically just hand code on it.