Haas VF-2 1995 consideration.

Hi guys
I am considering buying haas vf-2 from 1995, it have 4th axis and 10K spindle.

I am in factory shop mainly for simple dies and prototyping and one offs so I do not need or care about high production speed etc...

My concerns are.
How much does haas still support machines from this era, especially control wise, I read some older threads about needing to upgrade drives in case of motors failing but not looking for complete change if the control will fail.
How reliable those controls?


Is 10k spindle is a downside when machining steel, does it trade speed for torque?

Is the 4th axis is fully interpolated with other axis or just indexing solely?


How can the control cope with large programs, I am using HsmXpress cam and it can produce large files, can it dreep fed through Rs232?


Regard, Yaniv.

Yan_b said:

My concerns are.
How much does haas still support machines from this era, especially control wise, I read some older threads about needing to upgrade drives in case of motors failing but not looking for complete change if the control will fail.
How reliable those controls?

Click to expand...

Control is actually very reliable.
Just know: There is absolutely ZERO support from HAAS for that vintage control.
If the price is right, and the work/situation suits the machine? A guy could be profitable with that machine.
Just be aware, it is disposable! If the main processor fails? Throw it away.

It's not supported for control and most drive failures, but as long as the main processors aren't damaged many "normal" component failures on the boards can be repaired by competent electronics techs.

My older machine is just a couple years newer that yours, and works pretty well so far. My 2001 has full axis to rotary table interpolation, I suspect the machine you're looking at does too, but you should test and confirm before buying.

The machine isn't terribly stiff to start with, so the high spindle speed isn't your limit on cutting steels. Trade smaller carbide tools with higher RPM over large hogging tools, the mill is more suited to that anyway.

It may or may not have a memory expansion, but as long as the ports are good you can drip feed. Test the speeds and reliability before committing to actual parts.

Be sure you get it cheap, there's not much value in an older machine like that unless you've got very few options for newer equipment.

Well that's kind of scary, the machine is something like 2800$, can't get any lower than that around here, and it under power, I jogged it little bit and scrolled through the screens but I know nothing about haas controls so I was limited and the operator was not there, how can I check the memory size?

I actually went to see yang eagle 1000 in the same place, newer machine from 2000 with fanuc 0md control but I think it's to big to get into my workspace although it's the same price and much more machine.

If you can fit the Eagle, and it's working at least as well as the Haas, might as well get it instead. But check into service, it might be worth considering which machine can get fixed faster (controls aside, you should still be able to get mechanical bits for the Haas, not sure about the Yang).

I'd go for the Yang. They're still around and supporting that machine. The fanuc side should be no problem- boards and servomotors will be fanuc and available- but not cheap.

Most Taiwan machines are pretty generic on a lot of the parts. Things like tool changers you pretty much have to go to the MTB, but the electrical components, pumps, those sort of things can be replaced with equivalents from anywhere.

Documentation is important- make sure you have all the manuals, wiring diagrams, parameter lists, etc.

2800 is dirt cheap. You could buy that Haas and part it out on Ebay and make money. Just the servomotors would pay the machine off.

$2800.00 is a steal for that machine if it runs. that has DC drives. they are rebuildable . so are the motors. it has a motif not a mocon so last I checked haas did have some support for a upgraded that wasn't crazy like the brushless machines are I have a 93 vf1 bubble the runs like a top. it was in pieces when I got it. put it back together and have been using it the last 12 years or more.

oh and the 4th axis is a full 4th. as far as the machine goes. the actual 4th table will determine whether it's a step unit or not. I upgraded a old stepper to full 4th for around $600.00 it required cable and a encoder .