Mazak and Haas are two CNC machine builders that people regularly compare, and most of the answers online come from forum threads and opinion posts. This guide sticks to what each builder publishes about itself: where it started, where it builds, which product lines it lists, how its control works and how it sells and supports machines. It does not rank the two, and it ends with what to read off a Mazak or Haas you own.
Machine Tool Exchange buys used Mazak and Haas machines directly from the shops that own them, so the guide closes with the details an owner needs on hand.
What Is the Difference Between Mazak and Haas?
Mazak and Haas are CNC machine builders that differ in origin, product range and control. Yamazaki Mazak is a Japanese company founded in 1919, with a U.S. subsidiary headquartered in Florence, Kentucky. Haas Automation is an American company founded in 1983 and based in Oxnard, California.
Beyond origin, the two publish different product ranges. Haas says it manufactures four major product lines: vertical machining centers, horizontal machining centers, CNC lathes and rotary tables, plus a number of large five-axis and specialty machines. Mazak's U.S. site lists categories including multi-tasking machines, 5-axis machining centers, CNC turning centers, Swiss-style production turning machines, vertical and horizontal machining centers, laser processing machines, additive manufacturing, friction stir welding and automation.
The controls differ as well. Mazak's control is MAZATROL, which Mazak describes as a conversational programming system. Haas builds its own control, currently the Next Generation Control. The sections below take each point in turn.
Where Do Mazak and Haas Come From?
| Mazak | Haas | |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Yamazaki Mazak Corporation; U.S. arm is Mazak Corporation | Haas Automation, Inc. |
| Founded | 1919 (U.S. arm established 1968) | 1983, by Gene Haas |
| Headquarters | Oguchi-cho, Aichi Prefecture, Japan; U.S. headquarters in Florence, Kentucky | Oxnard, California |
| Where machines are built | Plants in Japan, the U.S., the U.K., Singapore, China and India, as Mazak lists them | Haas says all Haas products are made at its Oxnard facility |
Mazak. Mazak's company page gives 1919 as the year Yamazaki Mazak was established, and Wikipedia adds that Sadakichi Yamazaki founded it in Nagoya. Mazak Corporation, the U.S. arm, dates to 1968. Mazak says it worked first on Long Island and, from 1974, at its headquarters in Florence, Kentucky. Mazak describes its VC-Ez vertical machining centers as "designed and built in Kentucky."
Haas. Gene Haas founded Haas Automation in 1983. In Haas's own history, the company began with a programmable collet indexer, started developing its first vertical machining center, the VF-1, in 1987, and introduced VF-1 prototypes at the IMTS 88 show in Chicago in 1988. Wikipedia says Haas moved into a purpose-built facility in Oxnard in 1997, and Haas's history page says all Haas products are manufactured at its facility there.
For where the two sit among the other major builders, see our guide to the other CNC machine builders.
What Does Each Builder Make?
Each row follows one page from the builder. The Mazak row gives the product categories on Mazak's U.S. products page. The Haas row gives the four major product lines Haas names in its company history, plus the large five-axis and specialty machines it mentions there. Neither row is a full catalog, so a category missing from a row does not mean the builder does not make it.
| Builder | Categories listed | Lines named (not a full list) |
|---|---|---|
| Mazak | Multi-tasking machines; 5-axis machining centers; CNC turning centers; Swiss-style production turning machines; vertical machining centers; horizontal machining centers; laser processing machines; additive manufacturing; friction stir welding; automation | INTEGREX (multi-tasking), VARIAXIS i (5-axis), QUICK TURN (turning), SYNCREX (Swiss-type), VC-Ez (vertical), HCN (horizontal) |
| Haas | Vertical machining centers; horizontal machining centers; CNC lathes; rotary tables; a number of large five-axis and specialty machines | VF series (vertical), ST, DS, SB, TL and CL (lathes), UMC (five-axis, per Wikipedia) |
Both builders list vertical machining centers, horizontal machining centers, turning and five-axis machines. Mazak names Swiss-style production turning machines and multi-tasking machines as categories of their own, and its list runs on to laser processing machines, additive manufacturing, friction stir welding and automation. Haas lists rotary tables as one of its four major lines.
Vertical machining centers. Haas's VF series of vertical machining centers began with the VF-1, its first vertical machining center. Mazak lists its VC-Ez line under vertical machining centers. For the machine type itself, see our page on vertical machining centers.
Turning. Mazak's QUICK TURN page lists chuck sizes from 6 to 21 inches, and Haas lists chuck sizes from 6.5 to 18 inches across its ST series. Mazak's page lists turning, milling, Y-axis and second-spindle specifications, and Haas offers Y-axis, live-tooling and sub-spindle versions. Our guide to how Haas names its lathe models explains the Haas lines, and the turning centers page covers the machine type.
