Feedback on selecting a milling machine

[wachuko]

So rather than going over each machine... figured I would create one thread with the several milling machines that I am considering, in the hopes to get feedback on which one would be the best option...

I will mention one that I discarded because I read (well, it was actually this video) about challenges getting parts for it.

And I am quickly realizing that I might need to buy a VFD since the majority of the machines I am finding are 3-phased... I only have 1-phase 240 in my garage... So I need to research what that means, the effort to install one, and what is the cost for such a setup...

I will have a pallet, pallet jack, and will rent one of those drop deck trailers... to make it easier to transport and move in the garage...

This thread was triggered by this post on the What did you buy today? thread...

Here are some options off Craig's List. I used the website "www.searchtempest.com". It lets you specify price range, driving range, etc. It looks up stuff on eBay and CL. You may try Facebook Marketplace too. They have MANY more listings for stuff than CL.

Bruce

$4500 Sharp with DRO, collets, vise, variable-speed head. Looks to be in decent shape, just South of Tampa

milling machine - tools - by owner - sale

BRIDGEPORT TYPE MILLING MACHINE ---(sharp brand) ------- HARD CHROME WAYS ARE LIKE NEW -------(pictures) ------- DIGITAL READOUT --------- KURT TYPE VISE --------- WAY COVERS ----------- COLLET RACK...

sarasota.craigslist.org

$2500 Birmingham with 9" x 49" table and X-axis power feed. No tooling, variable-speed head, Port Charlotte (South of Tampa, but you know the town . . .)

Bridgeport style Milling Machine - tools - by owner - sale

Birmingham milling machine. 220 volt, 3 phase. The table is 49" x 9". The table movement is 29" x 12".

fortmyers.craigslist.org

$4250 Bridgeport 1 HP belt-drive with a VFD installed (so variable speed). Kurt vise, X-axis power feed, 42" table, North of Orlando

Bridgeport Milling Machine - tools - by owner - sale

Very nice Bridgeport Milling Machine. Everything works and checked out by a trained professional with documentation.1 H.P. 3 phase with a V.F.D. which allows it to run on 240 volt single phase...

ocala.craigslist.org

$2800 Alliant, 42" table, variable-speed head, collets and a vise. In the Bradenton area.

Milling Machine - tools - by owner - sale

Alliant 9' by 42' variable speed milling machine, 2 HP. Can be seen under power. 1 set R8 collets and mill vise. 2800.00 or best offer.

sarasota.craigslist.org

Supermax YC-1 - There is this one in Ocala... a few miles away from our new house. So moving it should be easy. eBay does not make it easy to contact the seller... I want to see it before I try to buy it via eBay. Trying to see if I can get contact information from the seller to stop by and look at it... - for US$4K - I do not know much about this brand... I have been searching the last few days for threads and videos on them...

Bridgeport Milling Machine - Another machine close the house in Ocala... US$4.25K

Sharp with DRO, collets, vise, variable-speed head. I don't get why sellers do not spend the time sharing decent photos on the ad... Located in Bradenton - for US$4.5K

Sharp also with DRO, 42" table. Located in Punta Gorda - for US$5.5K - From the photos, this one looks to be in much better shape than the one in Bradenton... They have it listed in FB Marketplace for a lower price...

Bridgeport - from the description - "Bridgeport mill works great the motor makes a weird noise but works as it should. It’s 3 phase but running on a phase converter. I have a forklift to help load it" - The comment on the weird motor noise is of concern... but then it is listed for US$2K. That is very attractive if it does not have something catastrophic about to happen to it...

Hartford Milling machine with DRO - 9"x42" - this is the one that I decided to pass on... this video calls out that it is difficult to find parts for it... no sense in pursuing that one with some many other choices available... also FB Marketplace - US$3.5K

Alliant, 42" table, variable-speed head, collets and a vise. In the Bradenton area as well. US$2.8K (or best offer) - thank you Bruce ( @BGHansen ), I had not seen this one... table looks a bit beat up...

There was an ENCO for US$1,500.00. But I was a day too late... that would have been a great score. Owner, due to health issues, could not work it any longer...

So there... looks like anything I am finding is around the 4K price range...

Comments? Suggestions?

 

[Steve-F]

Maybe it's a East coast, West thing but those are running a tad on the healthy $ side of what I see over near San Diego. Sometimes I have seen the VFD included with the machine too. I have been around the the Bridgeports, Supermax's and the Sharp's and have nothing bad to say that I can recall. Nice way to present!

 

[keeena]

It will be 3phase, so do plan on a SPC/RPC/VFD solution. Not a huge deal. I would get a variable-speed only (reeves drive) unless you know for a fact that you're going to use a VFD for your 3ph. DRO and power feed on the X a must IMO, so factor that into negotiations if you find an otherwise good mill without them.

