What exactly needs to be checked with 500 and what causes this difference between the two machines? Auto calibration sounds good on 500... I would get the 500 without the changer anyway.
everything coming from a mill, be it a bar, bridge, bitesplint, everything needs to be checked afterward. you do this irrespective of what mill you use.
the only real functional difference is twofold
1. the size of the C opening
2. the optional changer
given you opt for a machine without changer then functionally, wont be a difference, however why you should get a versamill instead of an imill is because we at Axsys have engineered new probe calibration for both machines because we found the ones coming direct from Arum to be less than entirely reliable; also while there are built in manual calibrations coming from Arum we also have better manual calibration methods.
coupled with better spindle drives and general upgrades to fixturing via 3rd party manufactured fixtures that dont come from arum, versamill 200 and 500 are true workhorses where the originals feel anemic.
the only thing i dont like about the 500 is the pneumatic fixture clamp that grips the fixture to the trunnion. i'd have the 200 which does not use this pneumatic device.
