I’m considering buying a Shapeoko 5 Pro 2x2 , but I’m still unsure which spindle or router would be the best choice.
The machine will mainly be used for wood and plastics , and maybe very occasionally some aluminum . Everything will be purely hobby use .
I’m located in Europe (the Netherlands) , so I’m working with 230V power .
Having an ER11 collet system would be nice since I already have some collets, but it’s definitely not a strict requirement . I do want to be able to use 1/8", 1/4", and 6 mm shank tools .
I don’t have any experience with water-cooled spindles . My initial feeling is that they might be a bit of a hassle compared to a router, but the lower noise is definitely appealing.
What are you currently using on your Shapeoko, and what would you recommend for my situation?
65mm VFD air-cooled w/ ER-16 (the previous iteration had an ER-11 collet system)
80mm VFD water-cooled w/ ER-20
If you can translate time into money, then you should get the 80mm VFD which will have a greater material removal rate.
If you have a need for 1/2" tooling, then you should get the 80mm VFD. Collets and nuts are a consumable, so I wouldn’t consider having a set of them as a serious aspect and there is no real reason to prefer the smaller ER-11 over a larger size.
Otherwise, the 65mm VFD is at the sweet spot of value and convenience.
To throw something out into left-field, I actually use a 220V spindle:
(albeit w/ a 110–220V step-up transformer)
and have a spare mount — if this interests you, let me know once you’ve placed your order and I’ll ship you my spare and a flat dust plate w/ 2.5" hose adapter which a Sweepy bottom fits on (you’ll just need to source some hardware). The Mafell comes w/ a 6mm collet stock, and they have 1/8" and 1/4" collets, and it further takes 8mm shank tooling, no collet necessary which is pretty convenient now that we have a new line of tooling in that shank size:
The water cooling is not really a hassle. Well, I don’t use a chiller, I use a bucket with a pond pump. I much prefer the water cooled option as there is no opportunity for dust intrusion into the spindle. It’s also significantly more quiet.
I had the router and changed it for the spindle 65mm. My recommandation is dont go with router. To much noise, is not able to work for long hours and not controlable by software.
Spindle is the best, i even add control for my vacuum. Look at this video.
Using the C3D 80 mm water cooled spindle with the supplied circulator. It’s very nice to be able to use 8 mm and half inch tooling. Spending a little extra money to eliminate the opportunity for finger pointing between different suppliers when trouble arose made sense to me, but so far everything has just worked.
It only took me a day of cohabiting with the screaming router to decide to upgrade to the spindle. No regrets.