Any prevailing advice on features/style/usability for a lathe DRO?
Available options these... (#s coordinate with attached pic)
Back story context - I previously decided on the PM-1228 and it only has one option for an installed DRO... so my decision was easy. I have more options with the PM-1236T... good and bad I guess. The PM-1228, has all the features I want and $3200 less than the PM-1236T configured with identical and installed DROs.... but sitting on that decision before I placed the order, I kept coming back to the overall quality improvement of the PM-1236T and input from others in previous thread. Both have all the features I want and I actually prefer the variable speed motor of the PM-1228. To start I'm going single phase on the PM-1236T and see if the gear ranges suffice before I spend the extra for VFD controlled motor and hassle of changing many of the electrical components.
- Usability is my primary concern - unfortunately, the 3 options (pic attached) I'm picking from have varying levels of info in their manual... and one, no manual exists (yet).
- Primary features wanted- abs/inc modes, Radius/Diameter modes and the calculator with ability to reference and apply calculations to/from the x and z coordinates... all DRO appear to have that.... though some depending on button and interface may make that more user friendly.
- I would imagine the LCD (option #2 in attached pic) could provide a good experience but NO manual yet... so it's hard to know.
- I would imagine the LCD (option #2 in attached pic) could provide a good experience but NO manual yet... so it's hard to know.
- No preference between glass vs magnetic scales - won't be using cooling other than manually applying cutting fluid when necessary. That seems to be the main con of optical, they don't do as well with surrounding swarf and cutting fluids.
- This will be on a PM-1236T
- I guess worst case I can switch the interface to the TouchDRO app or other compatible display.
Available options these... (#s coordinate with attached pic)
- https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/dropml8x35/
- https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-2-axis-lathe-dro-lcd-display-8x35-0001-hi-res-cross-scale/
- https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/magxact-magnetic-2-axis-lathe-dro-8x40/
Back story context - I previously decided on the PM-1228 and it only has one option for an installed DRO... so my decision was easy. I have more options with the PM-1236T... good and bad I guess. The PM-1228, has all the features I want and $3200 less than the PM-1236T configured with identical and installed DROs.... but sitting on that decision before I placed the order, I kept coming back to the overall quality improvement of the PM-1236T and input from others in previous thread. Both have all the features I want and I actually prefer the variable speed motor of the PM-1228. To start I'm going single phase on the PM-1236T and see if the gear ranges suffice before I spend the extra for VFD controlled motor and hassle of changing many of the electrical components.