Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Hey Bruce

Don't know if you are still looking at Precision Mathews, or even column mills of any brand, but since you started this thread, I've been looking around at what's available and comparing it to my little Grizzly mill. I am still perfectly happy with my G0704, but it seems like you have jumped up a level or three as you are now talking about an 1,100-pound machine it seems, and that is in a completely different class from what I have.

However, one thing I've noticed about PM column mills that would make me lean that way rather hard were I to be buying now, is the way that the column is mounted to the base on the PM machine looks to be much more ridged than how my Grizzly mill column is attached. Of course, being more ridged, does not mean that it is necessarily square to the table as received from the factory, but it does mean that once properly squared up, it is less likely to go out of square caused by taking a heavy cut or similar stress.

Just another point to ponder!

Thanks Stoker
If I buy new ,it will be a Precision Mathews most likely. I like the PM932V vertical mill, crazyDoug has one of these also. The price difference seems to be acceptable, I'm also liking the PM1130V lathe. I have found 2 PM mills that are fairly new on FB marketplace ,although they are not very close to me albeit somewhat cheaper than new. Precision Mathews seem to be a little better made as far as the Chinese tools go. I am trying to deal with a nice little South Bend model A lathe that will be a nice compliment to my SB model C with many more features than mine has and the benefit of sharing all tooling, but the seller is a real squirrel and I can't peg him down on anything, cost, time to see it,availability, what is included...ect, but by the photo's I really like what I see.