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    I was visiting the workshop of chap I work with and learned that back in 2008 he bought a Heiz High-Z S400 direct from Germany, but hasn't used it much, or not much lately. He perked up considerably when I said it looked just the sort of size machine that I have wanted to play with, the up-shot being that he has let me take it away to try out and told me to figure out what I think it is worth and make him an offer.

    His kit consists of the base gantry set up, the controller, a Kress 1050W router with 3mm and 8mm collets, a very elderly (and huge) desktop PC and CRT monitor running XP and WinPCNC-Economy and about 15 carbide cutters in 2mm and 3mm sizes for PCB profiling. I have no space for the PC and would need to figure out some way of running the machine from a laptop.

    On the face of it his suggestion seemed very good, but figuring out how to work the system has not been smooth and I could do with all the advice I can get. It was left with MDF dust sitting around where condensation could form and there is a fair bit of rust on the router screw and corrosion starting on all the guide rails. Could this older machine be a good deal, or am I more likely to just be buying trouble?

    My main concern is that I very quickly encountered the problem I have now read of with other people of the motors stalling and the machine losing track of its position. Worst case was by 92mm in X! Contacting Prototools here in the UK and was told to clean the spindles, which were pretty dirty and had been greased, but that if that didn't work and the spindles needed replacing it would be a back-to-Germany job to the tune of £850+VAT. Is it possible to get parts and do repair oneself, or is this machine built to defeat user repairs?

    Contacting CNC-Step in Germany I learned that the old 2008 version of the S400 has a max speed of 15mm/s (900mm/min = 35ipm) whereas the new machines are quoted as 50mm/s (3000mm/min = 118ipm).

    I was driving in air just testing tool paths at 15 to 17mm/s before I learned this, and the x-axis was regularly stalling so I expect that actual cutting speed will have to be a max of 10mm/s. Most of the advice on feeds and speeds quote cutting phenolic, acrylic and wood (which is pretty much all I want to work with) between 17mm/s and 34mm/s (40 and 80ipm). My interest is in 3D contour machining rather than 2D profiling and V-carving. How much of a handicap is a speed limitation of 10mm/s for 3D router work?

    Finally, would anyone care to help me figure out what an 8 year old, slightly corroded and over-greased S400 system would be worth? It was around the £2200 mark when he bought it, and a new machine with router, controller and USB adapter comes to about £2500 now. Given its age and that it might need more than a little cleaning up I was thinking it might be worth £1000, but I really don't know what the market is.

    As I said, I hope someone out there can offer advice!!

    Cheers

    Alex
    Last edited by danglastscratch; 18-10-2021 at 10:08 PM.

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