[slinger]

Well Hoss can take credit for another machine sale, and I plan to submit my order on Sunday (new credit card billing cycle). I am torn between the G0704 and the PM25. Here are the important specs as I understand them.

G0704:
Price: $1089 (shipped)
Motor: 600W (listed as 1 HP)
Table Size: 26-5/8" x 7-1/8"
Table travel (longitudinal): 18-7/8"
Table travel (cross): 6-7/8"

PM25:
Price: $1295 (shipped)
Motor: 800W (listed as 1 HP)
Table Size: 27-1/2" x 7-1/8"
Table travel (longitudinal): 19"
Table travel (cross): 7"

I plan to purchase the DVD from Hoss, and I assume that the plans will work with either machine (possibly slight mods to use with PM25?). It looks like the PM25 table is 7/8 longer in X, and the travels are 1/8 longer in X and Y. I wonder if the 1/8 differences are really just ball park measurement errors.

The main difference I see is price and motor. I like that the PM has 800W, and as far as I can tell, the G0704 has 600W. Also, I have not heard of any motor problems with the 800W. Swapping out for a different motor is not a modification I plan to do anytime soon (ever?).

So really it comes down to this. Is $200 worth it to have 200 more watts on a potentially (I do assume that Grizzly got the bugs worked out during the down time) less problematic motor? Any advice? Anything I should consider in regards to these machines?

I have learned so much by reading through the various threads in this forum, and I look forward to a lifetime of learning and making chips!

[arizonavideo]

Spend the extra and get the PM-30 LV.

A great machine for, well, a lot more money but still a great machine.

[photomankc]

You'll run into a few dimensional differences on the PM-25. Mostly in the bearings on the Phase1 conversion, some bigger differences on the belt drive but nothing that really changes the operation or principle of it.

I had a controller failure with mine early on but that was fixed by QMT. Motor has been running just fine though. I don't think there is anything that you are going to give the PM-25 to do that the Grizzly mill is going to fail at. People were reporting better backlash and end-to-end smoothness on the 0704 than I experienced. The PM-25 seems to have a little more Z height and used to come with a 3000RPM spindle but it seems they have changed that now.

I think its a 6 of one / half a dozen of the other situation. They are comparable machines and the only reason I can see to pay the extra is if you can get the PM-25 but can't get the 0704 and time is worth the money to you. The motor is a bit bigger and more is more but as demonstrated in videos the 0704 is not really suffering from some great lack of power.

Table travel is basically the same on all the long-table machines, but the ends of travel on my PM-25 were not great. They got real tight at either end and never did get any better. Even now with CNC the 2" at the ends are where trouble can get started with a stepper stalling. That will likely not be an issue later on with ball screws but it is now. I have to exclude that area from use in a program.

Good luck, hope you enjoy whatever you get.

[hoss2006]

The 0704 gets 19 inches X travel too.
Hoss

[slinger]

Thanks guys. I am leaning on the G0704 now, as long as it is still available to order this weekend. If nothing else, I will be fully compatible with Hoss's plans, and I'll save a couple hundred bucks for tools.

I would love to be able to justify the PM30, but I can't at this time. This is a hobby for me, and I expect to be able to learn just as much on the G0704 as I would on the PM30. Also, I am planning to install the machine in my home office (I work from home), and my office ain't that big :-)

Besides, now I know someone in my home state that has a PM30 :-)

[Dave Bob]

You could order them even when they weren't on their site. I called and ordered one when they were listed as "discontinued" on the Grizzly website. Now when you get it is the question. I was given a late May early June time frame but we'll see.

Dave

[jbothell]

Grizzly gave me a ship date of June 10 when I called to inquire about the G0704 yesterday. I have a PM25 on order but I may see about canceling that order and going w/ G0704. It's worth noting that my [as yet unpaid] invoice shows "1HP (700W) motor". Read into that what you will...I'm not sure I believe anything I have read or will read in the future about the specs for the motors on these Weiss plant machines.

