First mill/drill help

[drcrea]

Beginner here. I'd like to be able to machine small parts in both aluminum and steel. Space is at a absolute premium in my shop, as in I have none, and so I'm considering swapping my drill press for a mill/drill. I only have space for something that is ~24" wide and ~28" deep (or smaller) and mobile so under 250lbs or so. I've been looking at small 13/14" mill/drills. Its my understanding that these small mill/drill combo's aren't the best for serious milling, but for learning and making small parts, I'm assuming it should fit my needs. I've been looking at something like this:

14" Vari-Speed Gear Head Milling Machine

EQUIPPED WITH: Halogen work light Depth stop Digital speed read out Digital readout depth gauge Interlocking spindle safety guard Draw bar

palmgren.com

But under a different brand (seems this make/model is sold under different brands) as I can get one at a reasonable price ~$2200.00

Are these machines any good? Or should I be looking at something different in this size and price range?

 

[Nickm512]

I had a little grizzly square column mill very similar to that one . It was fun to learn on and play with but hindsight I wish I would’ve saved my money and bought a full sized knee mill from the get go. I quickly outgrew the little bench mill. Just food for thought, I have nothing against the smaller machines but the truth is they are very limiting. I guess it really depends on what your goals are, if you’re doing nothing but small model stuff and don’t need the ability to work on larger items then it may be perfectly fine. Good luck to you whatever you decide!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dabear3428]

Beginner here. I'd like to be able to machine small parts in both aluminum and steel. Space is at a absolute premium in my shop, as in I have none, and so I'm considering swapping my drill press for a mill/drill. I only have space for something that is ~24" wide and ~28" deep (or smaller) and mobile so under 250lbs or so. I've been looking at small 13/14" mill/drills. Its my understanding that these small mill/drill combo's aren't the best for serious milling, but for learning and making small parts, I'm assuming it should fit my needs. I've been looking at something like this:

14" Vari-Speed Gear Head Milling Machine

EQUIPPED WITH: Halogen work light Depth stop Digital speed read out Digital readout depth gauge Interlocking spindle safety guard Draw bar

palmgren.com

But under a different brand (seems this make/model is sold under different brands) as I can get one at a reasonable price ~$2200.00

Are these machines any good? Or should I be looking at something different in this size and price range?

PM-25MV Milling Machine – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com

6" x 20" 3/4 HP Mill/Drill

<h1>G0758 6" x 20" 3/4 HP Mill/Drill</h1> <h2>With a high-torque but quiet motor, this versatile mill/drill is ready to be a key player in your shop.</h2> <p>Drawing from the heritage of producing previous mill/drills, the G0758 6" x 20" Mill/Drill comes packed with impressive features.</p>...

www.grizzly.com

7" x 27" 1 HP Mill/Drill with Stand

<h1>G0704 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill with Stand</h1> <h2>Grizzly's best-selling Mill Drill.</h2> <p>The G0704 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill with Stand can be used as a dedicated, single-purpose machine in a professional shop. It can be easily operated by those just learning to mill in their home shop...

www.grizzly.com

the grizzly g0758 comes closest but i would try to fit the g0704 in if you can, the p-25mv is better but you pay for it, by the time you account for table travel none will fit in the space you have.

 

[matthewsx]

Decide what you want to make and then figure out how to make room for the tool you need to make it.

Space is the hardest thing for me to make in my shop

John

 

[markba633csi]

Try to avoid anything with plastic gears like the Grizzly 0704- they break easily and are a pain to replace
In fact you might want to avoid gear head machines and stick with belt drive units like the Precision Matthews PM25

 

[drcrea]

but hindsight I wish I would’ve saved my money and bought a full sized knee mill

This is what I'm afraid of. Without having any experience I don't know what sorts of limitations I'll run into with a small machine. I'd hate to buy something and within a very short time realize it's just too small or under powered, etc..

by the time you account for table travel none will fit in the space you have.

I should have mentioned that the space constraint is where I store the machine. I plan on having it on a rolling stand so that I can move it in and out when needed. That's why I don't want anything over about 250lbs.

Precision Matthews PM25

I initially looked at Precision Matthews but didn't see anything that would fit into my small space

 

[drcrea]

avoid gear head machines and stick with belt drive

I've read that the belt drives are a bit of a pain and that depending on the speed you can lose power at the cutting head. Is this true?

Also most of the belt drive units I've seen in this size use a round column vs the square column. Again something I've read is that the round column is less "ridged" and the up/down adjustment tends to be less accurate. Is this true?

 

[mickri]

My mill/drill must weigh over 600 lbs. it is on wheels and I can easily move it if I need to.

 

[matthewsx]

Look into a RF30/31

They are plentiful used and can do serious work. Not sure how close it is to your space requirement, but is far more capable than the other machines mentioned.

I had one before I upgraded to my baby Bridgeport and felt that it was a good compromise for the space I had.

If you aren’t certain that all your projects will be small, and done with soft materials you may regret going with any of the mini mill class machines.

I have a 3/4 size knee mill now but won’t be getting rid of my drill press, sometimes you need both.

Seriously consider what else you can move/remove from your workspace.

John

 

[markba633csi]

Little Machine Shop has some even smaller mills, but you will pay as much or more for small and cute vs. large and beefy
Round columns lose x/y position when the head moves up or down. You can get around that by not moving the head during
a job, but it is a limitation compared to square columns
The PM mill has a cog belt and won't slip- powerful motor also