Anyone tried these spindles?

I’m in the queue to get a new AltMill (excited). I would really like to get an ER20 setup so that I can use 1/2" bits. It’s hard to find 110v spindles with ER20. PwnCNC makes a setup and I’m sure it is top notch, but it is $740. This Chinese one on Amazon is almost $500 cheaper. I’m sure I wouldn’t get 2.2kw out of it with my breakers and wiring, but as I understand it that just means I wouldn’t get full power, which is OK. I’m kind of reluctant to spend a ton on a spindle because at some point in the future I might be moving and I would have 220v and then I’d need to buy again.

Are these cheaper spindles OK? It seems to be a 4 bearing design and has advertised runout specs.

This gets asked here at least once a week. You will not get 2.2KW out of a 110v outlet. I spent a little more and purchased a 220v 2.2 Gpenny watercooled spindle (with ceramic bearings) and used the proper H100 Vfd to power it. Gpenny has a larger rotor and draws more amps than the china cheapo spindles that are still rated at 2.2 for marketing. I think I did use Ratmotor… for the water pump! Ha ha. Another cost cutting part they cheap out on for the kits is undersized and undershielded spindle motor wire. All this info is available on the internet if you do some research.

That does not appear to be true based on this forum (Community Discussion), unless I missed it as I looked back a month or two. But thank you.

I know that, as I indicated in my post

I’m happy for you. The only reason I was looking at one rated for 2.2 kw is that I can’t find a 1.5 kw one with an ER20 collet, except for the PwnCNC 1.5kw which is almost $500 more. I sort of already said this, and that I don’t expect that the quality would be the same. I just need something that will work for now since I don’t have a 220v circuit and will not be at this residence for more than another year.

Ha ha.

What is the practical consequence of this considering my use case?

Thank you for reply and sense of humor

Sounds like you have already made up your mind? I wouldn’t buy that POS, but it may work. If you have the aptitude and are limited to 120v, a Gpenny 1.5KW water cooled and an H100 VFD would be my choice, OK quality while still saving over a more professional kit. You get to source better products. but you have to do research and homework to get it all running. There is a reason most 1.5KW don’t have the large collet. Your 1.5kw labeled as a 2.2 with an Er20 is not really something that’s all that desirable. Some people cant be bothered so they get what they get and most of the time it sort of works. Places like PNW have to eat also.

No, I haven’t made up my mind, it’s just that your first reply wasn’t that helpful. I need to know why I need to spend almost $500 more for something like a PwnCNC spindle. They sell a 1.5kw 110v spindle with an ER20 collet (so they must consider it to be useful).

Why do I want a ER20 collet? I have a couple of 1/2" bits that I use. I can probably replace my 1/2" ball end mill with a bowl cutter with a 1/4" shank for the body and neck shaping on my bass guitars. But I also have a 1/2" x 2.5" straight flute bit that I use for “side planing”, which is important for the way I set up precise Y registration for double sided work on necks and bodies. (I find that the dowel based techniques are not accurate enough for me).

I don’t want to go through the hassle of setting up a water cooled system, especially in the short run. I will be moving probably in a year. I get they are quieter, but even with the Hitachi M12VC router in my current setup, I have to wear ear protection because of the noise of cutting maple and other hardwoods, this would be the case if the router made no noise at all.

Actually, now that I look at the G-penny site, I see that they also sell a 110v 2.2kw ER20 spindle. So they must think it is an OK option as well, though to get full use of it you would want a 30 amp circuit. What is not clear is how much the appropriate VFD would cost. If not too much, then that G-penny spindle might be a great compromise, as the spindle motor is not that expensive. And if that VFD would also work for a 220v (water cooled?) model later on when I move, that might be a really good path for me. I’ll repeat that I know I wouldn’t get 2.2kw out of it with my present wiring, but it would give me the ER20 collet.

All that brings us to the setup. I’m generally really good at stuff like this, but having investigated it a bit more, it seems there is a lot to it. It strikes me that this is the value proposition of PwnCNC - plug and play. That’s not nothing. If this were a one time deal where I’m getting a spindle for the next 5 years, that would be a big selling point. But I don’t know that that will be the case. My next place may have 220v. Or the effective 1kw I get out of my current circuit might be sufficient even after I move.

Which brings me to the final option, sticking with the M12VC router on my current setup for the time being. The problem there is that the mounting diameter is 82 mm, so I’d have to fabricate a mounting system.

So no, I haven’t made up my mind. And I value any input you can give me. But saying “those things are crap” without delving into the why (other than the lack of shielding or pointing out that it isn’t really 2.2kw, which I already knew), that wasn’t that useful.

I looked up H100 VFDs. The prices and options seem all over the map! Can you tell me more about that - how much did yours cost, whether I might be able to get one that would work for the G-penny 220v version if I were to upgrade after my move. G-penny doesn’t seem to sell a package with the 110v 2.2kw ER20 version, so I’d have to buy the VFD separately. If you bought one as part of a package, then I assume that at least the spindle part of the setup was preconfigured, only the Modbus setup had to be done.

I like the idea of getting a G-penny spindle and a reasonably priced VFD and then being able to upgrade the spindle motor later when I move. That would be a quality solution at a reasonable price.

@DonF

Water cooling is for much more than noise. Read what Gpenny says about those recommendations. Its a tiny bit of a hassle but really its not much. How much trouble is two more hoses, a five gallon bucket and tiny pump? The problem with you judging “useful” is you don’t want to look at what I am saying when you haven’t done much research except to cherry pick some stuff that points to what you already want to hear. Sometimes the best advice is not what you want to hear. Hit the search button and spend plenty of time in other places weighing advice or you can just hit the buy button and be done.

You are very good at not answering the specific questions I’m asking and telling me how flawed my judgment is and how lazy I am trying to figure this stuff out. So it is best we part company

@DonF

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@jandyman I can’t answer your question on the spindle but getting a 220V circuit is not technically difficult if your panel is close to your workshop. If you have room in your panel, all you need is a 2-pole breaker of the proper amperage and the wire for that amperage. Getting an electrician to do it can get pricey but likely cheaper than a new spindle.

@jandyman @DonF I am closing this topic. I don’t see that there is any new information being provided and the tone of the conversation is deteriorating.