Thinking of buying a Bridgeport Mill

I think the original Series 2 weighed in the 4500+ range. The special or later BP 2 were smaller and lighter and had the lighter head. Yours looks like it is in the 3500 range which is a nice heft for an R8 machine. Lagun had wide tables which are nice. Dave
 
It's 4700 lbs, and I nearly killed myself unloading it off of the trailer. Like, literally. Don't fool with mass, it always wins.
 
And I thought 2,000 lbs. was tough!
 
@Just for fun - Have you looked at this one? A Supermax, going for $1500 ...
 
Impressive. I don't think Lagun makes a vertical mill that heavy anymore. The old FTV4 was in that range too.

I've tipped over a couple of machines and it is like watching in slow motion and being helpless. The 6K Rambaudi was scary with my old Towmotor so I understand the butt clench. The Moore was scary due to the heavy top and what seems like an undersized bottom- bad for machines. Dave
 

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Op should add Wells Index to the list. They had a good head and maybe a tad heavier than the BP 1. Company is still in business so parts and support are very good. Dave
 
Thanks for the link John,

But when reality sets in I need to stick with a smaller unit. I'm think a bench type mill like a PM-833TV.
 
Thanks for the link John,

But when reality sets in I need to stick with a smaller unit. I'm think a bench type mill like a PM-833TV.
You might think about one of the 2/3-size machines, like a Millrite. They are still knee mills, so have a great capacity, but are significantly smaller. They are typically 8" by 32-36" tables, so quite a bit smaller. The nice part is they tend to have the sames heads/functionality/similar rigidity to a full-size bridgeport, but are a smaller size!

PM has the 835S (https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-835smill/) which might be a great fit! Its about $1000 more than the 833TV, but the head improvements alone would be worth it IMO.
 
+1 on the 835S ... especially if you add the power drawbar. I've had mine for nearly a year now, and love it. But it does take up more space than the 833TV would. The 833TV is made in Taiwan, so quality is likely to be pretty good. On the 835S, the head is from Taiwan and the base from mainland China.
 
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