Mill-turn and multi-tasking. Mazak lists its INTEGREX machines under multi-tasking. Haas describes its DS dual-spindle lathes as combining dual-spindle turning with Y axis, C axis and live tooling to allow "multiple operations in a single setup." For how that class of machine works, see mill-turn and multi-tasking machines.
Five-axis and Swiss-type. Mazak lists the VARIAXIS i under 5-axis machining centers. Haas lists large five-axis machines, and Wikipedia describes its UMC line as five-axis bridge-type vertical machines. The page for 5-axis machining centers covers that family. On Swiss-type machines, Mazak lists its SYNCREX series, and the Haas pages we read name no Swiss-type line.
Rotary products. Haas also lists rotary products, and its history begins with a programmable collet indexer.
How Do the Mazak and Haas Controls Differ?
Each builder pairs its machines with a control of its own, so the control is one of the first things to read off a used machine.
Mazak. The control is MAZATROL. Mazak's own page says the MAZATROL CNC system "was introduced in 1981 as the world's first CNC system that enables conversational programming in everyday language." That is Mazak's description of its own system. Mazak's pages also list G-code: the QUICK TURN page says G-code programming is also available, and the VC-Ez-X page lists both MAZATROL conversational programming and EIA (G-code). Mazak's control page describes Smooth and Ez versions of MAZATROL.
Haas. Haas builds its own control. The current version is the Next Generation Control (NGC), and the older generation is often called Classic. The layout and screens of the NGC are similar to past Haas controls, so check which one a machine has rather than assuming. As Metalworking News describes it, Haas's Visual Programming System lets operators create G-code programs for basic part features using form-like templates. Haas also says its toolroom lathes are easy to learn and operate even without knowing G-code.
Either way, the control is part of what a used machine is. Note its name and generation from the machine itself, because two machines of the same model can carry different generations.
How Are Mazak and Haas Machines Sold and Supported?
Haas products are distributed through a network of independently owned franchised local "factory outlet" businesses that provide sales, service and applications support, a system Wikipedia says Haas introduced in 1999.
Mazak's U.S. site has a "Find Your Mazak Representative" page that lists a representative for each state or part of a state. It also lists six Technology Centers: Northeast, National, Midwest, Southeast, Southwest and Western.
Which Is Better, Mazak or Haas?
This guide does not rank them. Search results for the pairing are mostly forum threads and opinion posts, and the ones we looked at disagree with each other, which suggests the question has no single answer.
The two builders make different ranges, and within each range machines differ by model, year and configuration. What separates two particular machines is on the machines themselves:
- Model and year, because both builders have changed their lines over time.
- Control and generation, because MAZATROL and the Haas control each come in more than one version.
- Spindle and travels, which differ by model.
- Options, such as a Y axis, second spindle, live tooling, pallet changer or probing.
- Hours and condition, which belong to the individual machine rather than the brand.
Compare machines on those points, not two brand names. If your question is what a machine is worth, we cover that separately: what a Mazak is worth and what a Haas is worth.
What to Read Off a Mazak or Haas You Own
To describe either brand's machine accurately, collect these details:
- Model and serial number, from the data plate. A photo of the plate is more reliable than memory.
- Control name and generation, such as the MAZATROL line or Haas NGC versus Classic.
- Spindle hours, if the control displays them.
- Configuration: Y axis, second spindle, live tooling, pallet changer, fourth or fifth axis, probing.
- Attachments: bar feeder, chip conveyor, coolant options and any tooling that goes with the machine.
These are the same things we look at when we buy a used machine. See the Mazak machines Machine Tool Exchange buys and the Haas machines we buy for the lines we handle. We buy outright and arrange the pickup. Request a quote or call 517-514-5190.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mazak better than Haas?
This guide does not rank them. They differ in origin, product range and control, and what separates two particular machines is the model and year, the control and generation, the configuration, the hours and the condition. Compare machines one by one rather than brand against brand.
Where are Mazak machines made?
Mazak lists manufacturing plants in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, China and India. Mazak describes its VC-Ez vertical machining centers as designed and built in Kentucky. Where a particular machine was built depends on its model.
Where does Haas build its machines?
Haas says all Haas products are manufactured at its facility in Oxnard, California.
Do Mazak and Haas use the same control?
No. Mazak machines use MAZATROL, which Mazak describes as a conversational programming system, and some Mazak lines also list G-code. Haas machines use Haas's own control, currently the Next Generation Control.
Does Machine Tool Exchange buy Mazak and Haas machines?
Yes. Machine Tool Exchange buys used Mazak and Haas machines directly from the shops that own them. We buy outright and arrange the pickup. Call 517-514-5190 or use the quote form on our sell page.
Have a Mazak or Haas you want to sell? Machine Tool Exchange is a direct buyer, so the offer comes from the buyer. We buy outright and arrange the pickup. Get a quote or call 517-514-5190.