I know there's a similar thread to this right now, but I'm curious as to what some of you guys are using right now that you just absolutely love and can't live without, and what everyone has their eyes on right now. Here's what I've been looking at lately

torchmate 2x2 cnc plasma


Rotary positioner

 

A local fab shop owner I know picked up that exact rotary position-er to do a gov job, who ended up backing out due to some budget cuts. Anyway, a good $3800 he spent on it I believe, but he says he loves it--round, square stock, doesn't matter.

 

I don't know what I would do without my milling machine, 3 Axis with powerfeeds, and a digital readout. I think a lot of my parts would look pretty ameteur without it, or I would be spending a ton more money on outsourcing. I think hands down the most important tool in a fab shop is a horizontal bandsaw...before I work on just about anything I have to cut it to size. We even bought a back up saw (still sitting in the crate) just in case ours takes a dump...we'd be screwed without it.

 

ive got a old dc tig welder but im saving for a ac/dc . aluminum here i come haha

 

 

Most used tools... Makita 90* cutoff wheel/grinder, chop saw, old school belt sander, and my Sync 500. Wish I had a damn band saw, didn't appreciate that enough when I had two at the shop I used to work at.

 

yeah........ and cnc mill and a lathe


mike

 

On the wish you had side of things ..

This is my current drool / looking for a reason to need one -

http://www.flowcorp.com/waterjet-products.cfm?id=860

 

LAMO......Hands down the best tool IMO as well, nothing beats a good old fashioned BFH!!!

 

hell yeah, what they cost

 

cant live without:

tig
doall
bridgeport
hardinge
stompshear
brake
beltsanders
corner notcher
rotary punch

wish i had:
press brake
lift, lol
cnc mill
burrking with changeable dia wheels
hydrolic bender
hydrolic shear 48"+
cold saw

i have two horizontal bandsaws and they pretty much never get used after getting the vertical doall.

 

The TIG is probably highest on my list of tools. It's enabled so many things and opened so many avenues.

 

Around 300k with all the bells and whistles.

 

As someone who runs a waterjet shop I will tell you to look at another company then flow waterjets. When we bought ours we looked at them but they don't do there own software in house. So when you have problems there is lots of finger pointing of where the source of the problem is from software/hardware. We settled on getting an omax and there close to you made in kent washington we have been happy with ours we have a omax 80160

 

My most used tool is a line of chords ruler. It's a 2ft folding rule with an angle finder and circumference finder built in. If you haven't seen one before look it up, it's extremely useful!

 

Did you get the dynamic head? I've been to omax before, it's a nice machine for sure. We demo'd on their little 2652.

One of our major customers runs only flow machines and they have had good experience with them - they have a little of 20 waterjets & lasers and they can afford whatever they want. Seems like more of the smaller job shops run the omax machines (atleast that we know).

 

We do have the tilt-a-jet head that omax sells allows you to cut a taper of 12 degrees. We have there largest pump they offer a 40hp, we have cut 11" thick hardened steel. Our table can cut in the range of .002-.005" of accuracy on materials up to 5" thick.

 

my TIG is my favorite tool
the band tool is also bloody talented I couldnt live without them either.

 

Hows your consumable costs? Did you find that it's really in the $20-$30 range per hour as omax states? Any unintended maintainance?

 

I would say we would be on the high side of what omax states for consumable costs $30. I think that no matter what waterjet a person was to get the maintance costs can add up fast, an example a full seal rebuild kit costs $700. They say that should give you 500 hours of pump time but we have had some go out again after less the 200 hours.

 

as a tool, good old air goes a long way...wish i had a nice compressed air setup!