From Factory Floor to Your Workshop: Evaluating a Pre-Owned, Used, Secondhand, Surplus CNC Machine Before Purchase Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500 Deep Hole Drilling made in Italy
From Factory Floor to Your Workshop:
Evaluating a Pre-Owned Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500 Deep Hole Drilling Machine (Made in Italy)
1. Understand What This Machine Is Built For
The Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500 is a deep hole drilling / boring machine designed for:
- Long, relatively large-diameter bores
- High concentricity and straightness over long distances
- Heavy industrial components such as:
- Hydraulic cylinders
- Extruder barrels
- Large shafts and rolls
- Defense, oil & gas and heavy-engineering parts
Before anything else, confirm that your typical parts fit within:
- Max drilling diameter (the “70” and “600” in the model usually relate to bar/hole capacity and swing)
- Max drilling length 2500 mm (2.5 m effective drilling length)
- Workpiece weight capacity (ask the seller if not clearly stated)
If your typical work requires short bores under 500 mm, this machine might be overkill (higher cost, larger footprint, more energy). If you regularly need long, precise bores, it can be a very powerful asset.
2. Documentation & Machine Identity Checklist
Ask the seller for:
- Original nameplate photos
- Model: Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500
- Serial number
- Year of manufacture
- CE marking / conformity (if applicable)
- Electrical diagrams & hydraulic diagrams
- Mechanical drawings / foundation plan
- Operation and maintenance manual
- NC control manual (if CNC/NC controlled axes are present)
- Service history
- What has been overhauled (spindle, bearings, hydraulic units, guideways, ball screws, pump units, etc.)
- Any retrofits (CNC control upgrade, digital readouts, new hydraulics, chip conveyor, filtration, etc.)
Red flag: Missing nameplate, no manual, no electrical diagrams = higher commissioning cost and more risk.
3. Mechanical Condition – The Heart of Deep Hole Drilling
Deep hole drilling performance depends on rigidity, alignment and vibration control. Focus on:
3.1 Bed, Columns & Alignments
- Check the machine bed for:
- Cracks, welded repairs, visible distortions
- Excessive wear on guideway surfaces
- Perform a quick alignment check:
- Mount a test bar in the spindle and run an indicator along the steady rest positions and tailstock line.
- Check runout and misalignment at several points along 2500 mm.
- Verify tailstock / support slides:
- Do they travel smoothly along the entire stroke?
- Any tight spots, backlash, or visible scoring?
Why it matters: Deep holes amplify small misalignments into taper, ovality and poor surface finish over the full length.
3.2 Spindle & Bearing Condition
- Run the main spindle at:
- Low speed
- Medium speed
- Maximum rated speed (if allowed)
Listen for: - Bearing noise (whining, rumbling, knocking)
- Temperature rise at the headstock
- Check spindle radial and axial play with a dial indicator at the tool holding area.
- Examine tool holder / boring bar interface:
- Wear on taper or coupling
- Burrs, damages, fretting marks
Good sign: Smooth sound, no abnormal heat, minimal runout at the tool mounting point.
3.3 Feed Drives & Ball Screws (if CNC/NC axes)
For CNC/NC versions:
- Check backlash on feed axes with a dial indicator.
- Move slides at very low feed – look for stick-slip or jerky motion.
- Inspect bellows and covers; damaged covers often mean contamination of guides and ball screws.
4. Guideways, Supports & Steady Rests
Deep hole drills rely heavily on workpiece and tool support:
- Inspect steady rests / support bushes:
- Condition of bronze/roller pads
- Adjustability and clamping function
- Check guideway lubrication:
- Is there a functioning centralized lubrication system?
- Any dry areas or rust on ways?
- Look at chip evacuation zone under the drilling area:
- Guarding condition
- Chip conveyor (if equipped)
- Signs of oil leakage or uncontrolled coolant spills
Key point: If support units and steady rests are worn or improvised, long-hole quality will be unstable and setup will be difficult.
5. Hydraulic & Coolant / High-Pressure Systems
Deep hole drilling requires stable, high-pressure coolant and reliable hydraulics.
5.1 Hydraulic System
- Start the machine cold and monitor:
- Hydraulic pump noise (cavitation, whining)
- Pressure stability on the gauge
- Inspect all hoses, valves and cylinders:
- Leakage, sweating connections, temporary repairs with tape
- Ask if hydraulic oil has been regularly changed and which grade is used.
5.2 Coolant / Oil System (Deep Hole Drilling Unit)
Tacchi deep hole drilling machines often use a dedicated high-pressure coolant/oil unit with filtration:
- Check the high-pressure pump:
- Can it reach the rated pressure?
- Does pressure remain stable at working flow?
- Inspect filters and tanks:
- Sludge level, contamination, maintenance access
- Verify whether it uses cutting oil or water-based emulsion and if it fits your shop safety and environmental rules.
