Brands Of Milling Machines?

E

EastCompassoKnivery

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Feb 26, 2014
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I recently posted on whether i should buy a HT oven or a milling machine. The reply was unanimously voted for the HT oven which I ill be purchasing soon. I figured that eventually I would get a mill and as curious about the different prices and qualities of mills. i am trying to decide between the Grizzly a micro mark or the one from little machine shop. price wise the grizzly wins but quality wise i am pretty sure that the one from little machine shop will have a higher quality. Any advice from anyone, hopefully someone who has owned one of them, will be greatly appreciated as always.
 
I got a very nice old Clausing mill. Rebuilt the spindle and it's
as good as new. Probably better than what's available new.

Bill
 
I just got a mill last Saturday . I cant really give you any advice on the quality of the other mills. The mill I ended up getting was the one from Micro-Mark Microlux #84630 W/R8 spindle . I was originally going to go with the LMS but I just could not get past the cost of shipping $200. I am on the East Coast I purchased my machine Thursday night and it was at my house Saturday afternoon up from NJ . I am not a machinist so I cant advise on that . We picked this up for my son mostly . It comes unassembled and was easy to put together BUT I could see how someone might have trouble putting it together.

It seems like a nice machine. We played around with is a bit this week. I can see how it can be useful to me in a lot of ways. Good luck with your search but as far as I could tell this machine and the Little Machine Shop one get favorable reviews .
 
I echo Bill Hoffman here- old, large machines can be bought used for often much less than a comparable new machine of poorer quality. Bridgeport, Index, Cincinnati, those are good names in milling machines.

I'm using a JET mill/drill right now, and let me tell you, while it is much better than no mill, a round-column machine will soon have you wishing for an upgrade.
Here in a week or two I'll be done paying on an old Index, full size mill, and about time too.

Do your homework though, when shopping for old machines, and know what to look for in terms of machine condition.
 
I had a hi-torque mini mill from Little Machine Shop for 2 years. It was great, but it was really over-matched when it came to milling steel. It could mill brass and nickel silver pretty well, but steel was a killer. I could manage about 10 thousandths of an inch per cut in annealed w1, or in normalized 1020.

I bought the Rong Fu version sold by Bolton Tools (it is a 2hp, 800lb machine, sits benchtop, but I had to build a hard point on the bench to support it - 4 legs with bracing made from 2x4s and two additional legs made from steel pipes under the heaviest part. Not just to hold it, but to make sure it doesn't settle over time). This thing can take 1/8" cuts with 1/4" end mills right through normalized w2. Or annealed 80crv2 (annealed, normalized only and this stuff is hell on cutters and drills).

It cost double the money, but worth every penny.
 
I would recommend a old bridgeport. I've used them before and I got to say they sure make milling a whole lot easier. The machine is way better and cheaper than buying a new one and it'll last you a lifetime. I currently have a jet mill drill and I hate raising the head it's the most annoying thing if you've ever used a knee mill. Also bridgeport mills have basically all the parts still available. Oh and I've taken .25 in cuts with a 7/8 endmill on aluminum and it ate it like butter but it threw chips like a wood chipper
 
Old US mills are always the best bet, but sometimes space & moving them is a problem. I've not been able to find one around here either. After using a tiny Sherline (28 lbs) for many years (cutting Steel), I bought a LMS and like it. The LMS is a few notches better quality than most of the other imports.
 
Rockwell, and Millrite made good mills. I think someone called them 3/4 mills before, in reference to the slightly lower weight of them.
 
I got a mill in the Fall. It is a kent ktm 380 Don't hate me but I got it for scrap price. It was made in 1980 with quality mehanite castings. I added a 3 axis digital read out to it and plan on power feeds in the future.
 
Tried to post a picture but can't seem to be able to. Last tapatalk update must have changed something.
 
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