Help...

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freebullet

Guest
Got a 2 day 25%off coupon to harbor freight. The little milling/drilling machine is not excluded.

Please someone talk me out of ordering one.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
I have always been told by people that have used these combo machines that they are always a compromise, and that the "actual" work envelope is limited in them. I personally have taken the path of a machine-for-the-job, and that has always worked for me:
- drill/mill: started with a floor drill. then sold to get a table top mill, then locked out on my current Enco 8x30 knee mill

- lathe: started with the 7x, then the 8x, and finally saved enough for my current PM12x36 lathe.

If you are interested in smaller machines (size and budget) to get started, you can also look in here:
LittleMachineShop

Will
 

Ian

Notorious member
I'm not going to help you not spend the money. That little mill is the best machine of its kind that I could determine, you'd have to step up to a machine at least twice the price to get anything even a little better. I was going to get one with the coupon, but after hearing racket that the little gear-drive mills make on utoob vids, my ASD really got the better of me and I decided to invest two grand in a PM belt-drive machine even if it is more difficult to switch speeds for heavy drilling.
 

Ian

Notorious member
That's the one. The description "mill drill" is a little misleading since it doesn't have a quill that moves on the Z axis, but it has a fine feed knob to move the whole head. Be sure and get some R8 collets and a small mill vise for milling operations.
 

Ian

Notorious member
PM 25V I think is the model. Shipped without an X-axis power feed it will come in just under two grand. The three-axis dro option isn't worth $600 to me, and the $300 power feed is on backorder but I can add it later. A three-axis dro kit is $150 from iGauging on A-zon, could probably make that work if I decide it's essential later on.
 

wquiles

Well-Known Member
Ahh, know that I see the actual unit at HF, that is not bad for the price & 25% discount - I thought it was some dual/function machine hence my original answer above. That actual mini-mill was the same mini-mill I started with. If you make small cuts and take your time, it will work well. I had it for about a year or two before I moved to a larger machine since I was tired of only being able to make small, shallow cuts, and the "small" table limited me to a smaller vice that was not as good/stiff as the Kurt I have now.

For the HF unit, you can look at the upgrades on this one (basically the same machine) to see what can be improved if/when needed:
SIEG X2D Mili Mill

The LittleMachineShop sells a high-torque version from the SIEG that might be worth considering in this size class:
HiTorque Mini Mill

The PM-727m is definitely a much heavier and rigid machine, DRO, etc., but much, much more expensive, so not a fair comparison. My machinist mentor always says to buy the heaviest machine you can afford, as they also tend to be more rigid, allow for a larger piece to be milled, etc..

Will
 
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freebullet

Guest
Thank you for the input guys. I'm gonna try to resist the temptation of now in hopes of snagging the 727 later. Just have to make it through tomorrow.