HF 40939 - 6x26 - Discontinued

[chrisk]

I'm fairly sure I'll end up with one, or something very similar, at some point. Been running across it and tempted by the ads for the past 20 years and was dismayed when I realized the price went from $1800 to $2700 in a year. More dismayed that they dropped it for the time of a sale.

For what I plan on doing, the 6x26 or 8x30 seems to be a good fit. I like the idea of the extra spindle space available with the 8x30's I see out there, but can't quite justify the cost when I can make a project out of a column spacer. Treating a new mill like a project and disassembling/cleaning/reassembling doesn't bother me, either, and I've never heard anything horribly bad about accuracy. Ran across a used 1970's Taiwan 8x30 in California, but the acquisition and shipping cost almost equaled the cost of a new one.

 

[Nesse1]

Got an unexpected reply to an email I'd sent HF before I called them. Simply stated the 40939 was back. Looking at the past week, the disappearance overlapped a sale. Just coincidence I'm sure...

There was a 20% off sale recently, and the mill was visible but couldn't be ordered. Just checked, and it's available once again, now.

Typically, during big sales, items like these, compressors, and other big dollar items are excluded. Apparently, this is their workaround instead of listing exclusions.

Regarding HF dropping bigger machines, it's true. They used to sell some pretty nice larger compressors, but they are gone. My lathe is a Central Machinery 1236, built in 1994. It came with the original receipt, which showed $3100! It was bought by a hobbiest guy and used very lightly. I think there is a market for locally available machines, but what do I know?

 

[C-Bag]

They have definitely changed their strategy as my brother decided to get a 12x36 Central Machinery must have been 2012 or so and paid $1800 for it. Don’t know if it was a special deal or what. Or saved up his coupons. It’s one of the few machines he moved with him back to Pennsylvania when he left here. And still has it.

 

[455dan]

I ordered the 40939 just under a couple years back I was surprised the Mill was OK after seeing the condition and damage to the crating when it arrived.
It needed some cleaning for sure but has been OK overall.
I also have the 7 x10 HF mini lathe and also a 1992 HF 12 24 lathe but it is a Taiwan Tida and the castings and especially finish of the ways is better and believe the hardened and ground smooth ways really does seem to make for a better product No bondo unlike the mill, along with just how the controls /wheels "feel" than the mainland produced HF units.
The 1/2 knee mill spindle clearance is a problem when using things like a dividing head and plans to make a column riser are in the works, along with DRO and possibly adding motor drives.
I wish I had bought before the big price increase as well or a nice condition Bridgeport had become available locally... but taking into account pricing of the other similar small clones it seems the HF could be the bargain of the group at around 2500 for new.

IIRC tried to save on a shipping charge and have it delivered to the local HF store but was flatly refused. Had to have it shipped direct and also had to be done as an online order, not through the local store.
ps. for Nesse 1,
I thought better of the oil question and ordered the Vactra 2 for ways and Velocite #10 the spindles maybe going to use Universal tractor fluid for the gear boxes since I always keep it around for the tractors.