Best Lathe Mill Combo

Considering to buy a unit of lathe mill combo? That’s great. Rather than buying two units of lathe and mill machines separately, purchasing the combo one could save you some money and space. If you have limited space in your workshop, then lathe mill is a great choice to deal with that issue.

A lathe mill combo is designed to be able to perform: turning, cutting threads, drilling, and milling.

In this post, we’ll discuss the lathe mill combo that can be used not only for metals but also for plastics, woods, etc. The size also varies from the benchtop version to the desktop. Unluckily, there are no sufficient options of lathe mill combo available on the market. We end up these 7 lathe mill combo.

Let’s get into the point. We reviewed the Metal wood lathe machine depending on a few factors and we classified the best machines following the demands of the buyer. Similarly, in this post we will be considering the following factors to choose the best Lathe mill combo machine:

  1. The capacity of the milling and drilling.
  2. Motor Power and speed ranges.
  3. Overall size and weight of the package.
  4. Accessibility.
  5. Price
  6. Buyer reviews.

Before we go in details, let’s have a glance on all these machines, so that we can understand easily on later explanation.

Top 7 Best Lathe Mill Combo Reviews

1. Shop Fox M1018 Lathe Mill Combo [Best Overall]

Shop Fox M1018 is so far the best lathe mill combo that we highly recommend to purchase. It provides good functionality and comes with a friendly price. Most importantly, it gives you a quality cutting that you definitely expect.

Size: It has dimensions of 42″ in length, 23″ in width, and 35″ in height. This one is comparatively smaller than the dimensions of Jet JMD-18 which is 47″L x 40″W x 51″H. So, this one should fit well to be placed in your workshop. In addition, its weight is almost 500 lbs, 440 lbs to be precise.

Mill: This machine is motorized by a 3/4 horsepower motor to spin the lathe and mill spindle. There are 14 fixed spindle speeds for the milling machine: 117, 150, 220, 276, 290, 345, 360, 440, 450, 575, 640, 836, 1000, 1300 RPM. There is no automatic switch, so you have to change the RPM manually.

Read the manual here to learn how to switch the RPM.

If you are going to machine metals, this machine is for you. It’s able to machine metals as long as you know how to calculate the RPM speed that depends on the cutting tool diameter, cutting speed, and workpiece material. In addition, it’s also capable to drill steel and cast iron using a drill bit that is up to 7/8 inch in diameter. Furthermore, the table size is 7‐1/4 in x 6 in, not really large but should suffice the work.

Lathe: In the case of the lathe, there are 7 fixed speeds: 160, 310, 375, 480, 610, 880, and 1380 RPM. Still, you have to switch from one another by manual switching through the pulley belts.

It comes with power feed, but you could choose the manual feed for sure. There are two speeds of this power feed. The first one is the speed that is generated by the gear combination. The capacity comes with 19.2 inches which will suffice the works as we know 12 inches off-center distance is normally enough.

Overall, this is definitely our recommendation to use in the workshop. It works in any residential building as it just requires a 110V outlet and 9 A to power the single-phase motor.

Pros:

  • The best lathe mill combo available on the market today
  • Good quality cutting

Cons:

  • Manual speed spindle switch

2. OTMT Combination Lathe – Model: OT25531

OTMT combination is slightly bigger than shop Fox M1018. We recommend this machine as a second choice for your workshop just like the previous one. It also comes with good functionality but the price is a little higher compared with the specification of Shop fox M1018.

Size: OT25531 is 57.48” in length, 22.83” in width and 37.99” in height. This adorable machine is 540lb in weight. This machine is bigger than the shop fox, which means its hard to carry out simultaneously. So, this machine will be best if we can use it in our bigger workshop. We can use it for our house mini-workshop too but the shop fox will be better for any workshops.

Motor: OT25531 is powered by ¾ HP single phase motor which will provide variable speed ranges from 120 RPM ~ 3000 RPM.

Mill & Drill: The milling and drilling have 16 variable speeds ranges from 120 RPM to 3000 RPM. Drilling capacity is 7/8 inches or 0.86 inches. The Milling and Drilling hand can be modified with the jack at front. While lathing the workpiece we can take the Drilling hand away from the machine, which can provide an accurate concentration on the workpiece and will be productive.

