MANUAL MACHINES > Milling Machines, vertical & horizontal
SYOZ 25 vs ER32/ER40 Collet Systems
GNAP:
Back in the early days, before I knew anything about buying tooling, not that I know a lot now, I wanted a quick change collet system for the milling machines. I found a set offered by Grizzly, the now discontinued #T10068 collet set, the collet system was the EOC/SYOZ 25 chuck and matching collets. At the time they were bought, they were relatively inexpensive, with the chuck and 16 collets (1/8 - 1), for about $150. Shortly after I bought them, the set dropped to 8 collets and went up to about $250, the same set as the original, was offered, label as South Bend, for close to $400.
The collet system has been great, no end mill slippage, easy to use and very well made. The issue is collet prices, individual collet are readily available, in both fractional and metric sizes, in the $25 - $30/ea price range. I actually have 3 of these systems, one on the Jet JVM-836, one on the Infamous Franken-Mill, both with R8 shanks and a set for the Jet 14x40 lathe, with a MT#3 shank.
When I bought the Rockwell #21-100, vertical milling machine (AKA Rocky), I wanted a similar system, but held off because of the ever escalating prices, from Grizzly. Then I looked into a ER collet chuck and collet system. Due to the overall size of the Rockwell, with no intent to run real big end mills and the access to larger mills, I settled on a ER32 collet chuck and collet system. I ordered a R8 x ER32 collet chuck, from LMS and bought some fractional and metric, ER32 collets from BangGood. The system has been great, again everything I wanted in a collet chuck/collet system.
Here is my dilemma, I need a few replacement collets and also want a few metric sized collets. For the price I had in the check out basket, I could almost buy a complete ER40 collet system, with collets and ER40 collets are dirt cheap compared to SYOZ 25 collets. So do I buy the SYOZ 25 collets and move on, maybe have this issue again in a few years or do I buy ER40 collet system, with collets, filling a box with unused tooling and start the shop switch over to ER based operation in the whole shop.
Or another option, instead of the ER40 collet system on the 2 bigger mills and a ER32 system on the small mill, or do I just go to a ER32 based shop, on all of the mills. Which would limit me to 3/4 shanked tooling, most of what I do is done with either 1/2 or 5/8 end mills (on the larger projects), rarely using 3/4 end mills. I really dont have the rigidity or the hp to run bigger end mills, as all of my mills, while they are knee mills, are on the smaller end of scale of floor standing knee mills.
The remaining fact is that I do also have multiple sets of R8 collets, that I rarely use. I also primarily use carbide end mills, as I have a huge inventory (I bought hundreds of them at about $3 per pound) and had no issues with end mill slippage. Because of the shoulder issues, which make drawbar manipulation painful, the ability to tighten/loosen the collet nut and and hold the collet body, at the same level height, at mid chest high, is a great benefit. So a similar collet system to the ER or SYOZ type collets is the way I want t go, but which way??
4GSR:
I have a ER-32 collet setup I use on my 645 Index mill. Been using it for almost 20 years now. And I'm quite happy with it. Haven't yet had a need for ER-40 setup. If I need to hold a 1" or 1-1/4" shank tool, I have holders for them. Very seldom needed them. If it was me, stay with the ER-32 system.
jpigg55:
To me, the idea of going to a common set for multiple machines would be the way to go if it works for you.
Less inventory, less over-all expense, less headache.
GNAP:
In a recent plant closing clean out, I got a mass of 6, 8, 10 and 12 mm carbide and HSS end mills, so 2 each of the metric collets and 2 of the 1/2 and 1 of the 1/4 collets, to replace a couple or worn ones and one damaged one.
7 collets at about $30 each plus tax and shipping, is pushing $240 - $250, for that I can just about buy a fractional ER32 set (collet chuck and collets) and a set of metric collets.
So do I keep the old system going, or do I switch to a more readily common system, for roughly the same amount of money.
34_40:
--- Quote from: jpigg55 on September 18, 2018, 09:37:59 AM ---To me, the idea of going to a common set for multiple machines would be the way to go if it works for you.
Less inventory, less over-all expense, less headache.
--- End quote ---
I agree - this time, less is more!
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