The Best Milling Machines: Our Reviews of the Top Tools to Use
Contents
- Best Milling Machine: Reviews
- 1. JET JMD-18 350018 Phase Milling/Drilling Machine: Best Overall
- 2. Grizzly G0704 Drill Mill with Stand: Best Value-For-Money
- 3. Proxxon 34108 Micro Milling Machine: Best Mini Milling Machine
- Conclusion
- How To Choose The Best Milling Machine
- Power & Speed
- FAQ
- What’s Next?
- Sources
A good milling machine mills and drills metal, plastic and wood accurately. A poor one has slack in the X and Y axes and struggles with simple cuts.
Below are three picks, from a 2 HP mill/drill to a micro mill for models, followed by buying advice and safety tips.
| Picture | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| JET JMD-18 350018 Phase Milling/Drilling Machine | $$$$ | |
| Grizzly G0704 Drill Mill with Stand | $$$ | |
| Proxxon 34108 Micro Milling Machine | $$ | |
| Picture | Product | Price |
| --- | --- | --- |
Best Milling Machine: Reviews
1. JET JMD-18 350018 Phase Milling/Drilling Machine: Best Overall
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“A 2 HP mill/drill with 12 spindle speeds and a 360-degree swiveling head.”
The JET JMD-18 is the most powerful and versatile machine on this list. It mills and drills steel, aluminum and other common shop materials accurately. While it’s not a very budget-friendly option, the quality more than makes up for it. The JET JMD-18 is ideal for heavy-duty work, which is why we especially recommend it to professionals.
Pros:
The JET JMD-18 features a user-friendly, innovative design that will give you a lot of versatility in operation. The 360-degree swiveling head will allow you to practice the optimal flexibility and precision in your work at the same time. The hinged belt cover provides you with a quick and easy way to go through speed changes. The easy-read dials and easy-read internal depth gauge will ensure that you’re always fully informed and aware of the settings as you mill. And, last but not least, the JET JMD-18 features an integrated work lamp which will illuminate your work as you go!
It also has the widest speed range here: 12 belt-driven speeds from 150 to 3,000 RPM. You still pick the speed yourself based on the material and cutter size.
“Its 2 HP motor handles everything from hardwood to steel.”
The JET JMD-18 is the most powerful machine on our list. Its 2 HP motor handles everything from hardwood to steel, though hardened steel still calls for carbide tooling and light cuts. The 2 HP motor makes this machine ideal for large projects and heavy-duty use. We think it’s a must-have for professionals and businesses.
The JET JMD-18 is also versatile when it comes to where you want to place it. You can use it as a benchtop milling machine on a very sturdy bench, or buy JET's optional floor stand. The bench has to be strong: the JET weighs over 600 pounds.
You’ll love how sturdy and durable the JET is. It comes with a cast-iron column and a heavy-duty roller bearing which improves support and stability. Plus, the JET is backed by a 2-year warranty.
Cons:
The JET JMD-18 is the heaviest and priciest recommendation on our list due to its high quality. If you’re a hobbyist or a beginner who needs a milling machine for small projects, you may prefer to choose something that’s smaller and cheaper, as you won’t really need all the specialized features and horsepower.
2. Grizzly G0704 Drill Mill with Stand: Best Value-For-Money
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“Although it has fewer features and less HP than the JET, it’s also cheaper, and it still has enough power and versatility for most projects.”
The Grizzly G0704 is a smaller, lighter machine than the JET JMD-18. It has fewer features and less power than the JET, but it costs less and handles most hobby and light production work. The price of the Grizzly combined with everything it has to offer made it our favorite value-for-money pick. It’s also lighter than the JET, but heavy enough that you’ll want to find it a permanent place in your home, workshop, or office. The Grizzly is great for milling professionals, hobbyists, and beginners alike!
Pros:
The Grizzly offers great value for your money as it’s powerful and versatile. It features a 1HP motor, which places the Grizzly in the mid-power range of our recommendations. While this may not be enough for heavy-duty use, it’s still plenty powerful for most hard materials.
Another feature that really comes in handy and is included in the price is a robust stand. While with the JET you’ll have to add more money to an already hefty price, with the Grizzly, a sturdy, dependable stand is included in the purchase.
The Grizzly also gets points for being space efficient. It is much lighter than the JET, though still heavy enough that it needs a permanent spot.
“It comes with a 1HP motor, which is not the best choice for heavy-duty use, but still powerful enough for a variety of hard metals.”
This milling machine comes with some additional cool features that will add precision to your work. Its head tilts 90 degrees left and right on a dovetail column, and it has variable speed from about 50 to 2,250 RPM across two ranges. If you’re a milling hobbyist, you’ll enjoy using these features on the Grizzly.
