Re: Jet mill
Good selection!
A couple years ago I was looking to get a full size milling machine after seeing the limitations of my small "drill mill". At work they had several Bridgeport mills, so I was looking for a good used Bridgport mill. I spent 8 monyhs looking at about a dozen used Bridgeport mills, some of them very old and sloppy, some not too old but sloppy from a decade or more of hard use and still asking $5k.
At work they also had an older Spanish (Acuna?) mill that was the most accurate (little slop) machine in the place but the oldtimers prefered the Bridgeports. As such I could usually use this machine when I need a mill. I got to like it pretty fast.
Prevoiusly I had purchased a couple Grizzly woodworking machines and read a few reviews of their milling machines. It seemed to be a great value and so I ordered the G9901. I runs on single phase power, is nice and tight and has a warrantee. It was just under $4000 delivered to my home (in early 2008). I added DRO a few months later and am happy with the machine.
I bought the smaller Grizzly gunsmiths lathe G4003G late last year, but have yet to chamber a barrel with it. I have done a few small projects with the lathe, but persnally I'm more a mill kind of guy. Hopefully I can retire in a few years and get comfortable with the lathe as well. At any rate I will have some serious tools right at home.