X2 vs. Super X1

[sansbury]

OK, so, I got the almost new couldn't-lose-on-this-deal X2 down into my basement and sat it next to my X1 with extended base and I am having second thoughts and wanted to poke the collective opinion because I am going to Craigslist/eBay one of the two and I am not sure which.

The way I see it:

X1
PRO: More Y-axis travel
PRO: Non-tilting column mount
CON: Small motor
CON: MT2 spindle

X2
PRO: More X-axis travel
PRO: Beefier motor
PRO: R8 Spindle
PRO: Thicker column cross-section
PRO: Easier/cheaper to mount ball screws on X and Y axes
CON: Tilting head?
CON: Shorter Y-axis travel

With the extended table, the X-Y dovetails seem at a glance to be fairly close--perhaps even some advantage on the Y to the long X1. The X-travel is easily fixed with an extended table, though this entails another $100 upgrade, ditto the spindle motor. R8 would be nice, but I have all the MT2 tooling I need now.

At first glance, I hear a lot of carping about needing to reinforce the column on the X2, but I wonder if this is perfectionism as opposed to minimal necessity. The heftier motor is nice but if the column rigidity is lacking then the value of that is reduced. I originally liked the longer Y-travel of my long X1 but so far haven't used more than 3" of it.

Anyway, the score on the standard Harbor Freight X1 vs X2 is pretty clear, but with the extended base it seems less so. I've ruled out an X3 due to size so the question for debate is X1 vs X2 and nothing else--that's my choice.

[shadrag]

IMHO the only negative of the X2 is the Y travel, if you can live with that, then it's a great machine. I believe that even with the tilting column the X2 is more rigid than the X1, but have no data to back that up.

Most of the people on these boards tend to be perfectionists. For the short time I've had my X2 it's performed much MUCH better than what I was expecting from reading about it online. (To be fair I did upgrade to belt drive right off the bat.)

[The Blight]

I now have right under 5" of travel on my Y axis (X2). The tilting head function is not that bad. If you take your time to clean up the face on the rotating parts, you will end up with a pretty rigid construction. Allmost all the slop and vibrations come from the ways and gibs.

I too upgraded to belt drive, and I have never used the mill with its original gears. I never used it as a manual mill either. Switched to ballscrews right away too. I really don't like the Z axis on this mill. Might be okey if you get used to it.

Other then that. I have heard worse things about the X1 then the X2. I think digits will be able to confirm that the X1 is a POS.

[sansbury]

I now have right under 5" of travel on my Y axis (X2). The tilting head function is not that bad. If you take your time to clean up the face on the rotating parts, you will end up with a pretty rigid construction. Allmost all the slop and vibrations come from the ways and gibs.

Thanks. Two questions:

1. I'm assuming the extra inch of travel comes from grinding away some of the base casting, correct? Is there anything else?

2. When you say "clean up the face on the rotating parts," what do you mean? Is this just degreasing and such, or are you scraping them down or facing them in a lathe or something like that? I've seen mods using an angle plate but hadn't read about anything directly on the faces.

I think digits will be able to confirm that the X1 is a POS.

I'm very interested to hear what people with knowledge of both feel the X2 does noticeably better on. FWIW, I've been happy with what I got in my X1 considering the price. Other than the Y axis upgrade I've had no major complaints.

[The Blight]

1. Well.. milling actually. You can grind it away though. The nut that I'm using is a lot wider then the stock nut on this machine, so you could probably get over 5", but then again you will loose rigidity as the sadle would be hanging out over the edge of the base.

2. Sanding actually. The part that is bolted to the collum was removed and lapped on a granite plane with some 2400 grit paper. The part bolted to the base was also sanded down a bit using one of the gibs (which was lapped earlier on). The surfaces to look at is the ones that have contact with each other. Just try to smoothe out the surface a bit to get more contact. Also torque down the bolts (maybe get some quality bolts to replace the stock ones) and make sure that there are no chips on the contact surfaces.

Most people complain about the gears, the motor and the rigidity of the X1. The X2 is not exactly that good either, but it's more rigid then the X1, and it has more room for upgrades. Just look at what Hoss has done to his X2.

If you don't like the tilting function on the X2, you can allways drill a hole and put a pin in it to lock it in place. Just remember to tram it first. Maybe add a couple bolts. A lot of people also replace the springwasher at the back with a solid steel plate to reduce flexing, but honestly I believe most of the flexing can be found between the gibs and the ways. Got to confirm this when I get my mill back up and running because I still got the stock washer, and I can't feel any slop in the ways on my machine. Doesn't bind in any place either. All I need now is a central oiling system.

[LongRat]

I have a CNC X2, a friend of mine runs a CNC X1. The X2 is massively more rigid and can take bigger cuts with a nicer finish as a result. The only downside is the smaller working area on the X2. From the sounds of it, you don't seem to need it anyway. In that case, the X2 wins on every score. Even if you keep the stock head gears, the X2 is actually a faster spindle than the X1 which is strange, but a plus for the X2 again.

[sansbury]

Thanks guys that's some good info. I will probably list my CNC X1 on Craigslist locally and see what sort of offers I can get for it. Assuming I get a good one I will probably send that off to a new home. I was unsure if that one big single bolt on the X2 really did a great job locking it down.