Not a bad unit for what it is, but way too much slop in the table acme screws (lash will be in the .008" or greater to start with on both axis), so plan on having to DRO it from the start.

As for play and plug out of the box, not by a long shot, and plan a good day of getting the head trammed to start with to the bed.

As for solid column, it not bad, but once you get the head trammed, back plate the column to base to get more rigidity out of the unit.
To note, even with the column to base rigidity support increases, your still will need to take shallow cuts or going to end up with a lot of chatter.

To bottom line it, the X2 where not bad units at $399, and for about $300 more, could be made into a good unit for small work.

The X3 added some power, instead of running plastic gears of the X2, but it did not resolve the rigidity problem for using the mini lathe for larger/deeper cuts per pass metal work isntead.

So the niche market for the mini mills is really for light cut/smaller type work, or CNC the machine so it can make many, many shallow repeat cuts over and over again on it own as needed for deeper cuts isntead.

My X2 fully dresses, and really don't have that much in it to start with.

So basic run down,
PWM Board swapped out so the motor can put out all its power (stock board limits it to 90v so it will not blow the plastic gears).
Belt drive system now that that the motor can pull out full power, since it will blow up the stock plastic gears now).
Igauging DRO'd
Gas strut system with spring load system in play still,  so if the head does walk, it going to walk upwards to prevent a crash to snap a end mill by trying to cut too deep.
Mist system
X axis auto feed
Column back support plate to stiffen the column to base (again, do not install until you have the head trammed to the bed in all 3 axis).
Reverse motor switch for tapping (on the back side of the DRO bracket plate so it's not hit by accident)
Allen screw mods to handles to take the lash up from them.
Insert sleeve crank handles so they are firm, isntead of sloppy instead.
Oiller channel on Y axis handle housing to keep it lubed.
Split Acme screw blocks with set bolts to take up lash (lash is .002" for both X and Y axis, but still us the DRO).








So again, the mini's are not bad machines once prep'd correctly for light work/ smaller piece projects, but if you need something like a Bridgeport for larger work, then mini is not going to cut it.  It lacks the rigidity for deeper cut passes without chatter, no matter how much power you throw at the spindle isntead.  So really the X3 motor just gets you to the power of the X2 after belt and board swap, and about as much power that your going to be able to run on the machine isntead (with chatter less cuts).