# Craftex CX601 Milling Machine (Busy Bee)



## Railway Bob (Aug 22, 2013)

In the process of buying the Busy Bee Craftex CX601 milling machine.  It's got a 33"x 8.2" table, a 1.5 hp DC motor with a spindle stroke of 2.7".  Collet size is R8.  It's also 110 volts but I have to go with that due to my "electrical access" limitations.  It's not considered to be a mini-mill.  I'll be using it for hobbyist type of activities.  Getting it at a very, very good price which has been my major consideration.  

Does anyone know what a similar mill might be in Harbour Freight, Grizzly, etc brands?  Who is the Chinese manufacturer?  Any comments as to performance, capabilities, limitations?

Bob Moore


----------



## SEK_22Hornet (Aug 22, 2013)

It looks a lot like the Grizzly G0704 I have (different switch panel) or the Precision Matthews PM-30MV mill, when you compare specs. The G0704 is closer to the PM-20MV. You might check the gear train and see if it has a plastic gear that is driven by the gear on the motor.  On the Grizzly, these strip easily.  One thing to check is to make sure the two gears are fully meshed - mine was not and it took the ends off of several teeth when I got a little heavy handed with the feed. I was able to adjust the motor position to get it to mesh well enough to work until I could get a replacement gear. Grizzly had the gears on back order for several months and they are out again. I like mine, other than that.  I am in the process of doing a belt drive conversion on mine - I'll post it in this section when I get some things started. Not sure who makes these machines.


----------



## Ray C (Aug 22, 2013)

That BB601 is same "kinda" as the Precision Matthews 30MVL (long bed version of the 30MV). The PM unit has a built-in authentic KB speed cable which will work out of the box with a KB speed controller.  The BB does not have that so, if you're going to do the aftermarke mods, this makes it easier. These will be here and available in 5 weeks and that's a confirmed shipping time (they just got all the paperwork done for transportation).

At the price range you're looking at, the Precision Matthews 932 is right around the corner. I certainly understand you may have weight limitations but keep in-mind that voltage issues are usually not too hard to overcome.


Ray





Railway Bob said:


> In the process of buying the Busy Bee Craftex CX601 milling machine. It's got a 33"x 8.2" table, a 1.5 hp DC motor with a spindle stroke of 2.7". Collet size is R8. It's also 110 volts but I have to go with that due to my "electrical access" limitations. It's not considered to be a mini-mill. I'll be using it for hobbyist type of activities. Getting it at a very, very good price which has been my major consideration.
> 
> Does anyone know what a similar mill might be in Harbour Freight, Grizzly, etc brands? Who is the Chinese manufacturer? Any comments as to performance, capabilities, limitations?
> 
> Bob Moore


----------



## Railway Bob (Aug 24, 2013)

Hello SEK_22Hornet.  I started to go down the column comparing the various aspects of the Grizzly G0704 to the Craftex CX601.  I took me all the way down to the last item, the shipping weight, to finally arrive at a conclusion.  CX601 is 620 lbs as compared to the Grizzly G0704 which is 363 lbs.  I think the Grizzly G0704 compares more to the Craftex CX600, although, as with the CX601, there's more than enough differences to confuse the situation.  

Trying to find specs on the PM30 but they don't seem to be up on the PM website.  Can anyone direct me to the specs?

Bob M.


----------



## SEK_22Hornet (Aug 25, 2013)

Railway Bob said:


> Hello SEK_22Hornet.  I started to go down the column comparing the various aspects of the Grizzly G0704 to the Craftex CX601.  I took me all the way down to the last item, the shipping weight, to finally arrive at a conclusion.  CX601 is 620 lbs as compared to the Grizzly G0704 which is 363 lbs.  I think the Grizzly G0704 compares more to the Craftex CX600, although, as with the CX601, there's more than enough differences to confuse the situation.
> 
> Trying to find specs on the PM30 but they don't seem to be up on the PM website.  Can anyone direct me to the specs?
> 
> Bob M.



http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-MV-BenchMills.html

You can find specs here.  It does visually look a lot like the Grizzly, but as I should have said as soon as I started looking at the specs, it was obviously a heavier machine than the grizzly.  I wish I had knon more about the PM brand tools when I bought my Grizzly - I probably would have gone for the PM version.


----------



## courierdog (Aug 25, 2013)

The Craftex 601 is made by Wiess Machinery Co. Being in Canada you will have far less issues if you can  find a dealer who not only can sell but service the machine as purchased, trust me I know. While there may be better machines available, if you do not have a local Canadian dealer you can end up with a very fine broken machine with zero support. While the people at Busy Bee may not be the best machinists they will bend over backwards to assist you when things go wrong.


