Christmas gift machining has me thinking about a Haas or maybe a Tormach

[Kahran_Ramsus]

I am cranking out a few Christmas gifts on my small mill and it is definitely letting me know it is tired of the holiday season. Cuts are fine until I push the feed a little, then everything sounds like the machine is sighing at me. Surface finish is good enough for a hobby project but not great.

Halfway through the batch I started thinking that maybe this is what finally pushes me toward a Haas or a Tormach. I do not need a full shop machine but I am getting to the point where I want something with more rigidity and speed so I am not babying every toolpath.

Anyone here make that jump and feel instantly relieved? I want to know if the upgrade was a game changer or if I am just having a December meltdown along with my mill.

 

[Alan]

That point where the finish is acceptable but the machine feels strained is usually when people start looking at Tormach or Haas seriously. The jump often brings calmer cuts and less babysitting, even at similar feeds. It’s worth asking how much faster you want to work versus how much space and power you’re ready for. Are you mostly machining aluminum or mixing in harder materials now?