Tree/Kira VMC

[rhinsen]

This is my first post here so please forgive me if I screw this up. Can anyone tell me about your experience with any Kira/Tree VMC's. I'm about to purchase one and it has a Fanuc control. Thanks, Rick

[mroy0404]

Hi Rick

I have a Tree/Kira KV-3MC machining center(1987) with a fanuc 10m control. It runs great with a 10,000 rpm spindle and rapids of 750 ipm, 18 tool changer. The only weak point that my machine has is no tape mode, this means no DNC. The memory is set at the max. 80m. You will have to become a good programer.

[SGARCIAM]

What series of fanuc does the control have ? What are you going to machine ?

[rhinsen]

Thanks mroy0404 and sgarciam,
A little more info:This is a Tree/Kira VTC-30 w/ a 10 position tool changer and a 16x24 table. It has a 6m fanuc control. I would like to find out what this machine is worth and I know this would be a factor of what someone would pay for it. For most of its life all it was used for was to mill a keyway in the end of a small shaft using woodruff cutters. Then it was donated to a school where it mostly sat unused.

The next machine question I have is about a Kira VMC model 44. This machine sounds just like mroy0404's mill as it also has a 10,000 rpm spindle and a 16 or 18 position tool changer, but the controller has been changed to a PC using software that does not come with the machine!!!!!! I also would like some comments on this.

Now some info on me; (I also bought an Okuma LB12) I've been a machinist/toolmaker for 40 years. I am a manual machinist and have not had the opportunity to be trained on CNC. When I was an apprentice I ran a lot of NC tape machines and quickly decided that part changing and cycle start were best left to others, now with CNC, the machines now have become smarter than the man. I thought now I would just buy a couple of machines and learn the hard way instead of trashing someone else's $200,000 maching center.