It is solidly built for its size.
Cons:
As we’ve already mentioned, the Grizzly is not great for heavy-duty use, as the motor may overheat.
Another thing to keep in mind is that it will take a bit of work to tram the head and smooth out the travel along the table, which is good practice for beginners learning the craft.
3. Proxxon 34108 Micro Milling Machine: Best Mini Milling Machine
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“This machine is the lightest, smallest, and cheapest of our recommendations, so it’s a good choice for a tighter budget and great for beginners to milling.”
The Proxxon 34108 is the 110V version of Proxxon's FF 230 micro mill, a good fit for a small garage or workshop. Its 140-watt motor is far weaker than the JET or the Grizzly, but it is enough for small hobby parts in wood, plastic and soft metals. This machine is the lightest, smallest, and cheapest of our recommendations, so it’s a good choice for a tighter budget and great for beginners to milling.
Pros:
The Proxxon is the perfect size for cramped workshop or forgotten rooms in your home. Proxxon lists the FF 230 at about 500 mm (20 inches) tall and about 17 kg (37 pounds), a fraction of the weight of the JET and the Grizzly. The light weight of the machine will allow you to stow it away when you’re not using it, so it’s pretty much an ideal option for milling hobbyists and beginners.
The Proxxon offers great value for your money thanks to the added features. It has a T-slotted compound table (about 270 x 80 mm), so this mini milling machine is ready for small vises and clamps.
“It has 6 belt speeds from 280 to 2,200 RPM, a wide range for such a small machine.”
Despite the small size, the Proxxon offers a lot of versatility. It has 6 belt speeds from 280 to 2,200 RPM, so you can match the speed to the material. You can control the fine mill feed and adjust the height using a hand wheel, and the head swivels 360 degrees, allowing you to reach greater precision in your work.
The Proxxon comes with 3 collets of 6, 8, and 10 mm, so that you can choose the optimal size for precise milling on small-scale materials. It’s perfect for small projects, like making scale models.
Cons:
If you’re looking for a milling machine that can handle heavy-duty work or hard materials, the Proxxon is not your best bet.
Conclusion
The overall best milling machine is the JET JMD-18. It is powerful, versatile and durable. The 2HP motor and maximum RPM of 3000 make the JET suitable for everything up to and including heavy-duty work. Milling professionals and serious hobbyists will love using this machine.
You get the best value for your money with the Grizzly. It has less power and speed than the JET, but it’s also significantly more affordable, and powerful enough for most milling projects (short of heavy-duty use). The Grizzly is very well-built, which ensures that it will serve you for years to come.
Our favorite mini milling machine is the Proxxon 34108. It is by far the smallest, lightest and cheapest machine on our list. This model is best suited to milling beginners and hobbyists. The 360-degree swivel head will allow you to work with precision on DIY projects such as scale models.
How To Choose The Best Milling Machine
If you’re still not sure which milling machine is best for you, read on to the most important factors you should consider when choosing:
Power & Speed
If you’re doing heavy-duty work, make sure you go for something with a powerful motor of about 2 HP. Motors with 1 HP handle steel with lighter cuts, but are not meant for heavy-duty work. Anything below 1 HP is suitable for softer materials and hobby milling.
A wider speed range gives you more versatility. Small cutters and soft materials like aluminum need higher RPM, while large cutters and steel need lower RPM.
FAQ
Q: What safety equipment do I need for milling?
A: Start with safety glasses, since chips fly fast. CCOHS also advises no gloves, rings, watches or loose clothing near the machine, and tying back long hair, because a rotating cutter can catch them.
Clamp the work in a vise bolted to the table, and stop the cutter completely before measuring, adjusting or brushing away chips.
Q: What should I consider when setting the cutting speed?
A: When setting the cutting speed you should consider the material that you’re cutting, the depth of the cut, the type of cutter the machine employs, and most important of all, whether your machine is rigid enough to handle them (1). Some milling machines come with preset speeds, which will make it easy to adjust the settings according to the material.
Q: Is a milling machine the same as a drill press?
A: No. A milling machine holds the work on a table that moves precisely along the X and Y axes, so the side of the cutter can cut slots, pockets and flat faces. A drill press only plunges straight down, and its spindle bearings are not built for side loads, so it should not be used for milling.
What’s Next?
Hopefully, you were able to find the best new milling machine for your needs out of our recommendations. For more information on each product, follow their title links.
While you’re here, you can also find more reviews of woodworking tools to get the complete set-up for your workshop!
Sources
- Metalworking Machines: Milling Machines, Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- MICRO Milling Machine FF 230, Proxxon
