# Looking to purchase PM-935TV next year.. anyone familiar with this machine?



## Pcmaker (Oct 30, 2019)

I'm upgrading my PM-25MV and the PM-935TV seems to be the one I'm going for. Any here familiar with it?

I've been putting it together on the PM site and it's pushing 9k... I can buy 4 of my current vehicle with this money, so I'm making sure my investment is good. 

I want a ridgid machine that can handle using 1/2" end mills because my PM25MV has trouble with even 3/8 end mills. It's not ridgid enough and I have to deal with vibrations all the time. 

I want something that I will not outgrow and I mainly work with steel such as 1018 and hardened steels to make or modify tools. 

I'll be getting it with 3 axis DRO, X axis power feed and knee Z axis power feed. 

Any pros and cons with this machine?


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## davidpbest (Oct 30, 2019)

You will find lots of info in the archive, and *HERE.*


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## wrmiller (Oct 30, 2019)

Well, I've seen 1/4" end mills cause vibrations in 3000 lb. mills. Maybe you should be looking at a 10x50?

A machinist friend once told me that bridgeport type mills are not real mills as they are machines better used for light-duty prototyping and whatnot. His idea of a real mill started with a 5T bed mill. 

I have a 935 and think it is no more rigid than my old CO 9x40 mill. It is a lot easier to do setups on with the knee and articulating head though. But I only do small projects and pistol smithing, so I'm not hard on my machines. I do use 1/2" end mills on occasion, but I don't attempt to bury them in 4140 or similar metals. YMMV.


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## darkzero (Oct 30, 2019)

wrmiller said:


> A machinist friend once told me that bridgeport type mills are not real mills



My instructor for the machine shop courses at the local college would always say BP knee mills were just glorified drill presses. There were 4 BPs there, a Sharp knee mill which was very nice, and a Ganesh knee mill that none of us ever got to use cause that thing was always broken down. The tool room guy hated that machine with a passion cause he was sick of working on it.


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## bretthl (Nov 7, 2019)

I own a PM935TV.  I selected this machine because it was the largest knee mill I could get into my shop by myself (no fork lift access).  If I could have a do over I would go with the 3 phase TS.  The TV head is nice for quick speed changes but it is noisy.  I think performance is impacted by working the machine within it's operating limits (tooling, speeds, feeds, work holding etc).


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## Firstgear (Nov 7, 2019)

I have the PM950V and I really like it. I have just done smalls jobs for myself on it.   The only downside is the 50” table.  I have everything in tight space but the size comes in handy so it is a good compromise.


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## wrmiller (Nov 7, 2019)

bretthl said:


> I own a PM935TV.  I selected this machine because it was the largest knee mill I could get into my shop by myself (no fork lift access).  If I could have a do over I would go with the 3 phase TS.  The TV head is nice for quick speed changes but it is noisy.  I think performance is impacted by working the machine within it's operating limits (tooling, speeds, feeds, work holding etc).



I bought the TS and put a VFD on it because Reeves drives are expensive to repair/rebuild, noisy, and more expensive.

When Matt introduced the 935, I saw it as a much more flexible version of my 9x40 bench mill, with much better quality to boot.


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## Pcmaker (Nov 7, 2019)

I'm thinking of going the CNC route in the future so a knee mill may not be the best choice


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