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Buying a used milling machine

Ramblreb

Plastic
Joined
Dec 11, 2020
I'm looking at buying a milling machine at auction. Is Supermax a decent milling machine? The one I'm looking at is belt driven, not the variable speed model that I see a lot of. And any idea what a good price for a yc 1 1/2 v would be?
 
I'm looking at buying a milling machine at auction. Is Supermax a decent milling machine? The one I'm looking at is belt driven, not the variable speed model that I see a lot of. And any idea what a good price for a yc 1 1/2 v would be?

"Decent..." for what tasking is up to you.

Have you SEEN it in person, and can you, even if you wanted to?

Comparing specs and finding it was "suitable to your needs" as-new won't help if it has been trashed.

"Condition, condition... " etc.

You could have rigging-out costs, even if next stop is the scrapyard instead of your shop.

No, I am not a big fan of auctions. If only because the waitresses are cuter in other gambling halls and Casinos.

:D
 
Yah termite! you are for sure pissing out as the forum troll you were....but I am sure you will break into a worthless bullshit story soon!

Which one?

The story of YOUR sad career as a failed Walter Mitty imitation chronically cold-nosing others?

Does anything ever GET any closer to the classical definition of "worthless bulls**t story"?

You wouldn't be "surprised" the world has gone right WEARY of your threatening others, site founder included, stalking, "attempting" and rather pathetically, to bully .. failing at that, same as everything else, reporting your own poor Mum dead of COVID prematurely. Yet another failure? She's tougher than you and didn't cooperate!

:(

Your pride in "porking skanks in Carmine's black and blue", or doing very profitable "hydraulic work".. after being outted on "just a few" of your older lies would you?

:(

"Big Twin Motor and Electric" ... hammered for stupidity by REAL 2-wheeler guru's? So.... change your story retroactively .... as if that screw-up never existed?
You were doing all that "big-money" hydraulic work the whole while?

Putting yourself up as a badass one-man biker gang? How about your drug deals, persecution by police, joining a troupe of monkeys that somehow knew the secret handshakes of freemasonry?

"Can't make this s**t up?" No need. Just outsource it to Walla Walla's Whining Wild Turkey, small-d-the-COVID-orphaned-drama-queen.

No proud fotos of your "hydraulic work?" Was that on your @las, Logan, South Bend, Hardinge or 10EE?

Or the table-saw? Going to show us the arbour made for a cheap table saw? Again... again.. again?

https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/search.php?searchid=25687066

How about you motor-off and repair another worn-out 3-J chuck bought so cheaply from HGR? Tell us again how nobody else knows how to do that properly... and how rare and "important" that makes you?

Compared to wiser men who wouldn't waste their time.

Or even OWN a 3-J scroll-actuated chuck, at all... thanks!

Still have MY Axelson sitting out in the weather in a family member's driveway? You had promised to shove it up my a** in a more generous moment?

Pernicious "wound collecting" fools. Can't even remember a promise long enough to renege on it!

:(
 
The one I'm looking at is belt driven, not the variable speed model that I see a lot of.
I personally prefer the straight belt multi-pulley drives. The variable speed ones take longer to change speeds and they are noisier and more prone to wear. A lot of people like them better, but that would not be important to me for making a purchase decision.

Never owned a Supermax, so can't say anything about that.
 
I'm looking at buying a milling machine at auction. Is Supermax a decent milling machine? The one I'm looking at is belt driven, not the variable speed model that I see a lot of. And any idea what a good price for a yc 1 1/2 v would be?

I do have a Supermax mill. Mine was a CNC with an older Anilam controller. I converted it to a manual mill for now. I have no issues with the quality of it. Mine is the variable speed model. Also, with the CNC it has the ball type lead screws, so a +. I rate Supermax as upper import and possibly as good as a Bridgeport.
As for any used machine, it comes down to condition. Mainly the ways. Check the ways. If fish scales or frosting, what is the percentage? Mine were real good. I bought mine in a package deal with delivery. There was a SB Heavy 10, which was worth possibly $1K at that time. I remember paying $3,500 for all with delivery. It also came with a Quick Change spindle and holders.
I haven't kept track of prices in probably 5 years. I remember some going for $800. I would say if they ways are in good shape etc. $1500 to $2000. Maybe a bit more if Digital Read outs, also if there is tooling included.
As for the belt speed, look into a VFD (Variable Frequency Drive). You can use that to vary the spindle speed. They are not much, say $200 for the HP motor on that mill.
 
Thanks for the replies and the information. I go to several auctions a year and have gotten some pretty good deals. I'm also looking at a Bridgeport series I cnc but the pics look like it's sitting outside and the bed is rusting. The Supermax is coming out of a working precious metals refinery that was only used for in-house equipment repair. They are off loading assets in order to gain back square footage for expansion of operations. Yes I will be able preview before bid. This is for my personal use in my shop for various projects.

25.jpg1714-1.jpg
 
DO NOT GO NEAR THAT BPT CNC! bsides the fact that it is beat to shit and
rusting outside in the snow(or sand) ,that looks to be a boss-4 machine .
@ 1979-80 they sucked when new. you could retro a new cnc, but WHY!?

the supermax looks ok. they're standard taiwan clones and ycm is still in business. they made tons of them, so parts spares should be reasonably common. just check it thoroughly . cosmetic "ok" might hide
a catastrophic failure within.
 
That's actually sand, it's in South Florida. But yes I agree it's most likely scrap metal. I'll be checking it out tomorrow morning.

More pics of the Supermax.

1714-5.jpg1714-4.jpg
 
If that refinery is still in business, I'd try to talk to whoever was running that mill. No better way to find out the story on it.

True that. Looks like a good basic mill. Check the ways, though. Grasp the table and try and push front to back. Same side to side. I'd guess acme threads so a bit of movement is OK. Say, 1/16 possibly a bit more.
 
Whatever mill you're buying you need one with a power feed and RPT on the long travel as a minimum. Power plus RPT in all three modes is nice. Hand winding gets boring pretty quickly.

Regards Tyrone.
 
The Supermax is coming out of a working precious metals refinery that was only used for in-house equipment repair. They are off loading assets in order to gain back square footage for expansion of operations. Yes I will be able preview before bid. This is for my personal use in my shop for various projects.

Precious metals refineries just do not "do" a great deal of machine work.

EVEN if.. you have to add power (not CNC) to at least one axis, you could find a Helluva deal as to good remaining condition. Most especially if they bought it NEW, not used, themselves.
 
Somebody bought the Bridgeport for $275. About 100 more than I think it's worth in scrap metal. Maybe they needed parts.
 
Well I wasn't doing too bad besides paying a little more for it than I wanted. Then I blew a tire on the trailer then dumped the miller off the trailer, now I have a 2 tons of scrap!
 
All 3 wheels shattered, the cross shaft broke off one end, levers for feed worm and feed worm speed broke off, on off forward/reverse switch smashed.
 
Also I just wanted to warn you! There are members here who won’t be as understanding as others, your probably gonna get some hate mail/scorning over this! But fear not, we all make mistakes and your not alone!

I hope you can salvage your money back in parts, it’s definitely not a total loss, if you were near Ohio I would be interested in the head personally
 
Sorry to hear that. If you are going to part it out could you post pictures? I have a Supermax, the parts could fit mine. I could use the quill lock and feed wheel among other things.
 








 
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