Selling an EMCO FB-2 milling machine.

Mark Rand 16 years ago

A colleague at work has had a relative die and is trying to sell a milling machine for the widow.

The machine is an EMCO FB-2. These are almost as common as hens teeth in the UK. and are a bit like one of the Chinese mill-drills would be if it were designed and built without thought to price.

It's got a six speed MT2 head with a 2ft by 6" table. It's sitting on the factory cabinet stand and has the original EMCO power feed. Not a lot of accessories, but there is an EMCO angle plate ( the b!stard that bought the fellow's S7 stole the EMCO dividing head) a boring head and a fly cutter.

Condition is excellent. It has genuinely barely been turned on.

I've said to him that the best options for sale are to estimate a price and try on John's lad and Charles' homeworkshop site followed by a well written advert on EBay with a low starting price and a reasonable reserve.

I've guesstimated that it could be worth anywhere between £800 and £2000 if he find's someone who likes it. Has anyone got any better ideas for value?

Mark Rand RTFM

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David Littlewood 16 years ago

In article , Mark Rand writes

Hi Mark,

Home & Workshop are advertising one now for £2750 + VAT. That has power X-feed, coolant tank and DRO

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I have had one since the 80s. It is a very nice machine, bit light for heavy milling but frankly for home use you can always do it in 4 cuts instead of 2. With DRO it makes a brilliant jig borer - I only ever use my drilling machine for woodwork these days (saves cleaning sawdust off the FB2) and do a lot less marking out than before. Pity about the rotary table (I think I would call it that rather than a dividing head - don't know they ever made one of those for it) as it's a nice piece of kit.

The only problems I have had with mine are (a) the coolant tank sprang a leak and dumped its contents over the workshop floor and several Stuart Turner kits, (b) most of the plastic glands on the cable entry points have broken, and (c) the spindle has developed a very slow leak (slow as in, needs the gearbox topping up every couple of years). The X feedscrew nut needs tightening, which means removing the Y DRO scale - but with the DRO I can live with the backlash a bit longer.

Thinking about it, I certainly wouldn't put it on at less than £1500, and at that price someone would be very lucky.

If you need copies of the instruction book or sales literature I can help.

David

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Charles 16 years ago

Nowt to do with me guv. It's now a Stevenson family affair (which is why it's also technologically far more advanced)

Charles

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