HaasLogoI hadn't paid much attention to Haas Automation until recently. When I took my machining classes, there were no Haas machines in the school shop. My awareness of the company did not extend very far beyond the fact a Haas machine is on the cover of my textbook.

That changed recently because Tux-Lab is a fan of Haas Automation. The machine tools (which I aspire to operate) are all Haas machines. I started learning about them and the more I learned, the more I liked what I saw.

First, they are the Home Team. Based in Oxnard, CA, roughly two hours drive away from where I currently live. It is challenging to operate a manufacturing business in the USA, never mind Southern California, and I'm happy to see they've found some measure of success in the face of overseas competition.

Second, they have transparent pricing of their equipment listed on a web configuration tool. No "contact your sales representative for a quote" runaround. I'm sure large customers can (and do) negotiate a discount, but at least there's a price up there on the screen to let people know what they should expect.

The third and most important thing that impressed me: they are friendly to customers who wish to work on their own machines. Sure, they have the standard disclaimer "[work] should be done by authorized trained personnel" but they publish a lot of useful reference information for those who wish to forge ahead anyway. Most other machine tool companies do not publish this information. These non-DIY-friendly companies tell their customers to "contact your authorized service representative."

And lastly - Haas open their doors to customers (and potential customers) during HaasTec, their own open-house event. See the factory in action, see Haas machines building more Haas machines. That sounds like a Disneyland trip for machining geeks, sign me up!