which CNC lathe to purchase?

[msomerville]

We are thinking about purchasing a new CNC lathe. What are your thoughts on the best lathe for around $80,000. We want a bar feeder, live tooling, and service. Those are just a few of the options that we must have. I am just curious as to what you guys think has the most bang for the buck.

Thanks,
Matt

[msomerville]

Wow no one has their 2 cents to put in. I was looking into milltronics SL series. I have 4 milltronics vmcs and this is where I am starting, but when It comes to lathes I would like for the experts on this site to chime in with some suggestions, because believe it or not I don't know everything.

[TURNING MAD]

There Are Many Factors To Take Into Account When Making A Purchase Decision. #1 Is What Type Of Work Will You Be Performing. What Size Range Of Workpiece Will You Be Working With And What Programming Resources Will You Be Applying. Have You Thought About A Mill/turn Center?

[msomerville]

A lot of the work that I would be machining range from Nylon threaded lightning diverters, brass washers to stainless steel pieces. Most sizes that I use right now vary from .125 in diameter to about .875. Granted the cnc I have now is a 5C collet lathe with a maximum through the spindle of 1.0625. Because this other machine is a big POS I am looking for something reliable. I am looking into some Mill/Turn centers, I have to cut some flats on some of my parts so that ability is a must in this purchase,

[CNCRim]

Citizen Swiss type machine should be good for your application. I don't know how much it going to be for with live, I think the machine is around 80K-90K with live.

[TURNING MAD]

For a machine with live tooling, 80,000 might not get you much, unless youn are interested in used. whatever decision you make pay close attention to the control and machine options. I have extensive experience on mill/turn machines and still to this day i learn something new every job that comes around. My strongest recomendation is the control. Get FANUC 18i TB for multi axis and sub-spindle work.This is an extremely powerful control and well suited for live tooling.Manual guide i will be very helpful along with custom macro option.For the money i recomend you look into ROMI or TAKISAWA EX series.HASS has a decent product out such as the SL series but you will find with them EVERYTHING is an option!!! HASS controls and servos cannot come close to comparing with FANUC, but if limited programming power and editing flexability are not a concern then HASS is very affordable. Check out what ROMI and TAKISAWA have, I think youll be impressed. Good Luck.

[TURNING MAD]

By The Way You Wouldnt Happen To Be In Somerville Tx? Im In Brookshire Tx, About An Hour Away From Sommervile.

[msomerville]

I'm located about an hour south of Cleveland, OH. Had a couple of salesman stop today, one from Johnford and one from Daewoo (Lynx model) both have fanuc controls. I believe this is some pretty good equipment. Have you guys heard otherwise?