HI guys. I have a few questions for the experienced cnc operators on this forum. We are contemplating the purchase of a used Anderson Stratos CNC router and the machine that we are looking at has approx 12000 hrs on it. would that be of concern? At what point would the # of hours be a deterrent in the purchase of a used machine. Are there any other factors or concerns that you would have on a machine with this many hours.

Also I need some guidance on vacuum pumps. We cut a lot of diffrent maaterials ranging from TFL partical board to 3/4 construction ply and thin Polyethylene. Is a bigger (40hp) liquid rings pump always the anwser for this use case or would diffrent types of vacuum pumps work better.

Thank you Nathan

We only ever buy used.

Anderson is a great machine unless it's been abused.

Check for lubrication at all points to make sure the auto lube is working.

Does it have a Fanuc control? I prefer them over others.

We run a 40HP Travani on our 5X10 Komo and it's life changing.

Learn to do your own maintenance.

I have a 23 year old router. Has just under 15000 hours and is still very accurate. Definitely has not been abused and run 1 shift per day. That said, do you have information on number of shifts and what it was cutting?

Im assuming Fanuc is the default control on Anderson machines. Both of our current Anderson machines have them. Good machines, thats why we are looking to replace our 2007 sellex with a Stratos.

From the limited information that I have currently, It was taken out of a Millwork shop where it was cutting mostly HDF doors.

I was curious on your opinion on the 12000 hours, but as you have pointed out, it will come down to how the machine was maintaned.

Thanks to both of you
Nathan

Hi Nathan,

Since you are already running Andersons, you know they are built like tanks. 12,000 hours on a Stratos frame is really just "broken in"—structurally, it has decades left.

However, the HDF door history is the specific detail to watch. HDF creates extremely fine, abrasive dust that is much more intrusive than particle board chips. At 12k hours, check the grease manifolds and Z-axis ball screw closely. If the previous owner got lazy with cleaning the bellows or if an auto-lube line clogged, that HDF dust mixes with oil to form a paste that acts like grinding compound. If the rails/screws are clean and wet with fresh oil, you are golden.

Regarding the 40HP Liquid Ring: For your specific mix—Construction Ply and Thin Poly—the 40HP liquid ring is absolutely the right tool.

Construction Ply: Often comes warped. You need massive CFM (Flow), not just high Hg (Vacuum level), to pull that bow out and flatten the sheet. A standard rotary vane pump often lacks the sheer volume to grab a "banana" board.

Thin Poly: Tends to lift or flutter. Again, high flow helps compensate for the leakage around the cuts.

It’s a power hog, but for holding down warped or thin material, volume is King. Stick with the big pump.