[outlaw paintbal]

Ok guys about to order one or the other and i need your help to decide what's the best unit....
The Lathemaster specs....

6 Speeds: 110 to 1920 rpm
Drill Capacity: 1 1/4"
Face Mill Capacity: 3 1/4"
End Mill Capacity: 1 1/4"
Head Swivel: +/- 90 degrees
Max. Dist. Spindle to Table: 17"
Spindle Type: R8
Spindle Stroke: 5"
Spindle Diameter: 3"
Column: Dovetail Ways
Worktable Size: 31 1/2" x 9 1/2"
Cross Slide Travel: 7 1/2"
Longitudinal Table Travel: 21 1/4"
Motor: 2 HP, 110V/220V/60Hz
Machine Height: 42"
Machine Width: 46"
Machine Depth: 33"
Weight: 730lbs
Shipping Weight: 805lbs.

The grizzly specs......

* Tapping switch
* Auto and manual feed reverse
* Eye shield
* Quill lock
* 1-1/4" drilling capacity
* 3" face milling capacity
* 1/2" tapping capacity
* Reversing switch
* Direct drive

Specifications:

* Spindle taper: R-8
* Spindle travel: 4-15/16"
* Quill diameter: 2.95"
* Table size: 9-1/2" x 32-1/4"
* Table width end to end (tip of handwheel to tip of handwheel): 45-3/4"
* Table travel (longitudinal): 21-5/8"
* Table travel (cross): 7-1/2"
* Max. dist. spindle to table: 18 5/8""
* Max. dist. spindle to column: 10-1/2"
* Machine depth (back of column to tip of front handwheel): 31-1/4"
* Machine height 55-1/4"
* Head tilt: 90º both ways
* Head swivel: 360º
* T-slots: 4 slots, 1/2" studs
* Range of 6 speeds: 120-1970 RPM
* Motor: 1 HP, three-phase, 220V
* Approximate shipping weight: 625 lbs.

Need some help they are both +-$50 dollars to my door so thats not a issue but tell me what one you would go with and why as always thanks guys.

[ViperTX]

Well I've never owned any of the Lathemaster or Grizzly mill/drill machines, but my Lathemaster 8x14 lathe is top quality. Personally I have a Jet JMD18 mill/drill and except for the round column it has been a great machine...but I wouldn't buy a mill/drill again....I'd spend another thousand or so and get a Jet mill or a used Bridgeport.

[outlaw paintbal]

I have to keep it under 1000lbs so i cant go with a bridgeport or any knee milll

[phil burman]

Lathemaster. Its got power on the Z axis and it weight 150 + lbs more.

Phil (chair)

Ok guys about to order one or the other and i need your help to decide what's the best unit....
The Lathemaster specs....

6 Speeds: 110 to 1920 rpm
Drill Capacity: 1 1/4"
Face Mill Capacity: 3 1/4"
End Mill Capacity: 1 1/4"
Head Swivel: +/- 90 degrees
Max. Dist. Spindle to Table: 17"
Spindle Type: R8
Spindle Stroke: 5"
Spindle Diameter: 3"
Column: Dovetail Ways
Worktable Size: 31 1/2" x 9 1/2"
Cross Slide Travel: 7 1/2"
Longitudinal Table Travel: 21 1/4"
Motor: 2 HP, 110V/220V/60Hz
Machine Height: 42"
Machine Width: 46"
Machine Depth: 33"
Weight: 730lbs
Shipping Weight: 805lbs.

The grizzly specs......

* Tapping switch
* Auto and manual feed reverse
* Eye shield
* Quill lock
* 1-1/4" drilling capacity
* 3" face milling capacity
* 1/2" tapping capacity
* Reversing switch
* Direct drive

Specifications:

* Spindle taper: R-8
* Spindle travel: 4-15/16"
* Quill diameter: 2.95"
* Table size: 9-1/2" x 32-1/4"
* Table width end to end (tip of handwheel to tip of handwheel): 45-3/4"
* Table travel (longitudinal): 21-5/8"
* Table travel (cross): 7-1/2"
* Max. dist. spindle to table: 18 5/8""
* Max. dist. spindle to column: 10-1/2"
* Machine depth (back of column to tip of front handwheel): 31-1/4"
* Machine height 55-1/4"
* Head tilt: 90º both ways
* Head swivel: 360º
* T-slots: 4 slots, 1/2" studs
* Range of 6 speeds: 120-1970 RPM
* Motor: 1 HP, three-phase, 220V
* Approximate shipping weight: 625 lbs.

