Harbor Freight Mill/Drill

[Zumba]

I currently own a Jet Vertical Mill and an Industrial Hobbies mill. The Jet is a manual machine but the IH is CNC.

Harbor Freight's 20% off coupon will take this mill down to under $800 after tax.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=33686

Has anyone had any experience with this mill? ~$775 would be a great price for an experimental machine to convert to CNC. How good is the head and how good are the castings?

[Runner4404spd]

i have one similar to that and i'm converting it to cnc. going to give it a try. its not bad in terms of machining but resetting up the round column machines can take some time. however if you plan ahead its not too bad.

[OwenL]

Originally Posted by Runner4404spd but resetting up the round column machines can take some time. however if you plan ahead its not too bad.

I am in the process of building a dual linear slide to lock the rotation of my round column lathemaster. I'll post up pictures when I finish it up.

Owen

[sanddrag]

I've seen that machine in my local HF store. It isn't bad. I think it is a Rong Fu imitation. Not as good quality as Rong Fu, but adequate. It is quite a large machine though. The pictures don't nearly do it justice. I was shocked when I saw it in person. The sheer size of the thing.

[ViperTX]

Personally I would avoid it.....backlash......very existent.....

[phil burman]

I think most would agree that a round column mill is not the best starting point for a cnc conversion. However if you already have a round column then that’s a different matter.

Phil

Originally Posted by Zumba I currently own a Jet Vertical Mill and an Industrial Hobbies mill. The Jet is a manual machine but the IH is CNC. Harbor Freight's 20% off coupon will take this mill down to under $800 after tax. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=33686 Has anyone had any experience with this mill? ~$775 would be a great price for an experimental machine to convert to CNC. How good is the head and how good are the castings?

[PeteZ28]

Originally Posted by ViperTX Personally I would avoid it.....backlash......very existent.....

How is that really an issue though? Most people convert to ballscrews anyway; you'd be crazy not to.

[ViperTX]

Good point PeteZ28....missed that he was also going to CNC the HF...

[PeteZ28]

Originally Posted by ViperTX Good point PeteZ28....missed that he was also going to CNC the HF...

Actually, I looked at that mill at my local HF and I didn't think backlash was entirely that bad, especially for a Chinese machine. I guess it's as others have said countless times on this board though; if it fits together it passes quality control

[bryanrabb]

I was looking at this machine, and I noticed that they claim their dual lead screws are calibrated to "thousandths of an inch." How many thousandths?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47158

Are most of their machines junk, I have not heard any good things about them.

[sanddrag]

That is a Sieg X1 micro milling machine. It is not too bad actually. I saw it in person just a few days ago. I believe that one is graduated in .001 increments on the X and Y. I don't recall for the Z. Keep in mind though it is a very very small machine.