What do you guys think of busy bee mills

[justCNCit]

KNEE MILL W/POWER FEED 1 1/2HP 220V - Busy Bee Tools

this is the biggest mill they sell, been toying with the idea of buying a mill, but it seems cheap. I understand the product coming out of China these days has been improving

and that you will have to take light cuts on a machine like this, but should I even be looking here? thanks.

[jeffrey001]

When you want to compare quality, very often, you could check for weight.

This give you an indication of how it is build.


Jeff

[justCNCit]

ok well what are some other good names that I could consider and compare to

please and thanks

[GD&T]

Originally Posted by justCNCit KNEE MILL W/POWER FEED 1 1/2HP 220V - Busy Bee Tools this is the biggest mill they sell, been toying with the idea of buying a mill, but it seems cheap. I understand the product coming out of China these days has been improving and that you will have to take light cuts on a machine like this, but should I even be looking here? thanks.

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For the kind of money this one is going to cost you, I would look for a used Bridgeport Mill (or even imported one from Taiwan)! The Drill/Mill (photo) is more for hobby type drilling than milling.

[Ark1]

What do you want to do with the machine. Are you just a model hobbiest or do you want to venture into something a bit more complicated.

For the money it seems kind of high. Personally I would look in your area for a used tool supply house and also auctions. Used tool suppliers purchase entire shops that have closed out, they clean up machines and tooling packages and sell for considerably less than new.

Take your time, learn a bit about the machines that are out there, go to their warehouse and look and ask questions. Tell them what you are looking for and where you are going to put the machine. If it weighs 2000 pounds the chance of sliding down the basement steps won't happen. If you have a shop or garage how high is the door and ceiling. For $4000 you may find a used machine that is in the 2000 LBS range with a cat 30 or 40 tool holder and lots of opertunity for tooling on ebay and used tool suppliers. Don't be afraid of the 3 phase units as phase converters and VFD are cheap now and leave you with options. What you will normally find with the smaller mills is that they are too small for most shops now to use in production and too large for most homeowners to put in their basement. I would never consider new as I know I can get better value for my dollar on a used machine.

Ark1.

[justCNCit]

Thanks. I am a hobbyist with a garage big enough for whatever machine they make. I'm thinking of building a garage with loft house over the next couple of years and am presently in school to become an engineering technologist.

I did complete a program on machining years ago, and spent a little time in the industry. I'll ask around and see what some of the instructors at school have to say regarding this idea...

[Ark1]

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertic...grade_cnc.html


This is the link to my machine that I have up graded to CNC. You are in Canada, you may find one of these as well.

Ark1.

[gerryv]

You might want to also check out and compare to MachineToolWarehouse in Cambridge, ON. GrizzlyTools also ships to Canada now. I was not at all pleased with the tech support or warranty support I got from BB.

[MadMax]

You'd do a lot better with a used JET or other manual mill in the 2000lb range. Keep an eye on Kijiji and Craigslist. They come up from time to time between $1500 and $2500. Sometimes they even come with DRO and coolant handling.

Craftex stuff is ok if you're tight on space or floor capacity and don't mind spending time worrying about backlash or flex. If your floor can handle it there are much better deals on the used industrial machinery market than in the new Craftex market.

[justCNCit]

Originally Posted by Ark1 http://www.cnczone.com/forums/vertic...grade_cnc.html This is the link to my machine that I have up graded to CNC. You are in Canada, you may find one of these as well. Ark1.

thanks very interesting write up