Re: What do I need to watch for in a 6040 CNC? HELP PLEASE!
6040's, where to start?
1 - They probably still represent THE best value machine in that class on the market despite all the Chinese bashers who can't point to anything comparable.
2 - Quite solidly made, very robust and accurate once shimmed/squared.
3 - The controllers/drivers they come with are absolutely garbage!
4 - See above!
5 - There are numerous different models, go for one with fully supported round rails on all axis, not the unsupported type, they're crap
6 - DON'T buy the rubbish little DC brushed motor they call a spindle, opt for a proper VFD/Spindle combo
7 - Did I mention the drivers are garbage, plan on adding a Gecko G540, you WON'T regret it!
8 - The supplied 24VDC PSU's are usually very underrated for the machine, a 48VDC 5-6A PSU to match the G540 would be ideal
9 - Unless you get the smaller body 2.2kW spindle, 1.5kw is probably about the biggest load the Z will happily carry
10 - Mach3 is great, perfect for these machines.
11 - Unless your planning on engraving chopsticks, the 4th axis these units all come with are all really gutless. Very common complaint. Expect to pay a lot more for a capable 4th axis or build one yourself.
12 - Enjoy!
I highly recommend the machine, but the drivers work in the same way a broken watch is still right twice a day. Sorta.
Cheers, Ian
It's rumoured that everytime someone buys a TB6560 based board, an engineer cries!