Which mill should I get?

Pcmaker said:
Just looked up toe jack sand they're a lot more expensive than I thought.
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You can get a 2.5/5T toe jack for under $100.
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I bought this 5T/10T for about $200 because I didn't want to wait for the smaller one to get into stock. It seems like a good tool for the money.

10T toe jack - Google Shopping

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I think I paid $80 for mine last year, but my memory is like a sieve. It's being used a lot, both by me and by those who wish to borrow it. It was a wise purchase. Keep the action as close to the ground as possible, because gravity lever lets up. I have the smaller jack, but it manages my 4500 lb. mill just fine. That's tilting the machine to put dunnage or skates underneath, not a flat out lift, so partial load.
 
There are lots of opinions on the internet, here’s another:

1) moving a Bridgeport by the eyebolt is shown in the manual. Last time I checked the load rating of a 5/8-11 It was 5600 pounds.
2) Renting a forklift sounds good, but driving one is not trivial and in a few seconds, you can do untold damage. The last one I rented, for example, automatically and surprisingly shifted between Forward and reverse every time I clutched. Wow, was that annoying.
3) and, my driveway was on a slope, even more scary.
4) I also moved my 2500 pound lathe with the HF hoist. Remember, you don’t have to carry it around higher than a half inch or so.
5) I am sorry to see so many looking at PM for a smaller mill. Like airplanes, to save money, buy your last mill first. I cannot imagine a hobby machinist would not be satisfied ending up with a Bridgeport or equivalent. At least, I beg you, get the biggest PM mill You can fit.
6) A drop trailer is a terrific solution For most moves.

That’s it. For now.
 
Moving these machines can be a challenge. When you live on a dirt road in the boonies it takes extra effort. That's my PM 1340 going down a hill, my house is in the background. I also had the PM935 mill moved the same day.

If you want it bad enough you'll find a way.


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davidpbest said:
Looking back over the comments above, I feel compelled to comment on taking delivery of a large piece of equipment like a knee mill. I have never used an engine hoist, and can't imagine why I would. Instead I rent a forklift. Where I live (Portland Oregon) a forklift that will handle 4,000+ pounds and fit through an 82" garage door costs $130/day and a $50 delivery and pickup fee. So $230, and if you get it on a Friday, you have the use of it for the weekend without additional charge. If you can arrange to have your equipment delivered on the day you have a forklift on hand, you can avoid the $50+ liftgate fee. Having a forklift really liberates you to easily get the beast off the pallet, install leveling feet, and move it around.

Most of the forklifts I have rented have forks that can be turned upside down for getting tall machines into height-constrained spaces. Here are a couple of photos that illustrate how I dealt with all this.

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The fork upside down thing is genius. I had the clearance for the forks...but the safety cage was a different story. Had to remove it. I like the way your mind works.
 
I rented a gantry crane to get my ~2500 lb mill off a flatbed trailer. I then used a pallet jack to move it to its final location. I decided I liked its height on the pallet, so I built a stand with leveling feet of approximately the same height. Space is tight in my shop, so I built a wooden gantry around the mill, and used a 2 ton chain hoist to pick it off the pallet, and swap in my stand.
When getting it off the flatbed, I used straps to lift it. When lifting it off the pallet, I used a properly rated eyebolt.
There were no problems or incidents, at any point.
 
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