# Burke PB3 w/ Fanuc 6M worth buying?



## D. Kent (Jul 28, 2022)

Hello. I have my feelers out for a mill, understand the benefits of CNC, and ran across a Burke 3 Axis that the current owner has had since '87. I'm looking for something to toy around, being new to CNC, with in my garage, but read 6M isn't easy to find replacement hardware. Was wondering if it was worth it for $1000? Little bit of tooling, but not much. Just don't want a boat anchor. Thanks for thoughts / opinions.


----------



## matthewsx (Jul 28, 2022)

Welcome to the forum, I have a CNC mill drill project that I built up from pieces so take that for whatever it's worth.

Post up some pictures.

But on first glance it sounds like a really good mooring ball. What is your budget and are you willing to do a CNC conversion yourself?

John


----------



## matthewsx (Jul 28, 2022)

Also, how much space do you have and how confident are you in your electro/mechanical abilities? I'm in Santa Cruz so I could potentially assist with evaluation of this machine.

Is it horizontal or vertical?

Burke is a decent make but nothing to shout about, for reference I just bought a Taiwan built HF mill/drill in good condition for $850. An older CNC conversion could easily be a pig in a poke, if it's under power and the seller will demonstrate how accurate it is then that counts for an awful lot. If it's sitting unused there's probably a reason. It's likely that converting it to CNC would reduce the value.

John


----------



## D. Kent (Jul 28, 2022)

It is a vertical CNC mill now. The owner is now 80 years old and looking to get rid of a few of his toys, which are older. The owner is approximating about 5'X6' total foot print, supposedly under 8', not sure if I can fit through my garage door or not. Looking at installing phase converter to support. I suppose the good part is the current owner knows the machine inside and out, he had two and has newer machines; I believe he's got the documentation and replaced a few of the drives. 

Burke Powermatic


----------



## JimDawson (Jul 28, 2022)

I wouldn't worry about the Fanuc control/motors/drives.  I guess at the first sign of any problem with the 6M, I would just replace it with modern hardware/software.


----------



## FOMOGO (Jul 28, 2022)

Pretty hard to go wrong for $1000 with something that's up and running. Looks like a rigid machine that would be capable of doing fairly large work, as opposed to some of the hobby oriented stuff out there, that is really expensive, for a relatively small work envelope. Mike


----------



## matthewsx (Jul 28, 2022)

That's a beast of a machine.

I'd be tempted to pass on it unless I knew that I had paying jobs waiting. But, only you can figure out what you need a mill for and if this will fit the bill.

Question we always ask newbies is what projects do you have in mind to get started with? Clearly if you buy this thing your first project will be getting it moved and running in your shop. 

Will it fit? Do you have enough power? You'll need to answer those questions before moving forward.

Keep asking questions, we're here to help.

John


----------



## sdelivery (Jul 28, 2022)

The 6m  or 6T are ROCKS and there is an abundance of good used parts available for good prices.
Sounds like a real gem!
Only thing I would suggest is taking photos of every page with parameters or servo settings. 
Verify any batteries are replaced  following the fancy procedures prior to disconnecting to move. 
This maybe not the flashiest control but it is a stellar control.


----------



## D. Kent (Jul 29, 2022)

Thank you very much for the responses and pointers. Footprint is more like 7' wide by 6' deep. I have the room, but it is a beast. Yet, ability to load up the tool paths, speeds, and feeds seems so much easier than manual and I like the ability to work on "shop" size parts. I have a couple of mini tracked dumpers to convert hydro-static drive, a number of brackets to make- nothing "job" related, just a ton of odd end projects that I could use a mill, can't fathom paying local shop costs. I'd like to get my son into machining too, and being able to witness design, program, and setup (using electronics) would be much more engaging (to him) than attempting to go "all manual."
It spooks me a little as it's not going to leave the residence very easily....as my wife asked..."so, if we ever sell (the house), it (the mill) stays, right?"

Might take a look at it this Saturday. Have to get an idea what a rigging outfit wants to transport. Gas cost, very hot drive in an old truck, renting a trailer with lousy suspension, and then trying to off load up a steep uneven driveway makes me think letting someone else move might be the way to go...if the price is right?

