Mill Question; Time to buy my first one

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outsider347

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Like the title sez, time to look/buy.
Pretty sure this has been tossed around here, but products & prices are ever changing, so I hope for your thoughts here

My Requirements:
1. Home / hobby use...retired this past April, so I'm done with any speed / production
2. 110vac would be most convenient, but I can make 220 1ph work
3. new or used? guess this is the big question. I'll have around $1500. to spend. I think its possible to get more for the $$$ with used, But I'm not sure what to look for with used gear. I'm ok with project machine but I want to be sure thats what I'm paying for. We don't have any used machine dealers around here, so I'd be at the mercy of the digital world for info/leads
4. Wondering about the Grizzly offerings. Any thoughts?
5. Enco.. same question
6. any others

Thanks in advance for your time
 
This is kind of an akward question as you mentioned hobby use but not what you really want to make. If all of your projects are of a small nature, perhaps the small series mills that grizzly or Little Machine Shop sales would work (these are also available at Harbor Frieght, ENCO and other vendors). With regards to the time to buy, if you want new, well the prices seem to rise almost weekly if not daily due to the foriegn market. If you have time and are patient, you might find a used machine on Craigslist or Ebay or ??? that you can pick up for reasonable monies.

Again, most of it is driven by what you want to do and what/how soon you want to spend.

I know that may not be the answer you expected or wanted but it is intended to be helpful!

Good Luck!
 
Keeping your machine budget under 1500 is going to limit the new field to Grizzlies, HF's and other X3 importers. The isse is the prices of the tooling. The tools do tend to add up quickly, especially when one piece of a set is on sale for just 35 bucks apiece for a 15 piece set.. Plan to spend a fair amount of coins on your tooling. I recomend the HSS tools and cutters because they are so much cheaper and can be hand ground by the hobbyist into an shape or form they desire. Carbide on these smaller machines is actually overkill because the machines do not have the required rigidity to prevent vibration from taking deep cuts with a carbide bit. You can do quite nicely if you find a Smitthy or HF milti machine like mine and have a lathe and a mill together. If you find one with tooling you could get in and out for just about your budgeted amount and get started learning. If you decide you like it then if you want you can start getting a little tougher bigger iron that requires 220 and has a 15 pound owners manual, I and several member have 3-in-1 machines and get perfectly satisfactory results. Sometimes it just takes me a bit longer. So I would say go for it if you can find used you migh be way better off, and you will get to go to work with them fairly quickly. This hobby is a blast, and I hope to seee you around often.
Bob
 
Smithys are not recommended by others I have read. I had a mill drill in the early 80,s and it worked well,but is hard to keep in good tram since the head can tilt the higher you raise it on the column. Column bends a little.

I have a Bridgy type that has been fine since 1986. I bought a used but nice Enco turret mill for another location,and the nuts for X and Y axis were cut so incredibly shallow,the leads crews would jump them. They weren't worn out,they were only cut about .015" deep,and NO replacement parts. The leads crews were METRIC,so several left over thousandths were on the dials,instead of an even .200",which would make accurately spacing things like holes several inches apart a pain in the neck.

I was going to convert it to inch lead screws but sold it eventually as no longer needed at other location. Although these turret mills look very similar,Grizzly parts would not fit the Enco.

All in all,I'd have to say,despite its limitations,the mill drill was ready to go,and did a bunch of work. Be advised,though,this mill drill in the 80's WAS TAIWAN made,not chinese. A Rong Fu is Taiwan made,but costs more.
 
Grizzly G0704 = best bang for the buck without question, so there.
 
First keep an eye on craigslist in your areia. As for new. I have the Grizzly G0704. It is about the best bang for the buck in that price range. Mine has served me well. Just my opinion though.
 
I have the Griz 619, but looking at the prices and specs the previously mentioned 704 does look like a great value with some really nice sizing/options at a very attractive cost. I would however keep an eye open locally (craiglist) for a used bridgeport/clausing in a good condition which I would prefer over the imports if you can run the 220 3phase motors.
 
If you have the ability to rebuild a used mill, that would definitely be the way to go. Watch Craigs List for a while and see if something turns up. $1500 spent on a used machine will get you a lot more bang for your buck than $1500 spent on an import. You might even get lucky and get some tooling with it, a very expensive commodity you won't get when buying a new machine, at least not in the $1500 price range.

Tom
 
I have a few Chinese machines, but my first choice is U.S. made.
There were a number of machines made in the 1960s that were aimed at the small home shop.

You should be able to find one of these in your price range. Pay a little more for a pristine machine if you find one, and can afford it.

Millrite - Powermatic - the green one. R8 spindle, mini-Bridgeport tables run 7x24 to 8x36
Rockwell - Smaller yet, 6x28 table, R8, 110V
Clausing - same size as rockwell, MT3 taper usually

These are all knee mills, in order of (my) preference
There are others, but the numbers drop off fast after these 3.
Don't be afraid to post a "Wanted" ad on CL. You may be surprised at what turns up.

You meet some interesting people too. I spent a few hours with a very old fellow who made display and educational models for NASA during the 1960s and later. He did museum-quality work with rough machines in a dinghy workshop. He had some great stories. Did not buy his machines, but they sold quickly after I left.
 
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