pic: FRC228 Tormach CNC Mill

[Cory]

Originally Posted by peronis

I don't necessarily need a new machine, however I believe it will be easier for the school to approve and buy one from a company. In addition, a new machine would include support and additional resources if problems arise.

Do you have any experience with either machine?

I've used the Tormach. If I had $17,000 to spend I'd find a used machine over buying one, but I understand the difficulty of the proposition of used machinery for a school purchase.

It's an OK machine, considering what it is. It's not going to be the most rigid, precise/accurate, or fastest machine ever, because it's too small, light, and cheap to be all those things, but you should easily be able to produce reasonably good parts to within .005". I do know that Team 368 had some fairly large quality issues with their machine a few years ago, but I think Tormach resolved the issues for them.