The evolution in my search for a milling machine and how I got to the PM 833 t

I think you can always keep spending a little more and justify the cost in your head. I guess you're better getting it right the first time instead of wishing you had gotten something else. Bigger is usually better but both are very close in work envelope. the 833 actually has the larger work envelope and by the time you add the stand with chip tray, the price is about the same. The 835S is an actual knee mill which is definately beefier and heavier. If you do a lot of aluminum the slower rpm could be a bit of a limitation but it depends on the end mill size. I'm sure there is plenty you can accomplish at 1500 rpm, but I'd rather have more avail. Are there any other motor/pully options avail?With either you could always make some mods down the road that would increase the rpm like a VFD and higher RPM motor. Higher rpm and easy variable rpm is nice to have. I know on some mills it's a pretty easy task to throw in a new motor and add a VFD which could easily get you 4k-5k rpm and the imported VFDs and motors are pretty reasonably priced. But heck you're gonna want DRO's, Power Feed or to convert it to CNC anyway so whats a few buck more!
 
Not sure how deep you want to get into this, but when I had my 9x40 bench mill (not PM, Matt wasn't selling them yet) I decided to go whole hog and gut the gears out of the gear drive head, and replace it with a two step belt drive setup. Put a three phase motor on top, upgraded the spindle bearings, and I could hit 5k rpm if I needed it.

And don't worry, you're still a couple of steps behind some of us. I started with a PM25 and ended up with a PM935TS that I converted to three-phase and VFD to get me the variable spindle speed I wanted. :eek: :)
 
Well, just the evolutionary process is going to continue. I just spoke to Matt, and after a conversation, I’m thinking I’m just might as well go to the 835. Seems that the 833 does have some speed limits, and, I want this to be the last mill that I really have to purchase, so I might as well go in whole hog with both feet and go all the way up to a knee mill. I think it tipped the scale’s at about 1400 pounds, so I don’t think I’ll be moving it around a great deal. But one things for certain, unless I want to start milling out Chevy blocks, this one should do it. Does anyone else on this mill care to make comments Or maybe better still, trying to talk me out of it :)
 
I have absolutely no credibility in metal working, but I'm going with the 833T (and the PM-1340GT lathe) and outfitting them both with 3PH/VFD power sources (I'm not 100% sure if a single VFD can drive both machines, non-concurrently of course.)--the 833T will require a motor swap since of course it's not offered in 3PH. But for machining, and if you are a precision maniac and get off on that sort of thing like me (see my nationality in point 4 below), it's my understanding that the smooth delivery of 3PH over 1PH is what you want. Not sure if variable speed DC drives fix this...?

My rationale:

1. Taiwan made, or more importantly not Chinese made. The reasons I don't buy Chinese are varied: some quantitative, some political, some emotional.
2. "Light weight". I plan to bench mount these with benches that may be moved either with a pallet truck or footmaster style casters
3. Machine size/capability fits the user. I have never metal-worked, but can't wait to get into it--so I figure these are good entry level machines that I will grow into, as opposed to me outgrowing them
4. Quality. See point 1. I'm a quality snob and hate buying tools twice (I have an arsenal of festool, felder, stabilla, fein, ... yes I'm German)

Hope that adds some color to your decision making process =).
 
Again, thank you all very much for all the info you have given me. Now it’s definitely a tossup between the PM 833T and the PM 835. I’m not sure how many of these are actually in circulation, as it seems both are rather newer machines.I can see benefits to both, 833T is entirely Taiwan made machine, and 835 seems to have a Taiwanese head and a Chinese body. I’m not sure how well this Frankenstein like combination performs, but it seems to look great on paper. Any more thoughts
 
Last edited:
***** benefits to both

Haha, What the heck Chiroone? LOL I've never heard that before.

If you look at my other thread Another Thread on a new mill purchase you will see that I have been through the exact same thought process as you. I was originally set on the 940. Then started looking at the 833T because of the quality of the castings and a discussion with Nicole and Greg at PM. Then I pretty much decided on the 935 since I really liked the size of it and the fact that it was a knee mill, although I have never run a knee mill, people are saying that is what to get. BUT, then after talking to Nicole, she mentioned that the 935 is a Chinese mill. I wonder if the head is really from Tiawan or if she was just referring to the rest of the machine. Also, wouldn't the ways on that machine then be made in China? Seems like the ways would be rather important. I do like the nod feature of the 935 though. Arrrggghhh. Keep us posted on what your thoughs are.

EDIT: as far as the speed limitation goes. as Matt pointed out to me, a VFD and belt drive could be done on the 833 also, although you are getting rid of the stock motor and gears then. That is why I went with the 833T though, because my end game is to eventually make it CNC for the fun of it. That will be a little bit down the road though because otherwise the finance department gets cranky(er).
 
I am sorry, I don’t know what I was trying to say. I’ve been using speech to text and I don’t know how it came out as “***** benefits to both”.

I think what I was trying to say is “I can see benefits to both”
 
I went through the same exercise when I bought my first lathe. It started as a small lathe from Princess Auto, then for a while it had to be a Myford or a Boxford, it just kept growing (and the years went by) - it finally ended up as a used (very nearly new) 15x60 from Modern Tool. I probably over paid (I didn't try dealing at all, just paid their first asking price). That was 35 years ago. It is quite a lump to move around (I've moved 4 times) and the power is always an issue to get the RPC set up again. In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have used this machine a lot, I have learned a lot, I've got other machines now - but that original lathe is still used more than all the others put together. Now that I know the game a bit better, the price of all the other machines, put together comes to about what that first lathe cost.

There have been numerous times that I wished it was a little bigger, but so far I have been able to figure out a way to 'geterdone'.
 
Ok, I decided to go for the 835s and go for broke. Already sent Matt a few k to hold it for me until I’m back from my trip and then I’m going to put the rest on the cc and have it sent down here and have at it. I guess how I get to buy it all sorts of gifts, like a set of end Mills, fly cutter, DRO, and then I guess I’m gonna have to tram it so a dial indicator, already got the vice, clamps, Percision Chuck and the collets, so what’s a few hundred more. Well,like I told my wife,I don’t drink, do drugs or pursue women and I’m a good provider husband and father to our children, so what’s a few eccentricities?
 
Chiroone, the HM forum is going to broaden your perspective for you. You think that outfitting a mill has some kind of end in sight ... I'll buy this and that and I can use the mill. Well, that is just the start. Pretty soon you'll need a bandsaw to rough out stock, then buy more tools to make tools for your machines, and more instruments to measure with, and on and on and on. As far as money pits go, machining is almost as bad, or worse, than owning a boat. Ain't life grand?
 
Back
Top