Keep It Or Upgrade?...Older Sherline CNC Mills

[Too_Many_Tools]

I have several older Sherline CNC mills that I am
considering either upgrading or selling and then buying a new Sherline
machine.

For differences between old and new machines, I am referencing this
link...

http://www.sherline.com/usedmach.htm


How would you decide whether to keep and upgrade OR selling the machine
to buy a new one? What differences are important and which are just
nice to have?

Thanks for any advice.

TMT

[NC Cams]

Possible judgmente cirteria:

Wear?

Accuracy?

Capability?

Cost?

Lust as in high got to have it factor?

[phil burman]

Don't want to rattle your cage to much, well just a little.

Have you asked yourself what's wrong with these older machines and will a new machine be any different. The main difference would be whether your current machine can do what you want it to or not. But then you don't even address this issue.

Its a bit like buying a new Ford because you don't like the door handles on the old one.

So to answer your specific question. If the old machine does what you need it to then don't upgrade. If it doesn't then look for a different machine, not the same machine with this years colour.

Regards
Phil

Originally Posted by Too_Many_Tools I have several older Sherline CNC mills that I am considering either upgrading or selling and then buying a new Sherline machine. For differences between old and new machines, I am referencing this link... http://www.sherline.com/usedmach.htm How would you decide whether to keep and upgrade OR selling the machine to buy a new one? What differences are important and which are just nice to have? Thanks for any advice. TMT

[Too_Many_Tools]

Originally Posted by Too_Many_Tools I have several older Sherline CNC mills that I am considering either upgrading or selling and then buying a new Sherline machine. For differences between old and new machines, I am referencing this link... http://www.sherline.com/usedmach.htm How would you decide whether to keep and upgrade OR selling the machine to buy a new one? What differences are important and which are just nice to have? Thanks for any advice. TMT

Well thanks for the responses so far but I would expect more interest in this subject....there are alot of older Sherline machine out there.

My concern is whether it was more economical to sell the old machines
and get the newer ones.

I note that since Sherline got into the CNC market, one can see
that they are tweaking their machines to make them more CNC capable.
Some of these tweaks cannot be done to the older machines. Whether
these mods are critical is another reason whether to keep or sell the
older machines.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

Thanks

TMT

[NC Cams]

Sounds like you're looking for "moral support" for a decision you already want to make so you have further justification to upgrade your equipment. In the meantime, you're in a classic "make" verus "buy new" quandry.

Hint: why should anyone pay a lot for a used, older, less "cnc friendly" system??? Sadly, the first buyer will take the major depreciation hit for any hobby type machine tool. Hence, it probably will be more costly to upgrade as you won't/can't get full value out of your used, older machines...

Ultimately, that (upgrade) is a decision that you'll have to make based upon your financial, physical and emotional needs to "upgrade" your machines.

Effectively, most any machine can be upgraded to CNC - some designs are simply easier to do or "bolt on" than others. Effectively, even the commercial retrofits are the result of people modifying iron they either bought used and refurbed or bought new and modified.

Even the Bridgeport CNC mill is nothing more than a modified mechanical mill with parts hung onto a machine that was designed and developed before computers were even thought of.

I bet that your lineage of Sherine could be converted to CNC, perhaps with a bit more effort than a simple bolt on, that will work as well as the new stuff once you get it sorted out.

Too much trouble??? See paragraph 1 of this post....

Good luck with your decision...

[Bowman]

I have a sherline CNC mill. Its the Spectralight version but I updated it to a xylotex board and newer steppers. It works well for me but I have not really pushed it much yet, if you can "push," a sherline at all

I do know this if I was to sell the Sherline one day I would not get another one just to replace this one. Definetely look into going bigger and perhaps keeping one of the Sherlines. Ebay did me right and total cost including upgrades was around $580.00 for basically an unused mill. So even though I know I could make a tidy profit on its sale I will likely try to keep it and get something bigger in the future in addition to it.

What is it your cutting with your mills now? Are they doing what you need them to?

Bowman