Originally Posted by
AVRnj
I have an 1100, series 3 and overall I am very happy with the machine.
I don't think there is anything overly special about the machine itself , when comparing to some of its competitors, it is less powerful, less weight and less travels than say a Torus Pro or a Smithy Talon, there is nothing overly special mecahnically, it uses good quality ballscrews and double nuts, has a quality coating on the ways, but still uses dovetail ways, does not have crazy fast rapids, etc and does not have huge travels.
What is special about the Tormach IMO is their support is unbelievable, even if you buy a used machine, they stand by their product like few companies do these days. They always have pretty much every spare part in stock which is nice, they have fantastic documentation, and they have a very integrated solution for almost anything you want to add on within reason.
You want a power drawbar, they got it, you want an ATC, they got it, they have the Mach3 version to support the ATC and setup it up quickly, they have a nice integrated 4th axis, probes, etc. and they have tons of videos on how to use it, set it up, etc.
If the support and the integrated solution are important, you really cannot go wrong with this machine, they hold their value very well as they are very popular and have a high resale value, and if needed they will hold your hand through any problem you have, no matter how basic or complex. If those things are not as important, perhaps a competitor would offer more value to you.