Excellent review. I enjoyed your candid way of addressing the mill, its limitations, and its surprises. I wish you had said what other mills you considered, and what you would consider buying today. This is exactly the mill and configuration I am considering. I am also looking at going with a mill from PM and made in Taiwan. Cost just keeps going up. It sounds like this mill has satisfied your needs, after making a few modifications. Thank you for taking the time to create the review.
Thanks for the review, was just about to purchase one. One thing I noticed in your shop I'd like to point out. Is the PVC air line your using, I'd change that out as soon as possible to galvanized pipe. That PVC will be a grenade going off if it gets bumped, I've seen it happen, first hand! Good video, Thanks
I am more of a hobby machinist. Still in the learning mode. I've purchased Grizzly woodworking equipment and have been satisfied with them. I've been looking for quite a while on getting a mill. PM vs Grizzly and going through all the this vs that. I new I really wanted a Bridgeport. Well, I said the heck with it and just got me a J head BP. 48" table. 2000 lbs. Buy once, cry once. Couldn't be happier. Having room for it was not an issue. It didn't come with a DRO so that's the next hurdle. 2 axis vs 3 axis, magnetic vs glass scales. It's always something and how much your pocketbook can afford.
Hi, Great Review. Very honest about everything. At least people will have a better idea before they Buy. I bought the RF30 not long ago and trying to find a really good review was difficult. I’m happy with the RF30. Mine came with a 2 hp Motor. Anyway thanks for Posting.
Wow thank you for making this honest review!👍 Because most people make reviews just to try and make themselves look good just to make a video😔 Thanks again for saving me a lot of money and enabling me to avoid some major headaches!👍👍👍👍👍
It's a real sad State of Affairs that we're in when a man can name off several flaws and problems with a new piece of equipment and then state that he's happy with the equipment. I've watched quite a few videos today researching several items and tools and almost every one of them named some serious problems with the items and still was happy with the purchase. Extremely sad State of Affairs
Hi- thank you for making this video. I did enjoy watching and hearing your comments. I have the 0704 and really like it. Is kind of small, but I find it to be very accurate and repeatable. Did need new spindle bearings after about s year but all else good Have been using this machine for about 3 years now, and give it a lot of work. I did work through some of the same issues that you found, but do have my machine bench mounted, so didn’t need to fight with the flimsy stand. One item that I did add to my mill that you might consider is a fixed/removable quill stop. I made one and use it all of the time. I would be happy to send pics & or sketch if you are interested. Also have a question for you. Would it be possible to convert the Grizzly table power feed from left hand install to right-hand? I have never seen one up close and thought that you would be the right guy to ask. Any help appreciated. Thanks Howard
I started with a Grizzly mill all said and done it cost almost $7000 manual mill with dro and powerfeed. I had nothing but problems with it. the backlash in the whole machine sucked without the dro most beginners would be lost trying to do a simple mill job, I also had electric issues and tach never worked out of crate, the bed ways were cut poorly and could see it plain as day, the t slots in bed were wavy. I had it shipped back and ended up losing $500 in the whole deal. I bought a Smithy 409 and have been very happy with it and cost less and got a way better mill and I thought grizzly would be good because I have some grizzly woodworking pieces and they been great but grizzly should stay in woodworking tools and stay away from mills and metal lathes.
Great review. I am in Australia and looking to purchase mill soon. We don't seem to have Grizzly brand here but mill looks like a rebadged Optimum BF 20LV or similar, which is available here. Good to hear your comments on mill
Danny, I took a look at the pm727 and the the 9x40. My friend has the 9x40 and it is a really nice machine. If I would have been able to get away with it ($$$-->wife), I might have bought that one. Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you ran the head in 10 minutes on low and high range and then drained oil and replaced with new oil? Factory warranty may be voided if you didn't and something happens to the gear clusters. Just an FYI. And try not to take heavy passes when milling steel or dense material, as you will strip the nylon gear in head if your model has one. Other than that, good mill and good job on your review!
