Just received 3-axis DRO kit from an Aliexpress seller for a BP mill. Sino brand which from Google appears to be reasonably reputable. International logistics impresses me, shipped from China last week on Tuesday evening, arrived by courier to my door less than 48 hours later. Only the X-axis installed yet, but certainly appears to be both accurate and repeatable.

I understand that many will feel more comfortable with a UK agent selling the same kit with a markup, with regards to support and in case of warranty issues, but my limited experience with Aliexpress so far has been good. I do try to screen the sellers and would not necessarily select the cheapest offer

Free shipping complete set SINO 3 axis Dro digital readout with 3 pcs KA-300 linear glass scale

After ten years of lathe and mill ownership I am still a beginner due to lack of time, but I have had to learn some of the limitations of a small machine by experience. I first bought a new Sieg C6 lathe with a milling head, which served me well. Most of my machining is hot rolled steel which is simple to get in small pieces from the scrap containers of mechanical workshops. I have been very satisfied with turning, with the exception of parting off, but it has been the milling attachment that has really taught me the benefits of rigidity. Milling would always require very light cuts and the noise and vibration were at times downright scary. Later I came across an ML7 with quite a lot of extras for a small sum and came to realize how important rigidity is for both turning and milling. I still have those two smaller lathes, but two years ago acquired a Colchester Triumph 2000 from an auction site and haven't looked back. Now I also have a Bridgeport 2hp variable speed mill and can not see any disadvantage in the larger sizes of machine. Parting off was not really successful at all before, now its a non-event, I can cut a 50 mm hot rolled bar with automatic feed with an Iscar insert and toolholder as easily and confidently as on the bandsaw.

I have found that the purcahsing cost for a larger ex industry machine can be quite reasonable, spares can however be ridiculously expensive. But for both BP and Colchester, there are alternative sources. 3 phase power is also an issue. But if you have the space required, I am tempted to say bigger is better

There was a nonworking BP feed on the machine. I actually started by purchasing a new Minarc DC controller, but don't know whether the motor was damaged or the board, as my electrical diagnostic skills are virtually non-existent. So I went for the simpler solution, buying a new complete unit. It is true that I had to make a new adapter shaft, but this was done in a couple of hours on the lathe.

You are probably right that the BP feed is superior, I expect that the plastic gears in the new unit may fail at some point in time, but I am a hobbyist and the amount of use the mill will see is probably less than 1% of what would happen in industry

Just wish to post an update for the benefit of anybody else contemplating buying direct from China.

Bought an X-axis powerfeed for the Bridgeport from RRP Supply on Aliexpress fro 299 USD. Same unit appears to be on sale on ebay and various vendors for around 280 GBP. I live in Norway, hence shipping cost from the UK would easily have been the same amount, and any warranty issue would have been a lot of hassle.

Lots of communication before they confirmed that a 220V unit was on the way. Quick delivery by DHL. The unit arrived as expected with a 220 V Schuko european contact. Plugged in and it worked 10 seconds, then a little flash and smoke. Turned out they had shipped a 110V unit with a 220V power cord. They were quick to respond and sent a new electronics board (still 110V) I requested a 30 USD refund to cover a 220-110V transformer but they refunded 80 USD. So all in all, not hassle free but worked in the end.

I have bought a Bridgeport turret mill with a non-working X-axis power feed. I have alread tried som fault finding, and found an article on the net about building a DC motor control circuit. But my electrical skills are close to non existent, hence think about buying a complete unit from China. There are numerous units on Alibaba.com that all look the same, but I assume they are mostly copies of the same design and that there can be great quality differences.

I would really appreciate any experience with buying machine tools directly from China, and comments on quality as well as assurance that I just send money and get nothing in return