I too am curious. please educate me on the different CNC machines and what separates the good from the bad.
That’s a while massive topic on its own, far outside the reaches of this. However I’ll give some insight into Haas machines.
They are relatively inexpensive due to their construction. One economization is that they use commercial linear guides as their ways. This makes them fast and accurate, but they can lack durability, and heavy use or abuse tends to cause accelerated problems. If run properly, this doesn’t present a serious problem. They are like a Chevy truck, in that you can have repair parts the next day for any machine ever made by Haas. If something goes down, a Haas in a major center can (potentially) be fixed by the end of day.
On the flip side, many other machine makers use box ways, which are massive chunks of cast iron that are precision ground and fitted. These have incredible durability, but are often slower moving and can have less inherent accuracy than an equivalent Haas machine. However, many of these kinds of machines are made in batches, and don’t necessarily have access to quick repairs. A 20+ year old Japanese machine might run great, but if something breaks, then you’re off to eBay to scour the globe for replacement parts.
You can buy older CNC machines from great makers for very cheap, but you always run the risk that some failure results in a worthless hunk of iron. On the other hand, Haas machines retain their value because if something breaks, there’s a good chance the replacement is sitting on the shelf of a well stocked Haas vendor, or gauranteed a week away straight from Haas.
