Mini Mill recommendations.

If youare going to go with a mini then I would go with Little Machine shops 3690. It is in my 0ppinion the best. I started with one and it will get things done. Keep in mind it is a mini and is not going to hog out metal like a knee mill, It will belimited to 1/2 end mills. All the comments about R-8 are spot on.
 
The more mass the better. Can you bite another bullet and go with the g0704? There's almost 200 pounds difference and that's huge in something that small.

Dave
 
200 lbs would be like twice the weight.
 
Last edited:
i have had my G0704 since 2009. It has served my purposes ( light duty ) and I have had no problems whatsoever.

I use it for a basic subset of tasks, and never use it's full capabilities for the price.

I too am a HOSS fan, enjoy his travails, but haven't done any of his mods.

I do think there is an advantage to having a machine that is well documented.

My philosophy -- no matter which machine, a lot of my successful projects have been the result of the

time spent on proper fixturing and tool selection.
 
I have a LMS 3960 to complement my Lathemaster 8x14(same as your HF 8x12). Both machines seem to be a good match, even LOL to the color(both are Ford grey). I researched out about 6 different brands and models before deciding on the LMS3960. I'm not pushing LMS, but I felt that overall this was the best mill for me
1) LMS 3960 has a more massive column than the others.
2) Don't need to upgrade to belt from gears (Does run much quieter).
3) R8 over Morse.
One other thing, see what tooling or tooling packaging you can get. You will need it.
Mark
 
If the mini mill you decide to buy doesn't already have a belt drive, factor in buying or building one for it. The plastic gears are noisy and extremely prone to breakage and you need to remove the head from the column to replace them. You can also get steel gears but you need good ear protection because they are even more noisy than the plastic ones. I built my own belt drive, there's a build thread on here somewhere.
 
The cheapest option would be the HF with appropriate coupons and add the belt drive. Came in at about $550 for me with the belt drive upgrade.
I bought the HF machine for myself and the LMS (but with tilting column) at work. The LMS is a nicer mill. Bigger table, non-tilting column, brushless (and gearless.)

If I were to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. I would rather spend the extra money on tooling. The little X2 is a nice mill as long as you stay within it's capabilities. It is not a really rigid machine but if you take light cuts, you can do anything a big mill can do. It just takes a lot more time. :) Do I wish it had a few more inches of travel? Of course, but even if I had a big Bridgeport, I would find times when I wanted more capacity. It is just the nature of making stuff.
 
I would go with the G0704 if you can swing it without breaking the bank. Ofcorse I may be a little bius.:thinking:
0526141131.jpg

0526141131.jpg
 
zmotorsports said:
Good to know. I didn't realize that Matt was no longer carrying them. I guess I will have to quit recommending them as a smaller alternative to the PM45/932.

Mike.
Click to expand...

That's pretty-much the case... The dissatisfaction rate on those machines was totally off-the-charts. The first thing folks do when they buy those machines is "beef them up" in hopes of using them in ways they were never intended. Typically, we were replacing broken parts within a couple weeks of delivery and if not that, folks would ask for a 100% refund toward an upgrade to a larger machine. In the last batch we received, we had 2 machines with a quality problem. Seemingly, only 1 in 10 clients know how to use those machines for the purposes they were intended (mainly aluminum and plastics and approx. 10 thou DoC on soft steel at low head elevation)... All things considered, we were headed toward "the perfect storm" and we lost on average $50 on every unit we sold.


Ray
 
I'll be checking out the Grizzly G0704. My Mom recently passed away and I will get more inheritance than I thought. My wife told me I need to buy something I want, so. I bought parts to build an AR and I've been wanting a mill for quite a while. Currently have a HF 8x12 lathe that has served me well after doing quite a few upgrades to it. My main problem is space and for the mill it will be height. The space I have for the mill is only about 70 inches high. We in the process of downsizing and will be moving back to MT when I retire in about 6 years. I'm planning on building a garage, but that's at least a year away.

Thanks for all the recommendations. Now I have to decide which one to choose.
Bob
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top