Which mill would you purchase?

[Barncat]

Let me start by saying there is a very small chance I will purchase either of these, but, if the tool addiction takes over and I have to buy one...
A Cincinnati 1b or a Chevalier falcon FM-3VK

Assume they are both in similar condition and within a couple hundred bucks of each other. They both have power feeds on same axis, and neither come with tooling.

I have heard the Cincinnati has a strange taper/collet set up, and of course getting parts could be difficult and expensive. The Chevalier still has parts support. The Chevalier is a variable speed, the Cincinnati requires belt changing.

 

[Uglydog]

A Cincy 1B was my first real mill.
I've not even seen a Chevalier.
Regardless my 1B needed parts. I made them, it wasn't difficult. Liked her so much I replaced her with a 1D.
"Strange"? Not really. My Cincy collets have never slipped. I can't say the same with R8.
I have very intentionally stayed with Cincy. Well, truth to tell, I've mixed in some VN because I wanted some horizontal....
The Cincy collets are not strange, they are specific. They hold well.
I don't know what you should do. I merely know what I've decided to do.

Daryl
MN

 

[markba633csi]

I would pick the Cincinnati only because variable speed heads can be expensive and/or involved to repair/rebuild.
Less to go wrong with a step pulley setup. But then I'm kinda old fashioned.
mark

 

[Barncat]

I suppose for the little use a mill would get in my hands, changing belts on a pulley isn't a big deal at all. I do appreciate a time tested solution that has little chance of break down ( I finally bought an automatic transmission vehicle this year, it had been stick shifts always before).

If the Cincinnati doesn't come with the collets that are specific to it, is that a deal breaker?

 

[seasicksteve]

I suppose for the little use a mill would get in my hands, changing belts on a pulley isn't a big deal at all. I do appreciate a time tested solution that has little chance of break down ( I finally bought an automatic transmission vehicle this year, it had been stick shifts always before).

If the Cincinnati doesn't come with the collets that are specific to it, is that a deal breaker?

The Cinci is a very nice machine, my buddy has one it is a very smooth and quiet machine his is var speed. I would verify the spindle type and make sure you can find toolholders for it some were 30 taper. I would probably lean towards the Chevalier for a home shop use simply due to parts availability and the r8 spindle.

 

[projectnut]

To me it's a bit of a toss up. I've not used a Chevalier, but have seen a few in job shops. They seem to be well built machines, and somewhat heavier than a standard Bridgeport at 3,300 lbs. Since the tooling is R8 it will be slightly less expensive and slightly more plentiful than the tooling for the Cincinnati. That being said I would also consider that it's an import machine and as such it may take more time and cost more for replacement parts.

Here's a link to a brochure with the specs for the Chevalier machine:
https://www.sterlingmachinery.com/m...-vertical-turret-milling-machine-brochure.pdf

It is possible that many of the more common parts are crossovers to Bridgeports and other clones. I would contact these people for more information:
https://www.machinerypartsdepot.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIw-Xk4f703wIVRLnACh0ntwu8EAAYASAAEgLI2_D_BwE

They specialize in rebuilding and supplying parts for Bridgeports and many clones. They are good people to deal with and more than willing to answer questions for potential buyers.

Here's a link to the manual for the Cincinnati:
http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/2097/4484.pdf

It's a little bit lighter than the Chevalier at 2,350 lbs. It could be purchased with either an R8 or a Cat 40 tool holding system. The Cat 40 is considerably stronger, but slightly more expensive. It is quite common and can be found at many retailers, and used equipment dealers as well as eBay.

If you have interest in either of the machines I would do a thorough inspection and ask the buyer what tooling is included. As with any machine condition is most important. The last thing you want to do is spend weeks or months and hundreds of dollars trying to repair a worn out machine. If you don't have the personal knowledge as to what to look for I would ask a knowledgeable friend to go along. Even though I have had many years of experience in machine shops I still ask a friend or two to accompany me when making major purchases. It's always better to have a second or third opinion when shelling out a bunch of cash.