Harbor Freight Mini Mill
Вставка
- Опубліковано 27 сер 2024
- A quick review of the Harbor Freight Mini Mill. In this video, we take a quick look at the mini milling machine. We go over some of the features and answer the question should you get a mini milling machine or the mini lathe first.
R8 Collet Set: www.amazon.com...
Milling Vise: www.amazon.com...
I'm a manual machinist at home too. I have the big bridgeport clones (2) and 4 full size lathes. Not bragging, just saying. Thats how things ended up. What I wanted to say, is thank you for the video content and effort you put into it. Thumbs up. I wanted to comment on these little machines and say that they can be fantastic little machines! Bare none! Even though I have the full size 3500 Lb machines, The little one have lots of advantages! Get both the mill and the lathe, and don't look back! With some fine tuning on both and some simple upgrades, you'll be self sufficient, and just laugh at broken parts your trying to replicate, or perhaps one you just designed yourself. No more worrying about, or thinking to yourself "what do I do??? I can't get this part anymore". That thought never enters your mind! Now go get these mighty little machines people!
Just for the Record, I machine parts at Tesla. We can make cuts easily to 5 microns. (millionth of a meter), which is the width of a human red blood cell. I still enjoy manual machining. I also just subscribed, so don't let me down. :)
I got both, 3 year ago. Got sick and haven’t recouped enough to set them up, but soon it will happen!
It works well in my small shop.
I know it's a lot less hassle to use a drill chuck for holding you endmills, but just a word of caution, there is a high chance that you will end up doing unrepairable damage to your spindle. I wish you good luck with your future milling work.
Wait doesn't that machine have a drill chuck what would be the fix for this problem because I've been looking at one of these to get
@@soullessone_edc6226 You will have to order a collet chuck with appropriate collets for your endmills. There are many varieties to choose from, but all of them will be leagues better than using a drill chuck.
If you need any help, just ask.
@@anelpasic5232 the problem with a chuck is the hardend jaws cant grip the hardend endmill properly resulting in high runout parts and slipage wich intern leads to great loads and broken stuff
@@anelpasic5232 Isn't that what he showed at 4:30 ?
I think he only used the drill chuck for the demo and b/c it's wood I'd imagine there's not much pressure on the spindle, no?
I am a retired tool maker. No way in hell would I put an end-mill in a drill chuck, no matter how good the chuck. Collet only.
When I need real accuracy I will use them... but for quick and dirty non super precise parts... chuck is too easy.
I agree 100%
I did it once! The owner of the mill told me to Chuck the 3/8 mill in the drill chuck was cutting a 4” slot it worked it’s self down and cut the table.
I will if I'm plunging.
@@wrenchbender01 That's kick ass! I am proud to say, the day I mounted my NEW Kurt vice. I pecked a hole in it, it was a F twist drill.
Seems like yesterday these were $499 as was the 7x10 lathe.
Just found your channel and subscribed. Very nice mill
It's been useful to me over the yearts now.
Harbor Fright doesn't have any of the X-Y-Z travel specs and you didn't mention them either. This is pretty critical for selecting a machine for a specific project and the first thing someone looks for when shopping for a machine tool. I saw 6" marked off on the milling table and nothing on the Y cross slide. Do you know these specs?
Z is 9" X is 12" Y is 6"
Harbor freight should make their own Bridgeport style mill…
If I was gonna take this rout. I would get a sureline lathe and mill.
Nice 👍🏻. I have a unimat db200 like brand new. Has milling attachments. Only thing it’s small. Have drill press. Don’t know what I want next bigger lathe. 8-10 x16-20 ish size. Or mini mill. Or get 1500$-2000$ combo lathe/ mill. As it will be towards end of year or first of year. So I keep researching. Right now learning this ender3 max got few months back.
I have stopped using my drill press for all but brute force stuff.. the mini mill is way better.
I wonder if I can get bits and the depth needed to mill the slots for my BAR semi auto weld up. It's kind of a deep receiver.
the Z travel is not that great.
@@SpiritedMaker is there a way to get it to depth?
Nice video. Have you milled any steel on this yet? How did it go?
