Well...
Since I've developed a bug for setting up a basement machine shop (in my real job I have a fully equipped shop) I'm exploring all the options for machines. I live in St Louis MO, only about 200 miles from The Springfield Grizzly showroom, and decided to make a detour on my way back from vacation and check out the metal working machines. I've been there before, probably about 10 years ago, and decided I needed to take another look.
To begin with let me say that I really, really, really wanted to like the machines....
Unfortunately after about 2 hours of examination I can say that I don't think I will be buying any of their machines. There are just too many little details that would leave me frustrated. Of all the mills they had, I would say the ones that had the most promise were the smaller of the knee mills. The full sized Bridgeport clones? Not even close. A 30 year old genuine Bridgeport with with a table scarred with holes and milling marks would be a better choice. Even if it meant rebuilding the head. superficially they look the same, but when you do things like examine how the spindle feed engages you can tell how the little things are not properly finished. Now on to the mills with dovetail columns. They aren't terrible, but all of them have metric feed screws, So it looks like on full dial revolution is somewhere between .062 and .063. I suppose if it were exactly 1/16" I could live with it. but I don't think they are. I suppose If you were to set one up with the I-gageing scales they sell at a good price then it wouldn't matter. Also the locks for the Y axis are in a very difficult to access position.
Now on to the lathes. I know there are people here who own grizzly lathes, and use them successfully, but as compared to the 2 most recent lathes I've purchased, an older variable speed high school shop Logan, and a very old Dalton bench lathe which were both less than 200 dollars, and did require some refurbishing I would definately choose a "classic" lathe.
A more recent addition to Grizzly is their "Southbend line" they command a much higher price, but a close examination reveals that they are really little more than dressed up versions of their Grizzly machines. They may have bought the rights to use the name, but they are not in any way close to the original Southbend machines. But I suppose they are perfectly usable.
By now, you are wondering if there was anything I liked?
Well the granite surface plates looked like a real bargain, and for the price of 12 dollars I thought the 0-1 micrometer was better than a lot of cheap mikes I've seen over the years. And the wooden tool boxes, and roll arounds were a good value, not Gerstners, but respectable, and much better than the wooden boxes they have at Harbor freight. I would say that if you like the idea of storing your better tools in wood, then they aren't a bad choice.
As for the machine tools - If they would sell them as a kit, with true inch lead screws on everything, and let the end user do the assembly, then you would likely end up with a better product.
I'm going to attempt to try and locate one of the "little machine shop" dovetail mills, and compare it, and the IH dovetail machines are also on my list. I have a feeling that if a Rockwell knee mill were to become available close to me I would probably snatch it up.....
Since I've developed a bug for setting up a basement machine shop (in my real job I have a fully equipped shop) I'm exploring all the options for machines. I live in St Louis MO, only about 200 miles from The Springfield Grizzly showroom, and decided to make a detour on my way back from vacation and check out the metal working machines. I've been there before, probably about 10 years ago, and decided I needed to take another look.
To begin with let me say that I really, really, really wanted to like the machines....
Unfortunately after about 2 hours of examination I can say that I don't think I will be buying any of their machines. There are just too many little details that would leave me frustrated. Of all the mills they had, I would say the ones that had the most promise were the smaller of the knee mills. The full sized Bridgeport clones? Not even close. A 30 year old genuine Bridgeport with with a table scarred with holes and milling marks would be a better choice. Even if it meant rebuilding the head. superficially they look the same, but when you do things like examine how the spindle feed engages you can tell how the little things are not properly finished. Now on to the mills with dovetail columns. They aren't terrible, but all of them have metric feed screws, So it looks like on full dial revolution is somewhere between .062 and .063. I suppose if it were exactly 1/16" I could live with it. but I don't think they are. I suppose If you were to set one up with the I-gageing scales they sell at a good price then it wouldn't matter. Also the locks for the Y axis are in a very difficult to access position.
Now on to the lathes. I know there are people here who own grizzly lathes, and use them successfully, but as compared to the 2 most recent lathes I've purchased, an older variable speed high school shop Logan, and a very old Dalton bench lathe which were both less than 200 dollars, and did require some refurbishing I would definately choose a "classic" lathe.
A more recent addition to Grizzly is their "Southbend line" they command a much higher price, but a close examination reveals that they are really little more than dressed up versions of their Grizzly machines. They may have bought the rights to use the name, but they are not in any way close to the original Southbend machines. But I suppose they are perfectly usable.
By now, you are wondering if there was anything I liked?
Well the granite surface plates looked like a real bargain, and for the price of 12 dollars I thought the 0-1 micrometer was better than a lot of cheap mikes I've seen over the years. And the wooden tool boxes, and roll arounds were a good value, not Gerstners, but respectable, and much better than the wooden boxes they have at Harbor freight. I would say that if you like the idea of storing your better tools in wood, then they aren't a bad choice.
As for the machine tools - If they would sell them as a kit, with true inch lead screws on everything, and let the end user do the assembly, then you would likely end up with a better product.
I'm going to attempt to try and locate one of the "little machine shop" dovetail mills, and compare it, and the IH dovetail machines are also on my list. I have a feeling that if a Rockwell knee mill were to become available close to me I would probably snatch it up.....