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    Default Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Hello everyone.

    I thought I would start a thread to document my experiences with choosing/buying my first CNC router for woodworking.

    The first thing I should say is that woodworking is a hobby I've had for many years but I'm new to the world of CNC. I've therefore been researching CNC routers for a few months now trying to find what machine would offer decent performance/longevity without being prohibitively expensive (given this is just a hobby). In case anyone else is in a similar situation, this was my thought process - although I've been going around in circles a fair bit!

    Ox CNC/X-Carve
    My first thought was to build the Ooznest version of the Mark Carew Openbuilds Ox CNC. Ooznest is based in the UK where I live and the kit looks comprehensive, relatively inexpensive and fairly straightforward to build. Rightly or wrongly, I was put off by the use of timing belts rather than lead- or ball-screws, and the use of V-slot plus polycarb wheels, which I could see becoming contaminated with chips and leading to premature wear/loss of accuracy. I was also a bit worried about how it would cope with hardwoods given the relatively light construction and use of a router rather than a spindle. I had similar concerns with the X-Carve, although I have no doubt that these machines have their place, given the fairly low price point.

    Stepcraft 2
    The Stepcraft 2 router looks to improve on the Ox/X-Carve design by using linear profile railing and lead-screws. I was very tempted by this for a while but again I was worried about the machine's longevity and durability, and how a relatively low-power router would cope with larger hardwood cutting jobs. I'd read a few times that you should 'buy/build your second machine first' or more generally 'buy cheap, buy twice', and as tempting as the above machines were given their price, I could see myself upgrading before too long or spending more time on CNC maintenance than on actual woodworking. Which bring me on to...

    Self-building
    I toyed with this idea for a while but I don't have steel fabrication equipment/skills and I could therefore see a lot of time being spent making something which might not ultimately deliver the accuracy/performance that I had in mind. I think that if you've got the skills and the time then this is probably the best way to get a decent machine at a decent price, but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

    CNC Step High-Z T-series
    This looks pretty well engineered and the UK distributor couldn't have been more helpful, but I was slightly deterred by the unsupported round rails and the relatively light construction. Maybe I'm being unfair, but I couldn't see it coping well with the usage I had in mind and the price was fairly high too. That said, it looked well constructed and I have no doubt that out of the box it would work perfectly. I also liked the fact that it used WINPCNC - which I'd read good things about, and ball-screws ... and coming from Germany, the electronics and general quality control would no doubt be solid. I did read that someone had to ship the whole unit back to Germany for repair of the ball-screws though - sounds expensive.

    World of CNC/Marchant Dice Ltd
    On paper, their A1 machine looks well specified (Hiwin rails, ball-screws) and they're based in the UK like me, but unfortunately I'd read too many negative comments about their customer service, and the price was too high.

    Cau Cau
    I was really tempted by the Kompas H 1000GS and Jan Dudas at Cau Cau was very quick and helpful at responding to my queries, but (a) I just can't find enough feedback on the machine; and (b) that particular machine uses supported round rails (understandable at the price point, but I'd read enough to convince me that linear rails would give me less hassle in the long run). Cau Cau sell a more expensive F-series machine with Hiwin rails but for hobby use I just can't justify the cost at this stage, unfortunately.

    OmioCNC
    Again, the Omio X8-2200L looks like a very well-specified machine (HG20 linear rails, ball-screws, 2.2kW spindle, ball-screws) and good value for money. Because the weight is lower (because of the aluminium construction - like the MDL A1 and CNC Step Hi-Z), getting it shipped to the UK from China would have been easier/cheaper/quicker too. I'd read some very positive things about the Omio machines, however, I've also read a few horror stories about their customer service and a few people have ended up with what appear to be fairly poorly constructed machines. I tried to get in touch with Omio (3 times...) to ask some questions but I didn't receive a reply, so I had to cross them off the list.

    AccTek
    As with Omio, I'd read largely positive comments about AccTek. There were some forum posts I'd seen where a couple of machines looked carelessly built, but the majority of the comments about AccTek were positive and the customer service seemed very good. The machine I'm interested in is the AKG6090 which is a 'bench-top' machine but it does weigh over 200kg! The specifications are...

    1. Working area: 600*900*150 mm
    2. Cast Iron body
    3. T-Slot table
    4. Mach3 control system
    5. 1.5 KW water cooling spindle
    6. X Y Taiwan TBI ball screw transmission
    7. Z axis Taiwan TBI ball screw transmission
    8. Taiwan CSK square rails
    9. Nema23 stepper motor and Leadshine drivers
    10. Fuling inverter
    11. Limited switches
    12. Tool sensor

    So far, the customer service from Mr Jack Song at AccTek has been excellent. I've never imported anything this size/cost from China to the UK but Jack has been great at answering my questions.

