[Insect]

Hi,
I am upgrading a 2.25hp router on my 4848 CNC. I see many Chinese spindle/VFD combos, Vivor, Jianken, unbranded etc.. What I do not see is user feedback here or anywhere else reliable as to each one's likelihood for meeting spec, meeting runout, lasting, etc.


Can anyone recommend a 4kw spindle kit in the sub $1400 range?
Can anyone find belt drive only spindles in the USA, such as this one :https://www.jian-ken.com/mechanical-...l-spindle.html ?

I may consider the Avid CNC 4hp one, it's $2k and only a little more than I wish to spend on this, but wish to explore the viability of these budget ones first

[Goemon]

What do you plan to use it for?

Belt drive spindles are usually for lower speed / higher torque metal milling. The 24,000rpm Chinese spindles with built in motors are typically for wood work and aluminum (with small tools only).

Little Machine Shop sells sub $200 R8 belt drive spindle cartridges for up to 5000rpm. Tormach also sells their R8 and BT30 cartridges separately.

You won't find much reliable data on the precision of cheap Chinese spindles. Even if people measured (which they typically don't), you won't find any consistency between units at that price point.

Basically, if you buy a sub $500 Chinese spindle, don't expect precision or longevity.

If you can spend $1400 you should look at the Teknomotor spindles at Damon CNC. I had a chance to test one at a friend's place last week and it's build quality was comparable to my old Colombo spindle but for half the price.