My cheap collet holder from an online auction cost me a $500 part

It wobbled just enough to throw off a deep pocket mill job on a big aluminum block. Anyone know a solid brand that won't break the bank?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_sam12d ago

Ugh, that's the worst. Been there. Lost a whole batch of delrin parts to a wobbly junk holder from one of those discount tool sites. Felt like burning money. I swear by Tormach's stuff now for my bench mill. Not crazy expensive, but it's solid. Zero runout issues since I switched.

the_sam12d ago

Tormach's stuff is fine but it's way overpriced for what you get. I've been using a cheap import collet holder on my Grizzly for two years with no problems. You just have to check it and set it up right. A lot of those issues come from user error, not the tool itself. Spending triple the money doesn't always fix the real problem.

brian_smith612d ago

Cheap tools are a gamble. You might get a good one that runs fine, or you might get a lemon that wrecks your work. Time is money when you're making parts. A bad holder wastes material and hours of setup. I'd rather pay for known quality than play lottery with my projects.