    If anyone has any thoughts on the above, I'd be keen to hear from you. This is a sizeable outlay for me, given that it's a hobby, and I don't want to get it wrong.

    I'm intending to follow this up to share my experience of importing (assuming I go with AccTek ) and of course I'll post my experiences when I do finally get my hands on the machine.

    Sorry for the long post but thanks for reading and thanks to everyone who posts on these forums. Without people sharing their experiences, I'd be a whole lot less informed.

    Chris

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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Hi Chris,

    Honored to meet you.

    I am a disabled hobbyist and this too represented a large outlay of cash for me. I researched (as best could) basically the exact same machines you did before also settling on the AccTek AKG6012.

    I bought mine from Jenny at Accek and she has been super to work with. I have PayPaled her the deposit some 10 - 15 days ago but the router has not shipped yet. Have never imported anything before but so far...so good.

    Thought "bigger was better" so that is the reason for the 6012. That may have been a little mistake, don' know if I'll ever use that extra length or not.

    Hopefully I can share my experiences as well, maybe they'll be helpful in some way. Don't know how helpful I will be though, I'm so much of a Newbie.

    I



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Hi Tomcat

    Great to meet you too.

    Interesting that you've been through a similar thought process. Here's hoping that we've both made the right choice! Good to hear that you've had a positive experience on the sales side with Jenny and I hope you keep us posted with the progress. What was the lead time on your order, can I ask? Hopefully your machine will be on the way soon.

    Re bigger being better - I completely understand. I'm a bit limited with respect to the space in my workshop, otherwise I might have gone for the 6012, but I'm now thinking about whether to upgrade from the 1.5kW to the 2.2kW spindle, as I understand that the latter can take tools with a 1/2" shank. I must confess that I didn't think of that - it was kindly flagged by someone on a different forum.

    I know what you mean about being a Newbie but I would encourage everyone to share their practical experiences, no matter how great or small they might seem - it all helps, I reckon. I'll be sure to share my experiences and hopefully it might be helpful to someone out there. At the very least, people should have a clearer understanding of whether to buy an AccTek machine.

    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Hi Chris,

    I sure think we've made the right choice.

    My lead time was approximately 60 days. Roughly 30 days to manufacture and the another 30 days to ship it to the Port of Charleston here on the east coast of the USA. I'll let you know how that works out since it should be shipping in the next 10 days.

    Space was really tight for me too but I went ahead and bought the 6012 assuming I will find the space. I chose to upgrade to a water cooled 2.2kw spindle. I expect to do very little aluminum and all of that 0.025" or thinner. I just want to be prepared & I don't want to have to do an upgrade later. Plus, I probably saw the same forum post you did and the 1/2" shank.

    Just to let you know, I send the deposit for mine on May 17, 2017.

    I'll be sure to share my successes and my failures for all to see (and hopefully correct).



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Hi Enios.

    I'm not sure whether I'm allowed to post that type of information on the forum, but you can see for yourself here, for example.

    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris-J View Post
    Cau Cau
    I was really tempted by the Kompas H 1000GS and Jan Dudas at Cau Cau was very quick and helpful at responding to my queries, but (a) I just can't find enough feedback on the machine; and (b) that particular machine uses supported round rails (understandable at the price point, but I'd read enough to convince me that linear rails would give me less hassle in the long run). Cau Cau sell a more expensive F-series machine with Hiwin rails but for hobby use I just can't justify the cost at this stage, unfortunately.
    What is the difference between supported round rails and linear rails. The pictures from the Kompas H-1000 look like linear rails to me. There is a youtube video series on a Kompas H-1000 built by a certain John Ward from the uk. It is a bit long and drawn out over 8 parts or 9, but goes into a lot of detail about electrics.

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Many thanks for the heads-up on the YouTube video.

    The Kompass model in John Ward's video uses supported round rails which are less stiff and have less torque resistance than linear guides and carriageways (see Linear Guideways Archives - CRD Devices for an example of linear rails and bearings).

    This is probably less of an issue if you're occasionally cutting softwoods and don't need high precision, but if you're cutting aluminium or possibly even hard woods on a regular basis then I think linear rails will offer better precision/longevity compared with supported round rail.

    Round rails/bearings are cheaper however, so you pays your money and you takes your choice, I guess.

    Cheers

    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Don't buy round rails. The extra (negligable) cost of linear rails is worth every penny. If you can, get the full size 6090 with the frame. The extra rigidity will pay you back quickly.



