On 7/1/2011 11:55 AM, Tim Wescott wrote:
....
But unless the ways are trashed, I think that one could actually end up
with something better than a Chinese machine at a price consistent with
a new mill/drill piece of crap.
....

Yea, as long as you're not concerned with a warranty, factory support or
parts availability. :|

----

A lot of people end up buying the small machines because they simply
don't have room for any large machine.

They want a new machine because they have no clue how to diagnose, fix
or find parts for any old one. The China stuff has a lot of faults, but
a truck brings them to your house in a few days after you order it, most
brands usually have all the parts in the box, and they work when you
plug them in and turn them on.

And people buy the China machines because there's no US companies making
small machines anymore, and there hasn't been for 50 years.



-And that last point tells you a HUGE amount about where the US
machinest profession is headed (mostly, to retirement).