Cheap ER collet advice please

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

I need to get a set of ER25 collets.

I've been looking at the cheap Chinese offerings on eBay.

I realise this is a bit of a lottery as some people appear to be happy with their purchases and others, not.

The quality of these collets seems to vary a lot.

Has anyone here bought a good cheap set and if they have, can you let me know what seller they were bought from?

From what I've seen, pretty much all of them seem to be located /shipped from Leicestershire irrespective of who's selling them!

Any advice much appreciated, thanks.

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

[Mike CrossfieldParticipant @mikecrossfield92481]

I’ve bought ER25 collets a couple of times from CTC and been very happy with the quality and price. The chap running the operation in China, a German, was very helpful when I had some queries and wanted a special size. In my experience, accuracy doesn’t seems to be far from the stated 0.4 thou runout with everything carefully cleaned.

Mike

[EmgeeParticipant @emgee]

Charles

I bought a set of ER25 2-16mm in Dec 2018 for £14.99 from worldtrade100

I needed an additional 16mm at the time and saw these when searching, used it for a 4f carbide cutter roughing out some aluminium, worked OK.
Have checked some other sizes and they appear to be as accurate as indicated in the listing.

Emgee

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

Thanks for the replies and help, Mike and Emgee.

Mike…haven't heard of CTC before, so just had a quick search…would this be http://www.ctctools.biz ? I'm guessing you've been buying collets individually, as and when needed?

Emgee…that's an excellent price but unfortunately the seller currently has no items for sale though I will definitely keep an eye out for new listings.

[Enough!Participant @enough]

Posted by Mike Crossfield on 13/10/2019 23:03:41:

I’ve bought ER25 collets a couple of times from CTC and been very happy with the quality and price.

+1

[Bill PudneyParticipant @billpudney37759]

Posted by Bandersnatch on 14/10/2019 00:45:39:

Posted by Mike Crossfield on 13/10/2019 23:03:41:

I’ve bought ER25 collets a couple of times from CTC and been very happy with the quality and price.

+1

I've bought both ER11 and ER32 collets and chucks from CTC, as well as other stuff…boring head, cutters etc. All good gear. Once again I have no doubt that there is better quality stuff available, but all of CTC kit has been fit for purpose. My only problem with CTC is that delivery can take a while, not as quick as Arc Euro for instance.

cheers

Bill

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

I see CTC actually give a tolerance run out of .008mm, if they don't meet that standard you can get your money back [Paypal – item not as described, credit card – chargeback] so a win win situation. They would also have to pay postage if they wanted the collet[s] back.

Tony

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

My advice, and it is free so as cheap as you can get, is not to go the bang good way.

Collets all needed checking and most needed fettling before use, but seem to be satisfactory now. However the collet holder was scrap. It HAD be replaced because it WOULD have destroyed both my cutters and my machine spindle.

That made buying from them no less expensive than buying better quality from elsewhere.

ER collets are a precision system. No better than your machine when in use, but can maintain your overall system TIR to the minimum attainable.

People often use them for items where workpieces are removed from and refitted to the collet, expecting concentricity. Generally far better than most 3 jaw chucks, but if you are relying on good concentricity (on replacement in the collet) buy good ones. Buy from a reliable suppler who does not supply ‘out of spec’ items and with a good warranty record.

’Nuff said?

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

I am sure that it’s been said before but I feel it needs repeating, you get what you pay for, pay next to nowt and you will get rubbish, pay a good price and you will get good stuff, pay top dollar and you get top quality.

[Former MemberParticipant @formermember19781]

[This posting has been removed]

[Nick Clarke 3Participant @nickclarke3]

Posted by Baz on 14/10/2019 09:35:18:

I am sure that it’s been said before but I feel it needs repeating, you get what you pay for, pay next to nowt and you will get rubbish, pay a good price and you will get good stuff, pay top dollar and you get top quality.

I think the other posts here suggest a slight modification to this sweeping statement – With items at the lower end of the market you cannot assume you are going to get an accurate quality product while with a branded one you ought to be able to.

Unfortunately in today's world you don't know where any product is manufactured and you may get an adequate or good item for little money, CNC makes it as easy to make something accurately as not, but at this point in the market quality control may pass out some that are not acceptable.

However by paying more the name on the box does not always guarantee quality. Trade names and brands are bought and sold and applied to items manufactured elsewhere. You can usually get an improved product from a branded supplier or manufacturer should you have an item you are not satisfied with, but it appears that some bargain brands are also doing this now.

 

Edited By Nick Clarke 3 on 14/10/2019 10:00:49

[VidarParticipant @vidar]

I've got 3 chinese ER8 collets. They are for a tiny tapping head, so I figured likely not the most critical application. Similarly I wouldn't be too worried if I were using them as holders of workpieces in a milling machine.

Anyway, I got my three direct from China. The point being that many of the sellers there do like the industry suppliers here: They offer ER collets with different tolerances and prices to match. So you can get what you pay for with ER collets from China too. (And knowing that they do checking and sorting the less expensive ones are likely the ones that failed the higher standards).

I'm with those above – you get what you pay for, and sometimes low initial expense comes at a cost too.

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

Thanks everyone for their advice.

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 14/10/2019 06:51:05:

I see CTC actually give a tolerance run out of .008mm, if they don't meet that standard you can get your money back [Paypal – item not as described, credit card – chargeback] so a win win situation. They would also have to pay postage if they wanted the collet[s] back.

