Harbor Freight mills on sale $449 and $799

J

JohnPatrick

Joined
Mar 21, 2000
Messages
18
Hello,
was at Harbor Freight today and saw their mini mill (like Grizlley's) marked down $50 to $459 and the big green mill (750 pounds, round column)) marked down to $799 vs. $999. Wanted to let y'all know, and also had a question. Being as what one should get the biggest mill you can, I'm thinking $799 is just maybe doable for me, $999 is just where I hit "buyer resistance". But here's the deal, how in the world do I move something that weighs 750 lbs??? We moved way out in the country so it's not like we have brothers/brother-in-laws/relatives or close neighbors we could invite for a hernia party!
What I've done with other things (e.g. table saw, but not that heavy) is just take the item apart and reassemble it in my shop.
Would that work?
Hoping somebody else has "been there" and can shed some light on this dilemma.
Thanks
JP
 
I used a rented cherry picker, you know, one of those things that you use to remove the engine from a car with.
It can be a real hassle. Get some long bars to pry with, and maybe some to act as rollers.

I had the help of my Brother, and another person, both pretty muscular to help, and it was hard, but we were working in confined spaces, and weren't able to use the cherry picker to the fullest advantage. Ask the local rental place about it. They have all kinds of things, and may have a much better idea.
We took the head off of mine, to aid in getting it off the back of the truck, which didn't have a lift gate, after I told the trucking company that one was required, and they promised to send it on a truck so equipped.

If I had it to do again. I wouldn't take the head off. It was a real pain getting it back on, and is where a great portion of the weight is. I sliced my thumb to the bone reaching up inside to move a slipped gear back while my Brother and his buddy were straining to hold it up. Leave it together unless you absolutely have no choice.
Mine probably looks very similar to yours.

That drill press to the left of it is about 6' high.

BTW, you made the right choice. Don't ever get anything with the word mini, or micro in it when you're getting a mill/drill.;)
 
You know those guys on the road with the signs that say "Will work for food?" Sounds like a job for them! :D A recent issue of Fine Woodworking or something like that was showing dream shop pictures and this guy had THE sweetest setup above his giant garage. He put a central steel I-beam in the peak of the roof and it ran the foll length of the shop. He had a trapdoor in the floor and the I-beam had a winch attached to it, so he could package something up, attach it to the winch, go up into the shop, hit a button, the stuff would come off the back of his truck and up into the shop, then he could move it around on the I-beam to get it generally in the right place. Funny how I've never seen "dream knifemaker shops" in any magazines. :(
 
Thanks for the info. Am thinking I can roll it off the truck, then use an engine hoist to set it on a heavy duty table with wheels. Which means I'll have to buy the engine hoist and the heavy table. More tool stuff...cool!
BTW, the sale is not on the web---it's in the flyer when I went to get some stuff at the store in Austin---figured I'd let the forumites know. The big mill (I think, and I'm no expert. I 'd never even seen a mill until i started reading about it here) is a Rong Fu 30 or equivalent, if it is $799 is a good price IMO...
 
If you can find an old tool called a "Kelly Bar" and a dozen or so pieces of 2" pipe that are longer than the item you want to move,
you can move most anything........by yourself. (Norm Abrams style)

I know this from experience. ;)
 
This is the link...don't know if it is on sale via mail order or not...It was in thier flyer, and at the store itself, but I'm not sure about the catalog...being as they normally do free delivery over $50 bucks, now would be the time to get it...I'm going to see if I can put one on lay away...BTW...having just seen the "mini-mill" I wouldn't buy that for all the tea in china!!! What a POS, not to mention that the biggest stock you could likely work is a knife guard (ok, maybe a bit larger than that...) The heavy duty one looks quite nice though.

Heavy Duty Mill
 
are harbor frieght tools any good? i don't have any experience with them, a store is opening near me, i have heard that most of their stuff is okay? what stuff should i stay away from there?
 
MBKCO: are you sure you're not confusing it with the micro mill? the micro mill sells for under 300 bucks and trust me a guard is all you can work on it. i believe Larry T (TBLADE) has the mini mill,($500) the same style but from grizzly. and its much bigger than the micro mill. as Indian George how he likes his micro mill :rolleyes:
 
Don't wanna sound abrupt 'cause I consider myself internet faux pas prone but search this forum first and you'll likely find answers to all your questions... :>)
If you want more data Google "Harbor Freight mini mill" and start reading. The most salient remark I take from my search---bite the bullet, wait and save up if you have to, but get the biggest mill you can as Mike said.
Also, consider the chinese mills "kits"---you'll need to take them apart, degrease, clean casting debris out, lube, and reassemble. Then figure workarounds for backlash, etc.
Harbor Freight stuff is cheap---some is junk, & some is workable. I wouldn't trust my life to any of it, jackstands, hoists, etc. If you got the bucks, buy the top of the line USA machinery of course. For me it's chinese mill or no mill at all.
As always just putting my 1 cents worth of opinion & YMMV. I'm a total neophyte---the other guys here know far more than me about all this stuff.
 
