Is this mill good value?

[bigpat]

Thinking of buying a mill for general metal fab etc.

Looking at the HM-45 model on Page 20 of the following:
http://www.hareandforbes.com.au/sample_2/home.php

What to people reckon, is it a good deal for $2000?

Cheers,

Pat

[spazbot]

from the other hare and forbes gear ive used , id say it would really well as a drill press but shit as a mill

prolly better off saving some more $$ and finding a 2nd hand bridgeport

[HEY CHARGER]

Id have to agree , save up a few bucks and get something a bit bigger , the Bridgeport is a beautiful machine but are a bit pricy they hold there money well ,
you can get a Bridgeport copy like a Herless or some other brand that are quite affordable second hand , and the other thing is if you find one in the trading post , you usally get heaps of tooling with them and a vice and whatever else and youll be suprised at what tooling costs .

[Ingenious-Eng]

bigpat buying the right size machine & keeping to a budget is a real balancing act, as the other guy mentioned tooling up costs can cost more than the mill if you get all the gear!! Don't forget to check that the tooling you want is available to suit the spindle type & size (eg. 3MT on the one your looking at)
I bought a mill from big country machinery at around the same price & size as the machine your looking at, & they are fantastic compared to not having one at all, if you take small cuts & slow feed rate with patience you can make most things, did I mention you'll need PATIENCE!!!! (I'm counting the days till I get a larger one!!)
Cheers.

[bru21]

think if you really need one. we have one in our factory in melbourne and thought of bringing it up but for how cheap people are willing to jobs for theese days its hardly worth having you own. really long paybacks. we use c.d.q engineering and it is so cheap often cheaper than the raw steel cost from metalcorp. you have to factor in things like minumum steel quantities you can buy (eg frorced to buy 3m only use 500mm), your time which is normally far longer than a pro (your time off is worth something)

just a thought

bru

[bigpat]

We'd buy a mill mainly to easily drill angled holes & notches in staunchions ( for our business, we mainly manufacture stainless balustrades) which are a bitch with normal drills. Farming it out takes too long.

Personally tho, I'd be using it for small milling work (fourby included) and little bits n' pieces, nothing big or complex.....

A 2 hp motor should be ok yeah? As for tooling, I'll but a starter kit for approx $400, inc. clamps, collers, & cutters, more as we need.

[Ingenious-Eng]

That HM45 is available in single & three phase as well, If you've got 3 phase power go that way for sure as it gives more torque & cheaper to run. You'll need all the torque you can get out of a 2hp motor when milling.
By the way milling is addictive be warned!!
Cheers