| Metalworking and Machining |
Note: This page is several years out of date. I'll try to update it sometime before the end of 2002.
Check out 3in1direct for bargain basement prices on chinese 3 in 1 machines...
Smithy now carries a wider line of machines and SHOPTASK now has an update of the 1720XMTC called the Shopmaster 2000. This machine includes many new features, is more powerful, and comes with much more standard equipment than the competition. It's still the best value of all the 3 in 1 machines in my opinion!
(old section...)
Last year, I purchased a Shoptask 17-20 XMTC lathe, mill, drill machine. Here is a picture of it mounted to the workbench that was built from plans included in the Shoptask owners manual.
With the knowledge that all 3 in 1 style machines are somewhat of a compromise when compared to full-sized lathes and milling machines, I decided to research this type of machine to determine if it would suit my needs.
The only 3 in 1 machine that I had heard of up to this time was the Smithy. After doing a little poking around, I found that several other companies were selling machines that were very similar, and at much lower prices.
The discount tool company, Harbor Freight had a machine that looked somewhat like a Smithy 1220XL for about $1100, except that it was built a bit heavier and seemed slightly smaller. It appeared to be a good deal at roughly half the Smithy price.
I then discovered that a local company Grizzly Industrial had a 3 in 1 for only $900. I decided to drive to the Grizzly showroom and check out their 3 in 1 machine first hand.
Upon arriving at their showroom, the machine looked a little smaller than I had pictured, seeing one in person gave a much better feel for what I was getting into with these 3 in 1 machines. After a brief inspection of the dimensions of the Grizzly, I noticed that the lathe actually had a fairly large swing over its bed - larger than both the Harbor Freight and Smithy machines. The Grizzly was also remarkably similar in appearance to the Smithy, for a reason I was to discover a little later on. It seemed to be a very good buy for the money.
Smithy seems to be marketed and advertised much more extensively than the other machines. In my opinion, this may be part of the reason for the higher cost of their machine. They also offer a 30-day test-drive policy with a full refund of the purchase price if you want to return it. While doing a web-search on the Smithy machine, I ran across a messsage from a guy that had bought one and then returned it because it didn't meet with his expectations. He mentioned that he had just bought a larger and more accurate machine that had many more standard features, that cost less than the Smithy - it was called a Shoptask.
After doing an extensive comparison of features between the Shoptask and the other machines, my decision on which machine would best suit my needs became clear. These are some of the reasons why I chose the Shoptask over the others:
No machine is perfect, and I feel that the standard Shoptask has room for improvement in the following areas:
Smithy has recently widened their product line and has introduced several new machines. Their new GRANITE looks very nice, equaling and even surpassing the Shoptask in some areas, but the price is likely to be well beyond the budget of many home-shop machinists.
The retail price on the Granite is $1000 higher than the Shoptask retail price. The Shoptask can also be purchased several hundred dollars below retail on their container special.
The Granite appears to have lots of travel on the quill, but because the milling head does not extend over the work area as far as the Shoptask, it will still have limited working area for milling operations unless the lathe chuck is removed. Like the smaller Smithy's, the Granite only has one motor to power both the lathe and mill, although it is larger than the motor on the other machines.
Smithy is promising a CNC upgrade sometime soon (no doubt to compete with the Shoptask) but it isn't yet available, and the machine does not appear to have the Stepper motor mountings and pulleys as standard equipment, as the Shoptask does. The Shoptask is basically CNC ready out of the crate.
Shoptask offers a turn-key CNC upgrade for $2000, but I've found that the machine can be upgraded to CNC operation for much less if you are willing to do a little scrounging for parts and software.
Here's a basic list of the stuff that is needed - most of which I already have.
Two HOT LINKS for shoptask users: Home Machining and CNC
C&G Research - see Chuck for great Shoptask mods! - Including an R8 spindle mod and a ball-screw retrofit!
More updates and new links to be added as soon as I get time...
Plus, check out delphi.com for TWO great forums dedicated to Shoptask users! Just do a search for "Shoptask".
