x3 vs HF 40939

[project5k]

ok, so here is where i'm at.. im looking at an x3 type machine from harbor freight, and im also looking at the small knee mill that they have... and i just dont know which way to go.. i have parked my cnc router project for now.. mainly due to a more imideate need for a mill... so i have 500 oz/in steppers, and driver boards..... and after reading and reading and researching.. my brain has just bogged down, and i dont know which way to go... I'm looking for suggestions, thoughts, experiences, anything... i really need a cnc mill, and I'm willing to put in the time that it takes to convert one... mainly cause i cant afford to buy one pre-setup...

here is the small knee mill im looing at....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40939

and here is the x3 type i'm looking at....
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42827

or maby this one?
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93885

also what are the pros/cons of an r8 taper vs the m3?

i have no milling experience.. but know that i have a tendancy to outgrow small tools quickly..

PLEASE HELP!!!!

[sanddrag]

I would go with the 33686 over the middle one (the 42827). The 42827 is a ZAY, but it is round column, and I dunno, I saw it in the store and it looked a little junky to me. I've never seen the small knee mill in the store, but I saw it on some other web page where some guy bought one, and it looks pretty nice to me. Enco sells a very similar one I believe. Anyway, you gotta consider the round vs dovetail column thing. I've heard the round column machines have rigidity issues when you extend the quill far out (beyond like 2 inches). On a dovetail column, you can move the whole head down.

[Runner4404spd]

2 things,

1. how soon do you need it? if you can wait a few months, the new industrial hobbies mills will be here. they are the biggest and most well built square column mill on the market. there is a new owner who will be importing these.

2. if you have to have one right away i suggest looking at wholesale tool (www.wttool.com). i'd get the one i listed below. its a little more than the knee mill you showed but has more capacity.

http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...ovetail_Column

[project5k]

ok, i will take a closer look at that unit.. i clicked over to the page and it looks to be a good mill, and i like the larger travels... means once i cnc that sucker i can make more parts in a single setup.. thats allways a good thing...

I'm still hoping that someone can help me to understand the pros and cons of an r8 taper vs a morse3.... i know the tail stock on my mini lathe is a m2, so whats the differences? anyone have opinions on one better than the other? is tooling more expensive for one that the other, or maby easier to find???

[Runner4404spd]

stick with the R8 setup. MT3 is fine but its not as widely used as the R8. R8 is an industry standard and theres tons of stuff available.

[project5k]

well thats good to know.. one thing i hate is getting a new tool, only to find out that i went the beta direction instead of the vhs... and now theres no support... hehehe ok bad analogy, but you get the point...

ok, so i'll keep r8 in mind... any other suggestions??

I'm looking to move on this fairly quickly, meaning i want it here by the end of jan. give or take on shipping...

I would really love to get a good used brigy, but something tells me thats just outta my price range... i can make 1400 work, but it emans that i'll have to wait till the next couple paychecks come in to get all the tooling and bits i want... if i go with a slightly cheaper machine, then i can get more pieces now... i guess putting more into the machine and waiting on all the parts would be the better move, at least then i have a better machine and not some 600-1000 pound thing that im not happy with...

where i'm trying to equip a 2400 sq-ft shop, size isnt a problem.. only that it will do the small stuff i wanna do, that i can convert it to cnc eventually, and it has the cap. to do the bigger stuff i wanna do...

[sanddrag]

If you have the power for a bridgeport, you might consider it. Just a couple days ago I saw a nice Bridgeport with powerfeed and DRO go for $1250 at an auction. You might check out if there are any auctions near you.

[project5k]

well thats one thing that i have been looking for is some place that might have a auction.. i have a full 200A 220 single phase service going to my shop.. i would hope to find a 1 phase machine, but worst case, i would either have to change out the motor, which is fine.. or have to get a rotary converter... i would almost rather change the motor, i know more about that than i do about the rotart phase converters....

the question is where can i go to look for auction announcements??? the local paper is useless....hardly worth even putting in a hampsters cage....

suggestions?

[project5k]

also i was wondering about this one....

http://www.wttool.com/product-exec/p...illing_Machine

[Runner4404spd]

the main reason i stayed away from this one is the fact that the travels are limited. i had about that much travel on my RF-25 clone. so when i decided to step up the the next logical step was the RF-45 clone. and aaron at IH had the biggest on they made.

[project5k]

but correct me if im wrong, arent most all the RF machines round column? that just scares me... seems to me that if i get into some heavy cutting that that head will swivel around like the head on my old drill press when its not locked in place....

[project5k]

ok, so after looking and reading and looking some more and reading and now having a headache... i think i've decided to go with an x3 type machine.. It should do all i need a machine to do, and with all the cnc conversion kits im finding online, seems the way to go.. so, now for the questions...

first, who do i buy it from? there are several sellers, and whats this about the super vs. standard? is the table bigger or something and whats the price diff? who can ship quick, any one have any horror stories on this? who's got the best price?

second, i have 3-500 oz-in nema 23 steppers, and so thats what im thinking of using.. do ya'll see any potential problems with this?

i'm seriously thinking the only way to go is ballscrews... that way once i make the conversion, im done... thoughts?

one thing that i'm a little afraid of is starting into the conversion, and figuring out that i need a mill to do it, and having it all apart.... or are these kits set up so that i wont need a mill to make the conversion?

my thinking is to get the mill soon, and then save up a little for the cnc conversion kit, and in the meantime i can use it manual... thoughts? or should i wait and just get it all at once...never having had a cnc machine, or a milling machine, seems to me that some manual education wouldnt hurt...

any thoughts, suggestions, ideas or brainfarts are needed.. i'm really in over my head, and need some expereinced guidance....