Need Help!- would you buy a haas vf 2

[mls]

Hello I am going to buy a cnc machine and I am wondering if the haas is as good as everyone says is the machine fairly rigid.
Is it easy to use setup
how is the reliability
does it have good power (spindle, axis motors)
i dont want to be dissapointed
can you use the usb to connect to your computer to load program with a usb cable
thank you Mike

[axis]

what are you using it for

[mls]

i will be using it as a general machine to anything that comes through the door this will be my first machine I am a machinest since 1993 but have never ran a haas I know this machine will not be a kitamura quality but I need it to decent I will be running large cadcam programs
thanks Mike

[DRD]

I think the Haas is the best bang for the dollar. For the price it's a nice machine, that will do just about any job, maybe not as fast as some of the more expensive machines.
The new Haas machines, will run programs off usb memorey stick. I Have a 08Haas, and run 8 meg programs directly off the usb with no problems. We payed for the extra memorey anyways. As far servo power, there is plenty of power. We havent had a problem with the spindle power at all. Like any machine, you need to get to know it.

[PBMW]

I don't know that the Haas is the best bang for the buck.
VF2 is a 3016 machine. I know of four shops local to me that have VF2ss mills and are dissappointed in them. They are NOT accurate. Service might be wonderfull where you are but it is abysmal here in the Puget Sound.
When I bought my second mill, I thought I'd buy another Haas. Nice control, good price...
then I rand into the service issue. I started investigating alternative machines. A VF2 nicely optioned is about $73 or 74k. A 3016 Daewoo has more power, box ways, more rigidity for $58k
There are other options out there.
Look around.
Haas defined the market for these machines. Others have moved in. There are better options

[JROM]

The Haas vf2 is a good machine for the money. That said I would like to pose a few questions to you. First and formost is how good is the support system for Haas machines in your area? That is the most important factor when you buy any machine. There is nothing worse then having to stand around and look at a broken machine! OK next question. Why are you buying such a small machine? Do you understand that a small machine limets the type of work you can do. If you look at the price of a vf2 and the price of a vf3 you will see that for just 10 or 15 percent more investment you will have way more machine. I have a vf2 and a vf3 and often times we go to the older vf3 just because we can fit the job into it much better then the vf2. Just a few points to ponder. GOOD LUCK

[ltmquik]

Originally Posted by PBMW I don't know that the Haas is the best bang for the buck. VF2 is a 3016 machine. I know of four shops local to me that have VF2ss mills and are dissappointed in them. They are NOT accurate. Service might be wonderfull where you are but it is abysmal here in the Puget Sound. When I bought my second mill, I thought I'd buy another Haas. Nice control, good price... then I rand into the service issue. I started investigating alternative machines. A VF2 nicely optioned is about $73 or 74k. A 3016 Daewoo has more power, box ways, more rigidity for $58k There are other options out there. Look around. Haas defined the market for these machines. Others have moved in. There are better options

Of course there are options out there. One option that you don't list is the fact that the HAAS are AMERICAN made. you state that HAAS defined the martket...YEAH then others came in and copied or stole the tech. I would spend more to keep the dollars in our country.

You state that HAAS is not accurate. Mine hold +/-0.0002 all day long in P-20 steel.

Can't help you on the service. I would contact HAAS directly about questionable service. They seem to be on top of their HFO's.

[Geof]

Originally Posted by PBMW ....I know of four shops local to me that have VF2ss mills and are dissappointed in them. They are NOT accurate.....

I think the important thing here is the ss.

I do not have any ss machines but I do have three VF2, and I am very content with them.

But if you do a search through threads and posts on the Haas Forum here you will see a lot of people have complained about the VF2ss and it is my opinion that Haas dropped the ball a bit here. As far as I understand it they used faster pitch ball screws to get faster rapids so precision went down.

[HAILINHAAS]

The important thing that some cutomers don't know is that the machine's axis can be compesated with parameters 229 and 230 for the X and Y axis on a mill 231 for Z.

You'll need a precision step gage. You should comp the machine at operating temperature.

Temerature has a big affect on the accuracy.

All amchines are comp in Oxnard near the beach where it is nice and cool.

A customer in Scottsdale, AZ in the middle of summer is going to have his comp way off .. if he didn't change them from the factory.

[Donkey Hotey]

Originally Posted by HAILINHAAS The important thing that some cutomers don't know is that the machine's axis can be compesated with parameters 229 and 230 for the X and Y axis on a mill 231 for Z.

I am ALL ears.

246 blocks...check...procedure...?

[PBMW]

Originally Posted by ltmquik Of course there are options out there. One option that you don't list is the fact that the HAAS are AMERICAN made. you state that HAAS defined the martket...YEAH then others came in and copied or stole the tech. I would spend more to keep the dollars in our country. You state that HAAS is not accurate. Mine hold +/-0.0002 all day long in P-20 steel. Can't help you on the service. I would contact HAAS directly about questionable service. They seem to be on top of their HFO's.

You Sir need to back off on the retoric.
Who is it that stole Haas technology??? I gotta hear this one.
Fact it, Haas got into the entry level machine market. Had it all to them selves with Fadal and a couple of others. Other machine tool mfgs got into the market too. What is stealing about that????
Fact is, A 3016 Daewoo will machine circles around a VF2. And it'll do it for about $15000 less.
Don't talk down your nose at me about buying American. I own four Harleys. So What??? Machine shops are a business not a Rah Rah patriotic rally. I buy machines that will give me a good ROI, keep running and keep my employees in a job. Paying taxes. Buying stuff....
If I could buy a machine made in the US that would do what others can do, I would. Not because they are made here but because it would be a better machine.
I own two made in Oxnard machines. One is OK, the other is a piece of crap. To say those other companies "stole" Haas technoloty is just incredible...


Your Haas will hold +/- .0002 all day long....My SL10 won't. Mine won't hold .0005 from one part to the next. We've had folks look at the comp.
My Daewoo will hold .0002 all day. Not +/-, but .0002 all day.
I doubt my mini would hold +/- .0002. I seriously doubt it.
If I have a turning job that calls something out in tenths, it don't go on the Haas.
Don't get me wrong, I ain't bashing Haas. My lathe is a lemon and I know it. Haas is a pretty good bang for the buck. But, there are better deals out there.
Want to talk about higher end machines? Lets talk about horizontals....
I would put the weekly production of my HP5100 Daewoo against TWO Haas Horizontals. No kidding.

[JohnJW]

I am a newbie and my machine, yes one those dreaded SS models sit mostly idle while I'm preoccupied with something else. . . blame it on ADD. There are some very impressive machines at Westec, but for a general purpose machine I think all US entry level cnc are pretty much alike regardless of country of origin. However, given that Haas are still made in th US why not give them the business. Maybe a few year down the line, like PBMW, you'll find that you need something else. Right now, for a general purpose machine I think Haas is a pretty good choice to start on.