Reasonable Millrite Price?

Is $1000 high for a Millrite with a mill vise, and an R-8 spindle and a good set of R-8 collets?

It is advertised as
Mill Rite Vertical milling machine. 110 Volt single phase motor with step pulley speed adjustments. Forward and reverse. Smooth and quiet running spindle bearings. Ways in good condition with little backlash. Spindle takes versatile R-8 collets with collet set included. Also included is milling vise with keyed base shown on machine. Very clean table and well maintained. Ready for work







Thanks,
Jim

Location, location, location

If the machine is in reasonable condition, has some tooling, and is local to you, it's a steal

I agree. I paid $750 for mine last year but it had a 3 phase motor and required a VFD for another $250.

it is a good deal assuming you want a 110 motor. One advantage of a Millrite is the ease of swapping motors since they use standard frames. Also the often have low hours on them since they are not production machines and not really tool room machines but often are maintaince room type thing. SInce McCarr sold them they were often ordered by enginneering departments and schools. I got a few out of Kodak that may not of had more than a couple of hours on them.

How much do they weigh?

I have one anecdotal note on the web that they are about 1200lbs.

Correct?

Thanks,

J

Jim
The weight listed in the Burke Cataloge I have is 1500 but I also have specification list that has 1100. There are many different millrite head, table , knee and motor setups which would change the weight.
Andy

We've got one that's almost identical to Jim's pics. I'd say its closer to the 1100# than 1500#. Ours has the head that also nods like a BP head. Rare option I assume because I've never seen one advertised for sale that has it.

If its like ours, the motor will be 1100 rpm and the spindle speed range will be from 220 to about 3400. They aren't Bridgeports, but they're a decent and well built little mill.

surplusjohn said:

One advantage of a Millrite is the ease of swapping motors since they use standard frames.

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Not all do, mine, circa '71 or '73 somewhere in there has a pancake motor that as far as I know is no standard mounting size. A friend that had one with a standard face motor on a different adapter/riser.

Mine also has a drill press type quill feed which I haven't seen many of either.

$1000 is a decent price for a very competent machine IMO. The Millrite is the perfect home shop size. It's not a Bridgeport but it will do excellent work within it's envelope. On the east coast machines go a bit cheaper than here, I have no doubt I could get $1800-2000 out of mine here in the machinery Sahara.

Tdkkart said:

On the east coast machines go a bit cheaper than here, I have no doubt I could get $1800-2000 out of mine here in the machinery Sahara.

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Tdkkart, it's funny you feel that the East Coast has more plentiful machines. I always feel like the good machines are either in California, or Michigan, or the Southern Atlantic.

I'm off to see this thing right now. Thank, all.

Jim

bosleyjr said:

Tdkkart, it's funny you feel that the East Coast has more plentiful machines. I always feel like the good machines are either in California, or Michigan, or the Southern Atlantic.

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Somebody posted a link to an east coast Craig'slist somewhere the other day. I could have duplicated my shop, lathe, mill, welders, blast cabinet, compressor, drill press etc etc from less than 1 week of ads.
Our Craig'slist isn't very strong here yet, but from all the local classified's I'm lucky to see 1 or 2 lathes/year, and rarely a mill. I did see an old SB lathe on CL the other day, first I've see on there in the last year.
My Ebay searches include a "nearest first" lathe search. Typically the closest ones are in Chicago or a couple crooks in Minneapolis, both over 200 miles away. Even loking at the whole list, most are on the east coast.

My Burke also has the custom flanged motor, I've been thinking about making an adpater for it in case I need to replace the motor at some point, but of course have not gotten around to that yet.

There is a manual for the Burke in the manuals section of the forum that would be good to download for future reference.

Well, I saw the mill today. The price is pretty firm, but the mill IS in very nice condition. Still can see scraping marks on the ways, and there are no divots or smiles on the table or vise. Very quiet.

A now-deceased professional instrument maker owned it. His grandson (who grew up in the shop building model trains with grandpa and now builds 1/8 scale [!] steam locomotives) is clearing out the shop. Super nice guy, and he impresses me as someone with considerable expertise. There was an MSC BP style mill there, too.

I now need to sell the concept to SWMBO and if I can, will make an offer.

Thanks, guys, for sharing expertise.

Jim

bosleyjr said:

I now need to sell the concept to SWMBO and if I can, will make an offer.

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Ah Geez, you've gone and put the cart in front of the horse again.

In the past I never went shopping for anything before getting management approval first, because I always found a deal that I couldn't pass up.
Problem was, it always caused heartache either at the time of purchase or some months to years later.

It took a bit of convincing, but I finally solved the problem by setting up my own toy account. I put a portion of my regular paycheck in each week, all the rest, including her paycheck, goes in the joint accounts. I also got any overtime I worked.
The agreement is that all household expenses, as well as "her" toys come from the joint account. She basically has control of that and has free access to whatever is left over after expenses are paid.
"Joint" expenses, the cars we drive to work, the TV we watch and the cable hooked to it, all come from the joint account. Obviously the joint account receives the house payment money.

When I have money in my account I am free to spend whatever I want, on whatever I want, no questions asked. Basically, if I can figure out how to afford it from my account I am free to have whatever I want.

It may sound wierd to some, but this arrangment has worked great for us for over 20 years. It stops all the "but you spent $800 2 years ago, why can't I have mine now" arguments.
I don't argue about what she spends money on and vice-versa.

Got this idea years ago from a couple guys that raced stock cars and pulling tractors. Some years they played, some years they didn't, but the house always had money.

my wife and I also have our own personal accounts for our toys, but I need to renegotiate how much goes in, I never seem to have enough for what I want

I'm sure this has been said before, but from my vast (or half-vast) experience, it is much easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission.....

...if you can afford it, then buy it quick before it disappears!!!

I paid 300 and a tank of gas for mine. found it on craigslist. picked it up in Detroit in a dilapidated warehouse. Its in excellent shape. unfortunately its three phase and the knee handle is missing. I think it is a international 30 taper spindle. Wish it was R-8. Some TLC and a 220 motor and she will be cherry.

barnyardjeep said:

I paid 300 and a tank of gas for mine. found it on craigslist. picked it up in Detroit in a dilapidated warehouse. Its in excellent shape. unfortunately its three phase and the knee handle is missing. I think it is a international 30 taper spindle. Wish it was R-8. Some TLC and a 220 motor and she will be cherry.

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So you were the one that beat me to it I was next in line hoping you didn't want it...