Haas ST-15Y Questions

[Rogue_Machinist]

So I work in a small job shop with some short production runs 100-550 parts max. So im trying to convince my boss to replace my 32 year old (yes you read that right), 32 year old Fortune CNC Lathe with a Haas ST-15Y with Live tooling and high pressure coolant for gun drilling. Ive never used Haas lathes but since my boss is relatively "frugal" with his money, I need a good proposal to possibly sway him. My fortune machine will hold .0002" all day every day. But cant operate under 350RPM with the spindle stuttering and if I start it at 6am and run parts all day until 430 the machine will leak a gallon of way lube into my coolant tank.

So Id like to know these 3 things
A. worth getting
B. going to last more than 5 years
C. can it be used to machine the likes of stainless, 4140, D2 and some light inconel 625.

 

[Garwood]

Why does the spindle stutter under 350? Why not fix the problem instead of buying a new one?

Haas lathes are pretty good at finishing dead last. There are so many good builders out there, lots of good used machines if you look, why would you even consider a new Haas lathe? Just to have new?

 

[Rogue_Machinist]

Why does the spindle stutter under 350? Why not fix the problem instead of buying a new one?

Haas lathes are pretty good at finishing dead last. There are so many good builders out there, lots of good used machines if you look, why would you even consider a new Haas lathe? Just to have new?

Well no. Doesnt need to be new. But if I leave it to my boss he will buy a 15 year old lathe with more problems. But It was just a question. And the spindle stutter has been looked at a few times and nobody can tell us why it does it. Even Fortune had their own techs come out they couldnt figure out the problem. And now the parts are no longer available. Most of these machines have been put out to pasture YEARS ago and are probably in someones car buy now. But also with used machines you cant always get what you want. And I need a machine that has high pressure coolant at least 1k psi for my .250 gun drill. And yes I have to gun drill in house because my boss doesnt wanna spend the money to be sent to an actual gun drilling shop.

 

[SeymourDumore]

Dunno about Haas lathes finishing dead last ( though certainly not anywhere in the front either ), but ...

Do
Not
Buy
An
ST15Y!!!

It is still using the externally driven hybrid turret along with them longass live tools, both of which is an absolutely disgusting idea,
not to mention the utter and complete lack of elbowroom if you also get either a tailstock or a subspindle!
Spend an extra $6K and move to the ST20Y!

 

[Josh@OTTP]

I have a ST15, it was replaced once for extremely bad vibrations. 4k rpm with nothing in the chuck and you could feel it 200ft away in the floor. New one is better but still not acceptable. .0002" can be done if you constantly adjust the offset and plan on a scrap rate of about 25%. Plus or minus .0005" can easily be done but you will still be adjusting the offset.

 

[AJ H]

We purchased a lathe last spring from a relatively new company called SMART. They are a US owned company headquartered in Wisconsin. They are Korean built machines modeled after Doosan/Hyundai/Samsung. We have ours parked next to a Haas and it blows it away in power/rigidity/accuracy. There's lots of good lathe manufactures out there but SMART is selling at a low price compared to their competitors because they're trying to gain market share (it was less than a Haas). So, if your owner won't pry open the wallet any further this may be a good option (same reason we have one), buts it's been a good machine.

 

[Rogue_Machinist]

We purchased a lathe last spring from a relatively new company called SMART. They are a US owned company headquartered in Wisconsin. They are Korean built machines modeled after Doosan/Hyundai/Samsung. We have ours parked next to a Haas and it blows it away in power/rigidity/accuracy. There's lots of good lathe manufactures out there but SMART is selling at a low price compared to their competitors because they're trying to gain market share (it was less than a Haas). So, if your owner won't pry open the wallet any further this may be a good option (same reason we have one), buts it's been a good machine.

That sounds like a good option. How about accuracy, does it hold sizes well? And do they offer live tooling? And Hi pressure coolant. 2 absolute musts on this new machine.

 

[MaxPrairie]

I have a 2015 ST20SSY and like it, but haven't heard or seen anything to be impressed with in the Haas lathe department since about 2018. And yes, it hold 2 tenths once it is all warmed up.

 

[Rogue_Machinist]

I have a 2015 ST20SSY and like it, but haven't heard or seen anything to be impressed with in the Haas lathe department since about 2018. And yes, it hold 2 tenths once it is all warmed up.

Yeah my boss is cheap and ive called fortune and had their techs out 4 times in the past 2 years. None of the parts are available and they just dont wanna fix it. So I was just thinking about inexpensive Lathes to propose with giving him that added value per se. And like the guy above recommended that SMART brand but they are just as expensive and do NOT offer high pressure coolant or live tooling from what I can see on their site.

 

[escapethewrmhole]

Yeah my boss is cheap and ive called fortune and had their techs out 4 times in the past 2 years. None of the parts are available and they just dont wanna fix it. So I was just thinking about inexpensive Lathes to propose with giving him that added value per se. And like the guy above recommended that SMART brand but they are just as expensive and do NOT offer high pressure coolant or live tooling from what I can see on their site.

most don’t show high pressure coolant as an option, they’re typically aftermarket I.e. mp systems, lns chip blaster

 

[AJ H]

That sounds like a good option. How about accuracy, does it hold sizes well? And do they offer live tooling? And Hi pressure coolant. 2 absolute musts on this new machine.

Holds a couple tenths. Ours has live tooling, they have an array of live tooling machines on their website listed under "3-axis cnc lathes". Coolant pumps come in 140psi and 290psi, if you want more than that you'd have to get a third-party pump but 290 is about the same as Haas's high pressure unless you pony up for 1k. Basically, every machine but Haas you're going to have to call and talk to someone to find out much. It's just the way it is

 

[Ianagos]

If you want cheap take a look at a doosan lynx

When I was looking that machine fully loaded with options came out to less than the equivalent haas.

 

[Rogue_Machinist]

If you want cheap take a look at a doosan lynx

When I was looking that machine fully loaded with options came out to less than the equivalent haas.

I like Doosan Machines. At my first production shop thats all they had were Doosans. Great Machines. I know a few people complain about them. But I never had an issue with them.

 

[Kalispel]

We have a DS30-Y w/BMT 1/2-step turret, bar feeder and high-pressure coolant.

We log more hours milling than turning with it. The bar feeder could be better in lots of ways but the system functions well. It is a nice automatic 4-axis milling package. No complaints. We leave it run unattended for hours at a time. Parts are always accurate.

 

[SeymourDumore]

I just bought a ST15

Assholic question: WHY?
Why did you decide on an ST-15, vs. either an ST-10 or an ST-20?

My take: An ST-15 is the perfect combination of each and every single thing that an ST-10 and an ST-20 CANNOT DO!
IOW, It is one of the dumbest fucking machine that's ever designed and actually built !!!