[slim_mif]

hello everyone, as you all can tell, im new and im a noob at milling machines. im intrested in getting a cnc but in stuck on which is better. im looking at a sheldon 2ooo cnc -i think thats the model number- and the x2 cnc mill. which one is better built, easier, last longer, more flexable etc between the two? any advice would be excellent. tia.

[hoss2006]

Any more info on the sheldon?
Google only turned up an OLD sheldon lathe so can't see what it is to be able to compare it to an X2.
Hoss

[slim_mif]

Hey, I finnally got on a computer. The first post was on a cellphone so I couldnt really do a full search. Anyways, heres the the actual name: Sherline 4400.

Thanks.

[Crevice Reamer]

No comparison! The X2 is a much more rugged and larger machine. The Sherline is cute and may be great for jewelry--Although it WILL cut mild steel very slowly, But the X2, albeit with a little tweaking, is a far more capable mill.

The Sherline is very expensive for what you get. You can buy the X2 and fully CNC it for less than you will ultimately invest in a manual Sherline.

After using my Sherline awhile, and then acquiring an X2--I perceived the X2 as MONSTER large. LOL!

CR.

[slim_mif]

Humm, I think the hardest metal I'll cut would be mild steel, but that might be 2-3% of my work since Im usually going to be working with aluminum. I have been looking at the X2 CNC for a long time but I just came across the Sherline a few days back and wanted some feed back.

Are there any other brand that is equivliant to the X2? Price wise and all? Im limited to 2 1/2k on budget. Basically, with 2 1/2k, whats be best bang for the buck? Thanks

[slashmaster]

Yeah, I have an issue of ROBOT magazine and it has an add for a sherline cnc mill including a computer and software for $2450.00 it really makes me wonder why they are so expensive? Crevice Reamer, you seem like a pretty wise man. What were you doing with a Sherline in the first place?

[slashmaster]

Humm, I think the hardest metal I'll cut would be mild steel, but that might be 2-3% of my work since Im usually going to be working with aluminum. I have been looking at the X2 CNC for a long time but I just came across the Sherline a few days back and wanted some feed back.

Are there any other brand that is equivliant to the X2? Price wise and all? Im limited to 2 1/2k on budget. Basically, with 2 1/2k, whats be best bang for the buck? Thanks

Probably the x1, x2 or x3. I've been thinking about either an x3 or a larger Grizzly or Lathemaster myself. You don't need 2 1/2 k for that!

[Crevice Reamer]

Yeah, I have an issue of ROBOT magazine and it has an add for a sherline cnc mill including a computer and software for $2450.00 it really makes me wonder why they are so expensive? Crevice Reamer, you seem like a pretty wise man. What were you doing with a Sherline in the first place?

I was once a newbie. Some of the Sherline salesmen could sell ice cubes to eskimos. It SEEMED like the thing to do at the time.

Wisdom comes from experience. EXPERIENCE often comes from making the wrong decisions and having to recover from them.

CR.

[Crevice Reamer]

Humm, I think the hardest metal I'll cut would be mild steel, but that might be 2-3% of my work since Im usually going to be working with aluminum. I have been looking at the X2 CNC for a long time but I just came across the Sherline a few days back and wanted some feed back.

Are there any other brand that is equivliant to the X2? Price wise and all? Im limited to 2 1/2k on budget. Basically, with 2 1/2k, whats be best bang for the buck? Thanks

Best CNC mill bang for buck would be the almost turn key DG1 $1700 Taig/Gecko.

http://deepgroove1.com/cncmill.htm

DON'T buy the $1550 one though, unless you LIKE problems.

CR.

[slim_mif]

Probably the x1, x2 or x3. I've been thinking about either an x3 or a larger Grizzly or Lathemaster myself. You don't need 2 1/2 k for that!

cool, thanks. Im using 2 1/2k for the basics, such as bench/desk tools and others, but I want the biggest chunk for the Mill.

Whats the difference between the x1 and the x2?

Edit: Dur! size, anyways, Im reading the dem. of each. What is the biggest size you can get out of the Mini vs the Micro? I think the biggest I'll ever use it for is 5x5, but I dont know..

[Crevice Reamer]

The X1 is slightly larger, a little more powerful and rigid than the Sherline. Mind you it's a lot of mill for such a cheap price, Ok for a starter mill, but not a good candidate for CNC. I still use one for occasional tapping duties because it's fully reversable.

CR.

[imserv]

This comment was recently made by an individual who had been to a local
Seig resellers showroom, where he touched and carefully examined several
mills, thinking he should purchase one:

"One thing this experience has done is to renew and increase my appreciation
and respect for my Sherlines. I will confess that the first time I saw one I
thought, "How cute! A little toy lathe for children". But having worked with
them almost daily for six years, I have to say they are an astonishingly good
value. It's really pretty remarkable that these simple little machines, right
out of the box, can consistently work to one mill accuracy – easily, reliably,
productively, and be a real pleasure to work on. I'm now taking a new interest
in further upgrading or expanding my Sherline shop. Way better return on
investment, in my judgment." 42446

I do have an oar in the water when it comes to Sherline, but it is because I
did a very careful analysis in 2002 of the desktop sized products available,
both domestic and imported. I chose to sell Sherline because they are
finished at the factory, provide outstanding support, have the best selection
of accessories available, and have all inch fasteners. They have not
changed in that time, maybe gotten a little better with the addition of some
new toys, I mean tools. ;-)

They also have phone support if you need a replacement part, or even
advice about what tool you need to make a certain part. Their web site is
crammed full of help, tips, specs, dimensions and all the other things you
need, in English.