Weight is the most important with a mill,,like my vintage lathes I'm going to hold out for a vintage mill, but I'm happy for you,, l have a 1938 delta Rockwell drill press with xy table I use now and does as well as my buddies China mill and I have a milling attachment for my 12 inch atlas lathe that does pretty well with limitations
I just bought this machine today waiting for it to be shipped. Im hoping that for over $1000 more they have improved they are now $3,200 . NOW IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD CANCEL AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE. I'm new to this I have metal lathe , wood lathe band saw etc I do more wood than anything .. which I have used the metal lathe for that cause of the auto feed. Another guy that did a review bought the same time he made a bushing for the head that took care of the shaking part. And the spindle lock he turn down some tooling steel or some part don't recall what he said... Anyhow whats your opinion on the raised price over the last year since you got yours think they've done any improvements?
@@greciankid I canceled my order cause it was out of stock and didn't know when they was going to be restocked. So I just decided to wait.. Do a current update once you get it see what improvements have been made.. Good Luck, Brother
Thanks for a nice review. I bought the G0759 about the same time you did and have run into many of the same issues. I don't have the X-axis power feed but will probably add a stepper down the road. My unit just stopped working today - no motor turning and 0 rpm indicator. I guess - like you - I'll have to dig into the control box. I really got a surprise when I tried to check the fuses as I need an offset screwdriver just to open the fuse holders. Poor design there in my opinion. I've had bigger mills before and - even though I acknowledge all the issues you have raised - I still think that this mill is a good deal considering the cost of a DRO for a Bridgeport can be more than the cost of this whole unit. I found your "long" video entertaining and enlightening. Not everybody has to be a professional to share good ideas. Now if you'd just make a video on how to fix the (not too complicated) electrical system you'd make my day!
Thanks for the kind words, Jim. Before you tear into the wiring too much, make sure that your fuse holder isn't damaged. I spent way too much time sorting through the wiring before checking the the fuse holder with a multimeter. The other super easy thing to check is the chip-shield micro switch. I thought about making a wiring video...but there are just too many 'generations' of this mill. I watched a tutorial here on youtube and his machine had different color wires, different pick up for the tach, and his fuse holders weren't soldered in. I think the factory in China is constantly tweaking the wiring based on what (cheap) components are available at any given time. Thanks for stopping by, Jon
Yeah, I know what you mean. I like the idea of long format video...but I probably got out on the weeds in this one. I'm sure I'll get better the more videos I shoot/edit. Thanks for watching.
I enjoyed the video and some of your others too. I have a similar milling machine and I've not been overly impressed. One of my biggest gripes is that I get up to around 0.010-0.0150" movement at the Quill in the X axis when I use the Z axis locks (lower lock creates most of the deflection). With the z axis gibs any tighter I get crazy stick-slip. Have you noticed this issue at all? Would you be able to check your machine for this? Thanks!
@@dangtc4 The lower lock on my Z axis is weird too. I do not get an x-axis shift at all when I use the lock (as you do), but it does drop the head somewhere from .010-.015". It doesn't appear to be very consistent. Like you, I have messed with the gibs...but I have not been able to completely get rid of the movement. I have found that tightening the upper lock 50-75% first seems to minimize the movement from the lower lock. I hate how finicky the procedure becomes to not move anything during a tricky setup. Thank god our machines have a DRO! Otherwise, I would pull my hair out with as much movement is in all of the axis.
@@schramsgarage4331 Interesting - unfortunately I don't have a DRO but I don't think that would help in my case. As I tighten the Z axis it pulls the Quill in the X axis but there is no table/axis movement so I don't think there is anything measurable by the DRO. I'm up in Canada my model is a King KC-20VS-2 but as far as I can tell its pretty close to the G0704. I only recently just purchased the mill but am a complete novice with them so I wasn't sure what to expect and I don't have anything else here to reference to as being OK.
I'm amazed at the trouble you've had. I have a G0759 and have experienced zero problems! My DRO does not interfere with my Y-axis wheel.
Just found your channel and subscribed. Very nice mill. Man I’m jealous
Excellent review. I enjoyed your candid way of addressing the mill, its limitations, and its surprises. I wish you had said what other mills you considered, and what you would consider buying today. This is exactly the mill and configuration I am considering. I am also looking at going with a mill from PM and made in Taiwan. Cost just keeps going up. It sounds like this mill has satisfied your needs, after making a few modifications. Thank you for taking the time to create the review.
