6x26 Harbor Freight mill vs 8x30 Grizzly mill

[Neurotic-Hapi-Snak]

I was looking to purchase a mini knee mill mill and I'm having trouble deciding between the Harbor Freight 40939 6x26 or the Grizzly G0678 8x30. The Harbor freight is $1850 plus shipping and tax, while I found the Grizzly for $4149 plus $299 shipping from US Tool Depot. Is it worth $2300 to go with the Grizzly for the larger size, VFD, 3 phase motor, one shot lube, and the (supposedly) made in Taiwan quality? The 6x26 would probably be big enough for what I want to work on, but I'm afraid of ending up with something I want to work on that's too small for the 6x26. They both take up about the same space (once the 6x26 is on a stand). I found a VFD and 3 phase motor on Amazon for $220 and $260 (not including switches, wiring, tachometer, etc...), respectively, but I can live with swapping belts initially. I figure a stand would cost about $50-100 in materials, plus the materials for a riser block and head spacer would cost around $200. I'm afraid with the riser block, I wouldn't be able to get the table close enough to the spindle to work on flat pieces without using the quill (I'm a machinist and I was taught the quill is for drilling and boring only) or placing the piece on 123 blocks or similar (I used to run a surface grinder at a tool and die shop and have become paranoid about making sure the work is fully supported). The only manual mills I've run are Bridgeports and clones, and bigger, and while I'd love to have a Bridgeport sized mill, I don't have the space or capabilities to move a 2000lbs mill. Plus all the used ones in my neck of the woods are either around $3500-4000 in rough condition without tooling or out of my price range. A Clausing 8520 popped up on CG but was sold within 24 hours. I've heard horror stories about the Harbor Freight, voids in the castings including in the ways, but there seems to be quite a few people who've been satisfied with them. I've also heard horror stories about Grizzlys, including the Taiwanese made ones, with warped or twisted ways, ways ground out of square, ways ground concave or convex, poor way surface finish, etc.

I was also looking at purchasing a lathe. I pretty much settled on the Grizzly G4003 but I found this Birmingham YCL-1236-GH that comes with a stand (but it looks like the flimsy G4003 stand Grizzly sells) but doesn't come with a drill chuck, live center, or QCTP. Chucks and centers are pretty cheap, but not QCTPs. I haven't found much on Birmingham lathes, but what I have seems positive, at least for their larger lathes.

 

[Tmate]

I appreciate your comments on my thread having to do with using stacked 6" dia. flanges for a riser. My mill is a 6x26 Enco version that I bought around 1990. It was made in Taiwan, and is very nicely finished. I have no complaints whatsoever. The Harbor Freight, Grizzly, and other current counterparts are very similar, if not identical in design. However, they are not necessarily built by the same manufacturer, and most certainly not by the same people. For whatever that tidbit of info. is worth.

You'll notice that there is an entire section here devoted to Precision Matthews, and evidently a lot of people have been happy with the 12" and larger lathes. Not so much with their smaller lathes.

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/forums/precision-matthews-quality-machine-tools.172/

Good luck in your search.

 

[markba633csi]

I'm fairly certain the Grizzly is not currently made in Taiwan but mainland China. Seems the price has jumped considerably too.
If I was going to spend that much I would get a Bridgeport with a short table or a Burke millrite. The Rockwell and Clausing are nice but hard to find as you have noticed- everyone wants them
-Mark

 

[Tmate]

In a previous life, I bought and sold used machinery out of a ship container to make a few extra $. I kept the stuff I liked most, at least for a time. During that period, I owned both Clausing and Rockwell 12" x 36" lathes, and preferred the Clausing. Both of them were perhaps 60's or early '70s vintage. I also owned early Logan and Powermatic lathes of similar size and liked both. I owned a number of South Bend lathes up to 10L in size. I never came across or acquired any imports at that time.

The Clausing I owned had hardened and ground ways. While the ways on all of mine were in good shape, I managed to inspect dozens of others that were not. The most frequently found flaws aside from missing or damaged gears and/or bearings were:

The hardened and ground ways would have chunks missing from chucks and heavy stock having fallen on them. Non-hardened ways would have dents around the headstock area, and worn areas from the headstock out to a foot or more. You could catch your fingernails on the ridges.

