I am so confused on which mill to buy.
Let me start off with what I know!
I want a square column mill.
I can't get a full size knee mill.
My budget for the machine is right at $1500. That is more than I initially wanted to spend, but the draw to a larger machine is pulling me up the specturm.
I need to get it ASAP.
My experience: I took machining in college and loved it. Used to have a sherline mill and wrote G code on a CNC mini lathe 20 years ago.
CNC convesion - right now, I am not planning on CNCing it, but I would definitely say it is a possibility down the road.
My first projects will be 80% AR15 and AR-10 lowers. After that will be 2 1911 80% lowers. After that, have no idea.
When I first started looking for mills, I was going to get an X2 just so I could do the lowers. Had settled on the LMS version as it will do what I want. It will still do what I want to do and by all accounts, will do it well. Cost for the machine to my door will be about $900.
Then I was looking at the Grizzly G0704. $1100 to my door and it would be a done deal except that Grizzly will not have them for a couple months so it is out.
PM25MV from Machinetoolonline which is essentially the same as the G0704. It is $1395 to my door which gets me into the next range.
So then I start looking at RF45 mills and I am at or above $2K which is more than I need to spend.
So, in reality I am looking at a BF20 clone or an X3 from grizzly.
I don't know which one to go with.
