Maxi Torque-Rite Drawbar Troubles

Anyone using ones of these auto drawbars? They are very nice (better than the Kurt or the Australian-one), but mine is getting very sluggish on drawing the tool out. Any suggestions or anyone else having problems?

Is it getting proper lube?

Where did you get it and who has the best price on them? I need one for a Lagun mill.......

dan k

Just before I posted, I did take the cap off and dripped a little oil on the vanes. It's helped a little, but's it's still sluggish.

Mine came with my machine. But I remember seeing them for sale reasonably priced in a random tool catalog (KMT or KBM Tooling Supply or something). I was kicking myself because it was cheaper than the junky Austrialian one I bought for my knee mill.

Appliedproto, do you know the name of the Australian one? I need to get one for my machine.

luthor.......

I think they're called (oddly enough) the Aussie Drawbar....or similar....

dan k

Applied,
I have worked on a couple of these drawbars, Usually when they are slow you can disassemble them and lubricate with light oil. This should help. An inline oiler will keep it working. You can buy these from www.elrodmachine.com if you need one.
Hope this helps.

Dan & Luthor.

It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s NOT made down here. I’ve never seen or heard of one. Just spent an hour searching. I’ve been to every engineering and machine tool show here in the last 25 years. Never heard of it. None of my catalogues from all the usual machine tool accessary companies have ever showed one.

A search of ASIC (Australian Securities & Investments Commission), http://www.search.asic.gov.au/gns001.html doesn’t find a company or trading name of Aussie Power Drawbar.

Neither does an online search of the White or Yellow telephone directories, nation wide.

Google search, set to show sites from Australia only, of “Aussie Power Drawbar” or the part number “ADB-123” gets no hits.
Numerous sites on your side of the pacific, but none down-under.
Peen Tool
http://www.penntoolco.com/catalog/products/products.cfm?categoryID=2448
Reynolds Machine & Tools
http://www.rmtcorp.com/indexman/index.htm
EBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/AUSSIE-air-power-drawbar-R8-NT30-CNC-Bridgeport-mill_W0QQitemZ7608044830QQcategoryZ12584QQcmdZViewItem
Travers
http://www.travers.com/htdocs/pdf/0499cat.pdf
IPS Tool
http://www.ipstool.com/Catalog/0311.pdf

Contained in that last ipstool link. It shows an Australian made logo. The kangaroo in a green triangle. That one is bogus. The real one looks like this. http://www.australianmade.com.au/ That logo is trade marked and requires registration & licensing to use it. A search of the Australian made site doesn’t find it either.

http://www.manufacturingcenter.com/tooling/directory/SearchResult.asp?CatCode=5298&subcatcode=2304&scindex=p
From the above link. I turned up an address, based in Cali. An Incorporated (Inc.) company. Ours are Pty.Ltd. (Proprietary Limited) or Ltd. (Limited by shares). Which means nothing. If that was an associated to an Australian company with a division in the States, they would have to register it under your company laws. Ie. Inc. Point being: I cant find a parent company here.

Aussie Power Drawbar Inc.
5151 Oceanus Drive Bldg. 109
Huntington Beach, CA 92649
714-379-1380
Fax: 379-1385

I read in one of those links, that there have been 12,000 units made. If that was the case, they would be as well know as ANCA or Cherry Ripes down here.

Regards Phil.

I have a Kurt (new 3 years ago). Although it has a filter and oiler, it seems that even with sufficient line pressure it sputters. I ended up teeing the line and putting a portable air tank nearby thus assuring enough volume at the right pressure. Problem solved.

It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s NOT made down here.

Click to expand...

Leave it to a US company to try to ruin the image of an entire country with a mediocre product Why associate Australia or Kangaroos with a power drawbar...beats me.

Anyhow, A little oil did help the me. I think something wrong with my inline oiler. It's level never goes down, and the interior of the drawbar housing was bone dry.

Your in BOSTON...had much rain lately?
Is the air loaded with moisture?

The reason they say it is made in Asutrailia is that they don't have to say it is made in China. I guess they figure being in the states that who is going to be the wiser and bust them on it. For that matter, is it illegal in the states to say your product is made in Austraila when it isn't?

But who wouldn't want something with a kangaroon on it perched on top of their milling machine? Can't get any cuter than that.

Thanks for the replies dkmc and Machtool, I also had trouble finding Aussie Drawbars on the net. The only supplier I was able to find was that one in CA.

Luthor.

Hare & Forbes has a version of one. Not the Aussie one, their own Asian version. It has a Panda Bear on it. (I’m kidding) But they want $849 for it. Page 27 in this catalogue.
http://www.hareandforbes.com.au/sample_2/Catalogues/Metalworking/metal_index.html

Fella’s.

If that other Aussie one is as fraudulent as I think it is. How angry would I have to get, before I did something about it? Take that logo for instance. People here pay very good money just to be licensed to use that. The drawbar one is kinda clever in that they have dropped the “Made in Australia” and replaced it with their part number. So they don’t actually claim its made here.

But it’s still on that green & gold trade mark symbol with the Kangaroo. So how many people would automatically see that and assume it’s from here. There’s a mechanism’s to report fraudulent use of that logo. Not that I’ve done that. Just thinking out loud here.

Code of practice and such, regarding the use of that logo here for any one that was interested. http://www.australianmade.com.au/about/

Regards Phil.

Hey, I talked to the owner of the company that makes the Maxi-Torque drawbar. I'll give him a plug because he was very helpful, nice small company, and makes a great product.

You can buy these drawbars through KBC Tools, and they are cheaper and better than Kurt and the A&T (Australian one) drawbars by a long shot.

KBC Tools (GO TO PAGE 865)

Well I googled it...and here we are....

My problem is a little different, I have a 40 taper spindle, and Im having a problem with tools sticking in the spindle. Running the recommended 90psi, oiler has oil, I cleaned out the taper a few times now, tried wd on the spindle taper, still having a tough time. I end up holding the quill handle, with the brake on and jog the out button till the tool pops off the taper. Most times I don't drop the tool. Most times.... any idears?