[fredd90]

Hello


Recently discovered that i need a larger machine after 2 years with Emco pc mill 125 (Fanuc and then Simatik).

It need to fit my garage shop and quite fast i found a Haas 2004, Sminimill HE 15k rpm, High speed machining, Rigid tapping,
Very few hours, worked as prototype aluminum mold machine at the same company since start.

Is it a waste of money and time to buy this machine with the old display and operating system?


If i May ask, what could be a fair price without accompanying warranty and no Tools/Vise?

[Donkey Hotey]

That control is no longer supported by Haas. I know: it's the same year as my VF-2 so this is going to be the tough love someone would tell me:

If anything goes wrong with the electronics, you're on your own. You'll either need to diagnose and fix it yourself or find a good third party tech to diagnose it and then send the boards off to someone to be repaired. Things like axis amplifiers and the vector drive are still available from Haas. I'd bet most of the mechanical parts are available from them too. Pretty sure the manufacturer of the motors discontinued them too so neither Haas, nor anyone else is going to help unless you find old stock or a rebuilder. Cables could grow to be a problem too.

I wouldn't pay more than $15-18K for that machine and others will claim I'm nuts for saying that much. If you can find a 2007 or later, with the 15" display, you move into a ton of improvements like a USB instead of floppy drive and it'll be supported for at least a few more years. Easiest way to tell them apart is if it has the square power buttons and the power meter on the left, it's obsolete.

With all that said, it looks like a practically brand new machine. The inside of the cabinet is usually blasted by chips. That's just the nature of being what it is. The fact that it shows so little wear, indicates that it probably truly has low hours and soft usage.

[fredd90]

That control is no longer supported by Haas. I know: it's the same year as my VF-2 so this is going to be the tough love someone would tell me:

If anything goes wrong with the electronics, you're on your own. You'll either need to diagnose and fix it yourself or find a good third party tech to diagnose it and then send the boards off to someone to be repaired. Things like axis amplifiers and the vector drive are still available from Haas. I'd bet most of the mechanical parts are available from them too. Pretty sure the manufacturer of the motors discontinued them too so neither Haas, nor anyone else is going to help unless you find old stock or a rebuilder. Cables could grow to be a problem too.

I wouldn't pay more than $15-18K for that machine and others will claim I'm nuts for saying that much. If you can find a 2007 or later, with the 15" display, you move into a ton of improvements like a USB instead of floppy drive and it'll be supported for at least a few more years. Easiest way to tell them apart is if it has the square power buttons and the power meter on the left, it's obsolete.

With all that said, it looks like a practically brand new machine. The inside of the cabinet is usually blasted by chips. That's just the nature of being what it is. The fact that it shows so little wear, indicates that it probably truly has low hours and soft usage.

Hello and thanks for a great answer =)
Today I have been on site and looked at the machine,

Seems to be in really good condition, 10000hours total spindletime, 28000 toolchanges.

Unfortunately no usb or similar, but it got a special option, Ethernet connection that they have used to transfer files as a "network harddisk" files up to 55MB they used to make test molds(aluminium) for plastic press.

Spoken to the service people at site and Also haas personel, they grant to have all parts in stock except control pcb for atleast 10 yrs ahead. That's a good thing. Little worried regarding the large 40x40cm mainboard tho...

Is there any 3party option that makes it's possible to transfer via USB?

/Best regards Fredrik

[Donkey Hotey]

Unfortunately no usb or similar, but it got a special option, Ethernet connection that they have used to transfer files as a "network harddisk" files up to 55MB they used to make test molds(aluminium) for plastic press.

The Ethernet Hard Drive option is kind of orphaned as far as connecting to it on a network is concerned. Either here or on another unnamed website, someone outlined all the problems they had with making a current Windows network talk to the old Haas protocols. Don't count on making it work on a network with a Windows PC.

If I remember correctly, that option did buy you a USB port so that's worth something to you.

Spoken to the service people at site and Also haas personel, they grant to have all parts in stock except control pcb for atleast 10 yrs ahead

Unless they personally have it in their own inventory, that's not true.

In the upper left corner of the cabinet are three boards:

• Main processor board
• Video / floppy drive board
• Motion Control (Mocon) board.

Your Ethernet / hard drive board is part of that middle board with the floppy drive controller. According to Haas, for my 2004 machine, none of those three are available anymore from the factory. I'm sure the one you're looking at has the same exact parts. You may be able to get them repaired by third-party repair companies but, they are already orphaned by Haas. I don't know why they would tell you they will support them for ten more years. I guess Haas takes back the cores from when they do control upgrades for people so they might occasionally have one in stock but, don't count on that.