I'm also curious about current load. I need to talk with my electrician to see if the 220 circuit that used to power my hot tub can be repurposed with a phase generator and still have enough current to power her up. 80's electronics pulled some juice! I think the owner mentioned the spindle motor is rated at 2hp.

I guess the question is if would make sense to hold out for something newer, smaller...but then work size gets limited. Hmm,


----------



## mmcmdl (Jul 29, 2022)

sdelivery said:


> This maybe not the flashiest control but it is a stellar control.


The earlier Makinos ran the 6ms and 6mbs . They were nice back then but this was 35 years ago . The company gave these machines away to anyone willing to haul them away .


----------



## sdelivery (Jul 29, 2022)

You have to understand that for a company to sell a machine that the accountants have depreciated to no value gets the accountants figidty....they can scrap it or even give it away but selling it becomes difficult for them to find the right column. 
I  still have customers who run thus control and rarely have any control issues.
As for machine size and weight....my son's and I stripped my 3 axis cnc mill into several peices to transport because I only had a cherry picker to unload with.
The extra effort will reward you with CAPABILITY and CAPACITY.


----------



## mmcmdl (Jul 29, 2022)

Book value vs. market value . Get it for somewhere in the middle .


----------



## D. Kent (Jul 29, 2022)

I am passing on it. It's way too big. @ 5,500 lbs it's too lofty for me to move without incurring significant cost to do so- $745 just to rent (with capacity) a lift for the day to off load. That doesn't include transport or the electrical work. I'd end up spending $3,000 when everything is said and done to get it home and energized. I think the only way it would be worth it is if it was free. Would be great if I had a farm house shop and the lift equipment that can handle this sort of weight, but not practical to deal with transport logistics- same goes if I ever move. I got all excited too. I'll focus on getting my lathe put together.


----------



## D. Kent (Jul 29, 2022)

Ahhh, but the owner has another, smaller mill that he wasn't considering selling, but now thinking of: it is a BP with a Supermax to Mach3 upgrade. Not sure what it's worth, but probably out of my budget, but will wait and see which BP machine and what he's asking. I see a lot of manual BPs going for $2500-$3500 around here- no telling about wear and condition. What's the range for a modern day upgrade? I like the idea of a BP, better part availability than the Burke, and should be lighter and if all else fails, easier to dissaaemlble and remove a few of the heavier items, if needed (and I'm sure I can find what to look for - weak wear points, more easily). Million dollar question is what is a "reasonable" price range to pay, transport costs aside? Interesting how conversations transpire.


----------



## JimDawson (Jul 29, 2022)

D. Kent said:


> Ahhh, but the owner has another, smaller mill that he wasn't considering selling, but now thinking of: it is a BP with a Supermax to Mach3 upgrade.


Is it a BP or a Supermax?  They are pretty much identical machines, the Supermax is a BP clone, built in Taiwan.  The Supermax is a high quality machine.

Nothing wrong with a Mach3 upgrade, at least Mach3 will run modern toolpath strategies. 



D. Kent said:


> Not sure what it's worth, but probably out of my budget, but will wait and see which BP machine and what he's asking. I see a lot of manual BPs going for $2500-$3500 around here- no telling about wear and condition.


Hard to say, I have seen them from free to crazy.  I stole mine for $1000.



D. Kent said:


> What's the range for a modern day upgrade?


Mach3 is kind of a modern day upgrade, and is still used by a lot of people.  It's on the low end of the scale pricewise.  By the time you bought everything; motors, drives, power supplies, software, and other needed hardware, maybe in the <$1000 range.  


D. Kent said:


> I like the idea of a BP, better part availability than the Burke, and should be lighter and if all else fails, easier to dissaaemlble and remove a few of the heavier items, if needed (and I'm sure I can find what to look for - weak wear points, more easily). Million dollar question is what is a "reasonable" price range to pay, transport costs aside? Interesting how conversations transpire.


Parts are available, but rarely required.  They normally don't break unless the operator does something really stupid.   

Reasonable price? Most likely in the $2 - $3000 range.  But realistically I have seen prices all over the map.  Also depends on the exact model of the machine.  While they all look the same from a distance, there are a number of options from the base machine, and 3 different frames.


----------



## matthewsx (Jul 29, 2022)

Sounds like he likes you....


----------

