Hi all,

Just joined this site today as i am looking for some knowledgeable people in here as i am needing help in deciding what cnc lathe and miller to buy as i am looking at setting up on my own.

Have been a time served toolmaker now for the past 20yrs and have worked on a number of manufacturer machines over this time.

Now i am looking at starting up on my own, i am weary about spending 5-10k on a used machine and having any breakdowns and the cost being more than the machine could be worth.

I use a XYZ prototrak sl425 and a semco cnc 3 axis miller with an anilam system at where i work at present, both systems and machines are great to work with and very user friendly.

Now we brought the xyz lathe 12mths ago for a nice price of £38,000 but i can not afford this kind of money and yes i would love to buy new but don't have the funds.

what cnc lathe/milling machine is worth buying for the right money??? my budget is 10-15k max and don't want to buy a nail so to speak. What would you guy's recommend and what should i look out for mainly on any issues etc....

Thanks in advance