Warning: A worn or undersized high-pressure system will directly reduce drilling performance, chip evacuation and tool life.
6. CNC / Control System Evaluation
Depending on the exact configuration, the machine may be:
- Traditional with limited NC functions
- Retro-fitted with a CNC (e.g., Siemens, Fanuc, etc.)
- Equipped with DRO and simple automated cycles
Check:
- Control brand and model
- Availability of:
- Spare parts
- Local service support
- Display and keyboard condition
- Dead pixels, non-responsive keys, emergency stop function
- Run through basic axis movements, canned cycles and manual mode.
- Check backup:
- Parameter backup
- PLC program backup
- Ladder / machine data
If the control is obsolete and unsupported, factor in either:
- Cost of CNC retrofit (can be significant), or
- Accepting limited automation and using it more as a semi-manual machine.
7. Test Cut – Non-Negotiable for Deep Hole Machines
You should insist on a practical drilling test:
- Use a material similar to your typical jobs (e.g., alloy steel bar of suitable diameter and length).
- Run a drilling cycle close to your real application:
- Realistic feed and speed
- Full coolant pressure
- Measure:
- Hole straightness over 2500 mm
- Taper (entry vs exit diameter)
- Surface finish / chip evacuation quality
- Cycle time (does it meet your productivity expectations?)
Ask to stop halfway and remove chips/sludge to see:
- Chip form
- Coolant clarity
- Any evidence of tool rubbing or vibration marks
8. Electrical Cabinet & Safety
8.1 Electrical Cabinet
- Open the cabinet (with power off, following safety rules):
- Check for non-professional modifications (loose cables, taped joints, mixed components).
- Verify presence of original labels and terminal markings.
- Check main contactors, drives, relays:
- Overheating marks
- Burnt smell
- Dust/oil saturation
8.2 Safety Functions
- Emergency stops on all operator stations
- Door/guard interlocks (if originally equipped)
- Overload protection
- Proper grounding and protective devices in accordance with your local regulations
Remember: You may need to upgrade guarding and safety systems to comply with your country’s standards, especially for older Italian machines.
9. Tooling, Accessories & Hidden Value
Deep hole drilling machines are very tooling-dependent. Included accessories can make or break the deal:
Ask what is included in the price:
- Boring bars / drill tubes and holders
- Guide bushes and steady rest pads
- Centering devices / pilot drilling fixtures
- Extra chuck jaws or fixtures
- Chip conveyor, filtration units, coolant chiller (if equipped)
- Original Tacchi special tooling (if any)
If the machine comes “bare” with almost no tooling, calculate the realistic cost of buying new bars, bushes and fixtures. Sometimes a slightly higher machine price with rich tooling is a far better overall deal.
10. Installation, Foundation & Space Requirements
The Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500 is not a small workshop toy; it is a heavy, industrial machine.
Before buying, check:
- Required foundation thickness and anchoring points
- Machine weight and how you will unload and position it
- Ceiling height and crane capacity in your workshop
- Location for:
- High-pressure unit
- Hydraulic unit
- Chip conveyor / chip bins
- Electrical cabinet access for service
Plan the coolant oil handling (storage, replacement, filtration, disposal) – deep hole drilling systems often hold large volumes of expensive oil.
11. Cost Breakdown: Purchase, Retrofit, Operation
When you evaluate the offer, calculate:
- Purchase price of the used Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500
- Estimated overhaul and retrofit cost:
- Spindle bearings, hydraulic repairs
- Control retrofit (if needed)
- New high-pressure pump or filtration upgrade
- New tooling and fixtures
- Transport and installation cost
- Operator training and commissioning time
- Running cost:
- Energy consumption
- Oil and filter consumption
- Tooling cost per hole
Compare this total to:
- Buying a newer deep hole drilling machine
- Subcontracting the deep hole work to a specialist
If the Tacchi can be brought to good condition with a clear, controlled budget and you have steady demand for long bores, it can be a very cost-effective solution.
12. Final Checklist Before You Say “Yes”
Use this short list as your final decision filter:
- Workpiece size and weight fully compatible with FT 70-LS/600 x 2500
- Clear, legible nameplate; known year and serial number
- Bed and guideways in healthy condition, no major cracks or misalignment
- Spindle runs smoothly across the speed range, acceptable runout
- Hydraulic and high-pressure coolant systems working without major leaks
- Control system supported, with backups and basic functions proven
- Practical test cut performed with measurable results (straightness, taper, finish)
- Sufficient tooling and accessories included, or budgeted separately
- Electrical cabinet and safety systems in acceptable condition
- Workshop has the required space, foundation and handling capacity
- Total cost (machine + repairs + tooling + installation) makes sense compared to alternatives
If most boxes are ticked and the test hole meets your accuracy and productivity targets, a pre-owned Tacchi FT 70-LS/600 x 2500 made in Italy can move very successfully from the factory floor into your workshop as a profitable, long-term deep hole drilling platform.