Lead screws had thinned thread areas mostly from about 6" from the headstock out to a couple of feet or more.

Substantial run-out in the spindle, or a seized spindle (particularly in early South Bends with the spindle running directly on cast iron)

Worn or mis-sized tailstocks with shims under them

Rough or damaged cross-slide or compound slide ways

Tooling that doesn't fit the lathe

For all that is good about vintage American made machinery, buying it is very much a shot in the dark. Even if you get to inspect it, you have to know what to look for. Not withstanding all that, if you can find a good piece, or if you have the skill and patience to rebuild one, it is a joy to own.

 

[Mitch Alsup]

When I bought my G0730 in 2017 it was $3500. I find it is an outstanding mill without regards to where it was made. I enjoy using it.

A lot of people with the 6×26 mills put 4"-5"-6" risers between the base and the head to give more nose height--completely unnecessary with the 8×30.

Standing directly on the floor is much stiffer than standing on a workbench, table, or other raised structure.

As to the VFD, heck, I only use about 3 spindle RPMs, really slow, slow, and not much faster than slow.

With respect to harbor freight:: the major difference between Grizzly and HF is the bearing specifications (and of course paint color)

I bought a G4003G at the same time as my lathe, a 14" metal bandsaw, and a 10" table saw.
Back when I bought them, Grizzly had a program where if you bought more than $5000 in one order, they would give some kind of discount,... check with sales to see if that is still true.

The G4003G has proven to be an excellent lathe for a 12×36.
The tablesaw has not done a thing wrong.....

 

[markba633csi]

If I recall the G4003 isn't offered anymore- hard to understand why they discontinued it since apparently it was popular.
Maybe they didn't make enough on them? Who knows why companies do what they do

 

[Winegrower]

If I was going to spend that much I would get a Bridgeport with a short table or a Burke millrite.

This. I am amazed at how much people will spend for new and kind of crummy equipment, and deal with many start up problems, when for similar money older proven equipment is available, with accessories, manuals, other users, etc. Neither of these machines mentioned in the OP would be for me. I'm with Markba633csi.

 

[markba633csi]

For comparison, I have a Diamond horizontal mill with a motorized Rotex vertical add-on head. Small table only 5" x 20" but a very versatile, rugged machine

 

[Mitch Alsup]

If I recall the G4003 isn't offered anymore- hard to understand why they discontinued it since apparently it was popular.

Grizzly says "more on the way expected March 2021"

The thing is:: I don't see why they sell G4003 and G4003G as the G comes with stands and ends up costing less than no G if you need the stands.
The G is supposed to come with better bearings, too.

 

[Neurotic-Hapi-Snak]

I'm fairly certain the Grizzly is not currently made in Taiwan but mainland China. Seems the price has jumped considerably too.
If I was going to spend that much I would get a Bridgeport with a short table or a Burke millrite. The Rockwell and Clausing are nice but hard to find as you have noticed- everyone wants them
-Mark

Currently the Grizzly 6x26 and 8x30 knee mills are made in Taiwan. Whether that means made in Taiwan or "made in Taiwan", I don't know. They could be cast in Taiwan and the rest of the parts made in Taiwan, or cast in Taiwan with parts from China assembled in Taiwan. Or the castings could be cast in China and sent to Taiwan for finishing and assembly, or the castings could be cast and finished in China and shipped to Taiwan for assembly. You never know.

If I recall the G4003 isn't offered anymore- hard to understand why they discontinued it since apparently it was popular.
Maybe they didn't make enough on them? Who knows why companies do what they do

They're still being made.

My main problem with space is depth. A Bridgeport or clone with a short table is still as deep as one with a long table. Plus Bridgeports around here go for 6000+, with clones in the $3000-5000+ range. I've never seen a Rockwell or Millrite for sale around here, and don't want to buy used online sight unseen and have to deal with shipping, and traveling more than one state is not possible right know. Although I am reconsidering a full size Bridgeport or clone, you really do get more machine for the money.

https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/for/d/saint-paul-milling-machine-mill/7269770906.html
A local used machine seller has a bunch of Bridgeport clones and just got in a truckload of Southbend tool room lathes in 10x24 and 13x32. interplantsales.com
Plus this just popped up on CG: https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/tls/d/burnsville-horizontal-mill/7283173414.html