Interesting. I just took a look at the order page to get an answer to a question I was asked and I noticed that for new kits the only carving option is the DeWalt 611 or No Spindle.
Makes sense. No telling how much money they lost replacing bad spindles.
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Cad files changed too.
Well, I was hoping that they would find an alternate spindle that would work reliably. I don’t really want a DeWalt, just personal preference. It weighs too much and I was hoping for better light weight spindle.
I agree. Also here in NZ the DeWalt 611 equivalent is over $300.
I went in to a hardware store the other day and asked to try out all of their trim routers and the noise levels from all of them were many times what my stock spindle makes. Plus, for that kind of money I’d rather get a VDF 800w Air Cooled spindle and stay quiet. I’ve read that others’ 24v spindles were loud and vibrate wildly, but mine definitely does not… I can easily have a conversation right next to the machine with the spindle on without having to raise my voice. For me, as quiet as possible is key.
Inventables may just be doing this as a stop gap between the 24v Spindle and something they may be looking for to replace it.
Looks like they haven’t quite finished updating the order page. The power supply section still references the 24v spindle:
“24V power supply can power both the 24VDC spindle and the stepper motors. The power supply is designed to work with input voltage ranging from 85-264VAC. There’s a switch to toggle between voltages. It also includes integrated spindle speed control.”
But it does look like it’s on the way out.
I see that the default is now. Dewalt 611 Spindle and Mount - [Add $154.00] so looks like you get the Dewalt and the spindle mount for 1 price.
FYI - Hitachi 12mv routers are very, very quiet. Akin to the spindle. But large and heavy. I have not had any problems with it though.
i think this is the best thing they could have done.
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I emailed inventables while I was waiting for my x-carve as to why it was taking so long. They replied saying that there was issues with the spindle and that they were waiting on a solution and then I heard from them again saying that it had shipped and that they sent the previous email too soon. All I can figure is that they never solved anything and just sent the spindle that they knew was bad? I hear that they’re pretty good with customer service and helping with problems, but shipping spindles with known problems is not good practice. I then asked for the dewalt spindle mount to be safe because I could tell there would be problems with the spindle and had to order a dewalt router at the same time. So I ordered and paid for a stock spindle that I will likely never use, and had to buy the mount and router that I never planned on buying.
There was a batch of spindles that went bad, but not all of the ones in that batch went bad. I have one from that batch and it is fine. If your’s hasn’t arrived yet then I bet it is coming with a spindle from a different batch. If I am wrong about this and your spindle does in fact go bad or you don’t even use it and want to send it back, I bet they will refund your money plus shipping.
I can’t guarantee it, but I do have a lot of faith in Inventables support as do many others.
I see this also. I think it’s one of the best things they could do, the old 24v spindle was a disaster. I had less than 10 run-hours on mine before it started going out of balance and vibrating like crazy, and it looks like similar experiences are the rule, instead of the exception. Much wiser to include the DeWalt and mount, I think. Works a lot better, and saves the buyer the expense and frustration of having to spend more money replacing the stock spindle and carriage with something better within the first few hours of use. If I would have known, I certainly would have just gone with the DW right off the get-go!
I too changed over to the DW611 what a difference. The reinforcing between the two x-axis extrusions should also be standard, especially for the 100mm, which is what I have.
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Agreed, there needs to be some kind of piece that is assembled between the two during setup. Just a piece of drilled bar would be ideal, with matching counter-sunk holes in the makerslide.