[texasinmi]

I am new to this forum.

I have been doing hobby cnc wood working for a couple of years. I work with hardwoods. My longest carves are about 3 hours.

I am ready to upgrade from a router to a spindle and VFD. I am looking for a recommendation on make, model, horse power, water vs air......

I know to stay away from Chinese stuff. I am hoping to spend less than $500 on both, if that is even possible.

Thanks in advance for the advise.

texasinmi

[ger21]

I am ready to upgrade from a router to a spindle and VFD. I am looking for a recommendation on make, model, horse power, water vs air......

What kind of machine is this going on, and what will you be doing with it? How deep and fast do you want to cut?

I know to stay away from Chinese stuff. I am hoping to spend less than $500 on both, if that is even possible.

No, not really. Spindles not made in China tend to start at around $700. VFD 's would start at $250-$300.

You can get a chinese 2.2Kw spindle and a good VFD for around $500, which is what a lot of people do.
Or get a Chinese spindle and FVD package for around $350.

[texasinmi]

It is going on a Shark cnc. Not too deep, 1-2 inches, and will slow down to improve details.

What VFD do people put with the Chinese spindle? Is there a Chinese spindle better than others.

If I went with a Chinese spindle, I would probably change out the bearings, the apparent weakest area. What bearings would you recommend?

texasinmi

[ger21]

For a shark, a 1.5Kw would be more than enough, but limited to bits with a 1/4" shank (or smaller).

Most people buy a kit like this one:
1 5KW Water Cooled Spindle Motor 1 5KW VFD COOLE Motor Milling High Speed Great | eBay

Yes, some spindles are better than others. But if buying from China, it's very difficult to know what you'll be getting.
One way to know what you're getting is to buy from a reseller that tests and guarantees the spindles, like www.ugracncn.com But you'll pay about 50% more.

Unless you get a spindle with defective bearings, there's no reason to change them. The main difference between the chinese bearings and good spindle bearings will be how long they last. And good spindle bearings will cost much more than the spindle.