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CNC Vertical Mill (hobbyist/small-shop)

Tormach PCNC 1100 Used Price & Common Problems

Tormach PCNC 1100: used $7,000 to $12,000. Documented problems: spindle will not turn and Z-axis stepper driver. OEM part prices and what to inspect before you buy.

Status: published
Used range$7,000–$12,000
Recallnone found
Known risks4
Sources6
Verified2026-09-11
Buy-Risk Verdict
Inspect before buying · moderate confidence
Short answer: Used Tormach PCNC 1100: $7,000–$12,000 observed used across 7 listings. The documented cost risk to price in: Z-axis stepper driver, Spindle bearings. Buy only after inspection. Used examples run $7,000 to $12,000. Basis: forums.tormach.com (failure evidence).

Last verified against the primary source on Sep 11, 2026.

Decision status
inspect

Used Tormach PCNC 1100: $7,000–$12,000 observed used across 7 listings. The documented cost risk to price in: Z-axis stepper driver, Spindle bearings. Buy only after inspection.

Confidence 55%
Market context
$8,995

7 observed comparables

As of Sep 5, 2026
Failure & Downtime Exposure

What can make the cheap machine expensive?

ComponentSeverityDocumented repair cost
Z-axis stepper drivermediumnot yet verified
Spindle bearingsmediumnot yet verified
Spindle will not turnhighnot yet verified
Z-axis stepper drivermedium

A Z-axis driver on a long-serving PCNC 1100 failed, causing the DRO to display axis movement while the spindle head stayed physically stationary; the driver had run for over a decade before failing.

Cost not yet verified
Power drawbar / spindle grippermedium

The BT30 power drawbar gripper can stick and fail to release the tool from the spindle even with adequate air pressure; owners fixed it with a pressure increase and gripper cleaning/lube, or by re-tightening a loose drawbar screw.

Cost not yet verified
Spindle bearingsmedium

Insufficient workholding let an endmill shift a part during a cut, and the spindle sounded noisy afterward, prompting a full bearing rebuild the owner believed had never been done on that machine before.

Cost not yet verified
Spindle will not turnhigh

Tormach's own knowledge base lists the failure modes when a PCNC 1100 spindle will not turn: "The spindle start signal from the control board isn't working." / "The VFD is defective." / "The motor has an internal short and is malfunctioning."

Cost not yet verified
The spindle start signal from the control board isn't working. / The VFD is defective. / The motor has an internal short and is malfunctioning.
— PCNC 1100 Spindle Will Not Turn: OEM knowledge base, accessed 2026-09-11

Common questions

How much does a used Tormach PCNC 1100 cost?

Observed listings range roughly $7,000 to $12,000 depending on age, condition, and configuration (as of 2026-09-05).

What fails on the Tormach PCNC 1100?

The most cited concerns in our evidence record: Z-axis stepper driver, Spindle bearings, Spindle will not turn. See the risk breakdown above for details and sources.

Evidence excerpts

From the research record

  • FAILURE (2026-09-05, agent-fetched, Claude spot-verified): Z-axis stepper driver: "Couldn't jog it back up in Z, although it showed it moving in the Z DRO." https://forums.tormach.com/t/pcnc-1100-series-3-problem-with-z-axis-not-moving/2674
  • FAILURE (2026-09-05, agent-fetched, Claude spot-verified): Power drawbar / spindle gripper: "We have an 1100 mill with a power drawbar that is not releasing the tool from the spindle when actuated." https://forums.tormach.com/t/1100-not-releasing-tool-from-spindle/173
  • FAILURE (2026-09-05, agent-fetched, Claude spot-verified): Spindle bearings: "my work holding wasn't sufficient and the endmill jumped to the back of the part it was milling slightly shifting the part in the vice jaws" https://forums.tormach.com/t/pcnc1100-spindle-rebuild/1886
  • NOTE (2026-09-05): No exact 'Tormach PCNC 1100' listings found on revelationmachinery.com, theequipmenthub.com, or machinesused.com after multiple query variants ('Tormach PCNC 1100', 'Tormach'). These three sites are industrial-iron dealers and do not appear to stock benchtop/hobbyist Tormach machines; revelationmachinery.com's inventory surfaced only an unrelated 'Tormach 770M CNC VMC' listing, a different product line, not counted. machinesused.com's search consistently rendered only its own homepage regardless of query and never showed inventory results.
  • MARKET (eBay Browse API, 7 live listings observed 2026-09-05): low $7000 / median $8995 / high $12000. Matched by make+model with parts/accessory listings excluded, currency USD only.
  • REPAIR PART (High Speed Spindle Kit, OEM manufacturer-direct, #35178; fits Series 2/3 PCNC 1100 + 1100M, NOT Series 1/MX; an upgrade/replacement spindle assembly, not a single failed component): $2,005.00. Source: https://tormach.com/high-speed-spindle-kit-pcnc1100-35178.html
Reference list

Sources

  1. forums.tormach.com (failure evidence)practitioner-forum · verified · accessed 2026-09-05
  2. forums.tormach.com (failure evidence)practitioner-forum · verified · accessed 2026-09-05
  3. forums.tormach.com (failure evidence)practitioner-forum · verified · accessed 2026-09-05
  4. eBay live listings (market price observation, 7 matching whole-unit listings)marketplace-observation · observed · accessed 2026-09-05
  5. PCNC 1100 Spindle Will Not Turn: OEM knowledge baseoem-service-bulletin · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-11
  6. High Speed Spindle Kit for Tormach 1100 (OEM, #35178, Series 2/3): $2,005oem-dealer-part · verified-primary · accessed 2026-09-11
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