I am wondering if going to 65mm VFD spindle is worth it as my carbide 3d routers are not lasting very long the lower bearing keep failing
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For the Carbide Compact Router, they do have a 12 month warranty, so if not lasting that long, let us know at support@carbide3d.com
Folks who have the spindles love them, even more than the BitRunner, since they add:
- speed control
- more torque
- ER-style collets
and of course, @KevBarn14 has a video:
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The “worth it” question can only be answered by you. How many replacement routers will you need if they keep wearing out as you state before you would have paid for a spindle?
I ordered the 65mm spindle with my S5Pro. The reason was the flexibility of speed changes, lower noise signature and the longevity of spindle bearings. I have numerous hand held routers, corded and battery powered, standard and trim routers. Each has its place. The failure rate is very low so far but, only the standard routers were used at most for an hour in the router table.
While the trim routers work well for the CNC application they are noisy and in my opinion not designed to run for hours and hours as a spindle is.
I was extremely surprised how quit the spindle actually was. I absolutely think the spindle was worth it, getting the 65mm allowed me to get the spindle and still be able to upgrade to the 80mm if needed. So far I don’t need the larger spindle.
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I’ve had the router, the 65mm, and now the 80mm options. For me it was 100% worth it. More power, quieter, less runout, software control. In 8 years I’ve only had one router have a bearing failure and I’ve replaced a few brush sets. So I didn’t have reliability issues.
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I used a compact router for about a year with no significant issues, but the noise and concerns about its long-term reliability convinced me to switch to a 65mm spindle.
After a few years of using the spindle and benefiting from its superior performance and features over a trim router, I can’t imagine going back.
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The VFD is worth every penny. Today’s machines deserve a true spindle.
65mm from us now features access to 3/8" tooling. This will open a world of more rigid cutters to speed up projects.
1/2" tooling with the 80mm system is also truly enjoyable. But that does come with the chiller system and 220v requirements.
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This is the first reference to a 3/8" collet on the 65 mm spindle.
Is anyone doing this ?
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Those are great updates!! When were those added? I didn’t see a blog post about it or anything.
I ordered my 4 pro last month or so and received the new spindle. It was quite a surprise!!
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Do you have a link to the 3/8 collet ?
I just checked Maritool, they do not list a 3/8 collet .
Or you could just send me one 
for my older 65mm spindle
Edit: I now see you have changed the 65 mm spindle and controller box. The spindle now has a ER16 collet. Idk if the controller guts are the same.
@dakyleman That’s Top Secret Information. Consider yourself on Double Secret Probation…
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Is there a spindle only trade in or price ?
Does the controller have to be replaced ?
Will the upgraded ER16 Spindle work with the older VFD?
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Nice updates! 3/8" tooling is so nice to use and broader Sweepy compatibility is great!
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I have been using a 5/16” and 8mm ER-11 collet/nut from Maritime, makes a difference for sure. There is just enough room inside the spindle (purchased Nov 2024) for these bits to clear the top of the collet by 3/16” if I remember correctly.
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I Ran the standard router on my Pro-XXL for 2 years and it did fine. I was hesitant to spend the additional money for the spindle. The thing i hated with the router is the noise! I convinced myself to try the spindle based on what i have been reading. WOW what a difference! Its so much quieter and the precision of the cuts has increased also. I was cutting some polyethylene for a project with the router and then used the spindle for the same material and it was a much cleaner cut. I don’t think you would be disappointed in the spindle at all!
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Ugh… I bought the 65mm about a month before the 80mm was available and now I find out the 65mm has been upgraded to an ER16? I’ve been quite happy with the 65mm I purchased but either of those options would have been very nice to have.
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Tks for the reply’s I am checking it out because I live in Canada and that spindle converts to $1200.00 plus 13% tax so it is a bit more than in the US
I spent that much and I don’t regret it, spindle doesn’t drop like the 80mm spindles, gas pistons are having more problems than C3D wants to talk about and same with the routers (we all kind of just acknowledge they are what they are). The lower power is noticeable but you can also run it off a 15a breaker with the machine no problem even a crash wont trip the breaker for longer than it takes to sprint across the house to stop the program.
Overall If you are within warranty grab it if not grab the PWNCNC 110 spindle.