Plan on getting a new mill

[Eddyde]

That sounds like a realistic budget for a new mill and basic tooling.
When trying to size a machine for your needs remember; it's not just the size of the work but also the clearance for tooling/set up required. This is particularly important on the Z Axis as that space gets eaten up rather quickly...

 

[Dogdoc]

Definitely always on the lookout for good used equipment and will buy some when I find it. However, I am not a spring chicken (pushing 60) so time is sometimes worth more to me than money hence I am considering new With minimal headaches. It will be used for more than just hobby stuff when my son and use it to repair farm equipment so some justification but at my stage in life you often no longer have to justify things you want. When I was younger I was penny pincher extraordinaire as we should be but now not so much. I don’t want to leave it all to my kids .

 

[Karl_T]

I am almost 70 and I LOVE wasting my son's inheritance.

 

[BGHansen]

When I was younger I was penny pincher extraordinaire as we should be but now not so much. I don’t want to leave it all to my kids .

Congrats on shifting out of "save mode"! I retired about 2 years ago, my wife retired last week. We were pretty frugal with the goal of getting our kids through college, house paid off, etc. We hit that years ago. It was a little tough at first to acknowledge that we were no longer saving for retirement, we're there! Our 401k and savings were for my wife and me to live off from and fund the things we want to do. There'll be plenty left over for our kids after we're done having fun!

Bruce

 

[Larry$]

- I consider a DRO a must for a hobby machinist on a mill-

I 2nd that also. You may not use all the functions but some of them really help. I added a 3 axis to my used 9x49, X,Y & knee Z. In addition to plain old distance, the 1/2 function is a real winner so you can always work from the center point. Bolt hole function is nice to have also. Inch/mm, absolute/incremental lets you save where you were on one and use the other then jump back w/o losing where you were to start with. Figure on some time to read the manual.

 

[Just for fun]

I have a PM935TS 3 phase with vfd and love it. It was relatively easy to add the vfd with help here on the forum. I added some extra stuff so it did take some time but well worth the effort.

You would for sure be happy with this setup.

On the complete rebuild and new paint I'm sure your thinking of @davidpbest as he did an outstanding job on his 935TS.

Tim

 

[hman]

Just want opinions on the best knee mill I can get for around 10000 or so. I work full time so do not have time or desire to get an old clapped out Bridgeport to refurbish. I am thinking the pm 935tv may work. I will use for some farm equipment repair and gunsmithing. Also just miscellaneous projects. I want something that does not require a lot of work to run right. I will do power feeds and of course dro.
i think I like the size of 935. What kind of limitations would that machine put on me. I am definitely a novice and currently have a wrong fu rf31 full manual machine (which I will keep)
thanks

I sold my (manual) Grizzly RF-30 clone some years ago, and bought a new PM-835S ( with factory DRO and power drawbar).
Replaced the orginal motor with a 3-phase, added a VFD, and I couldn't be happier!


Here's how I did it:

Converting a knee mill to 3phase/VFD

I've recently bought a Precision Matthews PM-835S. Advertised as a "small" knee mill, it's still amazingly massive - and TALL. I've had to build a platform to stand on (re-using some of the the 2x4s and OSB the mill was crated with), just to be able to reach some of the controls and levers...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[projectnut]

Definitely always on the lookout for good used equipment and will buy some when I find it. However, I am not a spring chicken (pushing 60) so time is sometimes worth more to me than money hence I am considering new With minimal headaches. It will be used for more than just hobby stuff when my son and use it to repair farm equipment so some justification but at my stage in life you often no longer have to justify things you want. When I was younger I was penny pincher extraordinaire as we should be but now not so much. I don’t want to leave it all to my kids .

Personally, I think the machine you're looking at may be a bit small for what you intend to use it for. I have a Bridgeport Series 1 machine with the 9"x 42" table and have been doing farm implement repairs with it for many years. There have been many times I wish I had the 49" table. If you insist on a new machine, I would seriously consider the PM 949.

My first choice has always been older American Iron. There's plenty of it out there in good condition, and the prices are reasonable. Almost all of the machines in my shop (23 last count) are American built with the exception of a Jet JDP-125VS3 drill press, a Baileigh CS-350EU cold saw, and a Startrite H175 horizontal bandsaw. In my case I have found the old American and European iron to be superior to anything currently being built offshore, and there seems to be an abundance of tooling available both new and used at reasonable prices.

Since you're just a youngster (I just turned 75) you'll probably be using the machine at least another 20 years or so. Consider whether parts or tooling will be available for the brand and model machine you eventually purchase. I wouldn't let personal age become a factor in the process. When time allows, I spend as much time as possible in the shop. Unfortunately, this summer's shop time has been minimal. We've had several large remodeling and rebuilding projects going on. The last one is just about finished and I'm looking forward to many hours in the shop late this fall and through the winter months. I have about a dozen projects in the wings just waiting to be completed.

 

[Parlo]

I would consider a XYZ turret mill. All the functions of a Bridgeport with a larger quill. Plus the simplest CNC control available. These are a huge step up from a manual machine without a huge price hike. You will make parts so much faster without the need for a rotary table or boring head. Seriously, consider new with a couple of years credit. In the US they are Southwestern industries, take a look at the website or better still go to a showroom.

TRAK Knee Mills featuring the ProtoTRAK CNC

TRAK Vertical Knee Mills feature the ProtoTRAK CNC – engineered and built by Southwestern Industries - TRAK Machine Tools in the USA. K3 Knee Mills are versatile milling machines that can be used as a manual knee mill, or a CNC knee mill with 2 or 3 axis CNC capability. This toolroom mill...

www.southwesternindustries.com

 

[Larry$]

There have been many times I wish I had the 49" table. If you insist on a new machine, I would seriously consider the PM 949.

I have to agree. I've always done repairs on all sorts of stuff. Running out of Z axis is my most common problem but table travel is a lot less than the table length so consider that. Repositioning odd shaped work to get the needed travel is a real PIA! I have a Jet 9X49, VS.