Thanks for the review, was just about to purchase one. One thing I noticed in your shop I'd like to point out. Is the PVC air line your using, I'd change that out as soon as possible to galvanized pipe. That PVC will be a grenade going off if it gets bumped, I've seen it happen, first hand! Good video, Thanks
I am more of a hobby machinist. Still in the learning mode. I've purchased Grizzly woodworking equipment and have been satisfied with them. I've been looking for quite a while on getting a mill. PM vs Grizzly and going through all the this vs that. I new I really wanted a Bridgeport. Well, I said the heck with it and just got me a J head BP. 48" table. 2000 lbs. Buy once, cry once. Couldn't be happier. Having room for it was not an issue. It didn't come with a DRO so that's the next hurdle. 2 axis vs 3 axis, magnetic vs glass scales. It's always something and how much your pocketbook can afford.
Hi, Great Review. Very honest about everything. At least people will have a better idea before they Buy. I bought the RF30 not long ago and trying to find a really good review was difficult. I’m happy with the RF30. Mine came with a 2 hp Motor. Anyway thanks for Posting.
The things your saying are small things would be huge for me. Glad I listened, you talked me out of it.
Wow thank you for making this honest review!👍 Because most people make reviews just to try and make themselves look good just to make a video😔 Thanks again for saving me a lot of money and enabling me to avoid some major headaches!👍👍👍👍👍
It's a real sad State of Affairs that we're in when a man can name off several flaws and problems with a new piece of equipment and then state that he's happy with the equipment.
I've watched quite a few videos today researching several items and tools and almost every one of them named some serious problems with the items and still was happy with the purchase.
Extremely sad State of Affairs
You got it cheap I just paid $3000. And there still the same . From my last post.. pulled the trigger.. little over $3000 now..
Hi- thank you for making this video. I did enjoy watching and hearing your comments. I have the 0704 and really like it. Is kind of small, but I find it to be very accurate and repeatable. Did need new spindle bearings after about s year but all else good Have been using this machine for about 3 years now, and give it a lot of work. I did work through some of the same issues that you found, but do have my machine bench mounted, so didn’t need to fight with the flimsy stand. One item that I did add to my mill that you might consider is a fixed/removable quill stop. I made one and use it all of the time. I would be happy to send pics & or sketch if you are interested. Also have a question for you. Would it be possible to convert the Grizzly table power feed from left hand install to right-hand? I have never seen one up close and thought that you would be the right guy to ask. Any help appreciated. Thanks Howard
I started with a Grizzly mill all said and done it cost almost $7000 manual mill with dro and powerfeed. I had nothing but problems with it. the backlash in the whole machine sucked without the dro most beginners would be lost trying to do a simple mill job, I also had electric issues and tach never worked out of crate, the bed ways were cut poorly and could see it plain as day, the t slots in bed were wavy. I had it shipped back and ended up losing $500 in the whole deal. I bought a Smithy 409 and have been very happy with it and cost less and got a way better mill and I thought grizzly would be good because I have some grizzly woodworking pieces and they been great but grizzly should stay in woodworking tools and stay away from mills and metal lathes.
Good honest and helpful review!
Great review. I am in Australia and looking to purchase mill soon. We don't seem to have Grizzly brand here but mill looks like a rebadged Optimum BF 20LV or similar, which is available here. Good to hear your comments on mill
Good job with the review. What PM mill was you also looking at?
Danny,
I took a look at the pm727 and the the 9x40. My friend has the 9x40 and it is a really nice machine. If I would have been able to get away with it ($$$-->wife), I might have bought that one.
Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you ran the head in 10 minutes on low and high range and then drained oil and replaced with new oil? Factory warranty may be voided if you didn't and something happens to the gear clusters. Just an FYI. And try not to take heavy passes when milling steel or dense material, as you will strip the nylon gear in head if your model has one. Other than that, good mill and good job on your review!
What vice is that you have? I couldn't understand the name brand that you said. also. please do a video on your quill brake
Weight is the most important with a mill,,like my vintage lathes I'm going to hold out for a vintage mill, but I'm happy for you,, l have a 1938 delta Rockwell drill press with xy table I use now and does as well as my buddies China mill and I have a milling attachment for my 12 inch atlas lathe that does pretty well with limitations
Great video. How high above floor is the z axis crank?
