Quote Originally Posted by Outlawtaz View Post
No. Its pretty rare for the processors to go out. And they are still available. $3500 after exchange and about an hour of time from a tech.

1. Make sure that it has the LCD display, the large one. This will get you at least 14 series software that you can add on any option that you want if the machine doesnt have it.
2. If you want to do probing, look for one that already has it. Otherwise its $5-7000 to add it.
3. Get a SS if possible. Less problems with the tool changer and you get the fast rapids.
4. Look for one that already has a 4th axis installed. Not a big deal to add it later but if you want to make more complex parts, the rotarys are plug and play.
5. Finally, a ballbar wont tell you alot if the machine isnt already dialed in. A good inspection of the ways/ballscrews and checking the backlash will tell you more about the condition of the machine. A better indication of machine condition would be doing a vibration analysis of the motor and spindle. Spindles and motors are 100x more common to crap out than the axis components.
2008 and older (I believe) machines are no longer supported. If the processor board goes out, Haas is quoting in the $10,000-$14,000 range to "upgrade" the machine to the new control that people are having bug issues with. The core refund is no longer offered. That's what is being reported on practical machinist.