----------



## SEK_22Hornet (Aug 25, 2013)

courierdog said:


> The Craftex 601 is made by Wiess Machinery Co. Being in Canada you will have far less issues if you can  find a dealer who not only can sell but service the machine as purchased, trust me I know. While there may be better machines available, if you do not have a local Canadian dealer you can end up with a very fine broken machine with zero support. While the people at Busy Bee may not be the best machinists they will bend over backwards to assist you when things go wrong.



I remember reading somewhere that Weiss also made the g0704 that I have.   I have no problem with the quality of my machine. Being in the US, the choice between the Grizzly and the PM was an apples to apples comparison for me (other than the fact that I could go to Grizzly and pick up the Grizzly myself). Courierdog has a good point - being in Canada you obviously need to consider support, delivery cost, etc.  in deciding who to buy from. Sounds like he has had good experiences with Busy Bee as a supplier.


----------



## Ray C (Aug 25, 2013)

Weiss is one of the major manufacturers in China.  They make most of small and mid-sized lathes out there.  Matt at Precision Matthews has a very, very good business agreement (which he as worked very hard for over the years to cultivate) with them and unlike other importers, he has no problems getting various customizations.  The type of customizations vary from model to model -things like higher quality motors, different speed options and spindle bores on lathes and more realistic bed sizes on mills.  Also, you'll find that the PM machines do not change style as frequently as some other vendors.  That's because once he locks down a particular set of features for a mill (which he researches carefully) it stays that way for a good while.  The PM 45 is now going through it's first set of upgrades after nearly a decade.

PM places orders several times a year with all his manufacturers -and that's because they are a step-up in quality and they're not knocked-out as fast as the other labeled brands.  It's a double-edge sword though...  Ordering cycles are usually around 3 month intervals and with the exception of a few models, he does not order blanket quantities.  

Also, you may not be aware but, many of the floor mills can be ordered with a larger table.  This is not advertised on the web site as Matt and/or Nicole will raise the issue when they speak to the customer.  

Anyhow, on this particular mill, you just have to ask for the L-version of the bed.

Ray




courierdog said:


> The Craftex 601 is made by Wiess Machinery Co. Being in Canada you will have far less issues if you can  find a dealer who not only can sell but service the machine as purchased, trust me I know. While there may be better machines available, if you do not have a local Canadian dealer you can end up with a very fine broken machine with zero support. While the people at Busy Bee may not be the best machinists they will bend over backwards to assist you when things go wrong.


----------



## bmw rider (Aug 25, 2013)

I've had CX601 for about a year now and am happy with it. I have added a DRO and the X axis power feed to the table which has made it very nice to use. I'd say it's a pretty decent machine for my needs. I can't honestly offer a comparison evaluation to any other mills as this is the only mill I've ever used. Most of my work is with aluminum or plastics, so the capabilities of the machine are well suited for me. I have done some steel milling and it still seems to do just fine, but I'm usually cautious with the amount of material I remove. I've had no problems with the machine so far.


----------



## Railway Bob (Aug 26, 2013)

Many thanx for the info on the various lathes.  I did a comparison with the Weiss WMD30V & 30LV to the PM-30V to the Craftex CX601.  I did a spreadsheet comparison but, as I don't know how to upload the spreadsheet, you'll have to settle for a graphic image.



Aside from the fact that tables can be changed, add a few bolts here and there, remove a couple of lock washers, it seems as if the Craftex CX601 and the Precision Matthews PM-30V are knockoffs of a cross between the Weiss WMD30V and 30LV.  As Ray C points out, there is probably a 1-to-1 comparison between the Weiss WMD30LV and the Precision Matthews PM-30LV, even to the extent of model-naming conventions (I couldn't find the specs for the PM-30MVL so I couldn't compare).   

I couldn't find a similar model in the Grizzly catalogue so I couldn't compare.  If someone can direct me to a similar model I will add it to the comparison.  

Yes, the Busy Bee gang here in Ottawa are very friendly.  I'm also fortunate in belonging to a very informal group of machinists who I've learned a lot from and who have helped me out.  It greatly helps if you can latch on to a "Jedi Master" or two.  

Put a large deposit on the CX601.  Now I have to build a "sled" (with wheels) so that I can winch it up the back stairs and down into the basement.  It worked very well when I got my Craftex B2227L 10"x 22" metal lathe so, with a few modifications to the process, I think I should be able to do the same with the CX601.  

Bob M.


