Thread: Need help with new mill perchase

I am looking at purchasing either a Precision Matthews PM727V or a Weiss VM32L. I can find plenty of reviews on Precision Matthews and the PM727V, but not very much on Weiss or the VM32L. I have owned a Excello knee mill, but have moved and only have room for a bench mill. It will go in my basement. I will have to take it apart as I do not have an outside entrance. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

I suspect you won't get a lot of direct assistance here. We welcome everyone but most of us live in Australia with a very limited range of toys machines to select from...

Originally Posted by mec9900

but have moved and only have room for a bench mill. It will go in my basement. I will have to take it apart as I do not have an outside entrance. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Sorry I can't help with the mills, but about the workshop under the house problem.... if I was in that situation I would have a beam in the house with a 2 ton winch bolted to it situated above a trapdoor in the floor above the workshop, problem solved

I can't help either but I do wish you luck with your search.

Also I'd be keen to see some pics of your basement workshop.

Simon

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

I googled the machines and if google is correct they either are or are very similar to the Seig/Optimum style machines, I wouldn't be surprised if Precision Matthews and Weiss machines are sold here in Australia but under a different name, the Weiss looks almost the same as an Optimum, I don't have one myself so I can't comment on what they are like.

Originally Posted by russ57

I suspect you won't get a lot of direct assistance here. We welcome everyone but most of us live in Australia with a very limited range of toys machines to select from...

Thanks for the reply, I did not know that.

Originally Posted by shedhappens

Sorry I can't help with the mills, but about the workshop under the house problem.... if I was in that situation I would have a beam in the house with a 2 ton winch bolted to it situated above a trapdoor in the floor above the workshop, problem solved

Wife said no to that idea.

Originally Posted by simonl

I can't help either but I do wish you luck with your search.

Also I'd be keen to see some pics of your basement workshop.

Simon

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

I am just getting started, all I have down there now is a work bench and a small drill press. I lucked up yesterday and found a Jet BD-920N lathe for $300.00. It did not have much tooling with it, but I have already made some bushings with it. I will have to take it apart to get it in the basement. I will post some pictures when I get the time.

Originally Posted by familyguy

I googled the machines and if google is correct they either are or are very similar to the Seig/Optimum style machines, I wouldn't be surprised if Precision Matthews and Weiss machines are sold here in Australia but under a different name, the Weiss looks almost the same as an Optimum, I don't have one myself so I can't comment on what they are like.

Thanks for the information. I will check those out also.

Hi Guys,

There are an awful lot of machines that are basically copies of the Optimum / Wiess / PM machines. I have a Chinese copy of an Optimum BF20L, for all intents and purposes its an Optimum in everything but name. Even the same parts list.

But the quality of the machines varies tremendously !

Originally Posted by BaronJ

Hi Guys,

There are an awful lot of machines that are basically copies of the Optimum / Wiess / PM machines. I have a Chinese copy of an Optimum BF20L, for all intents and purposes its an Optimum in everything but name. Even the same parts list.

But the quality of the machines varies tremendously !

I think I will stick with Precision Matthews based on all the reviews on them, 3 year warranty, and after sales support.
astthews

Hi Mec9900, Guys,

The PM (Precision Matthews) machines are Chinese copies of the German Optimum ones. They will have some small variations between them, done to prevent copyright issues. After that its down to price, how much you are prepared to pay. Few people will be honest enough to say that their machine is rubbish. I've done a lot of work with mine and made many modifications, but I bought what I could afford at the time. Whilst the supplier paid lip service to any 3 year guarantee, any claim was subject to an actual manufacturing defect that couldn't be put down to misuse.

As an example, my machine from new had a slight knock that varied with speed. I originally thought that it was just newness and would run in. Then I had a slitting saw nip in an aluminium work piece ! That damaged the teeth on the plastic gears. At that point I didn't even know that the gears were plastic.

The replacement gear was very expensive item. I then replaced the plastic gears with steel ones, it wasn't until I did this that I discovered that the plastic gear had the bore machined slightly off centre and that it was this that caused the knock. The supplier didn't want to know, as far as they were concerned it was all my fault for misusing the machine.

Originally Posted by BaronJ

Hi Mec9900, Guys,

The PM (Precision Matthews) machines are Chinese copies of the German Optimum ones. They will have some small variations between them, done to prevent copyright issues. After that its down to price, how much you are prepared to pay. Few people will be honest enough to say that their machine is rubbish. I've done a lot of work with mine and made many modifications, but I bought what I could afford at the time. Whilst the supplier paid lip service to any 3 year guarantee, any claim was subject to an actual manufacturing defect that couldn't be put down to misuse.

As an example, my machine from new had a slight knock that varied with speed. I originally thought that it was just newness and would run in. Then I had a slitting saw nip in an aluminium work piece ! That damaged the teeth on the plastic gears. At that point I didn't even know that the gears were plastic.

The replacement gear was very expensive item. I then replaced the plastic gears with steel ones, it wasn't until I did this that I discovered that the plastic gear had the bore machined slightly off centre and that it was this that caused the knock. The supplier didn't want to know, as far as they were concerned it was all my fault for misusing the machine.

What machine do you have?

Hi Mec9900,

I told you this back in post 10 !

Originally Posted by mec9900

What machine do you have?

Originally Posted by BaronJ

Hi Mec9900,

I told you this back in post 10 !

Sorry, I went back and looked, but missed it, old age I guess.