What Beginners Mill to Buy

epanzella said:
When I was shopping for my first machine (lathe) every one told me that used American iron was a better value than a new Chicom machine. Well I bought a used Logan and beat my head against the wall for years trying to do even moderately accurate work on that machine. The bed was worn but I didn't have the experience to figure that out nor the knowledge to fix it. Tired of filing and sanding things to size I bought a new Grizzly G4003G. In a week I was getting great finishes and working to .001" was easy. My point is that things that what works out well for an experienced machinist may not be the best move for a newby.
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Plus, when you buy a new machine, it is operational the day it arrives.
Many of the old machines need some kind of restoration work before they are safe to even power on.
 
Look at the PM 30-MV. It has a little more Z distance then the 25. Also more HP and more spindle travel. The spindle travel is a big deal. 3" vs 2". You will soon get tired of cranking when changing tools or drilling. If you can afford the extra money, you will be able to do just about anything you want with a 30.
 
By the way. Buying the machine is the least expensive part of the deal. You will soon find out that the tooling costs as much or more than the machine. If time is on your side and you can plan your projects several months in advance, at least at first, you can take advantage of good deals on Ebay & machinery sales. I am currently working on steam engines for this summer. Finding plans, materials and seeing how I have to do the machining in order to make hold downs.
 
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