Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Opinions wanted on Monarch VMC 45 with GE Fanuc 11 controls. Retrofit ?

Hi Someguy:
I have a used Defiance benchtop VMC with travels of 12x9x9 approx, and
also a new Haas Minimill (16x12x10 travels approx.)
The Haas is a good choice for an application like yours, and is about
$30,000.00 or so, brand spanking new. ( The Defiance is twice that price
new)
It has the additional benefit of being squashable into a garage sized space,
and running off single phase if necessary.
The Monarch is a monster. Unless you have the infrastructure around to
handle all that its size implies, I would be hesitant about tying myself to
such a big machine.
The Defiance, on the other hand, is a bit too light in my opinion, for
production milling in steel.
It is absolutely fabulous for plastics though, and marginally do-able for
aluminum alloys.
The competing brand for this class of machine is the Light Machines
Benchman.
These benchtop mills are being promoted heavily as being ideal for your
application, but I would be hesitant to recommend one for production, based
on my side-by-side comparison of the Defiance against the Haas.
The Haas can take a real cut, which is something you need for production
applications.
It's also got a reasonable table size to fixture to, and the machine is big
enough to bolt on a "real" (read Kurt 688) vise without crashing it into the
machine enclosure at the end of its travels.
Your comments suggest also, that you will be unhappy with the flimsiness of
a Defiance or Benchman class of machine.
I am very happy with my Haas, and I recommend it highly.
Don't get the Haas toolroom mill though; it's not nearly the machine that
the minimill is!

Cheers

Marcus


-----Original Message-----
From: krlux <lux@...>
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com <CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Sunday, October 14, 2001 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Opinions wanted on Monarch VMC 45 with GE
Fanuc 11 controls. Retrofit ?

>
>If someone has an affordable better solution, I am all ears. I've had
>several people tell me to buy a small "hobby toy" CNC mill without a
>toolchanger and use that. I used to own a small "hobby" CNC lathe. I
>didn't find it anything more than a toy compared to our 14x40 lathe.
>
>Someguy
>