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris-J View Post
    Many thanks for the heads-up on the YouTube video.

    The Kompass model in John Ward's video uses supported round rails which are less stiff and have less torque resistance than linear guides and carriageways (see Linear Guideways Archives - CRD Devices for an example of linear rails and bearings).

    This is probably less of an issue if you're occasionally cutting softwoods and don't need high precision, but if you're cutting aluminium or possibly even hard woods on a regular basis then I think linear rails will offer better precision/longevity compared with supported round rail.

    Round rails/bearings are cheaper however, so you pays your money and you takes your choice, I guess.

    Cheers

    Chris
    Thank you Chris, now I see what you mean.
    Most places I look, call 'supported round rails' and 'round rails', by the name 'linear rails'. The alternative being the linear guideways, which you recommend.

    BTW how is the 6090?

    P

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Apologies if I've confused you with the terminology - as you say, I may not be using the correct term. A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say.

    For a variety of reasons (time, money, considering alternatives) I have not bought the 6090, but that may change in the near future. If it does, then I'll report back on the buying/import experience and also post a detailed report on the machine itself.

    Cheers

    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Square or flat versus round is what the say here,
    Looking at the price of Hiwin guideways and blocks, it is $300+ per axis. That is $900 - $1,000 before you even buy the ballscrews. Buy the ballscrews and that is 75% of my total budget gone.
    However, there are cheaper Chinese ones, and you can get all 20mm guideways and blocks plus 4 16mm ballscrews (2 on x axis) and all the bits for about $650 including shipping.for a 1000mm x 1000mm machine

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Quote Originally Posted by lael View Post
    Don't buy round rails. The extra (negligable) cost of linear rails is worth every penny. If you can, get the full size 6090 with the frame. The extra rigidity will pay you back quickly.
    To say not to buy round rails is a very bold statement. Almost all Hobby machines have linear supported round rails. The extra cost for square/flat rails and blocks is substantial if say you use Taiwan stuff like TPI or Hiwin.
    Even with the 6090 from AccTech above has round rails as standard. You pay extra for square/flat.
    Also I have read many post here where people had bought these machines specifying Hiwin rails and blocks, only to discover they had fake parts.
    So to build your own 6090 machine you need $1,500 for genuine Hiwin rails, blocks and ballscrews

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    I think that is a fair comment. I guess it ultimately depends on how the machine will be used. If you need high accuracy for long production runs using harder materials then you need a machine with an appropriate spec, and that may be different to occasional hobby use.
    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Sure Chris
    But I do not think the Chinese 6090 is that much better than the H 1000. I do know for a fact that their bearings are fake. I also know that the electronics are rubbish. It looks more chunky, but in fact it is mostly air.

    I am still thinking of buying the H-1000 at 1,100 euro (frame and rails/bearings/ballscrews) & putting top of the line electronics like Gecko or Leadshine. We could upgrade to Hiwin flat/square rails and blocks at a later date, just like some of the owners of these Chinese 6090 have done, but we will not be stuck with crap electronics.

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    I don't know about about the relative performance of the H1000 v a Chinese 6090 - you could well be right - but from what I have read, the consensus is definitely that lower cost Chinese machines do suffer from a lot of electronic issues. For that reason, buying the mechanical frame/rails/bearings/ballscrews and building your own control box seems like a sensible way forward, particularly if (like me) you don't have the equipment/experience to accurately fabricate the frame. To that end, you could perhaps also consider buying the frame etc from somewhere like https://www.omiocnc.com/products.html and assemble the electronics yourself, or stick with the H-1000. Either way - good luck and keep us posted!
    Chris



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    Default Re: Planning to buy AccTek AKG6090

    Quote Originally Posted by Chris-J View Post
    I don't know about about the relative performance of the H1000 v a Chinese 6090 - you could well be right - but from what I have read, the consensus is definitely that lower cost Chinese machines do suffer from a lot of electronic issues. For that reason, buying the mechanical frame/rails/bearings/ballscrews and building your own control box seems like a sensible way forward, particularly if (like me) you don't have the equipment/experience to accurately fabricate the frame. To that end, you could perhaps also consider buying the frame etc from somewhere like https://www.omiocnc.com/products.html and assemble the electronics yourself, or stick with the H-1000. Either way - good luck and keep us posted!
    Chris
    You may see in my other posts, Omio was on my radar. They look a well built machine, but the X8 2200L is very expensive, considering their no name electrics

    Irish Chippy Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9au5WqhB_BQUcEn-VCMHaw?


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