tormach mill

[brinmac]

hi , is anyone actually using a tormach mill ? if so how is it doing , any issues or problems . im interested in one or a similar machine for light industrial prototype and hobby work , as i have a vmc in my shop for production work so speed isnt a big issue but accuracy is .

thanks

[StealthDumpKits]

I looked at their homepage and was somewhat interested myself. However, as a CNC maintenance technician, I was concerned about the viability of the company to stay in business over the next five/ten years. What happens when they go belly up cause nobody's buying the equipment? To put it bluntly, if I wanted a CNC mill with R8 taper, I'd get a knee mill. And I'd also invest in a power drawbar.

For my applications requiring over 1" dia. holes to be drilled all day, the money would be better spent on a downpayment for something useful.

[partsman]

We have one on order- scheduled for delivery, hopefully, this month (been on order for a few months). I too have had a hard time finding anyone actually using the machine. We intend on using ours for small runs of aluminum parts. According to their documentation, it seems like it is really designed for exactly what we are doing.

What happens when they go belly up

I think that is the great thing about the open design. Off the shelf drives, spindles, etc. You really should not need them for support should they not be there in a few years. We are very far from any big name service or support centers. That is one big reason why we chose the PCNC1100. If it breaks- we should be able to fix it ourselves instead of hiring a tech to drive 4 hours to come look at it.

I will post pics and videos as soon as we get our machine.

[phil burman]

I have been using one for the last 3 weeks or so, as a hobby machinist, and it is doing just great. The only issues I have at the moment are that the way covers don't actually cover the ways, particularly the rear Y axis, and a check valve in the oiler line, too the righthand Z axis way, was partially blocked.

I would be interested in what you would consider to be a similar machine. After studying the market for over a year it’s clear, to me at least, that the PCNC 1100 is an order of magnitude better than anything else available at the price. However a VMC it is not. With regard to accuracy I can't say as I have yet to do any specific tests. However in milling operations where you would expect lack of precision to be visible I can't fault it. The web site includes an example of a comprhensive test certificate.

If you are looking to spend $7,000 on an out of the box CNC milling machine then this machine is clearly the benchmark. The current alternative is a converted round column mill/drill for about the same price!!! Unless Tormach have got their sums wrong I think this machine is going to be around for sometime to come. However support should not be a problem in the event that the company disappears, its mostly standard components. About the only thing I can see that would be a problem is if you damage a major casting, not a likely occurrence.

If you do a search for "Tormach" on this forum you will find other points of view.

Regards
Phil

Originally Posted by brinmac hi , is anyone actually using a tormach mill ? if so how is it doing , any issues or problems . im interested in one or a similar machine for light industrial prototype and hobby work , as i have a vmc in my shop for production work so speed isnt a big issue but accuracy is . thanks

[Mariss Freimanis]

Deleted by me.

[phil burman]

I think this post presents a negative attitude towards the Tormach with no logical or reasoned justification.

I'm not sure about the link between being a CNC maintenance technician and an opinion on the viability of a company. What happens when any company goes belly up, even a producer of cnc knee mills or VMC's. At least the Tormach is primarily assermbled from off the shelf components.

Why would you buy a cnc knee mill in preference?

A powered draw bar can of course be fitted to any machine with a draw bar. And of course if somebody needs to drill 1" holes all day one would not buy a knee mill either. The final inference that "the money would be better spent on a down payment for something useful" would imply that the Tormach is not useful, which is nonsense, especially from somebody who has neither seem or used one.

By all means be critical but at least provide some reasoning/logic to support your point of view.

Regards
Phil

Originally Posted by StealthDumpKits I looked at their homepage and was somewhat interested myself. However, as a CNC maintenance technician, I was concerned about the viability of the company to stay in business over the next five/ten years. What happens when they go belly up cause nobody's buying the equipment? To put it bluntly, if I wanted a CNC mill with R8 taper, I'd get a knee mill. And I'd also invest in a power drawbar. For my applications requiring over 1" dia. holes to be drilled all day, the money would be better spent on a downpayment for something useful.

[Mariss Freimanis]

Fine. I deleted the "no logical or reasoned justification" post.

[phil burman]

If it's pirated then sue. Otherwise give it up. Based on the history of this particular issue "at least as posted on this forum" you have yet to answer the issue of changing specs on you customers with out notification and whether you offered to continue supplying to the original spec. I was of the understanding that the Tordrive was not to the same spec as the Geckodrive in any case. However it seems the test comparison previously published has disappeared.

It at least seems that there has been much more going on here than meets the eye.

Regards
Phil

[QUOTE=Mariss Freimanis]

Originally Posted by partsman I think that is the great thing about the open design. In fact it's so "open" it uses a pirated version of our G201 (REV3). For that reason Geckodrive will never support any of our upcoming products such as encoder-equipped "unstallable" step-motor servos should they somehow factory ship from them. That is until they satisfactorily resolve this issue. Mariss

[Mariss Freimanis]

Phil,

I'd be more than happy to re-instate and provide the link if you request.

I will consider your sage and freely offered advice regarding my options. You must be correct; you have an amazing recollection of the details at your fingertips, literally within seconds.

Mariss

[phil burman]

Hi Mariss,

I would very much like to read the comparison.

It wasn't so much advice as a request.

Unfortunately my instant recollection has nothing to do with amazing. I have difficulty remembering what I had for breakfast yesterday, or indeed whether I actual had beakfast yesterday.

My instant recollection comes from the fact that I read and reread the related posts many, many times, prior to parting with USD 10,000 + to a company (Tormach) halfway around the world and of whom I had not even heard of a month previous. After a detailed and unbiased review of the posts those were the unanswered questions that provided a degree of justification, at least in my mind. I would be interested in any corrections to my memory.

Regards
Phil

Originally Posted by Mariss Freimanis Phil, I'd be more than happy to re-instate and provide the link if you request. I will consider your sage and freely offered advice regarding my options. You must be correct; you have an amazing recollection of the details at your fingertips, literally within seconds. Mariss

[Mariss Freimanis]

Phil,

I guess when we are in our '50s, neither of our memories are so good.:-) In your case you probably don't remember giving a nearly verbatim post as #8 over a year ago.

Memory is a funny thing; never heard of the company until a month ago yet vociferously defend it's practices over a year ago. Distinctly remember the details of a years old test yet need reading it today because you can't remember it.

I'll try to help out by linking to the comparison test again ASAP.

Mariss

[StealthDumpKits]

Phil, do you own the mill, or work for the company? If you carefully read my post you'll notice I qualified my preference for a knee mill due to the machines R8 taper. Just because I'm a maintenance technician doesn't mean I don't know what I'm talking about when spec.ing out a machine tool purchase.