# Home shop mill



## mf294-4 (Dec 10, 2012)

Need comments on a couple of mills on Craig's list. Home hobby use. One is an Enco with some kind of digital readout. The other is a Hartford with an Accurite digital readout. Have not seen either one in person. I know this is pretty vague. Enco has a few collets. Hartford has nothing. Both are in the $1500 range. I'm in over my head trying to buy a good mill. I would like to have some comments on the brand of the two mills.


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## AR1911 (Dec 11, 2012)

Hartford is a Chinese Bridgeport close.
Enco could be anything, but if it's their Bridgeport close, it's probably the same machine as the Hartford.

I'd go by overall condition, and the quality of the DRO setup, plus any tooling. 

Price/value depends on the local market. If iron is scarce where you are, you will pay much more than someone in Michigan or Ohio.

I suggest you post links to the ads so we can see what you are looking at.


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## bcall2043 (Dec 11, 2012)

AR1911 said:


> Hartford is a Chinese Bridgeport close.
> Enco could be anything, but if it's their Bridgeport close, it's probably the same machine as the Hartford.
> 
> I'd go by overall condition, and the quality of the DRO setup, plus any tooling.
> ...



I think the Hartford mills were made in Taiwan, at least the 1977 one I have was. It is a very close copy of the Bridgeport. In fact Charley and I moved parts from the Hartford to his Bridgeport when we were getting his going. I was told by a machine maintenance guy when I was looking that the Hartford was a good enough clone that the parts were interchangable for the most part. I have been happy with it.

Don't know anything about the Enco.

Benny
The Orphanage Never Closes


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## AR1911 (Dec 11, 2012)

Basically any Asian machine tool made 1990 and earlier is almost certainly Taiwanese. that's a Good Thing (tm)
the Red Chinese were hardly on the radar then.


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## Kevin45 (Dec 21, 2012)

AR1911 said:


> Hartford is a Chinese Bridgeport close.
> Enco could be anything, but if it's their Bridgeport close, it's probably the same machine as the Hartford.
> 
> I'd go by overall condition, and the quality of the DRO setup, plus any tooling.
> ...




Iron must be scarce in my area in Ohio. You can't find squat around here for a decent price. I did manage to find a great Lagun that has been very well taken care of, with a readout, for $2300. The guy I got it from also had a round ram Bridgeport, no readout, and in desperate need of paint, but it was oone of the smoothest, tightest, Bridgeports that I have run across. He wanted $1300 for it. I got the Lagun home, hooked it up, kicked the BP idea around in my head for a few days and decided to buy it also. I called him up and it was gone. Not a surprise though. And I looked and looked for a lathe, to no avail. Everybody wanted an arm and a leg for one, so when I retired, I took a little bit of money and bought a 13" x 40" JET Lathe. Not quite what I want, but will do the job.  I purchased the lathe from Tools-Plus. Great people to deal with. Once the lathe was delivered and hooked up, I looked at the final inspection sheet that went with it. Everything was within .001 or less. The first thing I did was chuck up a piece of aluminum in the three jaw. I turned it down then turned the piece around and turned the other end down without moving the compound. I was surprised as all get out. You could not tell that the piece was turned in two operations. Dead on!!!!!  Pretty good for a Chinese lathe.


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