Looking at a small mill to play with...

[joshb]

Shop Fox m1111 or comparable Jet JMD 18. Anybody have one? Experiences?

 

[shortgrass]

Those round column mills s&4!. For the $2500 Amazon wants, you can do much better.

 

[dskogman]

I have a grizzly G0704 and for the money it’s hard to beat.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-7-x-27-1-HP-Mill-Drill-with-Stand/G0704
Not for heavy cuts on steel but good little
Mill for lite stuff

 

[hoz53]

I have a grizzly G0704 and for the money it’s hard to beat.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-7-x-27-1-HP-Mill-Drill-with-Stand/G0704
Not for heavy cuts on steel but good little
Mill for lite stuff

yes the G0704 is the same mill as the G0759, the G0759 just has the DRO and id add the power feed. its the one id get if i was buying a mill drill from grizzly.

 

[hoz53]

Those round column mills s&4!. For the $2500 Amazon wants, you can do much better.

OK much as i hate to agree with you on anything shortgrass you are right about the JMD-18 and round column mill drills. They suck

 

[hoz53]

Shop Fox m1111 or comparable Jet JMD 18. Anybody have one? Experiences?

you have a pm

 

[Dusty Stevens]

The actual cheapest and best option is to buy a used full size bridgeport. You can buy one tooled up for the price of the vise and half the tooling if you look. And its heavy and big enough to do anything you need instead of compromising and moving setups just to mill a barrel channel. Remember you cant use all of the table they advertise

 

[shortgrass]

I have a grizzly G0704 and for the money it’s hard to beat.
https://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-7-x-27-1-HP-Mill-Drill-with-Stand/G0704
Not for heavy cuts on steel but good little
Mill for lite stuff

If you can't take a decent cut on it, what good is it? It's not much more than a glorified drill press.

 

[Toolbreaker]

I'll second Dusty's recommendation on the B'Port. I've played with one of those round-column mills before and it's just frustrating, to me at least. A knee mill with both tilt and nod on the head is infinitely better and more versatile IMO.

 

[carlsbad]

If the round column mill drills are $2500, then I agree, they aren't worth it.

But I have one of the taiwanese ones in the corner that is a nice machine and I think I paid about $800 for it with a power feed. Think of it as a drill press on steroids. It will also do a lot of milling jobs while you're got jobs set up in your other machines. A hobbyist can get by with one but it makes most jobs much slower.

--Jerry

 

[JSH]

Precision Matthews
I have looked and read on small mills for a fair while. PM with their excellent customer support, over and above anyone else wins my $$$$$

You won’t get any argument from me on a GOOD used Bridgeport for the money.
The problem is finding one, in ones part of the country that is more than scrap.
The sales and auctions I have been able to attend or preview items in the past couple of years has shown me nothing. Equipment in non industrial parts of the country runs high for even well worn stuff.
I myself don’t need a new project. I am wanting a mill to
finish a few projects. Also not everyone has the room for a large full size mill.
I have gathered some tooling here and there for decent price. I have yet to run across a “package” deal with tooling that anyone with even the small amount of knowledge I have, would haul home and consider it a good thing.

The time,effort and gas I have put into chasing a good used mill would have bought a lot of new tooling and finished a lot of work.
But...........we all like a good chase;-)
Jeff

 

[joshb]

Please keep it coming. I’ll expound. I’m setting up my shop, here in Texas. I’m looking at drill presses. A good one is a grand or more. I’m “listening” to the guys that say “mills are better” than my hillbilly router method for doing stocks. I’ll only be cutting wood or aluminum with it.
I don’t have the room or the gumption for a Bridgeport (although the local tool guy knows a guy that wants to sell one for $16k and I know nuthin about ‘em.)
I hear ya on the round shaft problems. I’m listening.
Wifey has blessed my purchase of new equipment. I’ve ordered the bigger nicer table saw, jointer and band saw. I’ll be asking for forgiveness anyway, so.....

 

[akajun]

Look for a used Bridgeport or even a mill rite mill. If you have to buy a benchtop find a used classing 8520 or a rong fu 45.

 

[GenePoole]

I have the Jet JMD 18* (which is the same as several out there based on the Rong Fu 30). We picked it up used with ample tooling and a 3ϕ, 2HP motor for under $1k. It is a round column, but I don't get why all the hate. You don't use the column like a knee, you pick a spot for the work at hand and clamp it down. If you need more Z-travel than 6 inches of quill movement, then you probably DO need a knee mill, but I rarely find that this is the case with most of the gun parts and/or stocks that I work with.
(Edit: it's a JMD18, not 15)

 

[338 Mollett]

Be sure to bolt a small light machine to the concrete so you don't flip it taking a cut !Sooner or later you will need a heavier machine.

 

[shortgrass]

A full sized Bridgeport isn't a must when it comes to brand name. Sharp, Index, Gorton, Wells/Index or even a used 9 x 42 Jet will easily out do a mill/drill. There should be loads of used manual machine tools and machine tool dealers in and around Houston and Dallas. Look and you will find! The 'oil patch' is in a down turn right now. Could be an opportunity as shops are closing and besides, CNC is where "it's at' anymore. In this part of the world, traveling is common. Lots of times what you think you need won't be within arms reach.

 

[geo.ulrich]

Josh , If you have the blessing for the knee mill it will be alot more useful in the long run. If size is an issue a mill drill will work just a whole lot slower ....

 

[Dusty Stevens]

My current bridgeport was $1500. Its not a variable speed so it was overlooked by the people looking for machines from internet recommendations. I figure it had $7500 worth of tooling with it. The variable speed bridgeport sitting next to it was 10 years older and only came with a well crashed kurt vise and it sold for $3500. I think ive bought 4 real bridgeports and a kent and all were well tooled for under $2000. With a good machine you can always get your money back and with good skates, wood wedges and a crowbar you can put it wherever you want.

 

[Intheshop]

Bridgeport's,ARE small mills.

 

[hogpatrol]

Josh, Much depends on your accuracy requirements and how much table travel you need. If you see something that looks good, check how much travel you have on all axes. Moving the stock and trying to pick up the previous cut could be an issue.