[HLF Ordnance]

Okay lets try this again.

Lets say you just won the grand prize in a sweepstakes at Haas. You have to choose to take three VF-1s or two VF-2SSs or one EC-400

NO options. Shipping is FREE

*Note the EC-400 is a palate changer

[Geof]

Sorry to be a nit-picker (not really) I think you need to put in the limitation that the sweepstakes winner does not yet own any machines. In this poll my vote is for the single EC-40 which contradicts my opinion in your other thread. I am not being inconsistent, I already own about thirty Haas machines but I don't have a horizontal and I would love to get one for free.

[HLF Ordnance]

Geof,

No worries!

I want to see what people would do regardless of what type of shop or equipment they have/ work in.

[WallyL7]

So, Geof came over to the darkside I see!

Alright, I voted...

My parameters were like Geof mentioned and you mentioned before...A production shop that I am starting (I assume by myself).

:cheers:

[extanker59]

Not being a money guy (not enough in my bank account to buy a rotary much less a machine) but I voted anyway based on what I think would be more versatile.
IMO 2 VF-2s would allow a wide range of parts combined with the flexibility of rapid set ups (compared to horizontals which I've set up before).
It's been stated that you can set up a horizontal while it's running. Partially correct. You can set up the hardware on the pallet that isn't being used but, from my experience, much more time is involved in tool setting and workoffset zero finding than in the hardware setup. And that can't be done while the machine is running. Unless things have changed in the 10 years since I last set up a horizontal.
BTW, they were Kitamura and (an early) Haas horizontal. The Haas had a truely horrible pallet lock down system at the time. It was a large screw that came up into the pallet and then pulled down. Wouldn't repeat and frequently failed to lock. The owner sent it back. He went with a Matsuura RA-1F pallet changing vertical. I'm sure it's been improved but I'd ask just to make sure that isn't still an issue.

[HLF Ordnance]

I have seen the EC-400 in action and it is pretty sweet. However, I voted for 2 VF2-SSs because it fits my needs well.

[vf1kf]

We have all the machines listed in our shop. The EC-400 is pretty sweet if you regularly run thousands of parts, but the setup time makes it a poor choice for prototype work. The vf-1 is a good machine, but the extra travel of the VF2's makes two of them more valuable that 3 of the ones. All IMHO of course.

[glovebox20]

I vote for the VF-2SS unless you need a third spindle. Even so I would still op for the SS if your planing on doing this for a while (3+ years). I would go with the EC-400 if it means you can reduce the number of op's on your parts. The on shop I worked for did a part on the Vetrical that took 3 op's to do. When they move that job to the Horzantial, they did it in 1 op and they reduce the overall processes time for the job by over 50%. It's hard to pay someone to stand there just to load parts with that kind of turn around.

[Kpt Steyn]

I voted 3 vf-1's. But it all depends on what type of industry you going to do work for.

Most parts is relatively small and can fit inside a vice. So having 3 machines doing the same components compare to 2 machines is obvious. VF-1 have higher feed rates and faster speed.

I want to buy the vf-2 with a optional 15000 rpm main spindle and add 2 electtric high spees spindles to it to do embosssing dies.

[HLF Ordnance]

Kpt, it is a VF2 SS <-- not just a VF2