# What Mill to buy in Canada?



## HellawellCustoms (Jan 28, 2018)

Hey guys I've recently sold my car to buy a mill. I am getting pretty serious into knife making and plan to make various folding knives more specifically frame locking folders.  I would like to buy a mill to make the process easier. Now I've done a decent amount of research and kept getting pointed to the Grizzly G0704, however I am Canadian  and I don't think shipping would make it very affordable. So I am wondering if there are any fellow Canadians with experience or anyone who knows a good resource in Canada. As I said earlier I plan to cut mild steel and some thinner titanium. So far the only mill I've found in Canada that seems to have a decent amount of power is the CX601. https://www.busybeetools.com/products/milling-machine-with-digital-readout-cx601.html

Anyone have any better recommendations? I saw a lot of praise for precision Mathews but once again, it is another US based company.  Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated! 3-4$ is a lot to spend and I'd hate to spend it on a machine that isn't suited for what I need. I wish I had the space/knowledge to buy an old bridgeport. But that will maybe be a future investment if I ever get these knives going! 

Thank you very much!


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## Cobra (Jan 28, 2018)

i would certainly go with the Grizzly over the Busy Bee.
Shipping was not bad as a percentage of the total price and Grizzly will deal with the importation through (i think) UPS.
There were none of the highway robbery fees through UPS that you normally see.


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## Mystery1 (Jan 28, 2018)

Check out http://kbctools.ca, they have similar machines. 
Alternatively have the Grizzly delivered to CBI in Niagara Falls NY and pick it up. I would not trust UPS to not rip you off on a transborder shipment, they usually charge by value.


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## schor (Jan 28, 2018)

KBC has a King which seems to be close to the same as the grizzly and its cheaper too.


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## HellawellCustoms (Jan 28, 2018)

I looked at the kc-20vs. However it's only got a 3.5 am motor compared to the grizzly that has 12amps


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## f350ca (Jan 28, 2018)

I've delt with KBC often on smaller items and had good service.

Greg


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## Mystery1 (Jan 28, 2018)

HellawellCustoms said:


> I looked at the kc-20vs. However it's only got a 3.5 am motor compared to the grizzly that has 12amps


That could be in how the current is measured. Full load for 1 hp is 14-16 amps. the 3.5 could be normal running amps. Both state they are 1 HP motors and are likely from the same factory and more or less equivalent.


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## HellawellCustoms (Jan 28, 2018)

GinStC said:


> That could be in how the current is measured. Full load for 1 hp is 14-16 amps. the 3.5 could be normal running amps. Both state they are 1 HP motors and are likely from the same factory and more or less equivalent.



Hmm that's good to know! Thank you I'll have to reconsider it


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## Kamloopsendo (Feb 5, 2018)

I've delt with Matt at PM having imported a lathe from him as has a good friend of mine.  I would not at all be concerned about the trans border issue given our experience with PM and there were a couple of glitches which took some resolving but ultimately Matt never left us high and dry and did come thru.  If it is viable for you to bring it across the border yourself it will DEFINITELY be cheaper than UPS, I've had small Grizzly orders come thru UPS and despite what Grizzly cover it still ain't cheap.  Just my experience.
Alex


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## Kamloopsendo (Feb 5, 2018)

As to power, 120V 1hp motor pulls about 7 amps (I hp is roughly 745 watts and P= VI so 120 x 7= 840 watts at 100% efficiency blah blah blah but it nets out to about 7 amps for 1 hp) go to 220 and that drops almost by 1/2 to the 3.5 amps listed.
Alex


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 6, 2018)

If picking up that Grizzly at CBI, just remember:

Approximate shipping weight: 363 lbs.


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 6, 2018)

I've been continuing on my own quest tonight looking at chinese mills and costs of getting into Canada. The shipping indeed can be ludicrous. Looks like I had it VERY EASY when getting my mini-lathe. Tomorrow I am going to give Busy Bee a call and ask on rates for their CX605.


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## Dabbler (Feb 6, 2018)

Apprentice, please be careful!  The current CX605 is a  very *unimpressive *machine.  I was a happy user of a B048 for 18 years, but the 605 is half the machine with very poor fitment in the ways, much table shorter travel. I sold my mill to get longer travel and more room. By the time you put a vise, or rotary table or indexer you have no room left for your cutter!

There are better deals on used mills than lathes these days.  If you don't know how to evaluate a used mill, there are a few Youtube videos, and it thing a thread or 2 here. I've seen here in the west some large mill/drills that were going for $500 - last summer(sorry ).

