DRO for my mill

Brento

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I have a 8530 Clausing mill and id like to put a digital readout on it. What is the best bang for my buck readout i can get that wont hurt the bank but has decent functions. Worse case i just want a x and y location.
 
Now i see there is one for 97$ for just 2 axis but yet it shows two different readout screens
 
I recommend what Dave said.
I purchased my DRO from --->this Ali Express store<---. I had good luck with their service, even after they sent the wrong unit. The new LCD displays look really nice. Mine is the older green display and I don't really care for it. Rather hard to read in brighter light.
 
I have that DRO on my lathe and I'm very happy with it. Couple of things specifically about AliExpress.

1) Communicate with the seller exactly what you want. The language barrier is real so try to formulate your request in as few words as possible to avoid confusion.

2) Sellers are willing to modify this DRO package to suit your needs. You can specify length (up to 1000mm I think), slim or standard, 5um or 1um resolution. Slim scales and 1um resolution cost a little extra. For my lathe I paid for the 1um slim scale on the cross slide. (5um = 0.0002" resolution, 1um = 0.00004" resolution). If you do opt for the 1um so you can read single tenths, the DRO will show 5 decimal places and this cannot be turned off. A piece of electrical tape can be used to cover the 5th digit (see picture below). The slim DRO has a smaller cross section and might be a bit shorter on each end.

3) Shipping was fast, but the seller took 2 weeks to even deliver it to the courier. Tracking is a joke and will show your package on its way before it even leaves the factory. Just expect this. The package was very well protected with form fitting foam.

4) AliExpress protects the buyer preferentially, but using PayPal or a credit card which handles disputes well can protect you better. I trust buying from AliExpress.

5) Measure your scales before you buy. Fitting a DRO on a machine can be a non trivial task depending on your machine's size and layout. Make sure you know how much longer the scales are than the published travel distance and leave 1/2" on each end for overtravel. Making cardboard mockups can definitely help. Cable routing can also be an issue as the armored cables cannot bend sharply.

6) The description doesn't explicitly state it, but the DRO ships with a decent swing arm mount and a vinyl protective cover. You definitely should use it. I wish I had asked for a spare as well.

7) I bought mine from here. I think they are the original manufacturer. Other sellers have rebranded ones or act like distributers.


8) In general, there are a billion copycat AliExpress stores. They find a store that is doing well and try to copy the exact same format and products. Look for stores with the longest time on AliExpress, and the largest quantity of reviews, and largest count of store followers. Individual items also show how many times they have been sold which is handy to know, but they can get reset if the seller relists the item (even on the best stores). Do a quick check of the reviews to see if they are fake. AliExpress sells mainly to the US, Russia, and South America. It is pretty easy to find a product with fake reviews by looking at the US ones and identifying the poor English. Long reviews or reviews with pictures are a great sign of a legit store. Use your judgement and know you are protected from getting burned.

9) Inspect your item for defects, damage, and functionality before marking the item as received on AliExpress. This waives your protection I believe.

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@Brento when I ordered mine the seller contacted me almost immediately (time zones not withstanding) and asked what size scales I needed.
 
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