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Posted: 5/25/2022 10:40:57 AM EDT
This thing popped up in my local Craigslist and I can't find anything out about it with some quick internet searches. It comes with a collet set, some endmills and a vise, and he's got it running on a single phase converter. Says it's 8"x29".

I'd use for small, hobby projects. Maybe some gun stuff, and light hobbyist work. Example I'm fixing up my dad's old vise now and could use it on a few small pieces. I have a lathe and very basic skills, and I'm not afraid to tear this thing all the way down to bolts to clean and fix up.

Assuming it runs...no idea what it's worth tho. May go take a look at it if I can, any suggestions on what to check for?

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Link Posted: 5/25/2022 11:36:51 AM EDT
[#1]
I have never seen that one. Should work for what you need however as long as the price is right. I have personally come to realize why all the people say buy a good one once. I have upgraded several times and still need bigger. I wish I would have listened back then lol. I want a good knee mill.
Link Posted: 5/25/2022 11:44:03 AM EDT
[#2]
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Quoted:
I have never seen that one. Should work for what you need however as long as the price is right. I have personally come to realize why all the people say buy a good one once. I have upgraded several times and still need bigger. I wish I would have listened back then lol. I want a good knee mill.
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I do know what you mean. I got an 8x16 lathe with a 1.5" pass through 3 or 4 years ago and it's done everything I want so far. But I have a much larger shop now and want a full-size Bridgeport

This thing is $625 with a little bit of tooling. I probably spent more than that on lathe tooling in my first month and that was budget/hobbyist stuff of course. It seems too cheap to me, and not being able to dig up anything on the brand at all makes me think maybe it's a pass and I should wait for a bigger/better set up to come along.

But for light work I remain moderately tempted..
Link Posted: 5/25/2022 11:50:36 AM EDT
[#3]
I started with the mini mill from harbor freight and still have it but bolted it to a welding cart and use as a great drill press. I have a Weiss VM25L now. I have put a power feed on X and Z and will probably CNC it next since I have already done that on my lathes and have gotten spoiled lol. It works for bigger jobs but I have to go really slow with small cuts and it is rather accurate other than my quill, I have not been able to figure out why I have slop if I use the quill like a drill press. That one looks similar to a Jet JMD-15
Link Posted: 5/25/2022 12:46:53 PM EDT
[#4]
I have a 25 year old round column Harbor freight mill drill with R8 spindle and 2 hp motor. The concept of light cuts is relative. I can take 0.1" with a 1.5" facemill cutting 3/4" wide at a reasonable feed rate. Sure it flexes a bit but that is what finishing passes are for.

Let's not be silly. It isn't a fragile machine. I can bury a 1/2" endmill in steel 2x diameter deep and 1/2 diameter radial. If the collet doesn't slip it will take it.

I've got a knee mill now but the old HF still runs like a top and can drill big holes with 2 hp motor. I put a dro on it and does great as a heavy duty drill press.

$625 is cheap if the table moves freely end to end with the gibs set right. Learn to use it and it will do good work. Upgrade when you can afford it.
Link Posted: 5/25/2022 1:39:48 PM EDT
[#5]
Thanks guys. He's right by me so I drove over just now and looked at it. It's in fair shape and it runs.  Couldn't tell who even made it, just that it's from Taiwan and has been around for a while.

It's also between 500-700 lbs, that was his guess anyway and I buy it. I had no concept of the size from the photos. Seems pretty sturdy, certainly enough to do what I had in mind.

I almost bought it, but decided to think about it for a day. I'd need a trailer to get it home anyway.
Link Posted: 5/25/2022 9:32:32 PM EDT
[#6]
The mill is probably worth 500-600 by itself, no way would I ever want to pay more for a rust tarnished light duty China mill. All the other add-ons could be compete trash, and normally I wouldn't factor in much value for added tooling.
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