Those of you with CNC machines........

[bad565ss]

Which machine are you running?
Would you buy it again?

 

[pshupe]

I have a turn key machine which is locally sourced. I have actually recommended this machine to others and have been responsible for 4 almost identical machines being purchased. It is probably most similar to Laguna in quality and a bit cheaper with some big advantages.

Here is a picture right after I purchased.


Are you looking for a machine? What kind of specs?

Regards Peter.

 

[bad565ss]

I have a turn key machine which is locally sourced. I have actually recommended this machine to others and have been responsible for 4 almost identical machines being purchased. It is probably most similar to Laguna in quality and a bit cheaper with some big advantages.

Here is a picture right after I purchased.
View attachment 513491

Are you looking for a machine? What kind of specs?

Regards Peter.

I'm upgrading from a hobby level 30" x 30" benchtop
machine. Due to space and power limitations it will
still be benchtop but more robust and faster.
The leader is the Millright Mega V. Made in USA.
35" x 35" work space. Rack driven. $2139 delivered.

 

[pshupe]

I'm upgrading from a hobby level 30" x 30" benchtop
machine. Due to space and power limitations it will
still be benchtop but more robust and faster.
The leader is the Millright Mega V. Made in USA.
35" x 35" work space. Rack driven. $2139 delivered.

The one I purchased can be benchtop as well. Actually the legs are horrible and should've just built a platform for it myself. So are you limited to 120 V 15 amp? If you have already purchased, you're not really looking for one, right? Just wondering what people think of theirs?

There are so many differences between machines these days. I really like mine because I didn't have to build it myself and it is rock solid and have the backup of local support if anything ever goes wrong. This is something for which I paid more than some other machines. Probably close to US$6500.

I'm looking at a larger on 4'x8' and will need to build myself because of where it will be going. I do not have room to forklift into the shop. So I'll probably look at AVID CNC. Mine are more commercial grade vs hobby models.

Cheers Peter.

 

[bad565ss]

The one I purchased can be benchtop as well. Actually the legs are horrible and should've just built a platform for it myself. So are you limited to 120 V 15 amp? If you have already purchased, you're not really looking for one, right? Just wondering what people think of theirs?

There are so many differences between machines these days. I really like mine because I didn't have to build it myself and it is rock solid and have the backup of local support if anything ever goes wrong. This is something for which I paid more than some other machines. Probably close to US$6500.

I'm looking at a larger on 4'x8' and will need to build myself because of where it will be going. I do not have room to forklift into the shop. So I'll probably look at AVID CNC. Mine are more commercial grade vs hobby models.

Cheers Peter.

Yes just sort of taking a poll I guess.
I am a career CNC machinist with 35 years in the shop including owning my own shop for 13 years with machining centers and lathes running 2 shifts.
Currently limited to 15 amp 110 machines.
Eventually I'll end up with something like yours or a used Haas machine but not at this location. It will have to wait for my retirement homestead.
Thanks for responding.

 

[Ripthorn]

I've been looking to supplement my CNC mill with the Millright Mega V as well. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, though...

 

[Tweaker]

Look up Avid CNC, formerly CNC Router Parts. Great machines, fair prices. If you are familiar with CNC electronics you can save some money wiring up the motors, power supply and driver yourself.

I have their 4x2 standard and wouldn’t change a thing about it. I mainly use it to cut cabinet panels but have done lots of guitar work on it. It’s beefy enough to handle aluminum but I haven’t explored the aluminum world.

For what it’s worth, I rapid at 800ipm and cut cabinet parts at 350ipm, .35 depth of cut. Parts come out great. For guitar work I hover around the 150-200ipm range because solid wood is obviously harder than birch plywood. Finishing operations are also closer to the 4-500ipm range.

I’ve built my own vacuum hold down system as well.

Their machines are worth every penny. And very accurate. Not quite Haas accurate, but you also aren’t paying Haas prices. I’m generally within 0.015 inches or less on cabinet panels (but honestly I think that’s because my compression endmill for cabinets isn’t a perfect 1/4”, I think it’s a little undersized...my guitar parts usually come out dead on.)

Oh, and I’m running it on 15A 110v. If you can sneak in a 20A line for a beefier router/spindle I’d do it.

 

[Marty M.]

