Index is a truly unique name in vertical mills.
Going strong in the early forties, (one of mine is a 1940 and Bridgeport dates from 1938) and selling new American made machines to this day! A quietly remarkable story.
The great variety of verticals is also unique. From our modest yet quite sturdy and capable little 40H machines, through your "new" 847 Don, and beyond to todays profitable CNC verticals. Who would have guessed that among all manufacturers, Wells-Index would have been the one to emerge alive as all others failed*, though some did have their
names taken off-shore for a while.
No doubt other factors beyond worth of machines came into play, obviously the only successful long-term, "all made in America" business model, which by good management, modest expansion (intended or otherwise), tenacious effort and no doubt, good luck, has emerged the tortoise among the many hares.
One of my great sorrows is that I passed on a large Wells-Index combination horizontal/vertical in good condition, for a modest price, in the sale of an old mans collection in L.A. a few years ago. I never before or since have even heard of that model, that I fear met it's end at the scrappers.
Re the $895 motor, yes, a lot of money for those of us who search for bargain machines but to offer a unique motor configuration to so tiny a market, for less than $1,000 shows the restraint that this tenacious little company has made their hallmark and built their success on. There is no way that Wells-Index can make any real money in this tiny market, at that price, yet they still offer it. Especially when you factor in that Wells-Index is well aware that their parts market is mostly comprised of mechanically adept tinkerers who think nothing of adapting motors to machines, yes, a truly unique company!
Hats off to the succession of successful businessmen who've headed up the company through the years and most especially to Rick Robison, who hangs on while giants fall all around him!......
.....in the background I'm listening to the news that the gov is selling off most of GM's brands, retaining but 3, reconsolidating it as a 75% nationalized, State owned entity.... didn't work in the USSR.......
Heart breaking to a guy whose first real, (had several Ford hotrods) vehicle was a 2 year-old, '53 Chevy 5 window, half-ton pickup, a new '55 V8 red and white sports coupe with "Power Pak", (4 barrel and dual pipes, really my dads, I drove it to high school) new '72 Blazer, many others, with a GMC full size, short bed half ton, an older, ('97) S-10 and a Buick Century sitting in the driveway outside my window. No emoticon is serious enough...
...whew........anyway, congratulations Don, we'll be expecting a full photo essay on your new machine.
Bob
*None of the above is intended to disparage what is todays Hardinge, who traded for the Bridgeport name a few years ago, after a succession of other players, including giant Textron.
Hardinge has moved the assembly of the Series I Bridgeport from Bridgeport CT. to New York and offer it still today. Would "Elmira" sound as good as "Bridgeport"?
Maybe the Oak Ridge boys could write a catchy theme song,
ah boom wapa boom......
I have no way to determine how large a role the public statement of Hardinge:
"Today, the company has grown into a globally diversified player; with manufacturing operations in the U.S., Switzerland, China and Taiwan," plays in the parts of the new Series I Bridgeport, though it appears to still be a quality machine from a quality company. 350,000 Bridgeports speak of
very high regard and success!
- just kidding!!
, but I haven't made a decision about that yet.
.
.
