bridgeport mill

C

chris k

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Hi guys
just wondering what a fair price for a used Bridgeport mill is , I ran into one at a machine shop and the fellow said make an offer .

Thx ,
Chris
 
Need more info like hp, size and condition of ways, DRO?, age, type of spindle drive, What collet system, Coolant system? any accessories with it such as collets, vise, how much backlash in the x and y axis's, how much run out in the spindle, any noise from the spindle bearings. How is the rise and fall of the knee.
Low side $1200, High side $10000 as you can see a lot of variables. Typically the Bridgeport name brings a premium price tag, does not mean it is worth it though. Getting the ways scraped is expensive. Tearing down and replacing bearings in the head is pricey also.
You can get a nice manual 9x49 new import for under 7000.
 
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There are good used American made machines to be had, you just have to look and be ready to jump when you find them. I being fussy looked for a long time to find just what I wanted and for $800 as it sits, I thought it was a bargain, it also came with 14 new collets, new set of mills and drill chuck, plus the guy delivered it. The pic is after I cleaned it up but everything is in good working order, 1951 manufacture, this may not be what everyone wants but it suits my needs and I didn't feed the Chinese.

Rick
 

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There are several ways to go.

  • You can look for a good second hand machine, and pay the premium its' condition brings.
  • You can buy a cheap but not so good second hand (or a not so good new import) and fiddle around with its shortcomings.
  • or you can check out the machine tool re-builders in your area

I'm not into Bridgeports, but I gather that a carefully rescraped one can have a longer accurate life before needing re scraping again than a brand new one does.

This guy posts over at Practical machinist, as sidecar580, have a look at his gallery and for sale sections, for some idea of what reconditioned stuff looks like:
http://www.j-lscraping.com/

A couple of threads to give some idea of costs http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/machinery-sale-wanted/fs-bridgeport-42-table-184186/

My only connection to the guy is learning from his posts:)
 
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Stay as far away from their CNC millls as you can, unless your hobby is spending money.
 
I like Bridgeports

The resale value is a big plus. Everyone wants a Bridgeport. If you don't know much about machining, a good used Mill is not a bad thing. Look at the one Rick bought. I think he said $800.00 his. I paid 2500.00 of mine plus a new readout $700.00. The machine isn't great. Ways a not good. But for what I do, it works.

One little thing. A machine that has a variable spindle speed. Turn on the spindle and run it up and down.If it's loud their are some things you will have to fix. if not. it has good spindle bearing. Also, put a indicator on the inside of the spindle. Next place the spindle in neutral. In between High and Low. the lever is on the right side of the head. spin the spindle by hand and try and get the spindle to move. If their is slop let it go. Unless you are mechanically incline. It would be a learning experience. Ricks machine is the simplest of the types I would want to deal with. You just have to make sure she's in gear or the whole shop will hear it.(1988 first day on the job)

This whole thing isn't worth arguing about. Get the machine. Someday you may have to make gun parts to save your ass. The Chinese are coming.
 
????

Are Bridgeports even made here any more. They could be one of those machine manufactuers who have all of the parts made somewhere else, and they assemble them in the USA.

Southbend sounds real "American". I am not sure where they are manufactured these days, but I doubt it is in the USA.

Mills are like any other machine tool. A wore out Bridgeport is just that, wore out. I have seen bidders at Auctions get really stupid and pay way too much for all sorts of machine tools that are not much more than scrap casr iron in the shape of a machine tool.

We just bought two new manual lathes this year, a 28 inch swing x 28 foot long Kingston, and a 24 inch swing x 8 ft Kingston. They are manufactured in South Korea. Pretty darned good machines.

Try buying a American Manual Lathe these days. I don't even know if anybody makes one............jackie
 
pwolfppc said:
and really help the communist chinese economy..
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I support them anyway with my trips to Walmart and the Nikes I'm wearing right now. If I buy a chinese import mill best believe that many American workers along the way get a cut of the money, from the dock workers that unload it off the ship to the truck driver that delivers it to the house.
 
jackie schmidt said:
Are Bridgeports even made here any more. They could be one of those machine manufactuers who have all of the parts made somewhere else, and they assemble them in the USA.
Click to expand...

A very good question.

I've read of "Bridgeport" parts being cast on one continent, machined and painted on another and assembled on a third.

This site has far more info on the things than I'll ever remember.

http://www.lathes.co.uk/bridgeport/

I was looking at a pair of B-ports last week, one was made in the US, the other was made by Adcock and Shipley in the UK, both needed the top of the knee re scraping - sloppy in the middle, but tight as hell at the ends - those surfaces are just so exposed to swarf and dropped tools.
 
My understanding

Bridgeport has their castings done in Taiwan. From what i know it's been since 1984. Hardinge owns the company. And your right Auctioneers get do get stupid. But you can find them for reasonable prices.
 
Bridgeport is now owned by Hardinge in new york.
I paid $700 for my plus $ 50 for the vise . It was in a flood
and I was able to tear it down three days later. It had a column
spacer, and was only used on occasion for tall work.
Hardinge uses the original numbers on parts and I got really
great service from them. Strangely, it was cheaper to buy bearings
from them, than The bearing places.
 
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