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Any thoughts on these two choices: Tormach 1100 or Precision Matthews 940CNC? I don't have the time or patience to spend converting a manual mill to CNC and need something much more plug-n-play. Both seem to be good machines but I don't know enough to form an opinion on either.
Thanks,
Dave
Both look like decent hobby level machines. You might try asking about them over at cnczone.
All this is my opinion, ok? A CNC engineering shop is part of my responsibilities. I buy, transport and sometimes commission cnc machining centres for the shop that are somewhat larger than these but the principles are the same.
If you want a cnc that is ready to go, the Tormach is the better proposition. It is heavier which helps accuracy and and takes more load on its table. It's spindle appears heavier, again helps accuracy, the tooling looks more robust and it's drives, ballscrews, slideways etc descriptions use the right words. However, for a purchase like this you really should see one operating. Is the dealer within a reasonable distance? Do they actually have good service? Is the tooling required generic or their own system?
By comparison, the Matthews is a bit light weight. It does have a slightly larger x,y,z travel but takes less weight on the table and the weight must be centred. This tells me that the machine is engineered to a minimum and will probably react poorly of pushed a bit. Again, have a look in the metal and make your judgement then. Cheers
Check out the NYC CNC channel on YouTube. It is a pro machine shop using Tormach machines and the channel is quite informative and intereting. He offers classes.