Hello

So what is the best machine for its size, I am comparing a Taige and a X2. Which machine is more stout and capable to cut everything from stainless to Plastic.

I understand the work envelope size of these two machines and I am not dreaming about zipping through this material with heavy cuts.

I have found deepgroove offers and Taige Cnc mill for 1500.00 and this machine fits perfectly for my needs to start,

After I become accustomed to doing prototype design then I can plan to expand into a better machine later.

Does anybody have any comments about these two machines.

Thanks for any help

Steven

I don't have any experience with either, but the taigs have a huge selection of accessories available made specifically for them. Things like table extensions, travel extensions, tooling, etc. The Taig has longer travels right out of the box and a higher speed spindle, which is great if you are using smaller cutters.. The x2 is a good bit heavier though, nearly twice the weight, which will make the x2 a good bit more capable of taking larger cuts. It also uses a r8 spindle, which has a huge range of tooling at reasonable prices. The Taig uses an er collet system, which will limit you slightly in tooling available.
Since you can get a cnc-ready x2 from syil for 2300, there isnt too much of a price difference. If I had the choice, I think I would go with the x2. Its heavier, and while maybe a little less finished, has the extra weight. Which is a huge plus.

I think if you want too good examples of the machines and what they can do, check out NYCTaig and Hossmachine.info. Two great sites.

Like Pizzamaker said the differences between these mills are many. Space consideration could be one thing to think about. Mass and rigidity are keys to any type of machining. Smaller and lighter can easily equal vibration and chatter which can hurt surface finish and break small cutters. I havent used a Taig but I would say that working steel and expecially stainless would be very slow. I have an X2 and it is a good deal for the price. The initial quality will never be on par with that of a Taig or Sherline but again different animals. I chose to build my CNC setup myself mainly because with purchased setups you get whatever they use. Building your own will give you control over software and controller choices, bearings and ballscrews things like that. Then in the future if a problem arises you know what is where and where it came from you dont have to wait on the Manufacturer of the kit to get back with you which can be a good and bad thing. If you are new to machining it also gives you some time using a machine manually which is a great training tool. If you cant make a simple cut manually then there will be alot of money spent replacing things when you swap to automated. Just my 2 pennys though.

Thats a good summation in my opinion. The Taig and Sherlines are nicer mills, but very light, and because of that machining generally will take longer because you can't take as much material from the metal each time.
However, I do disagree with the build your own sentiment. I think its extremely rewarding and a great learning experience, but understand that you will spend as much if not much more building it yourself, and it will take a great deal of time to do so. If this is your first machine and you want to get running, buy an already assembled machine from a reputable builder. Whether that is a Taig build or a Syil X2. Generally, a builder will do all the quality checks and adjustments that you would have to spend the time doing yourself. And while you might have to make minute adjustments, the big stuff should be taken care of.

To overcome the inherent lack of rigidity of lightweight machines it is preferable to run small cutters at correspondingly high rpms, this is in order to take advantage of the machine’s dynamic rigidity. So if you are going to cut predominantly aluminium alloy then the Taig wins with its 10,000 rpm. If you are primarily cutting steel then the limit of 2,500 rpm on the X2 is fast enough for small HSS cutters. The X2 with 10,000 rpm would be interesting.

Phil

I'm not sure I would even attempt cutting stainless on a Taig. Machining aluminum, brass, and softer materials it can't be beat for near the speed or price. Not for more than light steel machining though unless you really like activities like watching paint dry. The Taig is faster, cheaper, easier to use, higher spindle speeds, accessories, etc. The X2 is a less versatile machine in most of those ways, but excels for heavier cuts in more serious materials. Just depends on what you need it for and what kind of parts you will most often turn out.
If you really need parts at both ends of the spectrum, just get two machines. By the nature of their physical designs, there are few machines than can try to excel at everything at once, and then they cost more than two dedicated machines do. I unfortunately paid about $30k on my first CNC machine package which promised the best of all worlds. Eventually replaced it with a Taig, an X3, and an engraving machine. They all combined cost a very small fraction of that and do a lot more a lot more effectively. You just can't build a combination scalpel/meat cleaver and have it be good at either.

for those w/ a taig, realistically, what kind of feed rates and depths can you cut 6061 and 7075 t6 Al w/ 1/8" and 1/4" cutters? this would be assuming the 10k spindle speed. also what stepper oz/in would be necessary?

i have thought about the x1, x2 and the taigs and was wondering to get the accuracy out of a x2 or x1 that the taig "claims" (are they as accurate as they claim?) to have out of the box, how much would i spend just for that?

the weight of the taig is a huge bonus to me - serious neurological injuries.

that being said, say a x1 ready for cnc = to taig ready for cnc - what would the ~ cost difference be? also, for the taig mills, is the msrp you see on their site what one should expect to pay or is that higher than most sell them for? am i going to put ~$600 into a x1 to get it to what a taig is out of the box - assuming i would need the longer tables on the x1?

thanks in advance,

I have seen and used an x1, and it is not a machine I would like to own myself. Go with the taig. Maybe more expensive but having seen an x1, a taig would have to be better.