The Sherline is a miniature machine tool. It is for making small accurate parts.
Tweaking the machine to hold .001 will not become your quest, making those
kind of parts will be routine.

It is not a Bridgeport. If you need that size parts you should purchase the
correct tool for the job.

Fred Smith - IMService
http://www.imsrv.com

[mhackney]

I hear you Fred. I bought a used Sherline lathe a few years ago and it has been a workhorse. I struggled with the Sherline mill vs X2 mill also but I really needed a bit more capacity and I wanted to build my CNC conversion myself, so I went X2. Seems there is maybe a market for X2/C2 class mills/lathes but with Sherline fit and finish.

cheers,
Michael

[escott76]

Seems there is maybe a market for X2/C2 class mills/lathes but with Sherline fit and finish.

When I bought my Sherline I went through a lot of the same things described here. The Chinese mills were attractive on one hand, but I chose the shortcomings of the Sherline over them. I was not disappointed then, and several years later having experienced the fit and finish of Chinese tooling myself I'm reminded why I did what I did. A decent machinist will be able to make either one suitable for most purposes, but with any machine it's always important to keep in mind what it's limits are and to take them into account when planning and running jobs.
That all being said, when I built my CNC your comment was almost exactly what I had in mind. I wanted something a little more beefy than the sherline ways and screws, but was unwilling to deal with a Chinese conversion. The limiting factor will be what people are willing to pay for. It's a tough sell to get people to pay what the fit and finish would cost. I kept costs "low"* by doing the work myself, and had the tools available to me. What I would have to charge someone to do the same would be quite a bit. At that point it becomes attractive to get one of the bigger mills (cost wise) if you have the space. I don't, so it was a pretty perfect fit

*Having a ready supply of free frame/base stock was also helpful, as were several great surplus finds. Cost for the motion components were above what I would have paid for an X2 as well.

[vlmarshall]

I'm really surprised that the popular opinion of Sherline seems to be that they're tools that only newbies are tricked into buying. I've had my Sherline mill for a few years now, and I'm happy with the thing.

[slashmaster]

I just don't see where the value is in a sherline other than finish. What kind of leadscrews and nuts do they have? What kind of resolution can you get with a Sherline? What kind of resolution can you get with an X2? That Sherline column looks thin and flimsy. Maybe the finish on a Sherline is prettier but if you use them don't they both become scratched up and grimey anyway?

[Crevice Reamer]

The Sherline is a light weight mill that will literally fit and operate on a table top. There are many who have no room for a shop, and yet want to machine small parts. the Sherline fits that bill. If you are very patient, it will do almost anything that fits within its envelope.

The lead screws are tiny and use brass nuts that wear. The column IS flimsy and will flex if pushed too hard. It DOES have very good resolution though, but not much rigidity.

CR.

[pete from TN]

I have a friend who has both a Sherline lathe and a sherline milling machine. They do look very nicely made, they are VERY tiny..... I mean real small.... I am quite sure that if you are real patient and need to make some parts for a watch or something very small it could produce some very nice parts due to it's tidy design and what seems to be an accurate build quality.He uses them to make tiny parts for Remote controlled cars and helicopters. I do not however understand the reason for buying them other than that. I have now owned five different milling machines from a shoptask 3 in 1, to a round column RF31 mill, then a Lathemster dovetail mill, and then a knee mill. I used to think the shoptask machine was really great, until I bought the dovetail mill and the knee mill and started to see what a rigid machine that has some decent travels can do. The thing is this, you can always do good accurate small pieces on a larger mill, you cannot do large accurate pieces on a small or tiny mill. The mindset I used to have was that I would never want or need to do large pieces, that is until you want to or have to do them. Then your little machine is out of luck and you wind up wishing you got the bigger machine. I see lots of guys that have sherline cnc machines and they seem to enjoy them. I am sure they are useful for some specific types of things but in the end I am always wishing my table travels were even bigger than they are and that I could take just a little more metal off in one pass than I currently can. Everyone has their needs and wants and I respect that but I guess I just do not see the attraction with these tiny machines. I think the smallest machine I would bother with let alone do a cnc conversion on is the X2/x3 style. They are at least reasonably capable of machining aluminum and some steel and have some reasonable travels and due to their cast iron content have some kind of rigidity. There are also way too many guys making some interesting things with them on here let alone the cool mods that are popping up for them. Again this is not to trash on the sherline machines but I guess they have a specific purpose albeit limited scope. Peace

[Crevice Reamer]

Well said Pete!

CR.

[vlmarshall]

Yes, nicely argued, Pete. Lots of good points here.

I guess I get away with using a tiny mill at home, because if I need to do any BIG stuff, I'll just do it at work... the same reason I've got along so far without a lathe.