VMC - Buy or Build? With Ramblings ;-)

[JAZZCNC]

To me people are comparing apples with oranges when comes to VMC's and machines like Skyfire, Tormach etc.

Skyfire, Tormach etc are not VMC's they are Bench mounted Mills sat on a lightly built steel frame. True Vmc is floor mounted solid cast iron structure and column.
If you notice even Haas don't call there "Mini Mill's" VMC's because they are not. They are just heavily constructed base mounted machines. That is mounted on heavy constructed welded steel base frame. Unlike Skyfire or Tormach which in comparison are sat on light weight and bolted together benches.

To be fair were not even comparing apples to oranges when comparing to Haas "MiniMill" or other commercial MiniMill's like XYZ 2-OP because the difference is construction is night and day.

Skyfire, Tormach etc are just glorified Bench mills that come with all the weaknesses and traits associated with there manual cousins. Sticking servo's on them and wrapping in tin sheet doesn't make them VMC's or any stronger.

So to me, people need to start looking past all the eye candy sheet metal etc and pay attention to what they are truly buying with there "Starting from £16'950" lump of money, which in reality soon becomes £20K when they fall for few over priced extra's.!

Those are my ramblings anyway.!