Warco Mill

[atomant48]

Anyone any views on the warco milling machines ? Just for home use - ability to move about a piece for placing holes and who knows where in milling operations … ? Something like this one below :

Warco WM 16 Milling Machine - High Quality Metalworking Mill

Fully guaranteed with free postage! Buy a WM-16 Milling Machine from Warco online

www.warco.co.uk

I am guessing there are better / bigger second hand etc but I don’t really have transport options and like the idea of a new machine. I’m new to this !!

 

[Easywelder]

For home use more than capable I think, yes there are second hand options but as you say transport could be difficult, you need to know what you are looking at and it all takes time and therefore money to find one. a new machine won’t be worn or damaged and if you look after it will stay in good condition as you won’t be wearing it out in a hurry, it shouldn’t depreciate too much as although Chinese made they have a reasonable reputatio.
I have the GH Universal in a commercial workshop but I only drill with it and it’s been very good done many thousands of holes, I use the dro and with machine vice and stop can drill hole patterns without any marking out. It’s not precision work so maybe someone can comment on this aspect.

 

[atomant48]

Thanks for the experience. I saw the GH ones but don’t really understand the difference - do they drive through a gearbox rather than straight on the motor ?

 

[Kram]

These little ones are quite tiny and not very rigid. For home use I think there are better options particually if your thinking of a new one from warco

What machines and space do you have?
I use my lathe for milling and drilling. It can be a pain to set up but for small items, more capable than the same size mill would be. I have zero spare space for a seperate mill.

 

[atomant48]

What machines and space do you have?
I use my lathe for milling and drilling. It can be a pain to set up but for small items, more capable than the same size mill would be. I have zero spare space for a seperate mill.

Only a drill press in that regard. Haven’t really got space for a lathe (the mill would go where the DP is). Am thinking I’d use the movable table for drilling holes more than the milling function.

 

[Kram]

Then I'd say a lathe would be far more useful if you can fit one like in the space - mine was a Warco wm240.

The smaller lathes are much less capable, people still manage decent work on them - I imagine it takes far more effort.

 

[addjunkie]

Expensive drill if your not going to mill…..a myford with a mill attatchment might be an option, but pricey though.

You really need both lathe and a mill.

Lots of the small bench mills sharp run out of space if you try to make something biggish, or machine a broken part.
the spindle nose to table measurment can be missleading as it doesnt include tool holders etc.

I have a major gh machine.

 

[premmington]

Expensive drill if your not going to mill…..a myford with a mill attatchment might be an option, but pricey though.

You really need both lathe and a mill.

Lots of the small bench mills sharp run out of space if you try to make something biggish, or machine a broken part.
the spindle nose to table measurment can be missleading as it doesnt include tool holders etc.

I have a major gh machine.

I use my mill for drilling - to be honest the mill has a big table and I can clamp things down and centre broken bolts up for "drilling out".

I hardly use my drill press since I bought a mill. Find it a bit "crude" now!

 

[RichardM]

Are you on Facebook? If so join the Warco group, They sometimes have 10% off offers with Warco.

GH18 I nearly bought one, yes they drive through a gearbox instead of using a DC drive motor. Some people say the quill dropped a little when milling, but I get the impression they did not lock it off. I hear the latest GH18 have a three phase motor and there is a XSY AT1 vfd in the electrics box allowing for the tapping facility.

I used to have a Chester 16VS, home playing capable as long as you don't want a big cut in steel. The Z wheel on the top of the column annoyed me after a while.

Warco sales room is only 75 (ish) mls from you if you want a trip out.

 

[atomant48]

I’m not on FB but a discount sounds good. Didn’t realise they were close - might make a trip out and have a play. Thanks.

 

[Chippie]

I have a 626 milling machine in my shop, got it from Chester UK, swapped out the motor for a 3 phase one and run it from a vfd….fully variable from 0 to max revs….
Not a fan of Warco machines nor of their ‘after sales service’ had some bad experiences. Sooner spend my hard earned pension elsewhere.

 

[striker]

I have a 626 milling machine in my shop, got it from Chester UK, swapped out the motor for a 3 phase one and run it from a vfd….fully variable from 0 to max revs….
Not a fan of Warco machines nor of their ‘after sales service’ had some bad experiences. Sooner spend my hard earned pension elsewhere.

I have the same, also fitted 3 phase and vfd. I have a dro too. I fitted a riser block like doubleboost's
Can't fault it.

 

[atomant48]

Thanks for that tip - hadn’t thought about Chester. I’ll take a look.

 

[pawsnizzy]

Got a Warco VMC (3 phase/VFD) - No complaints at all. I found both sets of sales staff, Warco AND Chester, hadn't got the faintest idea about any of their products, at either shows or on the phone!

 

[striker]

Got a Warco VMC (3 phase/VFD) - No complaints at all. I found both sets of sales staff, Warco AND Chester, hadn't got the faintest idea about any of their products, at either shows or on the phone!

I think this is the same as the Chester 626.

 

[atomant48]

Just had a look the Chester 20v looks pretty much the same as the warco 16 I was looking at - and a few hundred cheaper. They’re presumably a reasonable machine ?

 

[Kram]

I should really set it up again but this is an old video of what my lathe is capable of in milling mode. as you can see, very limited in travel.

 

[atomant48]

I should really set it up again but this is an old video of what my lathe is capable of in milling mode. as you can see, very limited in travel.

Thanks!

 

[Keith 66]

I have had experience of two warco mills, one in a college & the other in a school.
One had a casting shrinkage hole in its table about 20mm in dia. The school one was slightly better but both were agricultural to say the least.
The dials bore little relation to what was actually removed.
Give me a secondhand british or swedish machine anyday. I have an ex college Arboga U2508 & it is light years ahead in quality & accuracy.

 

[Chippie]

I forgot to add, yeah the Warco VMC is the same/similar to the Chester 626.....First job I did after the vfd/motor swap, was add a riser like Doubleboosts...( he lives not far from me...Hi John.. ) and a dro with a scale on the Z axis but not quill...