----------



## Ray C (Aug 26, 2013)

Yep, these units come out of the same factory (like many other machines) with a handful of various customizations. As mentioned earlier, the PM comes with an authentic KB speed cable. This may sound trivial but other importers use a generic brand that has a reported lifetime of a fruitfly (about 2 weeks) in many cases. The cable is a pain to get at and if it goes bad, things won't work right. Also, the KB cable allows easy modification to external speed controls etc...  The moral of the story is that the machines are similar but not identical.  It depends on the relationship between the imorter and Weiss.


Ray



Railway Bob said:


> Many thanx for the info on the various lathes. I did a comparison with the Weiss WMD30V & 30LV to the PM-30V to the Craftex CX601. I did a spreadsheet comparison but, as I don't know how to upload the spreadsheet, you'll have to settle for a graphic image.
> View attachment 59490
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Railway Bob (Aug 27, 2013)

Hello Ray.  Don't know exactly what you mean by a "KB cable".  Can you enlighten me?  How specifically does this help the situation?  How would I recognize it if I were to see one?

Sorry for the simplistic questions but I'm new to this area of milling machines and I'm trying to soak up as much as I can.  

Bob M.


----------



## courierdog (Aug 27, 2013)

Railway Bob said:


> Many thanx for the info on the various lathes.  I did a comparison with the Weiss WMD30V & 30LV to the PM-30V to the Craftex CX601.  I did a spreadsheet comparison but, as I don't know how to upload the spreadsheet, you'll have to settle for a graphic image.
> View attachment 59490
> 
> 
> ...


Bob:
One thing you might try, I found this trick over at Mini-Lathe.com
I built a ramp which I built for my basement stairs, which is also use from the tail gate of my pick up.
The ramp is built of 2x4 rails and 3/4 inch plywood base.
I then went to Princess Auto and located a Marine Winch which has power release and Power take up.
This allows me to raise or lower anything on the ramp. ie I can pull up or down the ramp with safety.
With the Ramp using the 2x4 ad the guide rails I mount the machine securely on a dolly and then pull up the ramp or lower down the ramp. once in the basement then I can use either the hadraulic lift cart or the engine hoist to lift the machine onto it base mount.
It allows me to do all the functions solo but for safety reason I usually have a friend to assist.
I am sure you will be happy with your choose.


----------



## Ray C (Aug 27, 2013)

Those units have a DC motor and the tachometer signals are delivered over a cable called a KB-cable (named after the manufacturer). If you later decide to control the speed with an off-board setup, the KB-cable is used to connect the signals. The clone KB-cables are notorious for bad connection and signal quality and is the reason many folks have difficulties with reading the tachometer read-out on the units that have LED tachs. Matt learned this a long time ago and he sources genuine KB-cables to the factory for intallation at time of manufacture.

There was another fellow on this list with a non PM machine who was complaining about his LED tach not working properly. I happen to mention this to Matt and he told me the scoop about the KB-cable.  The genuine KB cables are kinda expensive BTW...



Ray



Ray C said:


> Yep, these units come out of the same factory (like many other machines) with a handful of various customizations. As mentioned earlier, the PM comes with an authentic KB speed cable. This may sound trivial but other importers use a generic brand that has a reported lifetime of a fruitfly (about 2 weeks) in many cases. The cable is a pain to get at and if it goes bad, things won't work right. Also, the KB cable allows easy modification to external speed controls etc... The moral of the story is that the machines are similar but not identical. It depends on the relationship between the imorter and Weiss.
> 
> 
> Ray


----------



## dorerod (Nov 16, 2013)

bmw rider said:


> I've had CX601 for about a year now and am happy with it. I have added a DRO and the X axis power feed to the table which has made it very nice to use. I'd say it's a pretty decent machine for my needs. I can't honestly offer a comparison evaluation to any other mills as this is the only mill I've ever used. Most of my work is with aluminum or plastics, so the capabilities of the machine are well suited for me. I have done some steel milling and it still seems to do just fine, but I'm usually cautious with the amount of material I remove. I've had no problems with the machine so far.



Hello "BMW Rider".... I'm considering purchasing the CX601 too. What DRO did you get, 2/3Axis?, and from what supplier? How did the installation go?
BTW.. I presume BMW, means a motorcycle. I'm a Goldwing rider, love it.


----------



## bmw rider (Nov 23, 2013)

dorerod said:


> Hello "BMW Rider".... I'm considering purchasing the CX601 too. What DRO did you get, 2/3Axis?, and from what supplier? How did the installation go?
> BTW.. I presume BMW, means a motorcycle. I'm a Goldwing rider, love it.



Here is the install thread for the DRO on my mill.

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php/9906-Craftex-CX-601-Mill-DRO-Installation


----------

