Mill with rotary table vs 3-in-1

[Marco M.]

Hi everybody,
I consider myself an absolute beginner (I only had used a lathe a few times in high school).
I am considering buying my first machine, but I have a very limited space available and a budget of about 2500$.
I would like to be able to perform both milling and turning jobs, so at first, my idea was to buy a 3-in-1 like a Smithy Midas 1220LTD. I have however read that the mill is not very rigid and this could considerably lower the quality of the results.
Would buying a mill and a (vertical) rotary table be a better choice or not? Why?
Will be there some jobs that I will not be able to do with this setup?

Thank you and Regards!

 

[Bob Korves]

3-in-1 machines are quite limited in rigidity, capacity, and travel. Some users love them and are able to work around the limitations. They definitely take up much less space than the combined individual machines of the same capacity. So if space is really a limitation, and you only want to do smaller and lighter work, it may be a decent choice. Mini machines might also be a possibility (mini mill, mini lathe, mini drill press.) If you have the room then I recommend full size machines, though there is a lot of latitude in size with them. They can be bought used for roughly the same sort of money as 3-in-1 machines and new mini machines, when including tooling. The lathe is the basic machine tool, and I would start out with it. You also have some experience with lathes, so getting started would be easier. As always, much depends on what you think you want to make or repair with the machines.

 

[den-den]

Hi everybody,
I consider myself an absolute beginner (I only had used a lathe a few times in high school).
I am considering buying my first machine, but I have a very limited space available and a budget of about 2500$.
I would like to be able to perform both milling and turning jobs, so at first, my idea was to buy a 3-in-1 like a Smithy Midas 1220LTD. I have however read that the mill is not very rigid and this could considerably lower the quality of the results.
Would buying a mill and a (vertical) rotary table be a better choice or not? Why?
Will be there some jobs that I will not be able to do with this setup?

Thank you and Regards!

It certainly depends on what you plan to make but for most, a lathe is more important than a mill if you can not have both.

 

[RJSakowski]

It is possible to carry out some lathe-like machining on a mill with an RT but it is not ideal. There is a reason for a lathe as there is for a mill. An RT adds capability that neither a mill or lathe alone can offer but that capability is limited in scope. On the other hand, a combination lathe/mill/drill is inherently a compromise. It is necessarily a relatively small work envelope. I don't like the idea of tearing down the setup for one mode of operation to set up for another.

My preference would be to have a separate mill/drill and lathe. As to which one would be a best acquisition, that's a toss-up. It depends upon where your needs and interests lie. I started with a lathe and drill press. It soon became apparent to me that I needed a mill in order to make certain projects. I added an RT which gave me additional capability. I have since acquired a CNC mill which further expands my capability.

If budget, space, etc. prohibited separate machines, I guess I would opt for the 3 in 1.

 

[Aukai]

Marco, will you be able to get/have room for both machines, or is this a one shot deal?

 

[Marco M.]

Thank you all for the hints.
For me it's clear that buying two separate machines would be better.
In this case however the space and budget must be "shared" by the two.
My basement is about 250x200cm and I can use at most 150x90cm for the working area.
All of you have suggested that I start with a lathe: will I be able to do even basic stuff with it? Example: a couple of weeks ago I had to shorten a square tube (1/4" walls) and drill some 10mm holes in it... I used an hacksaw and an hand drill. I see how a mill could have helped me in this case... but how about a lathe?

 

[Aukai]

Tough call on this one, my mill makes a great drill press, and I have put it to use for other projects, but felt lacking without the lathe. A rotary table with a chuck. and tail stock may be able to get you by. The experts will need to chime in.

 

[Dave Paine]

You can mount square or rectangular stock in a 4 jaw chuck. It will be an interrupted cut. I would cut off with a hacksaw, then face off on a lathe.

You can make a jig for the lathe to mount a drill guide in a tool holder. Good for drilling on centreline or within the vertical movement of the tool holder. A video to illustrate.

Space and budget constraints are very common. I have my own constraints but it seems your shop space constraint is much worse than mine.

 

[dulltool17]

My machine:http://grizzley.com/products/Combo-Lathe-Mill/G9729?utm_campaign=zPage&utm_source=grizzly.com

As Bob says, it has its limitations, primarily rigidity. I find the lathe to be solid and very capable; the mill, being the "add-on" part of the machine, not so much so. I bought a 4-jaw and machined the extra backplate that came with to adapt it. I also have a 5" mill vise that I use, as well as a 6" rotary table. I've also devised a number of creations to overcome most of the mill's limitations. In a few years, when I retire, I will be selling it and going for better equipment. To-date, I'd say I've got maybe $2900 into everything, but I stopped counting when I got to small/replenish.ble tooling

 

[tweinke]

In my opinion having started with a 3in1 machine, If you have time and patience the 3in1 will make parts that fit in its work envelope. I think the Smithy machines are probably the more refined of the 3in1 machines. I found it a bit of a pain to get parts to a height that was acceptable for milling at times. You will probably not be hogging material off with the mill like you see in some videos on the net but reasonable depth cuts work out pretty well. Quality of work will mostly depend on you and your setups. One thing you will learn quickly due to the combination mill/lathe is work order needs to be well thought out or you will spend a lot of time switching back and forth between lathe and mill. Can you make good parts with accuracy that also look good, yes you can. If I wouldn't have bought my Shoptask 1720xmtc used I never would have been able to start in this hobby so I will not put down 3in1 machines. Hopefully this helps you, just remember to get the biggest machine or machines you can fit in your budget and space.