Steel is fine... but as all things be patient... I think most people want t push things beyond their limits.... :)
@@SpiritedMaker When I bought the Sieg branded version of this mill, I’d seen lots of UA-cam vids that complained about breaking the gear in the top of the mill. Being proactive, I ordered 10 of those gears (Grizzly has them much cheaper than Little Machine Shop!). A year and a bunch of projects milling aluminum, brass, bronze, cast iron, steel etc.later, and I’m still running the gear that came on it! This isn’t a Bridgeport, so don’t use it like it’s one! This is hobby stuff, not a production operation with time studies and deadlines! Relax, and take time to smell the, er, cutting oil! Ha!
@@tomt9543 Work safe, no gloves!! It would be a shame to get hurt doing a hobby that you love.
@@davidrule1335 ???
@@tomt9543 I said WORK SAFE.
If I had to choose between a mill and a lathe I would take the lathe hands down. For the kind of work I do a mill is a great supplement to a lathe but having only a mill wouldn't help me much. I have two good drill presses though so that takes care of the drilling aspect of a milling machine.
I find the opposite is true for me. I use the lathe about 1/5 the time I do as a mill, I guess it job requires its own tool.
One can mill on a lathe also. 90 degree solid angle plate instead the tool holder,and a added vice on the angle plate .
Sir, how would this work as a wood mortiser? And what end mill/cutter would you recommend for doing so?
Thanks!
Hmm i clouldn't say if this would be the best for that or not.
Would this be a good option for cutting like 212 go kart motor heads?
sure with a fly cutter.
6:14 He's using wood for a reason.
yea the idiot is using a drill chuck to hold a endmill
Outstanding!👍👍👍
What brand is your Vice .. need one .. that is accurate enough
Maybe good for rough cuts on plastic and wood.
I use it for metal all the time
Which size milling vise did you buy? I just bought this mill from HF today and I can hardly wait to get milling.
I got the 3" .. works great.
Can you mill aluminum with it
yes, I have milled aluminum and steel
Great video !!!
How is the precision? Is there slop in any of the action, or joints, that create measurable variance in the workpiece?
Precision is as well as you tune it in... it took me about a hour to tune in my milling vise to as close as I could get it. It's far more accurate than i need at the moment...I'm sure professionals could get it more close than I could.
If you are not careful the head will drop drastically
Never having operated one, I can tell just from looking at it (and the price tag) that this is slop city, with so much backlash you'd think you just got rear ended by a 78 Ford passenger van
Of all the mill machine videos I've watched your video convinced me to purchase this very same mill for my motorcycle business I'm starting thank you and God bless you.
Thank you, I pray all goes well with your business. The mill has pretty much replaced my drill press for all but really messy jobs that do not need to be precise. :)
How’s the new business going?
🧐
I wonder if there is a way to hook up a DRO to this. Would make using it a breeze
You can buy aftermarket ones for around 100 i think
Are these still available from Harbor Frieght I don't see them in store for quite a number of yrs
Yes, both this Sieg X2D variant and a small "benchtop" knee mill.
@@provenancemachiningThanks I'll be checking on that or the lathe and milling machine combination
What is a mill?
nice video but I wish you would have included links in the description to the collets and the vise. Also a link to the mill itself or at least the price.
Will do, give me a day
Harbor Freight is $799.99. Be aware that The Little Machine Shop sells this same basic lathe for the same price, both manufactured by SIEG in China, but the LMS version (X2D) has several significant upgrades. The table is much larger than the HF mill (think much more travel!), the column has an air spring in it that makes raising the head much easier, and the column doesn’t swivel like the HF mill, which sounds like a negative but isn’t. The swivel column units have serious rigidity issues that the non swivel units don’t! You’ll pay more for freight from LMS, but you’ll have a much better machine! I speak from experience! LMS also sells EVERY part on this machine and has many upgrades for it. Try getting parts from HF! Regardless of which you get, you need to know about LMS because they are THE go-to for everything in the mini machine shop world! Another hint: if you’re looking for a mini lathe and are tempted to buy the 7x10 unit in the HF store, DON’T! Go on their website and get the 7x12 version that isn’t sold in their stores! Note that the so called 7x10 mini lathe is misrepresented, and is actually only 7x8! The proper way to measure the bed is to remove the chuck and put a dead center in the spindle and tailstock in the most distant place from the headstock, then measure between them. On the 7x10, by the time you put a Jacob’s drill chuck and drill bit in the tailstock quill, you’ll be out of space to get the work in the chuck!