Yes just sort of taking a poll I guess.
I am a career CNC machinist with 35 years in the shop including owning my own shop for 13 years with machining centers and lathes running 2 shifts.
Currently limited to 15 amp 110 machines.
Eventually I'll end up with something like yours or a used Haas machine but not at this location. It will have to wait for my retirement homestead.
Thanks for responding.

I've got 4 commercially built machines purchased over the last 12-13 years. My suggestion is to save your money for a larger machine that has supported linear guides, antibacklash or ball screws, nema 23 motors at least, and a heavy enough structure to not flex. My machines lack in these areas and although they are capable of doing pretty nice work, they aren't as accurate as I'd like. You get what you pay for with cnc routers. I'd expect to pay $8-10K for something really nice today. I have a Maxnc10, pcncautomations, K2 2515, and an Xcarve. Maxnc is out of business as is pcncautomations. K2 ( which used to be really popular)got bought out by Veloxcnc, which are nice looking. Xcarve is a hobbiest machine that needs upgrades to get decent results in instrument construction. There are lots of options out there. Having a company that has some longevity and serves industry could be a plus.

I'd stay away from wheels and belts.

Usa Cnc Router | VELOX CNC | United States (veloxcncrouters.com)

 

[pshupe]

Those machines look great for the price.

Look up Avid CNC, formerly CNC Router Parts. Great machines, fair prices.

Have you cut fret slots and / or any MOP for inlays? My current machine is very solid but looking at AVID CNC for a larger footprint machine and with the NEMA 34 and 8.7hp spindle. I'm worried that it is not as solid because it uses rack and pinion and DIY extruded aluminum frame. Thanks.

Cheers Peter.

 

[Tweaker]

Yep, I've done fret slots and MOP for inlay. And I'm using a Hitachi M12VC router as a spindle, so I'm sure it has a little more runout than a true spindle.

I wouldn't worry too much about the rack and pinion...their machines are very well designed and I can't really detect any backlash in my machine. The aluminum extrusion frame is also very rigid. The pictures don't really do justice on their website, the piece used for the gantry is a monster. An 8.7hp spindle would introduce lots of force on the machine and I have a feeling they wouldn't sell a beefy spindle like that if the frames couldn't handle the cutting forces.

Also regarding rack and pinion drives, from what I've gathered in my reading, it is the most cost effective way to drive a longer axis on a CNC machine. Other drive systems may yield better results, but at a much higher cost. I suppose a drive screw would work but you'd be limited on your feedrates...you can imagine the screw whip you'd get if you were pushing the machine super fast!

 

[bad565ss]

A decent rack set up should be accurate to .001-.002" per 12" of travel. Beyond about 1000mm
of travel you should start thinking about a rack or
proper ballscrew system. The smaller acme style screws will start to flex and whip. Some companies are building 1500mm machines with 8mm screws.
There's one I know of that's using 12mm screws which I'm sure helps tremendously.
I like the Avid machines 7" plus of z axis. They are just a bit beyond my price point sorry to say.
I built good accurate parts on my 30" v-roller
machine. It's just a little limiting as far as speed goes amd requires a lot of tuning to keep it tight.

 

[Rapdog]

So what is the consensus on the mill right system? Has anyone tried one/have one? I have been looking at these also,just haven’t pulled the trigger just yet. I can’t bring myself to get and x-carve since I feel I will want to upgrade sooner than later. Thanks. JR

 

[bad565ss]

So what is the consensus on the mill right system? Has anyone tried one/have one? I have been looking at these also,just haven’t pulled the trigger just yet. I can’t bring myself to get and x-carve since I feel I will want to upgrade sooner than later. Thanks. JR

I ordered the Millright Mega V last night.
4 week lead time. I'll let you know how I make out.

 

[pshupe]

I spoke with AVID CNC before Christmas and it was going to be a 12 week wait time. I guess there is a lot of demand because of COVID. Even for the more commercial grade machines. I priced the machine I would "like" and it came in at around US$15,000. About 300% price increase of buying direct from China and about 60% of the price buying locally.

Cheers Peter.

 

[bad565ss]

I spoke with AVID CNC before Christmas and it was going to be a 12 week wait time. I guess there is a lot of demand because of COVID. Even for the more commercial grade machines. I priced the machine I would "like" and it came in at around US$15,000. About 300% price increase of buying direct from China and about 60% of the price buying locally.

