Milling machine comparison (picture)

[shapeaholic]

Hello all!
I took a picture when moving machines around my shop, that I thought might interest those who are trying to decide on what size of mill to buy.

The picture shows my Rockwell H/V, about ten minuites before the new owner picked it up, standing next to my "new" Wells Index 745. The Wells is approximately the same size as a Bridgeport 1J.



The difference in performance is remarkable! And to think that I started with a mill/drill.

Ya gotta love "Industrial Iron"

Pete

[ibewgypsie]

I'd say the wells index machine at the shop is a better machine than my bridgeport. Mine is setup, I know how it is wired, it works.

Better the devil you know than the one you don't.

Wells index is a good heavy machine. It stood the wrecker up unloading it. I had to break it down into chunks. Weight dampens chatter and vibration making it a more rigid machine.

David

[snowman]

Ibew...

I constanty hear you talking about this machine or that....

how about a good "wide angle" shot of your shop.

I'm interested to see just how much stuff you have hiding in that garage of yours.

Show me yours, and I'll show you mine (err...well...my in-laws)

-Jacob

[precisionworks]

http://wellsindex.com/

Call the company with your serial # and they'll tell you all about it. Year made, options, who & where it was first sold.

If you spindle is Brown & Sharpe #9 taper, Wells will rebore it to R-8.

------------------
Barry Milton

[ibewgypsie]

SNowman..

My shop is tiny. I have a 24x20 building with a casting "car port type shed added onto one end.

My buddy Bobby, he has a motorcycle shop, about 120x80 and full. That is where the Wells INdex machine is. Hooked up with romex to show people who look at it. It is for sale. He has TONS of TOYS.

In my home shop everything is on wheels. Welding table, ironworker, toolboxes, Slip-roll. The large items don't move. It started out as a paint shop for streetrods, now you can't get a car in there.

I posted pictures a few times in the past, always a critic saying I should sweep the floor and paint the machines. I use my tools hard and put them up wet. What else do you expect of a hyper-active old biker insomniac.

[IOWOLF]

I LOVE MY WELLS INDEX 747.As big or bigger than a series 2 Bridgport,though I never had it side by side.

[Wirecutter]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by snowman:
Ibew...

I constanty hear you talking about this machine or that....

how about a good "wide angle" shot of your shop.

I'm interested to see just how much stuff you have hiding in that garage of yours.

Show me yours, and I'll show you mine (err...well...my in-laws)

-Jacob</font>

Second that. The image I have in my head of Ibew's shop is like that of the guy I bought my lathe and horizontal mill from. He had an "L" shaped corner of his basement setup as a model and prototype shop, total area of *less* than 70 square feet. Total exposed floor area of about 20 sq ft. I don't know how the guy could even breathe in there, but he certainly produced some fine work.