The only way I'd buy a mill from the US is to rent a trailer and fetch it myself.  You don't pay very much at the border, and you have babied it all the way. (you can get a 'hotshot' service or a company the erects memorials to unload it for you for not much money).  If you really want a small mill, it will easily fit in the back seat of your car.

I hope this helps!


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## The_Apprentice (Feb 6, 2018)

I am going to take my time and have a little patience for sure in this. Just looking around and gathering data. But what surprises me, is Sieg seems to have half decent reviews on their stuff. But when it comes to some of their re-painted (yellow) models they send to Busy Bee, not so great. Same for PowerFist (their blue painted clones).

For a while, I thought Sieg had never released their mills in Canada, as I never saw a PowerFist branded one at Princess Auto. Well today by pure chance (while looking up Sieg mills), low-and-behold... there is a blue looking PowerFist mini-mill in someone's YouTube video. Apparently the video is back from 2014 at the latest... He had only purchased it because it was on sale, going for $750. Obviously, Princess Auto probably was trying to sell off this junky line just to get rid of it from their hands.

The guy did an unboxing video, and when he was finished, he was so unimpressed by it, he stated it was going right back into the box to be returned and not even worth it at the sale discount.


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## Dabbler (Feb 6, 2018)

If you are looking for small, you end up paying a premium price for a not-so-capable machine.  I missed a Bridgeport 4X42 in bad shape for $1000 - which still would have outperformed the 605.  One of the Calgary hobbyists sold a larger mill for 2K$ - tight with 2HP motor on it,    

Wht I'm saying is that for a machine that will hold an accurate tolerance and take a reasonable chip, there seems  to be a minimum price point.  I can post your interest on our bulletin board and see what advice they have...  My prediction or guess is that 1K$ doesn't buy you much either way,


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## Ken from ontario (Feb 7, 2018)

The_Apprentice said:


> I've been continuing on my own quest tonight looking at chinese mills and costs of getting into Canada. The shipping indeed can be ludicrous. Looks like I had it VERY EASY when getting my mini-lathe. Tomorrow I am going to give Busy Bee a call and ask on rates for theirCX605.


There's a better model than CX605 with a brushless motor(like CX612), bigger table, extra tools, many upgrades for $1500, maybe the price can be negotiated:
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-power-tool/...es/1331909696?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true


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## mattchu87 (Mar 25, 2018)

I ended up picking up a CX-601 from busy bee in vancouver bc just before christmas. I'm not a wildly experienced mill operator, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and its doing a fantastic job with milling small projects.


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## Thriller (May 17, 2020)

Now that it has been a while do you have any more feedback on the CX601?


mattchu87 said:


> I ended up picking up a CX-601 from busy bee in vancouver bc just before christmas. I'm not a wildly experienced mill operator, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and its doing a fantastic job with milling small projects.


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## mattchu87 (May 23, 2020)

Thriller said:


> Now that it has been a while do you have any more feedback on the CX601?


 
Yessir.

I guess its been a couple of years now. Build a heavy duty stand for it on castors, so she's mobile but sturdy.
I've acquired face mills up to 2.5" and a better quality chuck for it, and its wonderful. I find the digital display for the z axis dies all the time, but thats about the only issue.

My y axis feed is a little hard to spin, I'm assuming its my own fault, and she needs some TLC after sitting in a non heated shop for a while before we moved. maybe some moisture got somewhere it shouldnt. 

All in all, no complaints. I'm wanting a DRO for it, or possibly a CNC conversion. Busy bee sells both, but not at great prices. there's a 3rd party fellow that was making a cnc conversion kit, its still in development last I checked. 

anywho, any other questions fire away.


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## Thriller (May 23, 2020)

Do you have any pictures of the rolling stand? Also how far from the wall to the front of the machine does this machine take up? 
siQUOTE="mattchu87, post: 746407, member: 48361"]
Yessir.

I guess its been a couple of years now. Build a heavy duty stand for it on castors, so she's mobile but sturdy.
I've acquired face mills up to 2.5" and a better quality chuck for it, and its wonderful. I find the digital display for the z axis dies all the time, but thats about the only issue.

My y axis feed is a little hard to spin, I'm assuming its my own fault, and she needs some TLC after sitting in a non heated shop for a while before we moved. maybe some moisture got somewhere it shouldnt.

All in all, no complaints. I'm wanting a DRO for it, or possibly a CNC conversion. Busy bee sells both, but not at great prices. there's a 3rd party fellow that was making a cnc conversion kit, its still in development last I checked.

anywho, any other questions fire away.
[/QUOTE]


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