Automatic Coil Winding Machine Precision Digital Control Coil Winder Low Variable Speed 2 Directions

Had to figure out how to work it. Instructions are not very good. It didn't come with the shaft extension that has the two cone for mounting bobbins. I had to jury rig a mount for the coil I was winding.

Bought this winder I am restoring my Geo Stevens 39AM winder. Needed something so I could continue to wind some guitar pickup coils and I did not feel like busting out the laptop, arduino, ramps board and 12V power supply. I wanted something cheap and turn key. These units can be picked up for almost half the price on Amazon but with Amazon you have some purchase protection, not to mention it shipped within a day from across the US. The system was packed quite well and worked right out of the box. However, it took me some time to get to know how the controls worked as the instructions are...no offense to the supplier...really, really bad. So bad that I had to knock off half a star. I knocked off another half a star for construction because the unit is so noisy due to the motor being mounted on the control box. It was so noisy I mounted the stepper on a wooden box. So after 1/2 hour I finally got the hang of using the unit. The controls are, as far as I can tell, as follows: Top left green button - used to index up your program (A0-A9). You get 10 slots to program different coil speeds and counts. Bottom left green button - used to index down your program. Bottom right green button - used to display the program setting you are on (I think but some times just shows 4 dashed lines and you hear a faint click, so I could be wrong). Center red button - changes the rotation direction of the stepper. Top right green button (multi-functional): - (tap once) used to set the C-o1 parameter which is the rotation speed (75 seems to be max otherwise motor starts to stall). You use the left top and bottom green buttons to increase and decrease the value. - (tap again) used to set the C-o2 parameter which is the rotation count (takes a while to program +1000). You use the left top and bottom green buttons to increase and decrease the value. - (tap yet again) used to save the C-o1 & C-o2 parameters you just entered. The word "good" appears to confirm the setting was saved. - (press and hold for several seconds) used to set either 0b or 1b which the states 1b is a single set of coil level control" and 0b is for more than one. It looks like 1b runs only one programmed wind setting repeatedly whereas 0b runs thru all programs. Foot pedal switch - basically acts like a stop and go switch. Hold the foot switch down the program runs but once you lift off the pedal the program will pause. Top knob on controller - acts as a variable speed controller but you must turn it in small increments as it really only works from about 1/8 to 1/2 clockwise turn on the knob. Past 1/2 turn it is full speed, or more appropriately the speed which you set C-o1 to. Once the number of turns is achieved you need to make sure the knob is back to zero (i.e. full counter-clockwise). That is pretty much it. Hope this helps some of you who decide to take a chance on this simple coil winder set-up.

It powered up when plugged in, I got it to run. It's doing its thing.... Kinda.... There are five buttons, a potentiometer and a foot switch. Foot switch doesn't seem to function or operate the spindle. I've yet to figure out how exactly the buttons interact. Got it to do it's thing through trial and (lots of) error. Part of the instruction sheet is written in english but for the most part they are seemingly randon english words that don't fourm a sentence or any kind of complete thought? It might be a great product but.....

This didn't come with instructions, but it works. However, I do feel a bit ripped off, having subsequently found it for $130.

The title of this review says it all.