Too_Many_Tools wrote:
[...]
My theory is that these items are used in the old "bait and switch"
ploy where you come to the show thinking you will buy something maybe
worthwhile and they make sure to have the "garbage fill tomorrow" stuff
waiting for you to pick up instead.

It would seem that they sell whatever they can get really cheap. No
conspiracy -- just availability issues. Maybe Cummins now absorbs the
mini-mill overruns. They also stopped selling that other larger
benchtop mill.

Excuse me...I need to go to my shop and give each of my old American
machines a hug of appreciation...

Must be nice, but some areas of the country don't have much old
American iron available. Compare http://kansascity.craigslist.org/tls/
to http://seattle.craigslist.org/tls/