Advise on B & S No 5, #618, Doall 1030, or D6

I'm looking at several machines for home shop. It will be an online purchase, so I'm taking a chance on any of them. The Brown and Sharpes will come in about the same price with shipping. The Doall's probably a few hundred more.

I'll post pics of 3 of them, the Doall d6's there's a couple out there, so I won't bother with pics. As I can't physically evaluate them first hand, I was curious what thoughts you guys might have these, or any recommendations. A regrind and scrape is not entirely out of the question if need be, and I'll probably go through the machines to some extent.

I'm curious about ease of use, parts availability, difficulty in service or repairs, and generally how well the machines perform. What are some differences between the Doall 1030 and D6 ?

The Brown & Sharpe No 5 I find interesting for the vintage nature of the machine. The Doall's seem to have more features. Anyway, I'll start with the No 5 posting pics.

The Brown and Sharpe #618:

The Doall 1030:

B&S was working on being out of the machine tool biz about the time they were building the North Kingston RI plant in 1963

Seems a result would be the expectation of no parts whatsoever - except from an identical donor machine

Owning old machine tools comes naturally with making or fixing parts yourself

I would say the B+S was a better machine when new. No parts for any of them. At least not any you would pay the kings ransom for.


Online auction? good way to get ripped off. Looks like a scrap yard in a few pics.

My old B&S 618 was a very nice machine. The spindle drive may be via six large o-rings rather than direct or v-belt. The oil pump to the ways was actuated by an eccentric and plunger as the table traversed. Interesting too is the column rather than the saddle moves in and out for the Y axis. Massive cast 3-point base. Do-All is a more conventional design and also very well put together and capable if in good shape.

Lol, did you ever read some stuff you posted, and think "was I drunk texting ?" Yea I wasn't really expecting to find factory new parts for antique machines. I was thinking more about repairs or odd issues that may fall way outside the norm.

I had begun to narrow my choices to a d6 that I hadn't posted pics on or the B & S No5. As it turns out, in negotiating machine cost and shipping cost combined, the No 5 came in way under the others. Significant enough under that deciding was easy. So I closed the deal on the No 5.

In the end, even if I get burnt with a pile of scrap metal, the pain won't be too bad. I'm getting excited for it, and crossing my fingers. Hopefully I'll have delivery by the end of next week, and I'll post some better pics and details once I have it in hand.

You made your pick so best of luck with your new machine. Probably should have held out for a Reid though.

I don't check in much anymore and missed this 'til now.

FWIW, the #5, I am pretty sure, is mechanical feed grinder. & it is a lot older than the micro (or maybe tech-) master. Can't read the plate, but it looks like a micromaster with hydraulic auto feeds at least 2 axis.

When it was new, the DoALL D1030 was the best of that lot. But at this point it is a crapshoot which one needs the most work?

The DoALL is also the best equipped, if it all works. Over the wheel dresser, modern at least 10 x 24 chuck, might even be full 30", equipped with flood (but the tank with pump is missing), and "possibly" incremental downfeed. I see hydraulic lines up to the top of the rapid motor & the hydro parts on the left side, but can't quite ID whether incremental was included. Would need to dig out the manual, and you say it does not matter at this point anyway.

For smaller parts, the micro or techmaster is very highly regarded.

I believe the #5 has the same travels as the D1030 - aprox 12 - 13 Z (in/out) and 32" X.
Rated capacity is 10 x 30, but I have ground a 12" wide Powermatic planer bed on mine for another PM'r. I think #5 also had 10" wheels. The "10" part of the 1030 should indicate 10" wheel, though some had bigger, up to 14". Again, would need to dig the manual out.

As a first grinder, you may be best off with the #5. Big travels, and easy to fix mechanical parts (assuming they are all there). At that age, it probably has some wear, maybe significant wear if it has not been rebuilt along the way. They were built and look, practically like an oversize #2. I have a B & S #2 & a D1030. The hydraulic machines can be a bucket of worms. My D1030 needed a lot of hydraulic work: seals, hoses, and freeing up some valves. There was a bucket full of grit/solids in the hydraulic sump, and then it took a good couple flushes with clean fluid and some alcohol to dry the water out of the lines. After that it works fine.

surface grinder flattens planer table - YouTube

How far from NY state is that machine? I could be interested in the chuck if it is 30".

smt