Lathe & Mill choice

jfcayron

jfcayron

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Jan 31, 2012
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This is probably the ultimate noob question, but my searches came up short.

Due to space and budget constraints, I will have to go for a lathe/mill 3-1 combo or separate machines of a comparable size.

Now the big question is what brand to go for:thinking:. As far as 3-1 I am aware of
  • Smithy
  • Enco
  • Grizzly
And they offer comparable stand-alone units.

I've read a few testimonies of owners of one or the other, but what I am looking for is
  • Did I miss any obvious brands?
  • Are there fundamental quality differences among them?
  • Anything else I should be looking for?
  • Where are the best places to look for used equipment in that category?

Again, I'm sure there is a lot of those answers here, I was just not able to find them.

Thanks,
JF
 
JF,
A lot of the 3-in-1 machines are all made in the same factory and painted different colors according to the vendors requirements. I think one of the most common is the Rong Fu and it's clones. They are pretty simple and as accurate as you care to be. All of them do require a little TLC when you first get them home. Once cleaned and tweaked they do a great job. If you are looking at a RF the Horrible fright 44142 is the same as many of the others and is pretty cheap. Bolton also markets a nice 3-in-1 as well as Jet, Enco and others. If you have space issues and limited budget get a 44142, buy some good quality tooling and call it good. You won't have huge capacity, but you can do some respectable stuff for a reasonable entry fee. Grizzly also has a very respectable entry that several owners have added DRO and CNC to and ended up with a really nice machine. So the field is open, just have to decide what you want and pull the trigger. Hope this helps and have a great day!!!

Bob
 
If you decide to go with a mill only machine google the g0704 grizzly mill. There is a TON of information about it and turning it into cnc. Kits and parts available and one guy has turned his into 5 axis. I think it is at www.g0704.com
Youtube has a ton of his videos and it is a r8 spindle machine. Seems to have a great price right now too. I have an interest in cnc and will probably pick one up when the tax return comes in.

On the 3-1 machine, try craigslist as I see them all the time on their. Search a few areas and I am sure you will find one.

Chris.
 
If you absolutely have to have a combination machine, This is the only one I would consider

http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0516

It's a decent 10" lathe, with a Seig minimill bolted to the back of the bed. Later if you find a spot for a small mill, you can buy the minimill base and table assembly and move the mill column onto it.
 
Here's another option you may want to consider. I've never seen one, but looking at their site, they look more robust than most of the other choices - www.shoptask.com/


Corm
 
Thanks, Folks.

I find the G0704 very interesting. Since milling is my first priority, I may just go for it.

Still welcoming any other comment.
 
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