I went through the "buy a new machine" adventure a couple of months ago and looked at a lot of machines and even made a big ugly spreadsheet to help keep everything straight. I looked very hard at Haas (VF3/4 SS pretty loaded out) but between their regular big annual price increases and the recent devaluation of the Japanese Yen there is not a lot of price difference between a Haas and (went with an Okuma 560V) and some of the Japanese machines. Haas needs to get serious about stiffening up their machines and real horsepower because they are not pricing in the bargain zone anymore but with the big boys. And the big boys can clean their clocks in both performance and quality.

New guy here slowly migrating from Visual Mill to MC X6. I just got a new Okuma Genos M560V in last Tuesday. The machine has a test date of 12-18-2012 and Made in Japan on the data plate and the import paperwork. The only things that I have found on it that are not labeled Japan are the paintbrushes that came in the repair kit (I think they are from Malaysia). We are still waiting on electricians (the machine came in a week before we thought) and the probes and part of the TSC kit so I have not run it yet, but the paint, fit and finish, and general appearance is way above the Taiwan machines that I have in the shop. I ordered it on the last day of the Houstex show and had it in within three weeks. 15K spindle, 32 tools, TSC, Mayfram conveyor, and the Renishaw touch probe and tool setter. I am pumped.