Need some help they are both +-$50 dollars to my door so thats not a issue but tell me what one you would go with and why as always thanks guys.

[outlaw paintbal]

I will now be buying the power head version of the latemaster, or i had not planed on it. Do you think it would be better to buy the power head or buy a DRO? Whats all the tapping stuff that the grizzly comes with watt does that do?

[Brozekp]

Get the lathemaster and the dro rather than the power z....

[moto9ll]

dont try to run a lathemaster mill on 120v the wires will be toasted in 5 months...i have this mill..i have had lots of problems with the wires ..in the process of run'n 240 to the garage to fix the problem i hope...if theis doesnt work i'm selling it and trying another company

[pete from TN]

I have a older model of the Lathemaster mill. I have to agree with the last poster. DO NOT BUY A 110v model. I got mine that way and while it did not toast any wires I eventually converted it to 220vac. The machine comes with a large control box with the 110v model and has a buncha contactors and whatnot in there. My machine was either 110 or 220 but the thing is that mine had the power head lift and I really enjoyed it before cnc but once I went 220v I could not get the power head lift to work right again. I am sure it is something silly but I could not figure it out and was planning on the cnc thing anyways so I never bothered too much with it. If you are not planning on cnc I would definitely get a 220v model with the power head lift. THe head is really heavy and cranking it up and down is a real bummer....

As far as the machine goes, I have been VERY happy with it and now that it is cnc, it is just awesome!! I know the grizzly machine has the tapping feature and I do not know anything about it but I would probably get a nice tapping head anyways. The idea that the machine is 150 lbs heavier is also a big deal because weight is your friend when it comes to a milling machine. THey are basically the same other than these items I think...

The only other real option here is to pay some considerably more money and buy an IH machine. Larger travels and some slightly nicer ground surfaces there and for cnc might be better in the long run. Travels are very important!!!!

Bob Bertrand at Lathemaster has taken very good care of me even during some very frustrating times when I was trying to convert it to 220v. I am no electrician and he was patient and kind and helpful with it over the phone. He has also taken care of me long after the sale with a part I accidentally broke sending me one for free real quick.... Super nice fellow...peace

[ibuildstuff4u]

One question, who makes lathemasters machines for them? I'm guessing most of these machines are made by the same company just like the smaller mills and lathes. I would be willing to bet that the quality is same between the two your looking at with just a few different features setting them apart.

As for which to choose, Nether! I have my eye on the Grizzly G0484.

It's just a few bucks more and has a power Z, more HP, and a lot more cast iron.

Just another option.

Happy shopping!

Dale P.

[pete from TN]

It is basically the same machine as the others but it comes with the stand. It also comes with a considerably slower spindle speed and it comes with a power feed on the X axis. To be honest if I was gonna spend that much money I would definitely get the IH machine. YOu can always pick up a power feed unit off ebay or whatever. The near 2k spindle top speed while noisy with the gear head comes in handy for aluminum cutting.. This is why I say that the LM machine seems to be a very good value at it's price point, next step up is the IH followed by a Knee mill.... WIsh there were other options but not so far...peace

[jalessi]

moto9ll,

Welcome to the Zone.

Are you in Lake Country Illinois?

Jeff...

[ibuildstuff4u]

The G 0484 has the same spindle speed as the one your looking at. I work with mostly aluminum too so I need the high speed too. It has 1970 RPM and a power feed on the column as well as the table, weighs in at 930 pounds and comes with a larger motor as well as the stand.

I know I can get a very used Bridgeport for $2000.00 but I would think repair costs would be a lot higher on a machine of that size verses this one. I also don't have room for a full sized machine. Not to mention most full sized machines need three phase power so a phase converter would have to be figured into the costs too.

What is the price for the lathe master or IH mill? I will have to keep them in mind when I buy my new mill. I'm still interested to know who is actually making these machines.

Dale P.

