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Old CNC milling machines, need info please.

Wisconsinite

Wisconsinite

Red Skull Member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
132
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1,017
Loc
Milwaukee, WI
I met this widow through a friend, and she is looking to sell some old CNC equipment. One of her friends tried selling it with no luck, and I said I would look into it. Is this worth anything more than scrap price?

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Without seeing it run?


And I’m not even seeing basic collets and tooling.

Tree-fiddy
 
They look clean, but old and obsolete so likely just above scrap prices.
 
They are both plugged in and running. Bins and bins of tooling behind machines. The husband passed away last year, and the wife is getting rid of everything. She is reasonable on prices, and can operater everything in the shop.
 
Wisconsinite said:
They are both plugged in and running. Bins and bins of tooling behind machines. The husband passed away last year, and the wife is getting rid of everything. She is reasonable on prices, and can operater everything in the shop.
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Yes but can she should you how to program it beyond what is in it. Likely need to write to a floppy and hope it still works to transfer to machine, may have to run from the floppy. For cheap could be good. Parts are prob obsolete, and unless you can build your own controls prob not cost effective to upgrade.

With new/modern controls would be sweet set up - for the right price.
 
I wouldn't touch it... You are going to be playing "wack-a-mole" fixing stupid electronic shit. You could buy a nice old "Bridgport" for under 5K and be having some fun with it all day. (you might get a nice working DRO in the deal). But do take a verry hard look at the tooling and collets. $$$$$
 
I have two Wells Index machines with AB Bandit controllers. One was $1500 in working condition with a full set of tool holders, other was free with a few tool holders. That's newer there but not likely a lot, problem is, it's too big for a hobbyist and too small/old/slow/imprecise for most commercial machine shops. That's why my freebie was free. Everybody wants one till it comes time to move it, power it, run it, then suddenly it's too big, too slow, too heavy, etc.

I'd be impressed to see you get $3k out of that, sorry to say. And to get that you'll probably need to have the books that go with it and have it powered and demo-able for buyers.

Modern controls are typically possible but cost prohibitive. Full retrofit on one of mine would have been $15k almost 20 years ago. On a $1500 machine, that's tough to justify.
 
Elwenil said:
Couldn't they be retrofitted with more modern controls, ala This Old Tony?
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Yes, but as mentioned- unless you know how to do it all yourself, it will be cost prohibited. Much better, newer machines for that price point. Unless the OP has or knows someone with these machines for spares they are a hard pass.
 
Depending on how much and what kind of tooling comes with them, could be a few grand apiece to sell quick. They look like they're in decent condition. If you can get in to the control and find an hour count it might give a better idea as to what kind of life they've had.

I regularly see machines of that vintage listed from a couple grand up to 20k on FB. I doubt many are selling for the upper end of that. But, if they're low hour, one owner machines they could be worth it to the right person.
 
The money will be in the tooling as long as it is a common size. The machines are scrap, old smaller manual machines bring money for hobby guys but thats too big for the hobby guy and too old for production.

Edit: beaten by literary everyone
 
If you can get parts and tooling, $1500 would be a great price to pick it up for. I would look into how well they hold tolerance, as if they can't, they're worthless scrap. Check the control to see what operating system the machine uses and see if you can find a CAM post processor to run it. I would check to see if it has a RS232 port. If it does, you can purchase a shoplink to be able to load programs via USB. You likely will be limited on how fast you can cut due to machine HP and the RPM the spindle is capable of. Don't let the age of the mill scare you away. Two years ago I picked up a Haas VF3 for $12k. It had 2500 original hours on it and it looked brand new still. It does everything I need it to do and still holds a 0.001" tolerance all day. The purchase price was much better that the $160k for a new one
 
What's included in the $8k? 2 mills, how much/ what tooling, computer with a cam program for them, any machinist tools? Having them under power/ someone who can train how to run them is a big perk. The pictures you posted make them look like scrap grade with all the junk. Clean off the junk, clean them/ knock the crud off, fire them up, take pictures of the screens operational and run a part and take some pictures with a finished part in the machine.

Machining is an odd trade, lots of machinists disgruntled with their bosses wanting to break out on their own and willing to take somewhat of a risk. With the right work lined up someone might be able to race to the bottom with them.

Advertising as a turn key machine shop with lots of pictures of the cleaned up machines, tooling, advertising still under power, offer 20 hours of consulting as part of the package deal, and everything included might get close to $8k out of them. The current pictures on craigslist with a title of CNC Mill probably won't get them sold though good pictures and details would really help.

I see the dreamer "maker" with some great invention though has never run a CNC machine and has parents willing to fund their man child as the prime customer.
 
Post pics of the tooling, collets, fixtures, and other associated steel. There's probably more money in that than the machines themselves unless you happen to have a company nearby who parts out old equipment. These are going to be worth more parted out on eBay than anywhere else.
 
I'd love to come across something like that for cheap. I'd sell the controls on eBay, someone out there probably needs it. Then run the thing off Linuxcnc or Mach3-4. Having said that, I would not pay 8k for one.
 
barrelroll said:
I see the dreamer "maker" with some great invention though has never run a CNC machine and has parents willing to fund their man child as the prime customer.
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Because if the price is 8k lord knows nobody who knows the market will decide this is the deal they're gonna jump on. :laughing:
 
Cheap old Taiwanese mills with obscure obsolete controls? Hard pass.

Even if they were free, still not worth it to move them unless you have the means to do it yourself.
 
bunk said:
Does it even have a rs232 port?!
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I "think" they do, but it's been about 30 years since I was unfortunate enough to work on one. From what I remember they were pretty close to a Fanuc 6M.
 
bdkw1 said:
I "think" they do, but it's been about 30 years since I was unfortunate enough to work on one. From what I remember they were pretty close to a Fanuc 6M.
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Last old mill i worked on was a fanuc 3m mori seiki mv45. Gotta love that bubble memory!
 
cj3a said:
Is this a better deal? I have been looking for the same think.
newjersey.craigslist.org

fadal cnc mill 3016 with 4 axis - tools - by owner - sale

1997 fadal cnc mill with 4 axis 30x16x20 4 meg memory cat 40 tapper floppy drive touch probe located in fairfield nj serious buyers call $9900 or b/o machine under power
newjersey.craigslist.org
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I've got an 89 fadal in my shop, and am very happy with it. Mines a 4020, so a bit bigger, but 4th axis would be super nice. Fadal's have a ton of support (both knowledge and parts), and are relatively inexenspive to work on.
 
cj3a said:
Is this a better deal? I have been looking for the same think.
newjersey.craigslist.org

fadal cnc mill 3016 with 4 axis - tools - by owner - sale

1997 fadal cnc mill with 4 axis 30x16x20 4 meg memory cat 40 tapper floppy drive touch probe located in fairfield nj serious buyers call $9900 or b/o machine under power
newjersey.craigslist.org
Click to expand...
Fadal's are giant pieces of shit. The pre GL buyout ones with weldment frames aren't worth scrap prices. 97ish is when the change over was.
 
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