Miracle A5 , A9, V8/X6 and Silca Key Cutting Machines

by Alex Carter Mechanic Assistant

I will introduce the automatic key cutting machines:

The List:

- Miracle A5
- Miracle A9 Premium
- X6/V8
- Silca Futura Pro
Credit to PocketHero from DK forum.

This tools are ones of the most important part of our job: key blade making. You have to get a CNC machine to do your job fast & easy, but if you make a bad choice, then it'll be an expensive one.

- Miracle A5
One of my friends bought it almost 10 years ago, and uses it till today. In that time it came with a PDA, where you could do the work, and upload it to the machine. Was a good looking solution to sell the machine to yerks, but in the practice it is better when you program the A5 from the keyboard. The main problem is, that this machine can use only one tool at the same time, so you have to change the cutter and the probe always. When it was new, the keys what it made were usually working, when not you had to cut the same key again, and then it was ok. Please do not compare this with todays A5, as I said it is a 10 yrs old model. You can get it from $2000 used.
Today's A5 is an industrial standard, this is the basic model of the automated key cutters. They didn't forgot the PDA, but you can use smartphone, tablet, laptop, anything via bluetooth for programing, or simply its keyboard. Has practical carry points, can be operated from AC and cigarette lighter too. All kinds of adaptors are available between 10-50 bucks/pcs, has its ovn battery what can help when operated from 12V.
You can have it from $3000 + shiping + taxes.

- Miracle A9 PremiumOne of the bests for your shop - for moderate price. I have read, that the most relevant factor @ key copying/making is the boredom, because that's the factor what causes bad copies mostly. This machine can do everything to avoid that: separated probe & cutter, color touch screen, easy to use pictures (for those who can't understand the language) etc. Has 5 different desks for the different tasks (cutting, engraving, dimple & normal keys etc.), and some additional tools for difficulter key shapes (HU66, SX9, Tibbe etc). Some users told me, that it needs to be calibrated too often - but they didn't used the key measuring function, because it isn't switched on @ every keytype. When you switch it on, then you lose 10-20 secs/cut, but the result will be perfect. Has 3 speeds: Brass, Nickel-Silver and Steel. It slows the movement of the desk, avoiding cutter breaks. One special side of this is the fact, that you can only cut metal keys, because it works with electrical contact sensing. If you put a plastic key in, then it will break the probe or the cutter in zero time.
At the beginning you get a lots of accessories: 2 x 1 mm probe & 2 x 2 mm cutter, spare belts in all possible sizes, a HU66 pad, hex wrench, antistatic brush - the usual things. The machine can be updated via wifi or ethernet - please prefer the wired connection, because it freezes allways when you try to update it via wifi. One other important thing is its internal memory, where you can find all the cuts what you have ever made (at least I couldn't reach the poit where it begins to delete the oldest ones). Not only the key type as the X6 does, but everything.
One additional info: It has a battery inside, and can be powered from a car, but it is not recommanded: powered by a 3 KW inverter the cutter rotation always slows down, and stops before cutting the key. If you want to use it in your car, then get an A5 or an X6.
You can buy it from 5000 pounds + VAT, not cheap but worth of its price.

- X6/V8 key cutting machine
The best 2nd automatic cutter at the moment. Bought it to use in my car, and it is perfect for this purpose. I think there's nearly nothing new what I could tell about it. Nothing extraordenary, just a Miracle A5 clone. Needs a bit of experience when you use it, for example it cuts with the 2 mm cutter the HU100 too wide, it won't turn in the ignition. So you have to set the cutter for 2.5 mm (and use the same 2 mm one) to get the good result.
Another problem for me is the cutting memory: it records only the key type without biting. If you stop the actual work, then you have to re-enter the biting, because it can't remember even the last one. When it is too cold for the X6, then the cutter stops too high over the blank, so the cutter won't reach the blank's surface. In this cases I apply a not too strong pressure on the cutter head while moving down to reach the working position. To be honest it has its own faults, but can make a lot of profit for you; only a little care is needed. When you operate it from cigarette lighter, then it needs at least a 100AH battery to be able to work, otherwise you have to run the engine to avoid emergency stops from low voltage.
Maybe it seems that I wrote only about its faults, but I am very satisfyed with the machine. It saves me a lot of time to be able to cut the keys on the roadside, and the price is low enough to buy a second CNC. U can buy this machine from $1200 with free shiping, 5 probe and 10 cutter for $50, HU66, HU64, etc tools from $20.
http://www.obdii365.com/wholesale/automatic-v8-x6-key-cutting-machine-with-dust-cover.html

- Silca Futura Pro
Just tell me what have I done for this punishment! To be honest the machine is very precise @ cutting, but thats all the good side of it. Comes with an ASUS tablet, what needs 5 (!!!) mins to start, and then you have to start the app to be able to do your work. (This time is 1.5 min @ the A9, 1 min @ X6...) The well known InstaCode's simplyfied version is integrated into the sw, with all of its faults.
Has 2 cutters: one for the external cut, one for the internal millings. The most disturbing for me after the software is the decoding. You have to loosen a screw and pull down the measuring pin and fasten it, then you can set the sw to get the cutting datas. For so much money I think it could be made easier. Has all the extras what the others (Tibbe keys, engraving, etc), but I think they've found a way to make it more complicated as necessary. Its price is high enough to leave it in the shop: 7500 quids (+VAT) with the needed adapters (HU162, HU66, SX9, etc).