The Supermax and the Sharp in Punta Gorda seem decent. That Alliant is grungy but isn't necessarily bad, but even if its in good functional shape there's still no way I'd personally pay over $2k it.

Agree with Steve that prices seem a high, but hard to compare current market with 2 years ago.

 

[Beckerkumm]

Condition will be more important than manufacturer here. compare the models carefully as each comany makes many variations with different motors, table sizes, way design, etc. I think that Alliant was an early BP copy and the company was formed by former BP employees when BP sold. The Alliant were considered to be very well done clones and in some ways improvements over some BP- for what that is worth. Again, condition is everything. Dave

 

[wachuko]

Pardon ignorant question... Do all these machines use R-8 collects? Or that is something that I need to ask/look for when inspecting the machine? I want to leverage the tools that I have...

 

[cathead]

If I were buying another mill and was going to buy a
VFD to run it, a step pulley machine is what I would
be most interested in. The variable speed mills have
a more complicated and I might add expensive to
repair drive system. It's hard to beat pulleys!

Another plus, they are usually less expensive than
variable speed mills.

 

[Janderso]

Pardon ignorant question... Do all these machines use R-8 collects? Or that is something that I need to ask/look for when inspecting the machine? I want to leverage the tools that I have...

My Sharp has a 30 taper. I love it. It's rock solid.
I have a Sharp TMV 10X50.
3HP and weighs in at 3,200# The table is actually too big.
I am very satisfied with the brand and you can still contact the company.
I should add, I paid $4000 for my mill. It came with tooling, two power feeds (Knee and X) and a DRO Pros DRO.

 

[wachuko]

My Sharp has a 30 taper. I love it. It's rock solid.
I have a Sharp TMV 10X50.
3HP and weighs in at 3,200# The table is actually too big.
I am very satisfied with the brand and you can still contact the company.

Okay, so I can't assume these will be R-8... I will ask when I decide on which one to go with... Thank you.

 

[Aaron_W]

As far as 3 phase goes, it isn't hard to deal with. I'm basically a caveman when it comes to electrical but I've followed a lot of the threads here on the subject and have wired my mill with a VFD.

You can buy a phase converter which is basically plug and play. You plug it into the wall, and then plug the machine into the phase converter.
Advantage to this option is the machine works as intended, no electrical work is usually required. As long as it is properly sized it can also easily be used to power multiple machines.

If you go with a VFD there will be some electrical work involved. Some 3 phase machines include some single phase 120v or 240v functions (work lights, coolant pumps, power feeds etc) in which case the electrical work can get fairly complex. It also usually bypasses the existing power controls on the machine, which can be added back in but through more electrical work. Basically you have to wire the switch to the VFD which then doesn't actually control power, but instead sends signals to the VFD to alter power. Basically it becomes a remote control to the VFD.

Advantage to VFD is it can provide variable speed, although some 3 phase motors are better suited to this than others. Variable speed is controlled by changing the frequency of the current to slow down or speed up the motor, some 3 phase motors are not at all tolerant to this while others are designed for this. An invertor rated 3 phase motor is your best option here as I understand it as they are made to run on a VFD.


Phase convertors are generally more expensive than VFDs, guessing you are probably looking at somewhere around $1000 for a 3-5hp convertor suitable to most of those mills vs probably $300-400 for a VFD, but the phase convertor can easily be used on multiple machines, VFDs are generally dedicated to one. It is possible to make your own phase convertor, but I'll leave that to those who have actually done it, way beyond my skills. You lose one of the biggest advantages to VFD if you get a machine that already has a variable speed drive.

A couple of resources you can look through.

Several members here have bought phase convertors from American Rotary

https://www.americanrotary.com/

I bought my VFD from Wolf Automation, I found their technical assistance people very helpful in choosing an appropriate VFD for my mill as well as answering my other questions.

https://www.wolfautomation.com/

Pardon ignorant question... Do all these machines use R-8 collects? Or that is something that I need to ask/look for when inspecting the machine? I want to leverage the tools that I have...

I think yes and no. I think most BP class mills do use R-8, but don't think that is the only option so I'd definitely make sure you know what they use. Some older BPs used a different collet system.

 

[Beckerkumm]

Most of the 1.5-3 hp mills will be R8 but the larger J head machines can even be 40 taper. They tend to be quite tall and have 50+" tables. Do some reading and shopping for a Rotary phase converter if you plan on this being the first of several machines. You can go the vfd route but a complete shop with mill, lathe, grinder, drill press, buffer and sander benefits from a RPC and three phase industrial machinery is where the bargains are used. Dave