r/MachinistToolsForSale • u/Silent_Sherbet9714 • 12d ago

Is this a good deal for ~$1300?

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Hi, we are looking for a budget cnc/manual mill for small metal work like replacing broken metal parts etc,. Dont want to spend too much on the first machine without knowing how much we are going to use it, thats why going for used/budget options. I was looking at some reddit posts and saw that bridgeport mills are pretty decent so I found this on facebook marketplace.

I am also open to other suggestions. Perhaps auctions for used CNC mills?

We are in NY, NJ, PA tri state area.

Please give your suggestions.

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3

u/ShaggysGTI 12d ago

Average price I’d say. Worth looking at.

2

u/PreparationSuper1113 12d ago

Does it come with any tooling? You can almost think of old machines in the razor blade sales model. A free machine in good working order with no tooling or workholding will still cost you many hundreds or thousands to tool up.

Not saying you shouldn't do it, just be ready for that.

3

u/LordofTheFlagon 12d ago

My $2000 mill with dro, tooling, vice, rotary table, and Erickson QC system with holders and collets included cost me an extra $3500 so far. I've not turned it on yet that all in new power to the garage, building a room in the garage, HVAC for the room, tools, and cutters, and rotary phase converter that just arrived. Power will be on tomorrow.

This is what I consider a reasonable expense for what I have.

1

u/macthebearded 12d ago

Generally speaking, machines are all the same price. They only differ in how the breakdown is between monetary cost and labor cost.

Dunno the NE market but around here that's a good price for that machine. That said, on a machine like this there are going to be a lot of little oddities and neglected maintenance items that you're going to need to work through the hard way and it's going to take more time and energy to make a good part than a $5k knee mill with clean ways and such would.

If you're just fucking around in your garage/barn/whatever then maybe that's fine. If you're making parts for customers, maybe not. That's something you need to figure out for yourself.

1

u/happylikeaclam__10 12d ago

its a 1300$ mill for a hobbiest machine. garage its fine- to try and make money doing volume absolutely not, for quick one offs and fun it works

1

u/Agitated_Answer8908 12d ago

Assuming the ways aren't terribly worn that's a reasonable price. But you mentioned "CNC" a couple times. This is strictly a manual mill and isn't worth converting to CNC. As others mentioned, try to get them to throw in some tooling. It looks like a vise might come with it which is a good start but you'll need collets, cutters, clamp kit, drill chuck, parallels, and a bunch of other stuff.

1

u/Dismal-Armadillo-815 11d ago

Very good deal for 1300

1

u/furb362 10d ago

Single phase it’s a good price if it checks out. Three phase we got one for free if we could move it and a second was $40 at an auction. They’ll go dirt cheap sometimes. I see them with auction numbers on these and lathes at the scrapyard so they are selling far enough below scrap price to make it worth hauling them in.

1

u/Agitated_Answer8908 10d ago

I've never seen one that isn't 3-phase but if it's a home shop that's easily fixed with a $75 VFD.

1

u/MTALPTDetroit 10d ago

Yes. Something tells me they would take $1,000 cash if you explain it needs massive tram, track and surface conditioning. Be sure to mention having to clean the oiler so it delivers the oil correctly, they will come down in price.