New PM25!

chuckorlando said:
I would not be worried about cnc kits. It's a mill, you can make that... What I would like to know is how it cuts steel. What kinda DOC can you get. When I was looking I could afford a cheap used bridgeport or a smaller bench mill. So the 704 and the 25 and 35 or what have you was on the list. RayC more or less talked me out of it and I got a bridgy. I was told they are not meant for steel and they would no longer carry them once they were all gone. Which concerned me for parts and the machines ability.
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Hey Chuck,

Ray C was telling me about people who were buying these machines (PM 20/25/30) and breaking them in the first few months because people do stupid stuff like try to drill 1" holes in steel, or using 3/4" end mills to hog steel on these mills. Seriously? These things are not a BP, or even a RF45 for that matter so Matt and Ray were having to fix/replace overabused machines left and right (in my opinion, they shouldn't have fixed anything that was abused). Hence the desire to NOT carry them anymore. Can't say as I blame them either.

The only thing I can say is that the machines do very well, if you stay in their performance envelop. Largest job I have done on mine (it's soon to arrive Big Brother will handle the heavy stuff going forward) was I needed to cut a brace profile in 4"x5"x1" steel. I basically buried the endmill (solid carbide 3/8" coarse rougher) but took three passes to reach full depth of 1". I kept the feed fairly conservative and the chips coming off had a slight blue tinge to them. The mill performed flawlessly except for the aftermarket pulley kit I installed. Apparently, it wasn't designed for this heavy of a cut. But the rest of the machine took it all in stride. I wouldn't recommend a steady diet of jobs like this, but the machine will handle the occasional heavy job if care is taken. I will address the shortcomings of the pulley kit soon.

I've cut pretty much everything so far in mine e.g., steel, hardened steel, stainless, and titanium. The biggest requirement with these smaller mills is to not over do it. Heck, I was milling forged 1911 slides for Bomar sights using a tiny Sherline mill and turning/threading Barsto barrels at 40 tpi on their little lathe. I wouldn't recommend most people tackle that, but it can be done.

My point is that these machines can do some really good work if some thought is put into the job at hand, or you can break 'em left and right. Comes down to the operator I guess.

EDIT: With the changes to the drive system, e.g pulley and belt and BLDC motor the shortcomings of my version are overcome. The newly designed vertical column is just icing on the cake. :)

Bill
 
Hi Chuck,

Her is my two cents on the issue with the small mills/lathes. Like any tool I am sure that they perform only as well as the operator. My Grandfather taught me a great lesson when I was 6 or 7. He and my Dad were framing a house and my Dad was using a skill saw to cut 2x4's and my Grandfather was was using a cross cut hand saw. I asked him why he did not use the power saw and he went head to head with my Dad in cutting a stud. He finished his cut in three strokes and had an even cut with no tear out. My Dad pushed a little to hard, bound up the saw and had a lot of tear out. Of course my Grandfather was a Master Craftsman who had been building homes since he was in his teens, and my Dad was an Architect. Better tool lost out due to the lack of skill of the operator.

I teach my Son that you must think about the tools needed for each project before you start. To do that you must understand the limitations of each tool you own.You can use a screwdriver as a chisel, pry bar, nail set, scraper... and a screwdriver. I have a screwdriver that I use for those times that I need a small pry bar... it is slightly bent, has had its tip re-ground multiple times... I could say that it was a crappy screw driver because it was bent and needed to be re-ground, but that would not be fair to the tool. It will work for all the jobs, just not perform as well as it does a screw driver. I am not planning on machining valve seats for oil pipeline valves, or milling titanium fans for jet engines. I want to do some fun projects like create a small motor, light gunsmithing, custom parts for my bike... etc. The PM-25MV will perform very well.

I also believe that many people are in too much of a hurry in our instant gratification world. I create projects and enjoy each phase of the process from concept, planning, creation to final project. I love solving problems encountered while completing projects, creating jigs and fixtures for the project. It is as much about the process as it is the finished product. I think that perspective comes from have worked with my hands my whole life. As a kid I wanted to get everything finished as fast as I could, now I am happy to have the free time to work on a project for fun and enjoy every moment.

As far as parts go the PM-25MV shares nearly all its parts with the Grizzly G0704, and the ones it does not can be sourced from other places.

Final note, places like this forum are great ways for seasoned craftsman who have made all the mistakes and learned to be experts in their field to share with people like myself who are just beginning. Thanks for your perspective and thanks for being here to share with new guys such as myself.
 
chiroone said:
Keep us posted about your experience with the machine. It seems like it is about the best of the small mills and I am seriously considering it.
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I am a PM25 convert too. I canceled my Grizzly G0759 order (from early July) this week and ordered the PM25 from Matt. After three delays from Grizzly pushing ETA out to mid-November I was done. With all the improvements to the PM25 over the G0759, it was an easy decision to punt Grizzly green for PM blue. It's a bit more $$$ after adding a nice DRO but, I think it's far more bang for your buck too.

I believe there are 3 of us who were waiting on G0759s that have now canceled orders with Grizzly in favor of the PM25. I think I'm in good company on this one! LoL

That's my 2cents worth.
 
I just received the new PM-25MV mill today. I am new at milling but will report my experience as soon as I can move the machine into position.

Can anyone direct me to the PM25MV setup page?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff
 
Just start a new thread here documenting your progress. And we LOVE pics. :)

Very interested in this new mill. I have it's predecessor.



jharwell354 said:
I just received the new PM-25MV mill today. I am new at milling but will report my experience as soon as I can move the machine into position.

Can anyone direct me to the PM25MV setup page?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff
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Congrats Jeff! I am waiting for my PM-25MV. Matt shipped it on Tuesday, so I am hoping to receive it early next week. I will be cleaning out a spot in the garage for it this weekend. John (posted above) and I both ordered a G0759 and cancelled and ordered a PM-25 and a DRO PROS M3 DRO from Matt as well. I am new to metal working, but have been a woodworker for over 40 years, so I should not have to much trouble getting up and running.

Good Luck!



jharwell354 said:
I just received the new PM-25MV mill today. I am new at milling but will report my experience as soon as I can move the machine into position.

Can anyone direct me to the PM25MV setup page?

Thanks in advance.

Jeff
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Well done Jeff ! Pictures would be awesome though. Matt shipped my PM25 last Friday and should be here any day now.


:applause:

Bob
 
Pics or it did not happen... LOL

When I first decided to set up a shop... I was looking at an 1127 and a 25... then got to talking to friends/customers... and realized I could make some $$$ helping folks with projects.
Upgraded to a 1340GT and 932PDF.

Be interesting to see these machines in a shop... the pics on Matts website sometimes are not easy to imagine in one's shop.

THX
 
Sounds like Matt has sold most of his 25s to people here on the forum. IIRC he only had 6 this time around?
 
I have been debating for a while now on whether to get the g0704 or the pm25, and after reading all the posts here and from other places, I called Matt and asked some questions, and today, pulled the trigger and bought the pm25, it will ship on Monday they tell me. Can't wait, i'm planning to cnc it.
 
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