Aloris vs Dorian BXA Tool Post, or is there a compelling case for Multifix (PeWe or other non Chinese)

[Christianstark]

Hi all,

Tired of the spongy and non repeatable feel of my Bostar, and looking to enter the world of a "Buy it for life" tool post. What would you do? I have about 20ish BXA type import tool holders, but I really want something more substantial in a post. Multifix would need to be compelling enough to toss $500 worth of import holders up for sale and lose half of that. I DO like the functionality though.

Thoughts? Is Aloris and Dorian a coin flip in terms of their BXA posts?

Thanks!

 

[GeneT45]

I use a Dorian BXA and it's been great - no issues at all. Had a CXA - also good, just seemed huge relative to my work, but again no issues.

GsT

 

[mmcmdl]

Coin toss between the two . Used both for 48 years with no issues . Both are fairly reasonable on the bay or on this site . Keep your eyes peeled for a great deal .

 

[MrWhoopee]

I've had both, take whichever comes with the best deal.

My uninformed opinion of Multifix is that it is similar to the iPhone. People who have 'em say they love 'em, But if you spent 3x for something, you probably will try to convince yourself, and others, that it was worth it.

Shields up.

 

[mksj]

If you have the BXA holders, I can't see the value of switching to the Multifix, would be a large investment to switch over. I have used both the Aloris and Dorian QCTP's, I have a preference for the Dorian. I have had Dorian's on my current and last lathe they are solid and repeat accurately. The only issue previously with the Dorian is years ago they had some issues with the surface finish, and their holders seem to vary greatly as to the dimensions for the same size holders. One reason why I advise people not to get their kits, just buy the QCTP without their holders. At one point I was considering switching to an indexing style of QCTP, but just wasn't worth the cost of switching. My current lathe is between a BXA and CXA as to the QCTP, since I had BXA and D1-4 chucks I stuck with both the formats with my current lathe. Starting out new I would have probably gone with a 1440 or 1640 lathe with a D1-6 and CXA tooling. I purchased my current Dorian QCTP from Zoro about 5 years ago, pricing is still about the same at Zoro, $439 with using a 20% discount code below. I did make a new too post and a larger ball for the handle.
Zoro Code for 20% off JS4DD20DP6G4X

Dorian Tool Post, Quick Change, SDN30, 13-15 In SDN30BXA | Zoro

Order Dorian Tool Post, Quick Change, SDN30, 13-15 In, SDN30BXA at Zoro.com. Great prices & free shipping on orders over $50 when you sign in or sign up for an account.

www.zoro.com

 

[CJ5Dave]

If you have an Aloris or Dorian tool post, will they clamp off brand holders as well as name brand? I would not mind spending bigger money on a tool post if I could still use my off brand tool holders and get improved rigidity from the post.

 

[Nutfarmer]

I use import holders with my Aloris tool post and haven’t had any problems. Maybe just lucky.

 

[mksj]

All the BXA holder should be interchangeable, the Dorian and AlorisQCTP's use a wedge type of locking system that tends to be a bit more consistent than the piston style. The Dorian also pushes the wedge out and down so repeats very accurately on height. There was a previous 2 part thread on the different QCTP holders that discussed their differences, it was a great review done by JBOLT.

Qctp Holder Review Part 1

I have read a lot of discussions on the pros and cons of QCTP holders from various manufacturers but never a head to head comparison so I collected four of the commonly used BXA-1 holders for review. I have had inexpensive import QCTP's and more recently a new Aloris QCTP . Just from an...

www.hobby-machinist.com

Qctp Holder Review Part 2

I'm still waiting on the steel but I was able to do the aluminum test cuts. The process was use the same insert and insert tool in each of the tool holders. The stick-out of the tool was set to the same dimension for each holder. The material was set to the same 2" stick-out from the jaws of...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[Ultradog MN]

I have an Aloris wedge type CXA and have only Aloris and a couple Dorian tool holders.
Mine were all bought used - auctions, CL, etc. They are simple, they are solid, they repeat reliably, they are excellent.
Such that I rarely even give them a thought.
I would start with an Aloris - maybe Dorian - tool post and try using the holders you have. See if that helps. Might save you some dough.
If it doesn't, fob the holders off on the next poor slob and buy the real thing.

 

[GeneT45]

I've never run across a toolholder that wouldn't fit my Dorian toolpost, and I have examples from Dorian, Aloris, CDCO, Accusize, Shars, and probably some others.

GsT