Question on new mill purchase

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SE18

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Not all "China made" is poor or ?? quality. It's the price. We have some excellent China made tools and commercial size machines. Yes we do buy USA when possible and at fair pricing.
 
THanks Ted, he's got others coming out to look at it (weight is 2.5k); if they don't want it I'll go for it, but I think it will get snapped up
 
Regarding the HF Mill you are looking at. One thing to remember is it is a Round Column. So, when ever you move the head, no matter how careful you are, it will rotate on the column slightly. Which limits you Z axis work to the Quill Feed, unless you want to realign everything after you move the head. You might consider looking at some square column mills.

Also, regardless of which brand you purchase, you may want to consider Customer Service, too. I've always had good experiences with Grizzly Customer service, especially regarding extra/replacement parts. My experience with HF has been mixed, sometime they have the parts and sometime they don't. You might also look at the Precision Master machines. There are quite a few positive posting on their Customer service.
 
When I saw the title I knew there would be two answers:

1. Buy old American

2. Buy Precision Matthews
 
Don't forget to use a coupon if you buy from Harbor Freight. Here's one good until September 1st:

HF 20%.jpg
 
Are the HF machines made by Rong Fu? Because it sure looks like my Jet 15, which is the same as a RF30.

I've been pretty happy with my Jet, paid $700 used with a floor stand, collet set, clamping kit, vise, and a ton of slitting saws and side cutters. The round column is a PITA sometimes, but it can also be an advantage... I can swing the head over to gain access to the full width of the table, meaning I can have a vise permanently mounted on one side of the table and still be able to work on the other side of the table where I might have something clamped without removing the vise.

It's a light duty machine, no heavy cuts in hard materials. Changing the belts to change the speed is a hassle, which is why I converted to a variable speed DC (treadmill motor) drive. There's a fair amount of backlash in the screws, particularly the X, but that may be due to its age and the use it's seen.
 
FWIW I would never purchase a round column machine unless there were no other options.
 
I have an RF-31 and agree that the round column is a PIA. It is a capable mill but if you must have a bench top mill instead of a knee mill, then go for a square column mill. I'm with Charlie; I would definitely look at PM for a good machine with reportedly excellent service after the sale - this is a big deal to me.

Personally, I would save $600.00 more and go for a PM 727. It is a much better choice.
 
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