Need Help Deciding Which Equipment To Buy.

[KeithK]

Hi All.
I am a newbie and currently have a HF 7 x 12 mini lathe which I quickly out grew and am looking to pick up a larger one and a Mill which I don't have and would appreciated some feedback on my prospects. I have learned quite a bit on the HF lathe, I would like something that I can grow into that is pretty accurate, reliable and of course affordable. There is the possibility of CNC'ing the mill in the future, planning on learning how to build model engines and small to medium parts for bikes and such. Thanks in advance for your help.

Lathes under consideration

1) Grizzly G0752 = Seems to be a decent machine from what I can find online about it and comes with some extras that the SC8 doesn't come with and is smaller
2) Sieg SC8 = I like that the bed is longer has separate lead screws, looks like its built like a tank and has a power cross feed.

Mills under consideration

1) Grizzly G0704 = Nice machine but doesn't seem to be as robust at the G0619
2) Grizzly G0619 = Heavier more rigid unit with more features than the G0704

 

[brav65]

Hey Keith grizzly offers some great products. Check out Quality Machine tools as well. I have their mill a PM-25 which is equivalent to the GO704 with some added features. They have a couple of nice lathes that a lot of guys on the forum have purchased. Take a look under Precision Mathews here on the forum.

 

[ARKnack]

I'm not familiar with grizzle products but one thing I've learned is bigger is better. I have a nice Sourh Bend 9A and love it. Only problem I have is I am finding it is to small for some things I need to repair. Same with a mill. I have a nice small mill but came upon a Mighty Comet beast at a good price in good condition. I love it. If you have the room get big unless you know you will only be doing small stuff.

 

[mikey]

I think the Seig SC8 is a clone of the Emco Super 11, Chinese style. If so and they stayed close to the design then it would be a pretty good one. I have not seen one but I do own an Emco Super 11CD and I like it ... a lot.

 

[KeithK]

I'm not familiar with grizzle products but one thing I've learned is bigger is better. I have a nice Sourh Bend 9A and love it. Only problem I have is I am finding it is to small for some things I need to repair. Same with a mill. I have a nice small mill but came upon a Mighty Comet beast at a good price in good condition. I love it. If you have the room get big unless you know you will only be doing small stuff.

I am with you on Bigger is Better but I'm looking to keep things small as I don't have enough space for big equipment.

 

[KeithK]

Thanks for the info Mikey, I'm not familiar with EMCO equipment but will check it out.

 

[KeithK]

Hey Keith grizzly offers some great products. Check out Quality Machine tools as well. I have their mill a PM-25 which is equivalent to the GO704 with some added features. They have a couple of nice lathes that a lot of guys on the forum have purchased. Take a look under Precision Mathews here on the forum.

Thanks, I'll check them out and compare as well.

 

[countryguy]

For the G0704 types there is the super HOSSG0704 site. Check his info. http://www.migration.g0704.com/
It all depends what you want to use the gear for which determines the Mill size. I learned that you'll grow your skills and projects so fast that your small mill soon wants to become a bigger mill..... My question is what do ya want to do/make? If Aluminum and maybe softer steel (small feeds and speeds, small end mills) then it's OK. anyway- I did the small Mill and w/i 1 year had a large 30taper 2.4KLbs Mill in the Garage Most of us have no space, but we cram it in and take the beating from the misses Enjoy the hunt!!! It's a lot of fun too.
CG.

 

[joshua43214]

I have the SC8.
If you think your HF 7x is good, you will like the SC8.
Mine has issues with the some of the gears. It seems Sieg can not cut gears. There is another member on this forum with the SC10 and he is having issues with his feed rod.
I decided not to buy a PM lathe because of the wait time. I still do not have my SC8 fully operational after 8 months of ownership and intermittent tinkering. I have a definite issue with a gear being very out of round, and I suspect the lathe is cutting convex on facing (I need to do a proper test still). There are some very questionable design aspects, the spindle nose for example is unique to Sieg, the chuck does not mount consistently, and more suited to a 7x than an 11" lathe. DroPros is the only USA dealer of the SC8, and the only support they offer is to be an intermediary between you and the factory (Sieg's customer support is excellent btw). Items such as the pins used for mounting the chuck must be made in the shop, and any other lathe part will come from China. The lathe does have good points, it runs quiet and is more powerful than I expected. The ways seem to be ground absolutely perfectly and I could not detect any runout in the head stock taper. If I can sort out the gear issue to my satisfaction, I will probably replace the spindle with something that is not absolutely moronic.

I suggest making a list of features that you feel you must have, and a list of features that you would like to have. I also suggest making an Excel spreadsheet for comparing lathes. You will find very quickly that you only have to chose between a small number of lathes.
For me I had to have: 110v, under 500lbs, >9" swing, >28" BTC, partial gear box, imperial lead screw, reversible feed. Only three lathes fit all these criteria, the SC8, the PM, and the Bolton (shudder). All the other lathes that appeared to be the same failed on one aspect or another. The Grizzly lathes all seem to have only one good feature per lathe until you get to the bigger gun smithing lathes.

I also have a PM25 mill. It is an absolute gem. It is a very lightweight machine, but it cuts and works far better than I expected for a lightweight Chinese mill. If you can snag one, I would grab it over anything else in its weight class.

 

[KeithK]

Joshua
Thanks for your input, i think I'm going to change gears and get the Mill 1st and am now looking at the PM25. I will enhance my 7 x 12 a little bit and save for a new lathe.