Fabricobble, I am stealing that phrase. Hahaha
I just bought this machine today waiting for it to be shipped. Im hoping that for over $1000 more they have improved they are now $3,200 . NOW IM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD CANCEL AND FIND SOMETHING ELSE. I'm new to this I have metal lathe , wood lathe band saw etc I do more wood than anything .. which I have used the metal lathe for that cause of the auto feed. Another guy that did a review bought the same time he made a bushing for the head that took care of the shaking part. And the spindle lock he turn down some tooling steel or some part don't recall what he said... Anyhow whats your opinion on the raised price over the last year since you got yours think they've done any improvements?
I am getting mine in about a week. Im crossing my fingers to have some better luck.
@@greciankid I canceled my order cause it was out of stock and didn't know when they was going to be restocked. So I just decided to wait.. Do a current update once you get it see what improvements have been made.. Good Luck, Brother
Thank you!
Definitely get some more lights in the safety and precision are foremost.
Tremendous review
Citizen,
Thanks, I appreciate it! I will have some more machining videos up as soon as life slows down around here.
Thanks for stopping by!
What did you use for shims tramming
How did you make your y extension? I bought this mill but I won't get it till June 20 th .
Where is that cold place? Manual is OK.
Thanks for a nice review. I bought the G0759 about the same time you did and have run into many of the same issues. I don't have the X-axis power feed but will probably add a stepper down the road. My unit just stopped working today - no motor turning and 0 rpm indicator. I guess - like you - I'll have to dig into the control box. I really got a surprise when I tried to check the fuses as I need an offset screwdriver just to open the fuse holders. Poor design there in my opinion. I've had bigger mills before and - even though I acknowledge all the issues you have raised - I still think that this mill is a good deal considering the cost of a DRO for a Bridgeport can be more than the cost of this whole unit. I found your "long" video entertaining and enlightening. Not everybody has to be a professional to share good ideas. Now if you'd just make a video on how to fix the (not too complicated) electrical system you'd make my day!
Thanks for the kind words, Jim. Before you tear into the wiring too much, make sure that your fuse holder isn't damaged. I spent way too much time sorting through the wiring before checking the the fuse holder with a multimeter. The other super easy thing to check is the chip-shield micro switch.
I thought about making a wiring video...but there are just too many 'generations' of this mill. I watched a tutorial here on youtube and his machine had different color wires, different pick up for the tach, and his fuse holders weren't soldered in. I think the factory in China is constantly tweaking the wiring based on what (cheap) components are available at any given time.
Thanks for stopping by,
Jon
Grizzly charges $675 US for a power feed that they get for $105 from Taiwan.
You use the term cheap import when referring to the dividing head. Just realize that all of that equipment is cheap import.
I think 28 minutes is too long man. You need a script to work off of. You really meander around alot during the review.
Yeah, I know what you mean. I like the idea of long format video...but I probably got out on the weeds in this one. I'm sure I'll get better the more videos I shoot/edit. Thanks for watching.
I enjoyed the video and some of your others too. I have a similar milling machine and I've not been overly impressed.
One of my biggest gripes is that I get up to around 0.010-0.0150" movement at the Quill in the X axis when I use the Z axis locks (lower lock creates most of the deflection).
With the z axis gibs any tighter I get crazy stick-slip.
Have you noticed this issue at all? Would you be able to check your machine for this?
Thanks!
@@dangtc4
The lower lock on my Z axis is weird too. I do not get an x-axis shift at all when I use the lock (as you do), but it does drop the head somewhere from .010-.015". It doesn't appear to be very consistent.
Like you, I have messed with the gibs...but I have not been able to completely get rid of the movement. I have found that tightening the upper lock 50-75% first seems to minimize the movement from the lower lock. I hate how finicky the procedure becomes to not move anything during a tricky setup.
Thank god our machines have a DRO! Otherwise, I would pull my hair out with as much movement is in all of the axis.
@@schramsgarage4331 Interesting - unfortunately I don't have a DRO but I don't think that would help in my case. As I tighten the Z axis it pulls the Quill in the X axis but there is no table/axis movement so I don't think there is anything measurable by the DRO.
I'm up in Canada my model is a King KC-20VS-2 but as far as I can tell its pretty close to the G0704. I only recently just purchased the mill but am a complete novice with them so I wasn't sure what to expect and I don't have anything else here to reference to as being OK.
Lets see your video.
A 28 minute video of you whining about your purchase. Why didnt you just say its shit and save everyone a lot of time ?