[lazlo]

The Sieg X3 just showed up at Harbor Freight for $999:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93885

It's going to be a bargain with the 20% coupon!

The X3 is a perfect machine for a benchtop CNC conversion

[Deviant]

What is the wheel on the bottom middle for? The one on the angle?

Thanks..

[JFettig]

interesting, the one at grizzly has a bigger table, more z-axis travel.

The bottom middle is for the z-axis screw.

Jon

[Deviant]

hrm, z-axis.... strange.

What is the the silver dial on the head stock. Looks like a z-axis fine adjust.

Interesting looking machine. I wish it had a bit more travel for the money though.

[JFettig]

not 100% sure, but I beleive thats the high low gear switch.

at grizzly http://www.grizzly.com/products/G0463

Jon

[Deviant]

I thought the high/low switch was the lever on the front face of the head stock.

Oh well, maybe they'll get one in stock at the local store.

[PeteZ28]

I think they have been selling that for a few months now. My question is; does HF sell the newer style X3 with the extended travels, the original (older) model, or, more likely, whatever the hell happens to come in when they order them?

[lazlo]

interesting, the one at grizzly has a bigger table, more z-axis travel.

Yeah, Harbor Freight botched the table specs -- the Lathemaster, Grizzly, and now Harbor Freight machines are all made by Sieg, and should all have 21 3/4" x 6 1/4" tables.

You can tell Harbor Freight screwed up the table size since the table is the widest part of the machine, and the dimensions are listed as:

Overall dimensions: 23-1/2'' W x 28-1/4'' D x 30-7/8'' H, Weight: 325 lbs.

The maximum width is the table width.

You can also tell the y dimension of the table is the same as the Grizzly and Lathemaster machines since it has the same number of table slots, with 5/8 t-slots.

[lazlo]

whatever the hell happens to come in when they order them?

Exactly.

[PeteZ28]

Exactly.

The price from Grizzly isn't that much different than HF (actually cheaper with shipping IIRC...) and the local HF store doesn't have the X3 in stock, so I'll be ordering mine from Grizzly anyway. It would still be nice to know what model HF is hawking either way.

[lazlo]

The price from Grizzly isn't that much different than HF (actually cheaper with shipping IIRC...)

Harbor Freight has a 20% off coupon that circulates every 15 days. The next one should be sent out on March 10 (tommorrow).

That means you can get the X3 for $800 from Harbor Freight.

[PeteZ28]

Harbor Freight has a 20% off coupon that circulates every 15 days. The next one should be sent out on March 10 (tommorrow).

That means you can get the X3 for $800 from Harbor Freight.

Hmm....

If I could know for sure that it has the newer, larger travels, that would be a guaronteed sale from me!

Do you have to be signed up to get that coupon, and does that require paying the $9.95 for their "special deals" or whatever they are?

[lazlo]

Do you have to be signed up to get that coupon

Just sign up for their email mailing list, and they'll send you the coupons.

It's the link on the left column of their home page called "Free Retail Flyer"

[acondit]

Lazlo,

I think that you may be mistaken, The maximum width probably includes the length of the table, the plates on both ends, the handle and handle extension.

HarborFreight quotes an X travel of 12 3/4" while Grizzly quotes X travel of 15 7/8". If you look at the pictures of the Grizzly X3 and the HarborFreight X3, it looks like the Grizzly table is longer than the HarborFreight table.

This would not be the first time that HF imported a mill with a shorter table than its competitors.

Alan

Yeah, Harbor Freight botched the table specs -- the Lathemaster, Grizzly, and now Harbor Freight machines are all made by Sieg, and should all have 21 3/4" x 6 1/4" tables.

You can tell Harbor Freight screwed up the table size since the table is the widest part of the machine, and the dimensions are listed as:

Overall dimensions: 23-1/2'' W x 28-1/4'' D x 30-7/8'' H, Weight: 325 lbs.

The maximum width is the table width.

[lazlo]

I think that you may be mistaken, The maximum width probably includes the length of the table, the plates on both ends, the handle and handle extension.

Sure, but I wouldn't think that the bearing caps and handles were more than 2 1/2 inches, which still puts the table at 21" wide

This would not be the first time that HF imported a mill with a shorter table than its competitors.

Really? I thought all the X1 "Micro-Mill", X2 "Mini-Mill", and Mill/Drills were all the same.

What other mill has HF imported with a shorter table?

[PeteZ28]

Yeah get what you pay for I guess. I think I'm going to not take the chance and order from Grizzly. Although the second set of servo's I ordered just arrived and they are bigger than I expected. Might just step it up a little after all.....

[acondit]

Lazlo,

The handle on my X2 adds 4" to the width of the machine. Each of the end plates is about 1/2 " thick, so say 5" total addition. Subtract that 5" from 23 1/2" and you get a 18 1/2" table. Guess that the slide takes up 5 3/4" and that would leave you with 12 3/4" X-axis travel.

They (HF) were selling a mill drill like my RF30 only it had a 26" or 27 1/2" table instead of a 32" table like mine. And I thought that for awhile they were selling a RF45 clone with a 26" table instead of a 32" like several other vendors (not positive on this one). I don't see this one listed anymore, I may have mistaken the round column geared head milldrill with a 27 1/2" table for the RF45 dovetail column.

Alan

[PeteZ28]

Lazlo,

The handle on my X2 adds 4" to the width of the machine. Each of the end plates is about 1/2 " thick, so say 5" total addition. Subtract that 5" from 23 1/2" and you get a 18 1/2" table. Guess that the slide takes up 5 3/4" and that would leave you with 12 3/4" X-axis travel.



They (HF) were selling a mill drill like my RF30 only it had a 26" or 27 1/2" table instead of a 32" table like mine. And I thought that for awhile they were selling a RF45 clone with a 26" table instead of a 32" like several other vendors (not positive on this one). I don't see this one listed anymore, I may have mistaken the round column geared head milldrill with a 27 1/2" table for the RF45 dovetail column.

Alan

HF sells a round coloumn mill with a very RF45 like head. From the angle in the photo on their website, it looks VERY much like a dovetail column machine; so much so infact I actually drove to my local HF to look at the machine because I was going to order it. When I came home (disappointed), I looked closely at the picture and could see it was actually a round column machine.

This is probably the one you're thinking of... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42827

[ignatz]

Harbor Freight has a 20% off coupon that circulates every 15 days. The next one should be sent out on March 10 (tommorrow).

That means you can get the X3 for $800 from Harbor Freight.

Are you sure? Does your local HF stock the item? Mine doesn't as of Tuesday this week. I'm pretty sure that the coupon says it is for In-Store use only.

[lazlo]

They (HF) were selling a mill drill like my RF30 only it had a 26" or 27 1/2" table instead of a 32" table like mine.

The real Rong Fu RF30, and all the RF-30 clones, including the Grizzly G3358, have 28 3/4" tables.

Grizzly sells a RF30 that's special ordered with an extended table: the G1006, just like Industrial Hobbies sells a RF-45 clone with an extended table.

And I thought that for awhile they were selling a RF45 clone with a 26" table instead of a 32" like several other vendors (not positive on this one).

Harbor Freight has never sold a RF-45 clone. Like Peter said, you're probably thinking of the RF-40, Geared-Head Round Column Mill/Drill, which has always had a 27 1/2" table:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=42827

Bottom line: the X3's are all made in the same factory by the "Shanghai Sieg Industrial Company." Harbor Freight selling the X3 implies a price war between Lathemaster, Grizzly, and Harbor Freight, which is going to be great for the hobby CNC community.