Thinking of getting a Super Mini Mill 2, have some questions

1. How well built are these machines? Is Haas service/support good?

2. Can the 4th axis be used as a lathe? I'm guessing it's not ideal for production work, but wondering if it could be used for one off prototypes.

3. Does anyone have any links to 4th axis setups where people are using it for lathe work?

4. Does adding the 4th axis reduce your work envelope at all?

5. How much would I be missing out on by not getting the VF-1 instead? I don't know if I currently have the space for it though, which is why I'm looking at the Super Mini Mill 2, but they are the same starting price.

That's all I can think of for now. Any other info you think might be good for me to know about them please share. Thanks!

The super mini mill 2 has been a great product for us here at Haas. You will get the same support on this machine as any other Haas. Your local dealer has been trained on all Haas machines. You are limited to 999.99 degrees on any Haas 4Th axis.

2. 4th axis should not be used as a lathe. There are customers who use it as a lathe, but it is not well suited for it.

4. Yes, a rotary reduces your work envelope. While the limits are unchanged, it is a huge burden and every move must take into account the position of the rotary.

5. Here are the tech spec differences:
VF-1 = 20x16x20 - 20hp - 7.5k - 20 tools
SMM2= 20x16x14 - 15hp - 10k - 10 tools

The VF-1 is a beefier machine, more dampening power. The real answer to this question will be application-specific. In my opinion, go up to the VF-1 if you can, you will get a more versatile machine.

If you do a lot of work in steel, or a large amount of roughing or bulk material removal in softer materials, a beefier spindle than the one on the Minimills might be preferable. The VF's output much higher torque, and they're more sturdy like he said above. Though I will also say the roughing performance heavily depends on your tooling selection and the software being used, too.

But if you want to get a relatively inexpensive spindle up and running, the SMMs are a great bang-for-the-buck..

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Originally Posted by VTX

1. How well built are these machines? Is Haas service/support good?
Very well, very good. Haas has given better service than any other machine tool service I've dealt with.

2. Can the 4th axis be used as a lathe? I'm guessing it's not ideal for production work, but wondering if it could be used for one off prototypes.
Never tried, but the indexer does not turn more than a couple RPM

3. Does anyone have any links to 4th axis setups where people are using it for lathe work?
I've done turning on a VF-3 before by putting the stock in the spindle and a turning tool in a vice.

4. Does adding the 4th axis reduce your work envelope at all?
In the case of the Minimill, no. The table is way longer in X than the machining envelope. The indexer can be put entirely out of the machining envelope (using a 5-C collet indexer).

5. How much would I be missing out on by not getting the VF-1 instead? I don't know if I currently have the space for it though, which is why I'm looking at the Super Mini Mill 2, but they are the same starting price.
No matter what machining envelope you have, the part you are working on will be just slightly larger than it. :)

That's all I can think of for now. Any other info you think might be good for me to know about them please share. Thanks!

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The VF-1 I ran about 7 years ago had less rigidity and torque than the Minimill I have now, but I don't know about the newer VF-1s.
Compare the prices of each of them equipped exactly with the options you want on them and the $ differences may make the decision a lot easier.

Haas dimensions image shows the mini mill to be of cast construction,
some guys says its a weldment.
Which is it? because cast is superior for damping.

What state and city are you in?

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Originally Posted by andrew2

Haas dimensions image shows the mini mill to be of cast construction,
some guys says its a weldment.
Which is it? because cast is superior for damping.

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Both.

The column, base, head and table all castings. The sub-base, which forms the coolant tank, is a fabrication.