I guess everyone knows by now that almost all of this stuff, no matter who's name is on it, all came from the same factory. They just paint Jet's gray, and HF's red, or whatever color they use, and they put different stick on names tags on them, but all are the same with just minor variations.

The nice thing about HF is they pick up the shipping on orders over $50.00, which can be quite a savings.

If HF doesn't have a needed part, look your model up in grizzly's catalog, and get it from them.
 
Good point, Mike. Grizzly, Harbor Freight, Homier, Enco (?), Jet, same machine. I went with HF because if I have problems/need to return I can drop it off at the retail store in Austin. Besides a tractor trailer won't fit down the country lane I live off of.
I downloaded the "manual" for HF's Rong Fu-30, the date on it was 1996, doesn't seem like they've changed anything so that simplifies getting parts...
 
John I have had this delema many times moving heavy machines. I know the feeling of getting people to join the hernia party. For me I solved the problem by making a steel frame cart with wheel barrel tires. The cart is 34" wide to go thru a standard door and 60" long 18" high just a dolly with big wheels. I installed a chain fall in my receiving area to remove the items from trucks onto the cart.

I find that people including paid employees are more willing to push or pull than lift something.

I have moved items as large as two tons with it. I'd say worth it's weight in gold.

Also on the other end you can tip the cart and just slide the unit off or use the chain fall.

Even though it's still hard as a one man operation it make getting help easier. But you still have a chance to do it by yourself.

Fish
 
I had the same machine, a Rong Fu RF30. Mine had a Rutland Tool name plate on it. I was able to move it using a pick up truck and a "cherry picker" engine hoist that I rented from U Haul for $20.00 per day. I'd recommend using a 5000lb rated strap instead of chains as you're much less likely to tear the machine up. We used a piece of 4x4 between the column and spindle and then used the straps slung under the ends of the 4x4. Use enough 4x4 so that if something shifts a bit, the straps don't come off. Make sure that the table is cranked all the way back to the column. It was no problem. I had one buddy on hand, but he mostly watched. Most engine hoists are rated at 1000lbs. As long as you have resonable flat concrete to roll the engine hoist over, it should be no problem at all.

I highly recommend against removing the head on one of those machines as it can be hard to get them back together in tram (square with table).

John
 
Build your table the same height as the tailgate on you truck, back your truck up to it, slide it off. Leave it on the pallet if you want.

Craig
 
Moving heavy equipment = wrecker. I have the Rong Fu RF31. All my stuff is in my basement and I use my buddies boom wrecker to pick the equipment out of the back of my truck and lower it in the basement through the cellar doors. Moved the mill and the 25# LG that way. It works great.

I wish I had a real shop or garage so i could get bigger equipment. I actually had a Wells Index full sized mill that i bought but was too big to fit in the basement. Bought it for $500 and sold it for $2100 without having to even move it. :D And then bought the Rong Fu and a Wilton Band Saw.

Once in the basement I built the table for it and then added a few cross members between the joists, and used a chain fall to hoist it on the table. Worked out great.

Oh Yeah, the RF31 works great for the knife maker sized stuff we do. I want to find a three phase replacement motor for it and run it with a VFD. Then I won't have to switch the belt around all the time.
 
I would go with jmxcpter's idea and use the cherry picker. I am aquiring a bridgeport mill this weekend. luckily I have acess to a portable gantry. My driveway is cement and all I have to do is roll it on some pipes about 20 feet into my garage, it only takes 2 people.
If I were you I would consider a brideport if you have the room. I was going to buy a mini mill, one of those square column jobs. Then I started reading and talking to people and decided that bigger is better. A little more money up front but I think its worth it.
The one nice thing about the homier, harbor freight, enco, grizzley (there all the same) square column mills is that you can set them up for cnc quite easily and cheap, about $400, compared to $1200 to $1500 to convert a bridgeport.
Check out http://www.mini-lathe.com/Mini_mill/Main/mini-mill.htm there is a lot of useful information there.
 
Hey Kenny,

Congrats on the incoming BP. While I generally love mine, even though it needs some updating (DRO, tune up) I wish it was as easy to move as a mill/drill as I've decided it needs to live on the other side of the shop. I was hoping to move it this weekend, but it's raining and there's stuff that needs to be moved outside temporarily to accomodate the move. Not gonna happen in the rain.

Enjoy your new machine. What kind of tooling are you getting with it? I recently met an old tool and die maker (retired) who is cleaning out his garage and has some stuff I don't need. Send me an email.

John
 
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