Which mill to buy?

[Burdekin]

OR: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Milling-M...980?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1c32513c74

 

[Wallace]

Much better option for a tad more if X travel isnt a major concern. R8 option too.
http://www.chestermachinetools.com/626-turret-mill-3999-p.asp

Had dealings in the past with Warco, rude arrogant customer service is a mellowed understatement. Make sure items are in stock ready to ship, or be prepared for a long wait as in many many months then hope its not sent elsewhere.

The Chester 626 is pretty much the same as a Warco VMC. I was looking to buy a VMC mill from Warco on the day I returned one of their "Formit" sheet metal machines that was faulty beyond belief expecting a good will discount off the mill. I was told they could not possibly offer me a discount on the VMC or any compensation for the inconvenience caused as it was not their fault so I went elsewhere and I have been advising people to do the same since. Sound familiar? I wish I had seen the Chester 626 at the time, I would have bought one and sent their customer service a photo of it in situ.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Headache!
I have now heard mixed reports regarding service from Warco. I admit I am liking the Chester 626. The table on the Z-axis is far more appealing that moving the head. I have seen modifications that can be done to raise the head on the 626 giving more Z room. The shorter Y and X travel is a pain but I could live with that. I am not keen on the speed changing via the belt system however, would much prefer a geared system.
So much to weigh up.

Someone on here snubbed the Chester Lux. Would you be of the same oppinion for the 626?

 

[Hopefuldave]

That Harrison looks a good machine, if I had the spare change and wasn't putting my workshoppery in storage (don't ask...) I'd be straight there to check it over...

Dave H. (the other one)

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

That Harrison looks a good machine, if I had the spare change and wasn't putting my workshoppery in storage (don't ask...) I'd be straight there to check it over...

Dave H. (the other one)

I was umming and erring that one. At a squeeze it would fit in my workshop and be workable. Problem its 2.5 hours drive to view it, transporting it is on the err side and its 3 phase

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

I was umming and erring that one. At a squeeze it would fit in my workshop and be workable. Problem its 2.5 hours drive to view it, transporting it is on the err side and its 3 phase

How difficult would it be to convert to single phase? what size motor would be suitable?

Also how difficult would it be to break down for transporting?

 

[Hopefuldave]

Best conversion would be a cheap VFD... IMHO.

The table, vertical head and overarm would be relatively easy to remove, but a tilt bed trailer with a winch is only 30-40 a day to hire if you have a tow available, depending on weight it might go in a tail-lift Luton van - it's not 8feet tall like a Bridgeport, Beaver etc. Bits of scaffold pole make great rollers for shifting, moved my 2 ton lathe on 'em with assistance from my lad and his mates-

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

Dont need to convert, buy an inverter, fine for things like motors, its only realy welders that cant work with them!

 

[ronan]

That little tom senior in my ebay link is a far better machine than the chinese boat anchors you are looking at, ditto the harrison in burdekins link. Made of the correct materials to proper tolerances and heat treated , some terms the chinese and indians have yet to learn. I would be very surprised if that tom senior would fit (dismantled of course) into the back of a small van or estate car.

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

Are the quills in the Senior's and Harrison's stationary or can they be used for drilling as on a standard vertical? Im not too familiar with the horizontal machines.

 

[Burdekin]

We picked mine up from near Stafford and drove back up to Aberdeen. It's 5ft tall I think from memory so would have been a pita in a covered trailer so I just hired a trailer from the guy I normally get them from. Trailers a cheap, £80 for 5 days I think it was. As you can see from the pics not the easiest access to my workshop as it's on a slight hill and very tight and I can't reverse a trailer into the drive so my wife and I had to push it in in the snow. Then I built a timber frame to lift it off with my chain block, then put it on my trolley onto a pallet, then used a pallet truck to move it round and pushed it into the workshop, then had to cut a hole in a wall to move it into the location where it lives in my workshop, finally job done. It sounds like a hassle but it all went smoothly and was a bit of an adventure and worth it in the end.

I would recommend a Boost energy 3ph converter, I did a wee write up on here if you are interested. More intitial outlay butit also runs my lathe and is plug in and off you go basically.

 

[Pete.]

Warco you say?

Here's the one I bought...

 

[Hopefuldave]

The Tom Senior looks to have a fine quill feed, nit a drill feed as such. The Harrison has a fixed spindle - I think there was a vertical head made with quill feed, but that'll be a ''saved search' on eBay....
For boring (as opposed to drilling) you can always crank up the knee, more accurate, or for drilling you could always turn the head through 90 and use the power feed on the table... May need some fixturing on angle plate, but it works?
Of the two, the Harrison would be my choice, the Senior is round column so hard to keep aligned if you need to raise/lower the head when changing tools nowhere near as stiff, no power feed on the table...

 

[Tiggy_dorset]

The horizontals seem to be a pita when comes to drilling. I would expect to be doing as much drilling as I would milling. I might have to disregard them from my search.

I may come across as being picky and choosy, I am sorry, but I can assure I do value everyones input so far. I am trying to weigh up so many variables.

Pete, the condition of your Warco is awful. I think I have pretty much knocked Warco off my list.

I am still viewing a few possibilites on ebay which may be ok for the right price. I have a week to wait though.
Any more oppinions on the Chester 626 are welcome as it is still on my list of maybe's. It ticks most of the boxes as long as quality is reasonable for fairly light/medium use with customer care as backing.

Thanks again.

 

[Wallace]

Warco you say?

Here's the one I bought...

Was that a second hand machine or new Pete?

 

[Hopefuldave]

You might think Secondhand have usually been improved by the previous owner...

 

[Burdekin]

The horizontals seem to be a pita when comes to drilling. I would expect to be doing as much drilling as I would milling. I might have to disregard them from my search.

I may come across as being picky and choosy, I am sorry, but I can assure I do value everyones input so far. I am trying to weigh up so many variables.

Pete, the condition of your Warco is awful. I think I have pretty much knocked Warco off my list.

I am still viewing a few possibilites on ebay which may be ok for the right price. I have a week to wait though.
Any more oppinions on the Chester 626 are welcome as it is still on my list of maybe's. It ticks most of the boxes as long as quality is reasonable for fairly light/medium use with customer care as backing.

Thanks again.

You should also consider a decent mill is an investment which will keep it's value or even go up, a Chinese one will only depreciate over time.

 

[Keith 66]

If you are tight on space the Swedish Arboga machines are very good quality, actually a combined mill & drill they nevertheless do a fine job of milling.

 

[Pete.]

Was that a second hand machine or new Pete?

Second hand, but those cavities didn't grow in the casting and the marks are all original tooling - there's no wear on the machine anywhere which is no surprise since the base is twisted and the Y-slide either binds like crazy or wobbles.

 

[Hopefuldave]

YouTube - search 'Chinese spotting technique revealed'....