Used CNC lathe recommendations

Cole2534 · Jul 22, 2019

Hello all.

I'm thinking of adding a used CNC lathe to the mix. I recently pick up a Fadal VMC4020 and am really liking it as far as parts availability and technical info to be found.

So my question is- what's the lathe equivalent?

My use would be developing my own parts/tools. 12" swing, 30-40" c/c, 8+ tools, 2" + spindle bore, tailstock would be a huge plus. Primarily I want reliability and reasonable accuracy, +0.001" would be great for me.

It seems like a Mazak QuickTurn fits the bill pretty well but maybe there are other options?

This one is close and cheap, but it has some quirks as described by the current owner.

Tail stock is messed up, think it's one of the solenoids in the hydraulic block...turret hangs at random at x home. Just have to e-stop, move down in X, and change tools.

MAZAK - tools - by owner - sale

mrmoskill · Jul 24, 2019

Used CNC Lathe Recommendations

Hi Cole, Hope all is well. Since I buy many different brands of CNC Lathes, I can say some of it is opinion when dealing with machines of the same tier.

Kind of a Ford Vs Chevy thing...Fadal WAS a middle tier machine. Economic, fairly Rigid, Box Way...

Mazak is a Japanese machine making it a top tier in my book...though some models not so much like the Smart Series..BUT I would say you have the following brands that qualify for a Middle Tier machine...not in this order btw

Samsung
Daewoo / Doosan
Haas
Hurco
Hardinge

I get great feedback on these machines as I do many others. As far as tolerance goes...Your application is so very important and I wouldn't take anyones word for it...test the cut!

Message me direct if you would like to know whats available.

[
QUOTE=Cole2534;3387717]Hello all.

I'm thinking of adding a used CNC lathe to the mix. I recently pick up a Fadal VMC4020 and am really liking it as far as parts availability and technical info to be found.

So my question is- what's the lathe equivalent?

My use would be developing my own parts/tools. 12" swing, 30-40" c/c, 8+ tools, 2" + spindle bore, tailstock would be a huge plus. Primarily I want reliability and reasonable accuracy, +0.001" would be great for me.

It seems like a Mazak QuickTurn fits the bill pretty well but maybe there are other options?

This one is close and cheap, but it has some quirks as described by the current owner.

MAZAK - tools - by owner - sale[/QUOTE]

Bobw · Jul 24, 2019

MAZAK - tools - by owner - sale

Seriously???? If you want a boat anchor, I'll sell you a boat anchor.

WTF?

Now seriously. Nothing wrong with a Mazak lathe, honesty I won't have anything to do with anything else.. MAZATROL!!!!! Screw that G-coding stuff on a lathe. Mid 80's up to the late 90's, they aren't that expensive, and they really very rarely break.. Still supported, you can still get parts. Not as easily and cheaply as a Fadal, but those lathes just very rarely break...

I've got an '84 that I've had for 12 years. she's a good girl. She'll hold within easily a half thou(usually a few tenths) if the temp is stabalized.. In those 12 years.. New belts. A spindle encoder ($165 used), and just recently the stupid piston that pushes and pulls the turret got all screwed up... $45 for new o-rings, and that is enough o-rings to rebuild it 4 more times. And a few air leaks from old lines getting brittle and cracking.

And the Mazatrol. Its so awesome, even on a T1, which is lacking a lot compared to a T2 or an M32 or even a T+, but its still so simple and FAST!!!!

you buy a Fadal because its cheap, and when it breaks you can get support and parts and the parts are cheap compared to most machines. You Buy a Mazak Lathe because you really don't have to worry about those things, and they are all still supported.. Though I would NOT buy a Fanuc controlled Mazak..

mc3608 · Jul 24, 2019

Mori Seiki TL5 CNC Lathe - $10500 (Hurst) - heavy equipment - by owner - sale

Very good condition. Not too far from you.
I've held .0002 and a 4 RMS on Beryllium copper Bushings.

RC Mech · Jul 24, 2019

mc3608 said:
Mori Seiki TL5 CNC Lathe - $10500

Very good condition. Not too far from you.
I've held .0002 and a 4 RMS on Beryllium copper Bushings.

Prehistoric, unsupported and with fantasy pricing. Not quite equivalent to a Fadal...

Vancbiker · Jul 24, 2019

RC Mech said:
Prehistoric, unsupported and with fantasy pricing. Not quite equivalent to a Fadal...

