who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
i've been looking for a tabletop mill (or mill i could fit in my basement) for over a year. Limitations on weight, because i gotta get it down my basement steps.
does anybody here actually own the Harbor Freight mini mill, and can provide some feedback?
thanks!
http://www.harborfreight.com/media/c...mage_11326.jpg
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
I don't have one, but I did look at them, they have a following and folks do like them and modify them for better performance.
Out of my favorites, link to Hobby Machinist forum:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/forum...RAL-MACHINERY?
Dedicated discussion area for the "cheaper" machinery, Grizzly, HF, etc...
I recommend registering there, and reading for a couple of days, :D Pretty good bunch of people over there. LOTS of threads and info.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
All i know from what ive read is people regret not going to the bigger setup and the mini has great limitations...
as with most things, usually want to get "bigger" than what you think will be able to do most..i.e gun safes, etc
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
I got the Grizzly. Disassembled it a little, set up a small electric hoist between the ceiling joists, and reassembled.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bric2000
I got the Grizzly. Disassembled it a little, set up a small electric hoist between the ceiling joists, and reassembled.
what do you think? does it hold a .001" tolerance at least? pros/cons/etc?
Thanks-
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
I've got the mini-mill from Micromark (#84630), which is similar to the HF one. I also had constraints on size and weight, or I might have gone with one of the bigger mills from Grizzly.
This comparison chart might be helpful.
Shortly after I got the Micromark mini-mill, I got the solid column conversion kit from Little Machine Shop, and that was an improvement.
Then I added an Igaging DRO to each axis, and that made for a big improvement in "user friendliness".
I've done a few AR lower receivers and a few pistol receivers with it, and I'm quite satisfied with its performance so far.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Thomas Paine
what do you think? does it hold a .001" tolerance at least? pros/cons/etc?
Thanks-
I have not used it much. I bought it with the intention of finishing some forged lowers and to turn it into a CNC. It may need some modifications but see no reason why it could not hold .001 on aluminum.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
DONT BUY IT , i actually had 2 of them. the first one chipped a gear in the head while drilling a hole thru 2"x4" aluminum stock and started making a grinding noise. i took it back, had to use my extended warranty since it was in my 4th month. the second one started that same noise straight out of the box and of course they didnt have one in stock. i told them i wanted a better machine and ordered the bigger benchtop oneand they let me pay the difference and got the bigger machine. it is belt drive not gearlike the little POS and has been a very reliable in the last 2 years and i use it hard when i have a project.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
It would be a pain in the ass but if you're not planning on ever moving out of your house, I'd recommend getting a Bridgeport. it would take some work but it is possible to get one into a basement. My father-in-law's friend put one in his basement. The only other issue is cost, they can be pricey so I'd look for a used one. The upside however is that you'll have a machine that will out live you and if you get handy with it, you could use it to make a little money on the side. And if you can't get it in your basement, maybe it's time to build your dream garage! Lol
Look around on eBay and craigslist for a used one. There's some on eBay right now for around $1000 but there's also some that have digital readouts and other fancy gizmos that will run a lot more, like several thousand more.
Re: who's got the Harbor Freight Mini-Mill???
You're going to hit it's limitations real fast.
A Bridgeport series one can rattle and bounce around without trying too hard.
It's one thing to buy a small mill if it's going to be dedicated to specific known tasks in a shop with larger capabilities. To own one without knowing what you are getting into down the road (maybe you do..I don't l know) I think is going to lead to disappointment pretty quick, JMO.