Grizzly G0759 mill

[Dennis Morland]

Does anyone have one, used one, have an opinion??

7" x 27" 1 HP Mill/Drill w/ Stand & DRO

<h1>G0759 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill w/ Stand & DRO</h1> <h2>Upgrading America's most popular mill drill.</h2> <p>The G0759 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill upgrades America's most popular mill drill with the addition of the 3-Axis DRO.</p><p>It is an affordable alternative to larger mill drills that...

www.grizzly.com

 

[Sean Jones]

That looks like a pretty good deal to me. I don't have a mill, but I've looked at the Grizzly machines many times. I do have a Grizzly drill press which has been very capable. I've been very happy with it.
So while no specific experience other than researching them, I believe over all Grizzly has good products at a fair price.

 

[J. Doyle]

Does anyone have one, used one, have an opinion??

7" x 27" 1 HP Mill/Drill w/ Stand & DRO

<h1>G0759 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill w/ Stand & DRO</h1> <h2>Upgrading America's most popular mill drill.</h2> <p>The G0759 7" x 27" 1 HP Mill Drill upgrades America's most popular mill drill with the addition of the 3-Axis DRO.</p><p>It is an affordable alternative to larger mill drills that...

www.grizzly.com

I know a couple guys that have them and like them. If something happened to the one I have now, I'd consider that one or a similar model.

 

[MTBob]

Dennis: I'll offer a few thoughts, though hoping not to spark a controversy. I'm not a fan of oriental made machinery (China, Tiawan, etc.), particularly those items targeted towards the hobby craftsman market, specifically Jet and Grizzly. I skimmed through a bunch of reviews on the Grizzly mill you referenced - reading carefully between the lines there seems to be some concerns about the quality. But, as with all things like this it comes down to price vs quality and the intended use - and size of the pocket book. For knife making activities this may be a fine machine. But, if you are going to machine parts with very low tolerances you may find other machines a better choice.
I'm fond of Old American Made machines. I have a Clausing 8520 (with VFD, but no DRO), it's a small shop knee mill that is build solid for accurate work. This mill is commonly available on Craigslist in the $2,000 - $4,000 range.
Just my thought...
For reference compare the size of the pedestal in this Clausing mill to the Grizzly. Oh, one more thing - tooling for a mill (or lathe) can often equal the price of the mill or lathe.

 

[bladegrinder]

Depending where you reside Craigslist might be a good place to look. in the Tampa Bay area Craigslist is loaded with used machinery
but where I live now, in the Florida panhandle there is zilch...nothing. unless your good at converting farm equipment.
ebay is another place to check, I was looking for a surface grinder and most of the ones I saw were WAY up north. after about a year and a half I found a nice used Harig 6 x 12 out of a running machine shop about eight miles from where I lived when I was in the Tampa area.
.......On the other hand Dennis, there's nothing like a nice new machine...with free shipping no less. for working really close tolerances DROs
should remedy any inherent sloppiness the dials have in them.
I've got a Rong Fu mill, hand made in Tiawon by Mr. Rong Fu and his co-prisoners and it's very accurate.

 

[Dennis Morland]

Thank you for the replies. I am such an indecisive waffler. A couple years ago this machine was about $2k. I waffled and did not commit. Now it’s about 3k. I just don’t know. I would like a mill to cut slots for hidden tang knives and perhaps attempt to make a slip joint folder or two. I like to buy American and am not fond of the Chinese stuff. I appreciate your responses.

 

[MTBob]

Dennis, I feel your pain about acquiring equipment. For a looong time I've wanted a proper heat treating furnace, but I was too cheap to pull the trigger. But, as you mentioned, inflation is increasing prices on almost everything. A thing I learned back in the late 70s is that hard assets (say, big things made of metal) are likely to appreciate in value proportionately with inflation. So a bit of a cockeyed way of looking at a big equipment purchase is that if inflation is running, say, 8% (or more), then the money you purchase that asset with is earning the inflation rate. That's not a bad investment, eh? So, don't look at buying a mill as an expense, look at it as an investment - or, at least that's one argument you can use to convince your wife it's a good deal.
For the purposes you outlined, I'd say that Grizzly would do the job nicely. But, don't overlook possible deals on Craigslist / eBay.

 

[Jesse Latham]

I have a G0704, pretty much the same except it didn't come with DRO's. Like Bob said they have limitations but within those limitations they're good. The DRO is a must have. I went straight to ER25 collets. No unscrewing the drawbar.