I originally ordered the PM25 because I didn't want to wait for the G0704 to come back on the market...and having already purchased the DVD from Hoss my preference would be to convert the same machine. If I end up w/ the PM25 then so be it...it's not really a big deal. Joe

[slinger]

Well, I ordered the G0704 a little over an hour ago. I'm not sure what the ship date will be, but it hopefully will not be much after 10 June. My Birthday's on the 17th ... Happy Birthday to ME

I remembered the 5% off code on the back of the Grizzly catalog, so the mobile base was nearly free.

June suits me pretty well, as May is looking busy, and I have some work to do to get the office ready for the mill. I am going to remove the carpeting and replace it with a heavy duty epoxy coat. Wife wasn't super thrilled, but it should make cleanup a breeze.

[slinger]

I just got the "out of stock" email from Grizzly. It says that the shipment is expected around 20 May. Once received, they will ship my order to be delivered in 3-5 business days.

Sounds like I could see my mill in May! I'll try not to get my hopes up in case the delivery slips.

[kd4gij]

I just got the "out of stock" email from Grizzly. It says that the shipment is expected around 20 May. Once received, they will ship my order to be delivered in 3-5 business days.

Sounds like I could see my mill in May! I'll try not to get my hopes up in case the delivery slips.

have you heard enything on your mill. mine is suposed to be shipped friday

[slinger]

have you heard enything on your mill. mine is suposed to be shipped friday

All I have heard was that my shipment is not expected until 20 May. Is yours supposed to ship from Grizzly on Friday or from China? Maybe mine will be on the next boat

[kd4gij]

Mine is suthis Fryday. Will saposed to ship from Grizzly Tommarow. Will see

[tomshane]

I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on an 0704 as well. (Hoss should be getting commissions) Did you say there was a coupon code out there?

[jbothell]

There are generally coupon codes on the back of the Grizzly catalogs - but I don't have one. I tried a code that someone had already used and while it applied the 5% discount during the checkout process it failed during the Pay Pal process citing a bad coupon code and sent me back to the checkout.

I did not proceed further and instead ordered a catalog but that has been like 8 days ago and still no catalog. I don't know for sure that there will be a coupon code. Fifty bucks is fifty bucks so we'll see. Course they might be out of stock by the time I pull the trigger.

[Fastest1]

They told me they were receiving them on the 20th, then if and when they pass QC they would ship. That was last week when I talked to them. However my opinion is, I will get it when I get it.

[Bmr4life]

So after the $35 for the Hoss guide, how much does the belt conversion cost? I'd be doing the conversion to help on the noise level.

[photomankc]

LOL. Maybe $50 in materials, the solid aluminum rounds get pricey if you buy a little extra. However, you can go crazy on the tooling, especially if you suck at grinding like me. Boring bars, Some type of plunging tool to get the pulley V's made, (I'm pressing a carbide insert cutoff tool into service for that). A rotary table if you want to make that motor plate manually. Indexing if you want to make timing pulleys or money to buy them and bolt together. If you need a motor plate made, I could do that for ya but ask Hoss first. The belts are like 5 dollars at McMaster. I'd see how the stock bearings fair for you but there's another little chunk of change if you need new bearings to support the higher RPM.

I laugh because every project I start leads to another set of sub-projects so I have given up trying to tally the cost on projects.

[Bmr4life]

Thanks. I'm trying to assemble a list for when I make the purchase. I'm assuming/hoping the mill will be able to make all of the parts needed as long as I have the proper tooling.

Am I kidding myself with a $500 budget for building my beginner tooling set? My first project would be the belt drive.

[hoss2006]

You need a lathe to make the v-belt quill belt drive and it's not a project for the beginner.
The simplest version uses timing pulleys but disables the quill.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyAFo0cdrO0&feature=channel_video_title"]YouTube - G0704 Belt Drive Sneak Peek[/nomedia]

A lathe would still be recommended but an advanced user could use the mill to bore them concentrically.
Hoss

[hoss2006]

$500 is a good start for basic tooling, i.e. vise, clamping kit, collets, dial test indicator, calipers, edge finder, drill bits, end mills, facemill, boring head, rotary table, on and on and on.
Tooling is a lifelong pursuit.
Hoss