[metalmayhem]

Far cry from the $6800 sticker on the original 1100, but then again you could almost get a new car for that back then.

FWIW, the TechShop guy once told me one reason they had Tormachs was they moved slowly enough to make it harder to smash somebody.

anyone that bought at that price has or can sell for more than originally paid , especially since the tormachs hold their value so well . I see them come up on the local market and I'm surprised by the asking prices but they sell them fairly quickly . The mini's and tm mills seem to hold a certain value as well vs a vf of the same years

I think the slower speeds on the lesser tormachs are beneficial for students and such since a crash won't provide much more damage that a busted tool and/or a new hole in the table or vise .



When tormach came out with the 440's they created an option that was inviting to hobbyists (not that the others weren't) . A base mill was $5000 , except it didn't come with the $1000 control included like it does now , and a chip pan was another 500 . At that I was quick to buy a few of them because they were the perfect specs for what I needed . A new 440 with the same is roughly $7700 which isn't a huge spike but it has gone up .
For hobbyists I think they should look backwards as well as forward . A lot of guys are still using sherlines and retrofitting x2 mills , and there are no solid turnkey options in that size range . A smaller affordable option would likely produce a high volume of sales , and often high volume low price is much more lucrative than big ticket items . A lot of guys need a true small benchtop that they can make parts with and the benchtop routers don't fit that bill unless a guy is cutting wood or plastic . Obviously a smaller bench top machine isn't for everyone but the market is there , I still use one of my old x2's for secondary rotary operations

[shred]

For hobbyists I think they should look backwards as well as forward . A lot of guys are still using sherlines and retrofitting x2 mills , and there are no solid turnkey options in that size range . A smaller affordable option would likely produce a high volume of sales , and often high volume low price is much more lucrative than big ticket items . A lot of guys need a true small benchtop that they can make parts with and the benchtop routers don't fit that bill unless a guy is cutting wood or plastic . Obviously a smaller bench top machine isn't for everyone but the market is there , I still use one of my old x2's for secondary rotary operations

A long time ago I suggested they make a small machine where the table is a 6" Kurt-type vise. Make it rigid it and would be a useful size.