For $5000 , you had best search Ebay for a machine. It is likely going to be an older one though. There is a nice 14,000 lb Monarch on there for cheap, but I don't know if the controller needs replacing.
Honestly, $5000 will buy you some iron, but not much of a control, so be prepared to spend $$ to upgrade it, if it is not in working order when you get it. Some of these older controllers can be repaired, but replacement circuit boards can be very expensive. That's why us penny pinchers are taking the PC based controller approach.
Still, it does take a lot of patience and research to buy a used machine, and delve into its inner workings to convert it over to a PC based control.
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(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management) |