Choice between cheap mini milling machines.

@Ron and @derek

I take your point about additional costs and I had the ultimate experience, in that direction, of boat ownership. (The word "Marine" equals two times the cost of anything you could think of.) So I know all about justifying expenses to myself (and my wife, of course). A hobby is a very political business!

There's no limit to how much we spend in the long term. As I mentioned further up the thread, I bought a small vertical milling table for use on my mini lathe and so I already have some basic kit like a small vise and an assortment of T Nuts, bolts and home made clamps. I also have some ER25 collets and an assortment of end mills. So I already have the wherewithal for basic jobs. Posh kit can often be done without at the expense of time and ingenuity.

The message I am getting is that, in nearly every respect, big is better so something with 13mm drilling capability that weighs over 50kg should suit my present needs. A larger shed is not on the cards where we live and I will only be dragged out of our present lovely house when I am incapable of using my tools.

@Hollowpoint I will look around for a More Westbury machine but only the very smallest ones would fit in and I can only find trace of just one on any site and that was sold some time ago. Champagne appetite and beer income, I'm afraid.

Dore Westbury mills are becoming more common on ebay, I've seen half a dozen last year, as the generation that built them are dying off.

I have a Dore Westbury mill that I bought a few years ago and I find it fine for my modelling needs. It is much more versatile and powerful than the baby Seig 1 series mill that I also have which I keep for its small capacity drilling and soft metal milling. I paid £400 for it, basic but very functional.

@Phil you are a lucky chap. I have not seen a suitable one in a year's trawling. I have only seen large ones on eBay and they are not within my requirement envelope.

I suspect that, as long as I go for something new, a bit above minimum spec, then I will be more than satisfied with what I will ba able to do with it. Many of the comments in this thread have been very useful when they have dealt with my basic requirement about comparative performances of new mills.

There is no way I could hope to go for a large, possibly excellent, older machine and I did make that clear at the outset. But the thread has, yet again, been very useful for background information.