Enco Turret Milling Machine, what's it worth?

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RebelJD

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I came across an Enco knee mill for sale today. It is a full size "Bridgeport Clone" but I could not find a model number on it. It was buried in a old shop with a lot of stuff piled around it. The name plate on the front said "Turret Milling Machine" built in 1987. Are these import machines? The power was not on in the building so I could turn it on. I'm planning to go back when the power is on but I'm looking for some advice on its value. It has not been ran in about 10 years and its hooked up to a 3 phase converter. There is a little surface rust, but not bad. I did apply the gib locks and there was about .050 of backlash on X and about half that on Y, is that normal? It did move smoothly for its entire travel. I don't think it was abused, but also not well taken care of.

Any advice on what it is worth, or what else to look for.?
 
I have a 1989 Enco 9x49 knee mill... you can adjust the backlash out of both axis on mine.

They are imported... some are from China, but some are from Taiwan, I think... mine is from China.

As far as value, that is pretty hard to say... I paid $1500 for mine, very lightly used, but I think I probably got a pretty good deal... I'd say $2500 would be closer to average in my area... depending on condition, of course...

-Bear
 
The Enco's have a 2 speed motor . I owned them and have sold them . I now run one at work . Nice quality machine as far as I'm concerned depending on what shape it's in . FWIW , the Enco I sold went for $2400 with DROs and power feeds 6 years ago in my area . It was basicly brand new as everyone sided to the BPs and the Laguns .
 
.050 in the lead screws means that they are 50% or more worn out. With heavy use like that I'd inspect the dovetails and the flatways carefully. In the condition I expect it is in I'd put it in the lower third of the going rate for a used machine in that area. For instance a good used BP clone here goes for 4400-5000$, so here it would probably fetch about 1500$ if the motor runs and the quill is fairly quiet. A noisy quill on top of everything, another 20% off. Anything broken or missing, more off.
 
A lot depends on the local market. I'm sensing that the seller knows nothing about the machine. Use the general condition and lash in the screws as leverage. Offer $600, go as high as $1200. Run it through all the speeds, high and low range. If it sounds good, maybe $1500.
 
Thanks for replies. I hoping to back later this week and help get the power on so I can better evaluate it.
 
I’m dealing with some elderly parent issues so I haven’t made it back to look at mill yet. So in the mean time I’m looking for the owners manual or operators manual. I didn’t see a draw bar on top the spindle so I’m wondering how to get the collet out that is currently installed. I’d like to inspect the taper inside the quill. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Just pop a DTI in the taper, it'll tell you everything you need to know. Drawbar may not be visible if the quill isn't fully up.
 
As Lo-Fi said, check the spindle TIR, Listen to the machine when running, check for flaking on the ways, grooves, wear etc.
That's a lot of backlash.
Run it through all the operations, power down feed, auto stop, quill condition.
Has it been greased? Oiled?
Run the table from one side to the other, does it bind off center? -not good=walk away.
There are plenty of clapped out mills out there. Finding a good one may take some time. Be patient.
My 2 cents.
 
If it's constructed the same as a genuine BP, the backlash is adjustable. It's an arse to get to, so nobody seems to bother. You can't eliminate it entirely regardless. The key thing is that it's constant along the travel of the table. 10 thou at the ends, 50 in the middle means a worn leadscrew. ~50 over the whole travel is easily dealt with in minutes and nothing to concern yourself with. I'd put money on it just not being adjusted. But don't let that deter you from using it as a bargaining tool with the buyer ;)
 
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