Hey guys, I'm looking for recommendations on my first mill and I think I have it narrowed down. For roughly the same amount of money, I can get a Little Machine Shop X2 sized machine, or I can get a Harbor Freight 1.5 HP machine. The LMS machine obviously will be of higher quality and have much better end-user support. I'm worried about size and power though.
My goal with this mill is to make custom motorcycle frame parts like axle plates and motor mounts. However, I also want to use the mill to cut 1/4" slots in the frame tubes for the axle plates, as well as use a 1.25" end mill for tube notching. I'm worried that the LMS machines may not have the necessary quill-to-table clearance and power to complete those operations, especially the notching. However, a round column mill from HF that will cost a lot of money to upgrade to get the precision I want isn't ideal either.
I was hoping the experienced members here could help me out, enlighten me, and point me in the right direction. Thanks!
My goal with this mill is to make custom motorcycle frame parts like axle plates and motor mounts. However, I also want to use the mill to cut 1/4" slots in the frame tubes for the axle plates, as well as use a 1.25" end mill for tube notching. I'm worried that the LMS machines may not have the necessary quill-to-table clearance and power to complete those operations, especially the notching. However, a round column mill from HF that will cost a lot of money to upgrade to get the precision I want isn't ideal either.
I was hoping the experienced members here could help me out, enlighten me, and point me in the right direction. Thanks!