Axminster ZX15M Mill/Drill

Does anyone have any experience/comments on this milling machine and its suitability for model engineering use? My main concern is the rather high bottom speed. It looks identical to the Chester Champion but from a supplier with a better reputation for service.

Russell.

thew loss of axial may not look too bad at first...I have a warco GH major and that sufferes badly with the same problem :( you suddenly realise there is 5mm less than you need to get that dam drill bit in....so a quick crank of the handle and there goes the datums :( Then again at the price...you have to give a little bit of leaway :(

cheers D

I have a Chester Champion (now upgraded to a Warco dovetailed column machine) which I am quite happy with - I still use it, but mainly as a better alternative to drill press). A very good and surprisingly robust machine for the money. The high bottom speed is a minor issue but if used within it's capabilities, this didn't present a problem. I have not tried Administer but (contrary to others experience) I had no difficulties with Chester (I bought a lathe from them as well).

Like others, I would always recommend a dovetailed column machine wherever possible because of the head re-alignment problems experienced whenever the need arises to lower or raise the head during an operation.

Mark

I have had a ZX25 for about 2 years if that is any help. In that time I have only had 2 faults:

1) The screw that holds the leadscrew in the table fell out, and jammed the table, took a bit of stripping down to sort.

2) Something went wrong with the gear that lowers the head. I don't know what, as a strip and reassemble fixed it.

I don't recall ever using the lowest speed anyway. I like the look of the 15 with the rotating head, but I get away with an angle vice (about £25 from Axminster) and a little Ajax horizontal miller. The 25 looks as though it can work a lot harder for about the same price.

Axm>Does anyone have any experience/comments on this milling machine and

Thanks for the replies chaps.

I hadn't thought of the head alignment problem. I guess it's just a case of thinking ahead (isn't it always?).

I had considered the ZX25 but thought that the tilting head might be an advantage - on the other hand most of the time it has to be set straight which may be a bit tedious to get right. Anyway I want a relatively light machine that I can put in the back of an estate car when I come to England in the summer. French prices are horrendous!

Regards, Russell.

Hello Russell, Could you give examples please. Which part of France are you in and does your equipment suffer from rust? I ask, because I am thinking of moving to France myself. Regards Geoff Norfolk - UK

Have a look at

for example. They have the equivalent of the Chester Conquest mill at 1325 euro and the smallest

25mm mill-drill at about the same price.

I am near Perpignan and there is certainly no problem with rust on tools here. Last winter we had a mild frost on two nights only! Ther seems to be very little model engineering activity here and what there is seems to be mainly in the north and east of the country, a bit like England I guess.

I retired and moved here just over a year ago and have no regrets.

Regards, Russell

Thanks for the response. Music to my ears the no rust part. Here in Norfolk everything rusts in front of my eyes. Very disheartening to say the least.

Cheers GeoffH Norfolk - UK

Russell, Did not check the obvious before sending you email :-) Remove nospam from mine. GeoffH

Hi Geof, Tried emailing you but neither of your addresses seem to work at present. The liamtoh.com one gives a host not found error and the hotmail one gives a site destination queue overflow. Try emailing me at russell @ eberhardt.org.uk removing the spaces. Russell.