What is your next machine?

[SouthernChap]

One thing that's missing from the options is: "The lathe you wished you'd have bought that will replace the lathe you actually bought".

Now that I know I could have had a lathe like a Colchester Student with a bit more saving (as opposed to a lot more saving, which was the impression I was under when I purchased), I also know that in a year or so I'll be feverishly browsing FB for something I'll need a pallet truck and an engine hoist to get positioned. .

 

[jwmay]

What is your next machine?​

I can’t really say. But I’ll know it when I see it.

 

[Firstram]

As much as I want to buy more tools, I'm almost overweight on my tool trailer. On top of that, my 18x26 shop is too small for the tools I own now. I'll have to sell off a bunch of stuff when I retire.

 

[Jason812]

I have in the shop to go live a 7.5hp Quincy, an older Lincoln 250/250 tig welder, and an older Skat blast cabinet. I'm just waiting to get the cash and leg healed to run lines. So I chose the furnace and laser cnc option. I hope to build a spray booth and cerakote/ powder oven. A laser engraver would be nice to have.

 

[Ben17484]

I need a compact band saw. I had one of the generic cheapy ones a while back that I sold because it took too much space for not enough use. I quite like the idea of doing what blondihacks did with the portable bandsaw. If it can cut round stock and also rough out shapes in flat stock, I’ll be happy.


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[rabler]

I'd like some heat treat and forge options. Thinking I'll build an induction heater one of these days. 'Cause that sounds like a fun project.

A shaper would be fun to have for novelty. But no pressing need. I have several project machines that have yet to be commissioned so I'm not allowing myself to accumulate any more non-functioning machines. I could see myself getting a CNC plasma table (does that count as CNC or welding equipment?) at some point, although I'm not sure about running one of those in the existing shop unless I come up with some serious ventilation to go with it.

My compressor is of the noisy variety, but I built a small extension on the outside of my shop that houses it so it is not noticeable if anything else is running in the shop.

There are all sorts of things I'd acquire for the electronics lab in the shop, mostly more test equipment. A decent logic analyzer, function generator, spectrum analyzer, ... I have the basic soldering equipment, oscilloscpes, power supplies, and voltmeters.

The dangerous part is I have space ...

 

[Jim F]

Actually thinking of selling, not buying.
Machines are in storage costing $$, no space now or in the foreseeable future to get them put into use.

 

[DavidR8]

I'd like some heat treat and forge options. Thinking I'll build an induction heater one of these days. 'Cause that sounds like a fun project.
A shaper would be fun to have for novelty. But no pressing need. I have several project machines that have yet to be commissioned so I'm not allowing myself to accumulate any more non-functioning machines. I could see myself getting a CNC plasma table (does that count as CNC or welding equipment?) at some point, although I'm not sure about running one of those in the existing shop unless I come up with some serious ventilation to go with it.

The dangerous part is I have space ...

Space is my limiting factor. I have a small 15"x15" cut area CNC plasma cutter that I built. I'd love to have a 3'x3' though.

 

[G-ManBart]

You mean this one? Quincy QT5. Specs shows it at 85 dB. That does not seem that quiet. But I have not heard one...

Sadly, Quincy quality has dropped in the past couple of years after they got bought out by Atlas Copco (Chicago Pneumatic parent now). The QT line simply isn't what it used to be. The Quincy QR series are still excellent, and quiet, but much more expensive than the QT series. I have a Saylor-Beall VT-735-80 that replaced a Quincy QR-325 and was able to compare them side-by-side. The Quincy was slightly quieter, had a higher volume pump, but was on a horizontal tank so I went to the S-B.

 

[G-ManBart]

My wish list order is vertical/contour bandsaw is #1, 3D printer for home (have one at work) is #2 and then a plasma cutter. In reality, it will probably depend on whether I get a good deal on a bandsaw as I've been watching/bidding on them for months without success.