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South Bend Mill I'm looking to purchase

saleen47

Plastic
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Location
USA
Hello everybody,

Does anybody have a 10" x 54" EVS South Bend Mill they use? I am looking to purchase one for the shop I work in. Since they are less common than the bridgeport, I cannot find much information such as reviews on them. I would actually like to checl one out if there was one near me.
 
The new South Mills lathes are imports from Asia, so better ask where the mill is made. Find a good Bridgeport, if your looking at buying a used machine. Last year at the IMTS show, I checked out the new South Bend lathes and they are no where the quality of the original American made machines in my opinion. I would suspect in 10 years you won't be able to buy repair parts for an import and have no problem finding Bridgeport repair parts.
 
Richard .. I am really surprised by this.

Did you actually get to look at the "good" South Bend lathes ?
They advertise the better model, at 27.000$, with a 1 micron TIR.

I would be very, very surprised if an american company does not deliver the specs they quote in public.

This, I would expect, is superb.
Shop the South Bend 618EVS - Super Precision EVS Threading Collet Lathe at Grizzly.com

Note its an 11x18", for 1000 kg mass.
This is extremely dense, thus rigid.
I would expect it to be as good as a Monarch10EE- based on commercial realities, price, etc.

An online review of a 6k iirc model had lots of good points about excellent gears, bearings, bushes etc.
My general expectation would be that all of the heavy=rigid ones are good, in the 8k range and up.

Any experiences or comments ?
 
Don't want to get into the quality argument, I don't know or have any experience.
But FWIW, new BP brand BPS, as sold by Hardinge, are not made on shore anymore since 2010 either, and reports from the field are that design is different & old parts are not interchangeable.

Of course as Richard notes, in used machines there will be a base and back up market for the "classic" BP's for many decades to come.

smt
 
The new South Mills lathes are imports from Asia, so better ask where the mill is made. Find a good Bridgeport, if your looking at buying a used machine. Last year at the IMTS show, I checked out the new South Bend lathes and they are no where the quality of the original American made machines in my opinion. I would suspect in 10 years you won't be able to buy repair parts for an import and have no problem finding Bridgeport repair parts.


I know this machine is made in Taiwan. Not sure if that's good or not!
 
I wrote to the company who is selling it on ebay asjing about where it is made and about parts. Here is what he wrote back. I have been working and teaching in Taiwan for several years and can say many of the builders are top notch. I also read the machine has turcite on the ways and that's why it feeds so smooth. One model also had a ball screw. From what I have read on here you need to be careful when climb milling on a mill as the smooth ball screw turn easier then an Acme screw. Rich
Hello,
This machine is manufactured in Taiwan along with the castings on the machine. Repairs parts should be available for as long as you need them. I spoke with South Bend this morning and they confirmed that as well. They don't stock every single part for every single machine but they can get any part you would need. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks
 
I will be looking for a Bridgeport, though not disapointed in the least bit. The Southbends [ARE] made in China and owned by Grizzly now.
 








 
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