Epple milling machines?

I've been looking for a milling machine, I had to sell my last during a move.

I've been offered an Epple fm50s, 3 years old with dro for £1.8k, with some tooling etc. I know its from the far east, however they're tested/rebuilt in germany by Epple before selling on.

Any thoughts or opinions on them? A fairly nice size, iso40.

http://www.epple.com/en.html

http://www.epple.co.uk/milling-machines/turret-mill-digi

Edited By John Stevenson on 28/07/2015 09:54:15

At that price then go for it.

Even the far East models of that type are usually good as they don't need to cut corners to meet low expected prices.

I've never heard of Epple in 6 years of reading about lathes etc, there's no mention of them on lathes.co.uk and my 100 GB database gives me a single return

The Paddle Tug II EPPLE TON HALL by William Featherston

Yet they've apparently been around for 30 years

You learn something new every day

Yes, it seems they've just not had a UK outlet until a few years ago.

Are there any on here?

Gate Machinery in Watford are UK distributors. Gate sell Rong Fu.

This should explain it, at the bottom

**LINK**

Steve

as a thread bump.... one has made a home in my new garage. lathe and mill are moveable till I decide where I want them, quite like this layout though....

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[URL=http://s101.photobucket.com/user/jason61c/media/FullSizeRender-4_zpsdimhjqls.jpg.html][IMG]http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m61/jason61c/FullSizeRender-4_zpsdimhjqls.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

It came with a load of bits I wasn't expecting. Its a perfect size, around 20% smaller than a bridge port, zero play, 3 axis dro, no powered quill though.

In all it knocks the socks off buying a 30+ year old machine.

Edited By jason spencer on 27/08/2015 22:04:58

Int40 is great (BT 40 will also fit it is the same taper you may need to make up different drawbar)

**LINK**

It is self releasing; maybe with a (tiny) tap.

it is much more rigid than Morse 3 or R8

Second hand tooling is cheaper than R8 or morse tooling at market sales. Well it is at the markets I visit when I get the chance in OZ.

There is a huge variety available.

Don't want to start a war in here so I better stop there LOL

Regards
John

A very nice machine you have there Jason. Warco and Chester Machine Tools in the UK have both offered that type of machine, not sure if they still do.

The Warco version did not have the gearbox on the milling head, just variable speed. The Chester version, called the Model T milling machine I think, did have the milling head gearbox plus variable speed and also a horizontal spindle. I think the table top is also hardened on them.

Yes I've seem something similar. It also came with a German certificate stating it had been setup and tested to a certain iso type standard.