My new shop building is nearing completion so I am starting to look more seriously at a new VMC to upgrade from my 1100S3.
At this point I am probably 95% down to the 1500MX versus a Haas Mini-Mill.
I have had a good experience with my 1100 and like the specs on the 1500, but am a bit spooked buying a machine this new with so little public info out there. When I bought my 1100 in 2013 it was a known quantity and did not disappoint.
In terms of why I want to upgrade, my primary wants are:
- Real ATC-friendly spindle taper
- Faster spindle RPM
- Fully-integrated wireless probe/toolsetter system
- More table capacity
- More rigidity
On paper, the 1500 and Mini-Mill are fairly close. Both have 10K spindles, I don’t care about BT30 vs. CAT 40, both have wireless probing, both have more table space than an 1100. The Mini does weight about 50% more, but the 1100 is generally rigid enough for what I do, but more is always better. The Haas has 2X more HP, but MRR is rarely an issue for my prototype/small run work, so I’m not chasing that.
What we all know though is that specs don’t really capture everything about how well a machine actually operates and makes chips. I don’t want to count Tormach out of this purchase simply because the machine is new but I need more than a few website testimonials to bet $50K on the machine.
I split my time between Boston and western Mass., so if anybody has a 1500 running in New England or Albany/Hudson Valley regions I could see running, it would help make the decision. Happy to bring a bottle of something or buy you lunch for the privilege.
Thanks in advance!