Anyone know what vice this is?
a.co/d/dhtb336
Does this work for metal??
it does... I have used it plenty on metal... you just need to make sure you have the correct end mills for it.
@@SpiritedMaker cool thank you,
I mill is for machining metal, why would you only demonstrate with wood?
Awesome job on your Video, Thank you 🙂☕👍
Thank you.
Very useful tool
I use it all the time, way netter than a simple drill press.
Wow…a lot of technical questions. This machine was made in CHINA !!! It retails for less than a grand out the door ! I believe it’s for hobbies at BEST !!! If you are attempting to make parts with aircraft tolerances to repair your spacecraft to return to the mothership. I recommend spending around 300k on a CNC are other machines with extreme tolerances…
Not to mention when you see something that's almost a perfect fit, it went in the grinding room.
I love the common sense. I retired and am relegated to brute force and hand held milling grinding etc. This inprecise machine would be a technological leap up from obsidian tools to flintlock.
Its a youtube video whats the point of making it without explaining what it will do. Obviously someone watching harbor freight mini cnc machine reviews isnt in the price category to purchase a 300000 dollar cnc machine. Oh i can sound smart derp a derh.... your obviousy just another dbag that doesnt understand the concept of watching a review video. Go shake your box of rocks atleast something happens inside of it during motion seems like u just got dead space between your ears.
I see in your video it cant hold it's self in the up top position even with a counter weight assy.
Not sure what you mean....
Think he means that you had to lock the z-axis to keep it from dropping into your material. There's no counter weight
So, this would work for a 3/4 inch ball nose end mill?
I have a 3/4" collet so I don't see why not.... you will have to buy the collets separately.
@@SpiritedMaker Don't waste your money. Get a bridge port clone around 2 grand
@@davidrule1335 Well there's just one problem with that... $2000 is outside of the budget of most... don't you think it's better to at least learn on something rather than nothing. maybe you don't that is fine. I would rather have something I can afford and learn on than only dreaming about what is out of reach.
@@davidrule1335 Good luck bringing up a bridgeport inside an apartment on the 10'th floor or down a cellar with a small staircase.
@@SpiritedMaker on my channel I have a video of me making a .450 depth of cut. That's .900 off the dia. I'm doing this on a south bend 9a only because it's bolted down to a 2,000 table that's bolted to the wall. My point is, mass is your friend in the machine shop.
I could be wrong, but I suspect most anyone interested in a mill is looking for one to do metalwork on. "Reviewing" this machine using PVC and wood is honestly kind of lame and just a waste of time. Plus, your narration almost sounds like it's straight from the Chinese manufacturers paid for script pile. Sorry. Your "review" is not helpful at all.
yeah, I didn't really have anything at the time to demo on, sorry!
Dont forget the cheap plastic gears. $30 upgrade for metal
Looks good ,but I don't buy stuff from harbor any more, nothing from china.. I'll pay a little more and buy American made..Nice video tho..
I don't blame you but I don't know of any small American made machine... even the top names have shipped their manufacturing overseas.
lol. What did you watch this video on? An American made computer?
You failed to mention an American company that makes mini mills and mini lathes! Sherline, yes, but they’re TINY! These HF and THE LITTLE MACHINE SHOP mills and lathes do a respectable job, and even if somebody made them in the states, no one would buy them because the market is home shop machinists, and our pockets aren’t that deep! Im all for the made in the USA approach, but at times there’s no options!
@@tomt9543 I think if you bought the same size mill from Grizzly. They have better quality control, even though they come from the same plant in China. Kinda like comparing Banggood with Shars.
@@davidrule1335 Oh absolutely! I have a Grizzly G0765 7x14 mini lathe, and it’s a very nicely put together piece, although it’s not made by Sieg. Grizzly seems to hold these manufacturers to a higher standard for sure!
Using plastic on a metal mill doesnt say much for the mill
I didn't have anything to test it on at the time.... it does metal fine.
@@SpiritedMaker i see, i didn't mean anything by it but i was a little hesitant with HB