PM Mill Accessories

[ddickey]

Thinking about buying a PM knee mill.
The accessories I'm considering are the PM 3 AXIS MILL DRO, the X-power feed and the R8 collet set.
Good idea or can I find a better deal on these elsewhere?
I would install these myself.

 

[dfsmoto]

They are priced about the same as any of the Asian import stuff. Their collets aren't bad for the money but they are not the best.

The easson dro's they sell seem to be good. I like the one on my lathe.

Power feeds I have no experience with, but they look like the higher quality Taiwan manufactured one's.

 

[ddickey]

The DRO was looking at was not an Easson but a PM house brand.

 

[umahunter]

I'm also looking at thier house brand dro post up how it goes if you get it I got the powerfeed with my pm932m and ig love it so far much better than cranking the handle it seems to be the same as all the other Chinese powerfeed you can buy from multiple sellers

 

[mksj]

I would look at the Easson 12B 3 axis DRO for the mill with a quill battery DRO, you are more likely to use the graphical functions such as bolt circles, etc. It has soft keys which give different functions depending on the menu and the machine mode, and they have a good reputation. A number of forum members have installed the ES-12B on their PM 935 and 949 mills, also the Easson glass scales are a bit better as to their seals, etc. Also the DRO layout, setup functions and instructions are other factors to consider.

Drive wise, it is worthwhile to get an X and Z drive if your budget allows. You might look at the Align drives made in Taiwan, I use them on my mill and a few others have installed them, better switch gear, power and speed range (low speed).

R8 collet set, really depends on the rated specs and what you need, might look at Vertex set. Since you only need a few collets for end mills, etc. I would look at a smaller decent set of R8 collets and some higher quality drill chucks.

You can chase you tail on saving a few pennies here and there, but it all seems to be about the same cost when you add in shipping. I also look at service/warranty and what is more cost effective time wise.

 

[zmotorsports]

I have the Eason ES8A as well as the X-axis power feed on my PM935TV knee mill and have been very happy with them both. I waffled on purchasing them at the time of the machine vs. purchasing them at a later date and I am glad I purchased them initially with the machine. I also purchased the R8 collet set from Matt and have had no issues with them.

Mike

 

[ddickey]

I wonder if the lower priced DRO is equivalent to the Eason ES8A?

 

[Bob Korves]

I wonder if the lower priced DRO is equivalent to the Eason ES8A?

Depends on what exactly you mean by "equivalent." TANSTAAFL. The more expensive ones have more features, and are purported to be made better. There are also some bragging rights. The cheap ones are... cheap! It kind of depends on how you are going to use it, how important some of the features are to you, and how much you care to spend. If you just want to know where the tool is in relation to the work, and do not need many of the advanced options, and have a really limited budget (describing myself here...), and are willing to take some minor chances and also figure out the Chinglish manual, then get the cheapest one. If you need someone to hold your hand all the way through, and will be using the DRO and all the functions a lot, want someone you can talk to in English on the phone, or if having the cool brand name to be with the "in crowd" is important to you, then pop for the better ones...

 

[ddickey]

I just realized the Easson 8 is two axis' (sp?).
The PM 3 axis DRO sure looks like a lot of features. "bolt-hole patterns, Radius, Line Hole, Subdatums, Tool-offsets and even inclined machining function". The Easson 12 is $250 more.

 

[mksj]

They all work, just a matter of how and how long. Most electronic stuff works or dies in short order, then usually works for some time after that until something breaks or fails. Cheaper units often scrimp on parts and design, but work (at least for a while, and the company/vendor will probably be out of business anyway if you need repair, so disposable as so many things are these days). To say one DRO is equivalent to another, well what is the comparison level and the parameters you are measuring. If you are just looking a numbers, than they all (for the most part) will give equivalent reliable results given the same stated resolution. Features, functions and support will vary. "Better" DRO have longer warranties, and the scales are more likely to last longer. If you want the cheapest possible than get an Aliexpress special, if you want middle of the road get an Easson 12B/C, If you want a Cadillac then go with an Acurite, Newall, etc.

As I outolined, look at what others have purchased for their machine and their comments, I think you will find that the ES-12B is the most commonly installed DRO on the PM mills. I have had the Acurite VUE, Eason ES-12 and the EL700 and routinely used all the functions and wanted something that was user friendly and reliable. They have all performed well with no issues. It is all about the interface and the user frustration, but if you are just looking at just numbers, go with the PM 3 axis.