Why exclude collets in the comparison? The price of the Kress collets is huge compared to the ER20 collets for the spindle if bought in China. Clearly it depends how many different size tools you end up using, but if it's a fair few the price difference wont be so great...


I don't see the point of 1) and 2) since if you use a very cheap router to start with (suggest going to car boot if there's one near you and getting a variable speed one) you wont need to buy a Kress.


3) I've used the WC spindle at 5000rpm to drill aluminium with a 4mm drill, so although the torque is limited at that speed there's still enough to be useful.
4) It's just a matter of tweaking the settings on the VFD and having good cooling. Although it helps to buy a better (more expensive) VFD.
5) eBay
6) Yes.
7) Here's one or two I made earlier:
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I'd advise using 1/2" thick aluminium.

Quote Originally Posted by wilfy View Post
WATER-COOLED MOTOR SPINDLE 1.5KW + MATCHING INVERTER f4 | eBay

here we go.. i dont know enough about spindles yet to know if it's a good one or not,
Problem with that one is it only takes ER11 collets, so you're limited to up to 7mm cutters. That's one excellent reason to get the 2.2kW spindle - it uses ER20 collets which accept up to 13mm tools. Bear in mind several sellers here have used 'best offer' with these spindles to get them cheaper.