[pete from TN]

The G0484 has only 1.5hp 220v motor, six spindle speeds topping at 1512 rpm 4.75" of quill travel and is the same size table, travel and weight as the other two only the stand makes it weigh more because the machine comes with a cast iron stand.... Actually I just rechecked the LM website and it says the Y axis travel is 8.5 inches and it has a 2hp 220v motor and 1920 rpm max speed.... I dunno where you are getting your stats from but they seem to disagree with the grizzly website. The LM machine is $1550.00 now with temporary free shipping.... just sayin'....peace

[moto9ll]

who can show me how to wire my lathe master mill for 220v? the diagram on the motor and the labeled wires do not match up...any takers ...like i said before i have had nothing but problems so far...

[pete from TN]

Hey man sorry to hear about your electrical problems, I would be willing to help you but to be honest I have long since gotten rid of the factory motor and would be surprised if I can remember anything about it. I think it is still up in the attic. No idea wether it is the same motor or not. Perhaps if you took some pics of the wiring and the box for the hookup on the side of the motor. I have since converted mine to a belt drive with a sensorless vector drive and a three phase 3hp motor. It is working Very well like this and the added speed is amazing for cutting aluminum. Might want to consider going to a three phase motor and vfd so you can have variable speed and higher hp. I know there are several people on here that have replaced the metric motor with a 56c frame motor and vfd with good results. Even if you keep the factory gear head you can still nearly double the spindle speed and have variable speed. If you go cnc then the computer can control your motor for you... it is real nice that way...

YOu can call me at 865-363-9218 if you cannot figure out how to wire it up and I will do my best to help you. As I remember the motor has a cover that shows the wiring setup for both 220v and 110v. You just gotta bunch the wires right for either or..... Good luck man....peace

[moto9ll]

thanks man but bob just called me back from lathemaster and told me to bridge the top two posts to change the motor over to 220...the mill is not that bad when its not melting wires. i hope this ends the problems..thanks again man...sounds like you have been in this game for years! i am self taught guy only...(3 years now) just a hobby that interests me...wish i knew more

[SCzEngrgGroup]

One HUGE advantage of the Grizzly is it comes with a three-phase motor. For under $200 you can get a good VFD, and run that motor up to twice its rated speed, and have continuously variable speed under CNC control. Unless you do all your work with facing mills, boring heads and other large tools, the <2000 RPM spindle speed on all these machines is going to be crippling. Even a 1/2" HSS endmill wants to be turning well over 3000RPM in aluminum, and carbide twice that. With smaller tools, like 1/8" endmills, you'll be forced to move at a crawl due to the far too low spindle speed.

Regards,
Ray L.

[pete from TN]

WHile you are right in that it can be had with a three phase motor it would be much better if it were 2 or 3 hp.... As I said before if I was gonna spend 2K or more I would definitely get an IH mill or a good used knee mill.... These RF clones are nice little mills but they are not worth 2K to me. The IH has the larger travels which put it in the knee mill range and is worth that much only because of that but any more than that and I would be looking at another much larger machine... I think much of the charm of these mills is that they are still small enough to be called hobby machines yet still large enough to do some decent work. Then you put cnc and install them into an enclosure and you really have something then... JMHO...

Peace

[gb25]

For anyone looking at buying the lathemaster mill, you can get it from lathemaster off of ebay and use bing cashback to get 8% cashback using paypal. This brings the total cost down to $1426 shipped.

http://www.bing.com/search?q=milling...&go=&form=QBLH

There should be a sponsor link for ebay showing 8% off. Click that and it'll take you to ebay. You'll probably have to sign up for a bing.com account first. When you go to ebay, there should be a green banner at the top showing the 8% off. There'll be a zay7045 mill show up at the top from bolton hardware for $1495. Search for heavy duty milling machine and the lathemaster should show up in the ebay stores section.

You have to use paypal to pay to get the cash back. Sometimes the cashback is instantaneous, sometimes it take two months to receive it. As long as the banner shows up when checking out, you'll get it though.

http://pages.ebay.com/CASHBACKOFFER/TERMS.HTML

By the way, grizzly sells on ebay. I've heard that if there's something you want to buy from them, you can email them and they'll post it on there so you can buy it with the bing cashback.

A question about the mill for anyone that owns one... How are the ways? Are they machined finish, scraped or ground? Do they need work to slide smoothly? I'm wanting a mill, and one of the things about the IH mill I like is the ground ways. But I don't really need the extra travel of the IH, and it's kind of hard to justify double the price for me to get the IH over the lathemaster.