I recommended the SS23 to a client of mine for a particular recurring need they have. The thing runs 5 days a week cutting very abrasive materials and has been in service for ~2.5 years. Very impressed with the performance, which I attribute to the quality of components all over the (mechanical) build.
While the 1F hits very similar specs, the ShopSabre steel frame is really what sets it apart in my eyes, as you mentioned @TMToronto. The thing is so stout, and it also has a much heftier price tag by the time you configure it the way you’d actually want it. I am continually and legitimately surprised by how close the 1F comes to the same performance for a fraction of the cost. My Journeyman X50 is similarly configured for less than half the price of an almost fully loaded SS23 (no vacuum table or rotary axis).
There’s a big opportunity for improvement around the 1F “machine stand” / table offering. A solid steel fame could alone take the 1F to new heights for the majority of users. Especially if it was able to solve squaring, coplanarity and table building (I know some people like this, I’m not one of them).
So to put this in perspective, @CandL you are getting a 4x4 machine with an ATC for less money than a 30”x40” “industrial quality” machine without an ATC, but that has an all steel frame. (Aside: Its noteworthy that the gantry uprights on the SS23 are Aluminum). It’s an interesting comparison when you think about the value of these different attributes.
I am so curious about how this ATC build will turn out, @CandL. Please share pics! Also, please put it on a solid, rigid frame so we can at least start talking about how our “prosumer” machines measure up to the big industrial boys like ShopSabre, DMS, etc… it would be fascinating to see a Foreman tailored and upgraded for more industrial, significant duty cycle applications.
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