Anyone have an opinion on the Grizzly lathe and mill combinations? I have the opportunity to pick one up fairly cheap.
I have an option on Grizzly tools. Don’t buy them.
Bob,
I retired from the the tool and die trade (specifically a die sinker making press and drop forging dies) with over forty years in this trade. Been machining for over 55 years. That said, DON’T buy a lathe/mill combo. There is no rigidity in the machine for doing any kind of nice work. And forget any accuracy :). You would be better off to buy a separate mill and lathe. JMHO
Granted everything Gary said. And that basically goes for all Chinese-made machine.
But lacking space, sometimes they are the only option. That said, this is among the best and is an updated version of my machine (~$6K) though Grizzly and Smithy have better support.
Problem is that when they added all the CNC features, they removed the basics like manual and power feed.
Combination machines by definition are less than a single purpose machine
because compromises are made to each machine configuration to accommodate the
the other machine. Or like Gary said “don’t buy a lathe/mill combo”(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Grizzly machines can have their problems but depending on your purpose of
having a machine tool they can be more than adequate. For gunsmithing or other super
precision machine work I would be somewhat skeptical of a Grizzly machine but for general
machining by a hobbiest they can be just fine if set up and checked out correctly.
Buy a lathe then buy a mill, much better option.
Just my opinion
Rick
Combination machines by definition are less than a single purpose machine
because compromises are made to each machine configuration to accommodate the
the other machine.
Oh, like my “smart phone”, that is a raunchy phone, a poor web browser and a mediocre camera.
Bob, what make and model combo machine are you considering?
And I also don’t recommend a combo machine, but if it is available at a “steal” price, why not.
I have a Grizzly Mini Lathe and Mini Mill both of which have been modified and upgraded with products from LittleMachineShop.com, great folks to deal with and they have added support for other models and makes as time has passed.
Some of you may have attended the Cabin Fever Expo that used to be held in York but has moved to I think Lebanon, PA. The Little Machine Shop folks come from Pasadena, CA to the Cabin Fever Expo and have a great booth.
I’m not a machinist by a long shot, but I did have a Bridgeport milling machine and a South Bend 9X36 lathe. Years back I bought these machines from a small local machine shop that went out of business. I don’t miss either machine, however I had some mental adjustments to make before I “got into” these mini machines, but now I’m good to go with them other than a 7" swing on the lathe is not enough for some of my projects.
If the key word is FAIRLY CHEAP then it might be ok, Particularly if you don’t expect to much. Don’t expect it to represent each model as if it was just a small version of lathe or a small mill, because it is not.
I don’t care what brand you buy.
Dennis
It’s the 9729. I can get it for about $800. Has some tooling and some extra bits.
David Maynard said:
Combination machines by definition are less than a single purpose machine
because compromises are made to each machine configuration to accommodate the
the other machine.
Oh, like my “smart phone”, that is a raunchy phone, a poor web browser and a mediocre camera.
No need to be a smart ass, we are talking about machinery not electronics.
Do you own combination machines or single purpose machines?
Rick
Bob McCown said:
It’s the 9729. I can get it for about $800. Has some tooling and some extra bits.
Bob, that is a large machine for hobby work, should be more than adequate for small projects
if it is stable.
My only concern would be why it is being sold on the cheap. what are the sellers motivations?
Just getting out of the hobby, upgrading to a bigger/better machine, the thing just can’t be trued up,
wobble in the shafts, bad bearings???
Just makes one wonder
Rick
It’s surprisingly tight and in good shape. Nothing feels loose, sounds ok.
Bob McCown said:
It’s the 9729. I can get it for about $800. Has some tooling and some extra bits.
The G9729 machine new is $2,050 plus $150 shipping. The shipping weight is 692 LBs, so the machine probably weighs 600-650 LBs. The milling part probably can be removed to reduce the weight and the top heaviness handling it. The headstock may be removable and the tailstock should be removable which would reduce the weight and make moving it easier.
The machine is shown on the grizzly website and a parts breakdown is also available.
Providing it isn’t rusty and everything works, I would go for it.
I am planning a trip to Fostoria, OH on Tuesday and had planned to stop at the Grizzly store in Muncie, PA on the way but I just found out that this store was closed last year, bummers!!! Will do some railfanning and attend the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society Railfest on Saturday Sept 24th then head back to CT.
Same machine. May be of interest and give you an idea of what may be involved.
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=103806
Gary Armitstead said:
Bob,
I retired from the the tool and die trade (specifically a die sinker making press and drop forging dies) with over forty years in this trade. Been machining for over 55 years. That said, DON’T buy a lathe/mill combo. There is no rigidity in the machine for doing any kind of nice work. And forget any accuracy :). You would be better off to buy a separate mill and lathe. JMHO
I certainly agree. I have no real favorite brands except to say that a used American Milling machine and a used American lathe would be my first choice for something to look for. What do I have? 1. A Webb Milling machine, made in Taiwan and 2. an Enco 13 X 40 lathe, both of which I’ve used for more than 20 years with great results on model railroading items. These were all I could find back in the 1990’s. They are great for model railroading, too. I made a bell for my LGB 20232 Steamer on the lathe and also repaired the broken wheels on my USA Trains GP7/9 with some spacers to repair the cracked plastic center gears. I’ve done many other little jobs, too. You can even mill wood on a vertical milling machine.
If i had the space (and power drops, and money) I’d get a nice Bridgeport and a 10" South Bend lathe. There is a guy near here that has those, plus a surface grinder for around 4K. Good deal, but nowhere to put them. Not a way to move them.
Buy it, there’s lots of info on the web about tuning it and improving it. You are not machining a precision handgun.
Many people have used them and succeeded with what they wanted to do.
Greg
I agree, for 800 bucks it is a good buy, go for it, and have lots of fun.
Dennis
Bob McCown said:
If i had the space (and power drops, and money) I’d get a nice Bridgeport and a 10" South Bend lathe. There is a guy near here that has those, plus a surface grinder for around 4K. Good deal, but nowhere to put them. Not a way to move them.
Bob, I have a SB 10-Heavy and a 1980’s Bridgeport CNC in my garage. I bought the BP for $800 delivered and the SB for $600. I picked up with my S10. I use the lathe sparingly right now because I have to fix a problem with a very lose rack that drives the apron and worn cross-feed nut. The BP has been stripped, totally electriclay gutted fitted with new stepper drivers, VFD, BOB, etc. Just need wired up and debugged. All this to say, look at that machine well check for play on anything that moves, if your confident it’s work ready (and it even comes with tooling! $$$) Take the leap. Enjoy learning the ropes and what you might really want once you learn and have/make space. It’ll still be worth about the same when you sell it, and you’ll be having fun while I wish I could just find a bit more time to finish up those machines…
The little Heavy 10"
The mill as it came. (minus the vise)
Mid Cleaning,
The new goodies…
Edit: to add quote