It is old, but parts are still available for the control and machine. You won`t like the price of those parts though.

Price is high unless it is much nicer mechanically than it is cosmetically. Can not tell that from pics.

Yep, not equivalent to a fadal. Like 10x more machine.

Personally, I would not get too fussed about Mazatrol. Lathe G code programming is so simple that it hardly warrants CAM or conversational.

EnderDRM · Jul 24, 2019

Mazatrol makes the easy things really easy, but can sometimes make the hard things harder.

Garwood · Jul 24, 2019

An M5 is a pretty big monster. Fanuc 6T is still a fine control for a lathe.

I recently sold a couple Mazak M4's (little sisters to the M5's). Had several guys show up to look at them that were completely ignorant as to how big a CNC with that capacity actually is. Make sure you read the data plate on that M5 stating 47 KVA! That's a lot of pixies and you'll need every bit of that to spin up a 15" chuck.

litlerob1 · Jul 24, 2019

Okuma LB-15 or 25-the end.

R

Cole2534 · Jul 25, 2019

litlerob1 said:
Okuma LB-15 or 25-the end.

R

Forgot about those.....

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toolmaker96 · Jul 25, 2019

Find yourself an Okuma Cadet. Those things are bulletproof.

m98custom1212 · Jul 25, 2019

All I can say is after the nuke war- all that will be left is cockroachs and 90's mazak quickturns

Cole2534 · Jul 25, 2019

m98custom1212 said:
All I can say is after the nuke war- all that will be left is cockroachs and 90's mazak quickturns

Pretty well what I'm leaning toward. A QT15 or the like.

mmurray70 · Jul 26, 2019

Bobw said:
And the Mazatrol. Its so awesome, even on a T1, which is lacking a lot compared to a T2 or an M32 or even a T+, but its still so simple and FAST!!!!

you buy a Fadal because its cheap, and when it breaks you can get support and parts and the parts are cheap compared to most machines. You Buy a Mazak Lathe because you really don't have to worry about those things, and they are all still supported.. Though I would NOT buy a Fanuc controlled Mazak..

I have an early 80s QT10 with T1 control and its still working great as well. I would try and avoid the T1 control though honestly if you can, too many limitations with the T1.

EnderDRM said:
Mazatrol makes the easy things really easy, but can sometimes make the hard things harder.

Exactly. Cant beat it for simple stuff, but when you try to do something out of the ordinary or take shortcuts to save time, it can be a pain to make it do what you want. Newer mazaks can run mazatrol or g-code which is great, best of both worlds. My T1 is Mazatrol only.

Pete Deal · Jul 27, 2019

What Bobw said!

Nikolaiownz · Jul 28, 2019

litlerob1 said:
Okuma LB-15 or 25-the end.

R

Word. These old okumas are monsters and if you get s control with igf you got a winner

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk

Nikolaiownz · Jul 28, 2019

I got a old mazak mill and I will get another mazak. The support and service is fucking retarded.

I was not able to get service or parts because the machine wasent registered to me. Never heard from them when I told them to re register

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Mike1974 · Jul 28, 2019

Nikolaiownz said:
I got a old mazak mill and I will get another mazak. The support and service is fucking retarded.

I was not able to get service or parts because the machine wasent registered to me. Never heard from them when I told them to re register

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk

I can't say specifically to mazak, but support is all over the place on all brands depending on location.
I've heard some say methods was fantastic, but my exp in northern IN was complete opposite. Same thing with mastercam, northern IN was great, but this area sucked...

Buying used, I would not count on support from anyone except this community and your own 2 hands.

70olds · Jul 29, 2019

Nikolaiownz said:
Word. These old okumas are monsters and if you get s control with igf you got a winner

Sendt fra min EML-L29 med Tapatalk

We have a few of these from the mid 80's and they are great. You don't HAVE to use IGF and I find myself just writing out long hand and using LAP cycles instead. IGF is fantastic for a machine of that age though, I am just personally faster without it since I don't use it that often. Machines are also still supported and can usually be found in the 5-8K ballpark for a 15. A 25 because of it's size isn't usually much more expensive since most people look for the smaller ones.

Cole2534 · Jun 1, 2021

Nearly 2 years later, I brought home a QT15 today. It should be in place and temporarily connected by tomorrow evening if I'm lucky!

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