advice on buying a mill and lathe

If you have been using a genuine Bridgeport, you won't be happy downscaling to some of the smaller/cheaper foreign stuff. It depends a lot of what you are doing to determine IF the smaller stuff will actually do the job you want. The biggest problem is getting enough mass to keep the chatter down and gain the rigidity you need. There is a reason the Bridgport weighs 2200 pounds and the average Mill/Drill comes in at 600

I have found several reasonable Bridgeport mills in the $2000 range. At that price they will be belt change, no power on the table, and no DRO but still serviceable. Or you can try a Mill/Drill for $1000 new/ half that used.

-l> I'm a hobbyist and I make mostly small stuff like small parts and

A guy by me in Yonkers, NY has two southbend 10" lathes, belt drive, snap handle collet closers for about $2500 ea. Which I think is high. email me if yer interested. For small work you really should have a 5C collet system of some sort. Snap handle is the best, imo, but you also have spin lock, draw bar. He also has a variable speed Rockwell 10", snap handle, for under $2K, also kind of high. Have seen many 13" Clausings variable speed for $2500. All dealers. But the real deal was my compadre who got a full gear head Clausing Colchester, 13x40, snap handle, turret, for $2500. wow.... I happened to get a fantastic lathe for my purposes.... Some will laugh when I say Enco, but WHAT AN ENCO!!! goodgawd.... DRO, snap handle 5C, full tooling, cam-lock 3,4jaw chucks, turret, manuals, new bearings, oh, oh.... **full Aloris tooling**.... great guy, felt sorry for me, I won't even tell you the price.... You ain't lived 'til you've worked on a lathe w/ DRO and aloris tooling.... wow..... In many ways, I actually prefer this Enco to my buddy's Clausing Colchester. Esp. since my buddy's CC done broke recently. :(

The seller has permanent visiting rights, tho, to make sure I'm not abusing his baby.... :)

You gotta look, look, look. I put a Lathe/ Mill wanted sign at my tooling suppliers pickup counter, got a few calls. Good for the supplier, cuz now ahm buyin tooling like crazy.

Not *that* high, depending on condition.

Does that guy in Yonkers have any small milling machines (including horizontals) by any chance?

Jim

I think you put it correctly. You can assume the Grizzly lathes and mills are of the same quality as the ww stuff. The problem is, this isn't what you need for metal. The import machines work, I've had a couple of them. The machines you are using now almost certainly work better.

Steve

-l> I'm a hobbyist and I make mostly small stuff like small parts and

I'll email you his number, iffin I kin un-munge your addy! If anyone else wants it, drop me a line.