Am I the only one who prefers manual edge finding over a probe?

I see everyone on here raving about probe systems and renishaw setups for zeroing parts. But after 12 years running mills, I still use a standard edge finder every time. Not because I am cheap, but because I have more control. About 6 months back I picked up a used Haas and it came with a probe kit. I tried using it for a week straight. It was fine but I found myself double checking with an edge finder anyway. The probe is great for production runs where you need speed. For one-off jobs or prototypes, I will take the old way. My cycle times are fine and I rarely scrap a part. Any other operators out there still trusting their hands over electronics?

2 comments

2 Comments

ivan401mo agoMost Upvoted

Jump right in with what @the_sam said, cause that's exactly what I've seen happen to three different guys at my last shop. It's like people think buying the newest tool makes you better, but reality hits hard when you realize it's just another thing that can break. I've watched the same pattern play out with homeowners buying laser measuring tools and still grabbing their tape measure two days later. Old school methods stick around cause they're simple and you can feel when something's wrong. The probe might look fancy on paper, but an edge finder won't cost you a half grand if you bump a vise.

the_sam1mo ago

My buddy down at the local shop got a brand new probe on his machine last year. Dude spent like three hours programming it and setting everything up for a simple fixture. First part he ran? Probe crashed into a vise jaw, shattered the tip. Five hundred bucks down the drain right there. He went back to his beat-up old edge finder the next day and hasnt touched the probe since.