Cheers Peter.

Honestly if you can get past the "China" part you can get a quality 6090 with a 3 HP spindle for between $4000 and $5000 delivered. Lead time is a issue for me right now too. 8-12 weeks is a non starter.

 

[Tweaker]

I got into CNC because of a business I was running...it was cheaper to manufacture enclosure panels for our product in house, especially with those chinese machines.

It got the job done, but not without several headaches and upgrades and weird workarounds to weird issues. I wouldn't go the chinese route if I went back and did it again. The chinese can make some really great product if their quality control is strictly monitored, but when left to their own devices, the quality is unpredictable. Some chinese companies take great care to produce quality products, but it's difficult to know which companies are producing good product without spending time over there in the factories.

The frame of the chinese unit we have is a decent design, but the quality of the metal is awful. If you look at it wrong, the metal bends and the threads strip.

 

[pshupe]

Honestly if you can get past the "China" part you can get a quality 6090 with a 3 HP spindle for between $4000 and $5000 delivered. Lead time is a issue for me right now too. 8-12 weeks is a non starter.

I have looked into this and found people who have done this. Generally for those numbers you pick it up at the port of entry. For me about 5 hrs away. If it was only that, I would probably purchase. Then there are the issues. There is a reason these machines are 3x the price when purchasing local. I do not want to spend an inordinate amount of time on work arounds and fixes or break downs. By all means if you want to troubleshoot and essentially build every part from scratch you could probably save a ton of $$$$. Keep in mind there is no support and no documentation in English. Most people that spend that kind of $$$$ don't want to take a chance on having a machine being down. Now you could luck out, or maybe a substantial downtown initially and then replace with good parts and it work out.

Cheers Peter.

 

[Tweaker]

I’ve had to service my Avid machine once or twice, but for routine/standard maintenance. One of my bearings broke on the guide rails but replacing bearings occasionally is typical. With my chinese machine I was always messing with calibration and making my own parts, etc, and it sucked. I’ve had the Avid machine for 2-3 years now and I can confirm it is worth purchasing quality. I think anything sold in North America is a significant improvement over the chinese units.

That said, it does depend on what you want to use the machine for. If you only want to v carve signs, the chinese units will be just fine.

The chinese spindles are worth rolling the dice on. Pretty low runout on average. But like stated above, no documentation from the manufacturer. Fortunately the online community can offer a lot of guidance in setting up the VFD.

 

[VancoD]

Check out Factory Direct CNC - very well made at every level, ready to run out of the box.

Like Peter - my issue is sadly getting it into my shop. It's probably going to cost me like $3000.00!

Here's a quote I got for a very high-end machine. Vac table, servos, square rails, huge spindle, etc etc - and the price is phenomenal. I still may go for this....

I also priced a similarly capable 600x 900 machined with 3kW spindle (all else nearly identical - vac table, etc) - and it was $6150 to my door.

But I need to get something - the Chinese kit I have was a great learning tool (Workbee - and it has some of those 1000mm screws... lol), now I need something I can start to crank parts out with and try and make some money... lol

What sucks is I have one of the CNC Router Parts upgraded heavy-duty Z-axis - got it when I as leaning that way..... But dollar for dollar they're no longer at the top of the list for a machine that I can "blame" problems on the mfgr (i.e. - one of these "ready to run" units)

 

[Ripthorn]

Check out Factory Direct CNC - very well made at every level, ready to run out of the box.

Like Peter - my issue is sadly getting it into my shop. It's probably going to cost me like $3000.00!

Here's a quote I got for a very high-end machine. Vac table, servos, square rails, huge spindle, etc etc - and the price is phenomenal. I still may go for this....

View attachment 514620

I also priced a similarly capable 600x 900 machined with 3kW spindle (all else nearly identical - vac table, etc) - and it was $6150 to my door.

But I need to get something - the Chinese kit I have was a great learning tool (Workbee - and it has some of those 1000mm screws... lol), now I need something I can start to crank parts out with and try and make some money... lol

What sucks is I have one of the CNC Router Parts upgraded heavy-duty Z-axis - got it when I as leaning that way..... But dollar for dollar they're no longer at the top of the list for a machine that I can "blame" problems on the mfgr (i.e. - one of these "ready to run" units)

Just checked them out. The dining table seems right up my alley!