I need some help identifying older mini-mill. I found on in a local ad, I've been interested in buying one for awhile now, but just recently obtained a job and finished school. I've been looking into the X3's, when I found this one in the ad.

It's a central machinery (Harbor Freight) made in 1997.
I believe the p/n was 35845 or 35485. I can't seem to find any information on it. It's 1 HP, R8 spindle.

Anyone familiar with this product?

I'm trying to determine if this is worth purchasing or just going out and buying a new X3.

I think you already know the answer to your question. Do you really want to buy a discontinued mill with no remaining dealer support? (Not that HF offers much in this department for NEW mills.)

If the old mill is a round column--It is useless for cnc conversion.

Get the X3 from Grizzly.

http://www.grizzly.com/images/manuals/g0463_m.pdf

It comes with a one yr warranty and excellent tech support. Hopefully that way you'll spend time making chips instead of trying to make something work.

CR.

I think you already know the answer to your question. Do you really want to buy a discontinued mill with no remaining dealer support? (Not that HF offers much in this department for NEW mills.)

If the old mill is a round column--It is useless for cnc conversion.

Get the X3 from Grizzly.

http://www.grizzly.com/images/manuals/g0463_m.pdf

It comes with a one yr warranty and excellent tech support. Hopefully that way you'll spend time making chips instead of trying to make something work.

CR.

Interesting, yeah, I had thought about it since it's 800 obo with stand and a decent amount of tooling/measurement equipment.

Well, that stuff adds up. Is the tooling something easily transferrable to another mill, like R8? Is all that stuff alone worth most of the price of the mill? Are you looking for a project? Could you keep the stuff and sell off the mill? Only YOU can answer these questions.

CR.

Well, that stuff adds up. Is the tooling something easily transferrable to another mill, like R8? Is all that stuff alone worth most of the price of the mill? Are you looking for a project? Could you keep the stuff and sell off the mill? Only YOU can answer these questions.

CR.

Actually, I don't have enough information in that area to answer those questions either. There was a decent amount of tooling and what not, but I certainly don't have enough knowledge in that area to know values.

A really good vise, like a Kurt, or a really good rotary table, could exceed the value of your entire purchase price. In order to determine the worth of the purchase, you have some research to do. Please allow me to begin your education by pointing you in a direction to start:

http://grizzly.com/

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm?&KNC-T7L391316886

http://kbctools.com/

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM

http://www.mcmaster.com/

This is only the tip of the iceburg--But I don't want to overload you.

CR.

A really good vise, like a Kurt, or a really good rotary table, could exceed the value of your entire purchase price. In order to determine the worth of the purchase, you have some research to do. Please allow me to begin your education by pointing you in a direction to start:

http://grizzly.com/

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/nnsrhm?&KNC-T7L391316886

http://kbctools.com/

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRHM

http://www.mcmaster.com/

This is only the tip of the iceburg--But I don't want to overload you.

CR.

I'm familiar with all but one of those sites. Thank you though.