TREE Journeyman 250 mill

[bigcreek]

Hi Folks,
I am new to machining. Ive had a manual Bridgeport mill for about a year now and have done a ton of stuff with it in that time. I just picked up a Tree Journeyman 250 mill with all the accessories shown in the pictures for $500. It came with around 100 various end mills so I wanted the package for that and for the vice, and the slotted table and was going to scrap the machine. Then I learned it is actually a working machine and works totally fine and the reason for the sale is the origonal owner died so his wife had this hauled to the auction. She also sold a beautiful CNC Bridgeport mill which went for $4500. In any case I am going to put power to this dude and make sure it actually does work. They said it did so Im sure it does but nonetheless.. I have a machinist friend who hadnt heard of this make before. Is it an all right make? Or pretty low end? Just wondering what I have. It has all the user manuals with it which is pretty awesome. If this works I am super excited to step foot into the cnc milling world and see what I can learn/do with it. Ive had CNC plasma tables for over 15 years but Im sure that is comparing apples to oranges. The mill has a few other parts not showing in the pictures. A big water collection tray being one of them. Anyway more than anything I was just wondering as to how good of machine this brand is or isnt.
Thank you,
Josh

 

[moonlight machine]

Tree is a very good machine, much stiffer than a Bridgeport. 40 taper? Much better than R8. What control? Dynapath? they are still around and parts are available. Tree parts are available as well. 500.00 is a good deal.

 

[13engines]

I'll 2nd everything moonlight said. You have a good stiff machine there. I had a 220 which was a smaller 2 axis version of what you have. From here it looks like you have a Dynapath control. That spindle nut looks like an Erickson Quick Change type. Not certain from here.

 

[bigcreek]

yes it has a Dynapath control. Well that is great to hear guys that it is a good machine. Ok one question for you. This thing has a floppy disc drive on the side of the cabinet. Is there a way to upgrade that to a usb port, or what do people do with that? So maybe I am jumping ahead of myself here. Im not sure if all the programming can be done right on the computer that is attached to the mill or if I am supposed to import code from another source because if I am supposed to import from another source no computer I have is floppy drive friendly! ha Id better get to learning the Dynapath program. Thanks for your input!

 

[moonlight machine]

You can use a floppy emulator, talk with Dynapath, they can tell you how to do it.

 

[bigcreek]

Got it, thank you!

 

[huleo]

Never understood the Bridgeport BS. That Tree is one I know well and is WAY more ridged than a bridgeport. Super solid casting, should have a Dyna 40 control. Bearings up top were known to go out. Easy enough. Erickson QC30 tooling. Not 40 taper stuff but the engagement is on the flange and were not bad. Couple that with a spindle that will rival a Haas 40 taper.

 

[Metalurgent]

I have one. It came with an Acramatic 2100 control that I parted out and that paid for the machine. I ditched the qc30 for a home-made electric drawbar because the qc stuff was neither quick nor plentiful. Spindle runs on the original yaskawa vfd, the dc servos run off the original Baldor drives. Linuxcnc front end. I'm on my 5th retrofit of assorted machines with Linuxcnc and mesa drive boards and getting quicker with each retrofit.
If I was doing it again, I'd wait out for a Journeyman 425 ( just like the two someone is selling in the classified..) . The 425 has a 40 taper, faster more powerful spindle and a pneumatic drawbar as standard. Otherwise, very happy with the 250. Plans to add a spindle encoder are in the works ( I learned those lessons retrofitting the Hardinge CHNC) which will allow rigid tapping etc. Further plans for a 4th axis which I can move between mills because they share an operating system.
Bottom line? The 250 is a great starter machine and might be all you ever need if it keeps going. It's rock solid iron for its spindle capacity.
Those two 425's in Ohio, tho?
They're singing my siren song.

 

[Don Davis 87]

yes it has a Dynapath control. Well that is great to hear guys that it is a good machine. Ok one question for you. This thing has a floppy disc drive on the side of the cabinet. Is there a way to upgrade that to a usb port, or what do people do with that? So maybe I am jumping ahead of myself here. Im not sure if all the programming can be done right on the computer that is attached to the mill or if I am supposed to import code from another source because if I am supposed to import from another source no computer I have is floppy drive friendly! ha Id better get to learning the Dynapath program. Thanks for your input!

You can write programs using the conversational programming that the Dynapath has. You can program offline if you have Cad software and send the G Code programs to the control via the RS232 connection on the cabinet.

 

[Mark1367]

I have one. It came with an Acramatic 2100 control that I parted out and that paid for the machine. I ditched the qc30 for a home-made electric drawbar because the qc stuff was neither quick nor plentiful. Spindle runs on the original yaskawa vfd, the dc servos run off the original Baldor drives. Linuxcnc front end. I'm on my 5th retrofit of assorted machines with Linuxcnc and mesa drive boards and getting quicker with each retrofit.
If I was doing it again, I'd wait out for a Journeyman 425 ( just like the two someone is selling in the classified..) . The 425 has a 40 taper, faster more powerful spindle and a pneumatic drawbar as standard. Otherwise, very happy with the 250. Plans to add a spindle encoder are in the works ( I learned those lessons retrofitting the Hardinge CHNC) which will allow rigid tapping etc. Further plans for a 4th axis which I can move between mills because they share an operating system.
Bottom line? The 250 is a great starter machine and might be all you ever need if it keeps going. It's rock solid iron for its spindle capacity.
Those two 425's in Ohio, tho?
They're singing my siren song.

I’m retrofitting a J250 at the moment with a centroid oak and yaskawa servos. I have a tsudakoma 4th axis that I installed the same yaskawa motor in. I’d be interested in knowing how you did your spindle drawbar. I did see that the TOS model that is the same as the tree J250 uses a drawbar instead of the BS quick change tooling. I contacted TOS to see if I could get some information or if a replacement spindle was available but they weren’t any help. I’d like to have a wiring diagram if you’d happen to have one. Really I just need a diagram of the motor wires and the lube pump. The rest I’ve figured out.

I have a couple more 4th axis tables if you’re looking for one. I have two 8” and one 12”. I agree with what you said about the 425. The guy I bought my 250 from also had a 425. He wanted a bit more for it but it wasn’t much. I thought the 250 was in better shape so I bought it. Now knowing what I know, I should have bought the 425.

 

[Metalurgent]

I started with a air butterfly ratchet setup, which was useless because it didn't have any real torque control. It would tighten up and then not have enough guts to loosen. The cover is substantial enough to act as a mounting surface. Some blocking and a modified HF tire balancer acted as a set of guide rails. Motor is a stripped down Craftsman 1/2" impact wrench. I went over the top and wired it so that it had 24v forward and reverse buttons and that both circuits were independent so that the incoming voltage could be tuned with a variac. Full voltage to loosen, tuned down a bit if necessary to cinch up. The pulldown handle is cut and assembled from lawn_chair parts and a couple of rollers and castors. I removed the electric brake and ground off the indents on the spindle pulley. There's an encoder mounted with xl pulleys and belts onto the spindle for feedback. There's also an independent sensor to display actual rpm to compare with the programmed rpm. It's handy for tuning.
Tool changes are very fast. The drawbar has an easily replaced threaded section at the tool end for maintenance.
Pull the handle , shift thumb to tighten/ loosen.