Tony

Good thinking Tony…I need to get a set where there are claimed tolerances and if the collets are out of spec, then I can return them for a refund.

Edited By Charles R on 14/10/2019 10:27:06

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

I bought my ER25 collets and holder from Chronos, about 20 years ago, and have had no problems.

My ER20 collets, used for drill grinding came from Arc Euro Trade.

With a supplier in your own country, if there is a problem, you have some hope of advice and a solution. From a low cost supplier thousands of miles away, I wouldn't expect too much interest or help.

Getting a set of low cost items may cost you material, frustration and stress, in the longer term; before you then lay out more money for decent quality.

F W I W, buy from a supplier with a good reputation, where you will get service after sales, if there is a problem.

Howard

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by 34046 on 14/10/2019 09:42:35:

Posted by Baz on 14/10/2019 09:35:18:

I am sure that it’s been said before but I feel it needs repeating, you get what you pay for, pay next to nowt and you will get rubbish, pay a good price and you will get good stuff, pay top dollar and you get top quality.

With Baz on this one – extremely good advice.

Bill

Once good advice, I think that's too simple these days. The market is too diverse. For example, if you pay top dollar for an ER collet, what do you actually get for your money? What makes collets really expensive is their ability to spin at high rpm – up to 60000rpm in some cases. In addition to being accurately made, a specially strong steel is used, the collet is carefully balanced, and then individually tested and certificated. All this adds to the cost, and is a complete waste of money unless you do high-speed machining and own a suitable chuck.

Trouble with ebay is cost isn't much of a clue. The item might be a genuine bargain (many are) or it might be cheap and nasty. It might even be a fake. Ebay, Bangood and similar all offer potential savings but they're not as reliable as buying from a reputable source.

I buy from ebay whenever I'm happy to take a mild risk. Usually I've been happy with what arrived. Mostly I want more certainty from tools and buy from Tracy, ArcEuro, Warco and other Names because they put more effort into selecting products and meet their obligations if it goes wrong. Only rarely do I go to the bother of buying high-end tooling – for what I do the best available just isn't worth it.

Dave

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

Dave…you should change your username to WiseOldDuffer!

I agree with you on all points.

My little lathe has a max speed of 1050rpm, so no need for me to buy high end where balance and precision are crucial.

I haven't heard of Tracy but will have a look later today.

Charles

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

I have a selection of ER25 collets & holders bought from CTC & ArcEuro & have found them to be of satisfactory quality for what I make so would concur with some of the comments from other users,I have also had a lot of other items from ArcEuro, so can only suggest you look at them, plus you will have the advantage of direct contact with the retailer should anything be unsatisfactory. Usual disclaimer applies.

George.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I bought ER25 and the first cheap Chinese one had a 0.002" tir runout, the second is less than 0.0004" tir. The collets were a lottery too, so I have collets in 6,8,10,12 and 16mm from Cutwell and Vertex, which are very good.

[Nick M0NPHParticipant @nickm0nph]

That would be Tracy tools in Torquay Devon

http://www.tracytools.com

i have used them in the past and they seam to be ok on most prices and quick delivery

Nick

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

Unless you want to use a full range of twist drills, you don't need a full set of collets as milling cutters come in much more limited shank sizes.

[Charles RParticipant @charlesr45326]

Posted by old mart on 14/10/2019 21:58:26:

Unless you want to use a full range of twist drills, you don't need a full set of collets as milling cutters come in much more limited shank sizes.

The collet chuck I have is for my lathe and I initially intend to use it for holding some milling cutters I got with the lathe when I purchased it.

A complete ER25 set would be great but I don't want to spend lots on something I may not use that often.

A big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to write me a reply and I've taken in everything that's been said.

[Chris Evans 6Participant @chrisevans6]

Plus 1 for ARC and Chronos. A £ more on 6 or 8 collets is forgotten in short time. I use 5C collets on my lathe and have never bought one that was not up to scratch.

[Nick WheelerParticipant @nickwheeler]

Posted by Charles R on 15/10/2019 01:29:05:

Posted by old mart on 14/10/2019 21:58:26:

Unless you want to use a full range of twist drills, you don't need a full set of collets as milling cutters come in much more limited shank sizes.

A complete ER25 set would be great but I don't want to spend lots on something I may not use that often.

As ER collets can be used for both tool and workholding, not buying a set is a false economy.

I bought an ER32 chuck to use on the mill, and intending to get a bolt on chuck for the lathe, bought a full set of collets. The collet chuck was such an improvement that I quickly gave the Clarkson clone away, and bought the lathe chuck. 12 years later, only one of the collets is still in its plastic wrapping. Some of the rest haven't been used much, but it beats having to stop work for a few days to get a £5 part that should have been bought as part of a set.

I use the collet chuck for drills when doing jobs that combine milling and drilling. I'm tempted to buy extras of the common ones I use to keep with particular tools, like the edge finder, to speed up changes. I find the idea that hobbyests don't need to work quickly and efficiently very strange.

Arc's Stevensons collet blocks really simplify milling/drilling operations on round parts.

The ball-bearing nuts are such an improvement that I bought another pair so that each chuck has its own and the blocks share the third.

I have a set of ER11 collets to use with my toolpost spindle lashup; I'm very tempted to convert one of my MT blanks into a holder to use small drills in the tailstock.

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