Lathe: This machine has Rotating spindle bore of ¾ inches. The lathe machine part has a variable speed range from 160 RPM to 1360 RPM (manual). The milling and drilling machine speed will not be the same as the lathe part. Lathe capacity includes 19.7 Inches on the X-axis is sufficient. OTMT combination has several other types of equipment provided with the lathe part.

Finally, it came with two main differences with the Shop Fox M1018 combo machine. First, the appearance where Shop Fox is more reliable than the OTMT machine. Second, the price is higher than the shop fox. But the all the specification remains the same with the Shop Fox M1018. So, we took this machine as the second Top machine in the ranking.

Pros:

  • Productive and accurate.
  • One of the best machines in the market today.

Cons:

  • Expensive compared with the specifications with Shop Fox.
  • Manual Speed change, no automatic speed control regulator.

3. Baileigh MLD-1030 Mill Drill Lathe

This gigantic Baileigh MLD-1030 will be the best choice on the production line of a mini-factory. Comparing with the other models we recommend this model as a third on the ranking. Because if we consider for personal use this machine may not be a good choice for you but this machine is really powerful and have a large capacity. So, it is best to use on the production line.

Size:  This machine has a dimension of 69 inches of length, 44 inches of width and 55 inches of height. The weight comes with 690lb main machine, the package may come more. We already have seen the sizes of this gigantic machine. Lots of space can be very useful to perform more production. This is the biggest among all the machines in this ranking list.

Motor: Very powerful motor of 1 Horsepower came up with this model. Comparing with the gigantic size of this model can provide a very strong performance. The motor can provide variable speed ranges from 50 RPM up to 2500 RPM of speeds. The wonderful thing is that this machine has an automated speed control switch where we can change our speed depending on our demands.

Mill: The milling and drilling head features a column-style base with adjustable depth and the dept DRO features the repeated cutting. It is built with robust MT-2 tapper. The drilling capacity is 7/8 inches which are similar to the other two models.

Lathe: The turning capacity of the machine is also bigger comparing with the size. The dimension of the center distance is 28.5 inches where the bigger workpieces can be operated. Besides, the small workpieces also can be operated. Besides this, the spindle bore came up with 1.10 inches in diameter. The turning speeds are adjustable from 50 RPM to 2,500 RPM with a DRO for precise cutting.

Overall, This machine will be best for the production line in a mini-factory because of this Turning capacity, bigger. The primary advantage of this model is the automated speed control regulator. I will recommend this for bigger workshop holders, not suitable house workshops.

Pros:

  • An automated speed control switch will be very convenient to maintain the speeds.
  • Dept DRO features repeated cutting.
  • Warranty of 1 year.

Cons:

  • Heavy, not suitable for small workshops.
  • Very expensive.

4. CJC Mini Lathe Machine Desktop

This CJC Mini Lathe machine came up with wonderful accessibility features. The mini structure with all the features is very much reliable for any mini workpieces. Comparing with the other models this is half of their sizes. We picked this model as 4th in the ranking.

Size: CJC Mini Lathe combo is 19.6 inches in length, 11.8 inches in width, 16.1 inches in height. Including all the parts in it, this model contains 66.14lb of weight. Because of its small features, it is very convenient to use in mini-workshops.

Motor: CJC mini is constructed by a 150W of the motor. The motor can provide variable speeds. It has a total of 15 variable speeds range from 500 RPM to 2500 RPM. The whole machine needs 120 V with a 50 Hz frequency of the current.

Milling and Drilling: There have 10 levels of milling and drilling variable speeds from 500 RPM to 2500 RPM. The vertical stroke range of the milling and drilling is 60 mm. The drilling capacity came up with 6mm in depth. The milling & drilling hand can be rotated up to 360 digress. So, it’s very convenient to keep it in any direction while working on the lathe table.

Lathe: With a ¾ inches in diameter of spindle bore the lathe machine can provide 5 levels of speeds starting from 560 RPM to 2500 RPM. The working capacity is 7.08 inches or 180 mm with a stroke of 18 mm. The working table length is 85mm and the T slot width is 8 mm.

Besides all these, there will be a set of different adjustment tools, lathes, drilling knife, extra gears, pulleys, manuals, etc. We recommend this machine for any mini workpieces, so we highly recommend this machine for those who need it for small appliances. Besides if we look through the price configuration, Shop Fox is much better than this model. But If we consider the reliability than this model will be the best choice.

Pros:

  • Not heavy to carry, adjustable at any place because of its size.
  • Good functionality and accuracy.

Cons:

  • Not suitable for comparing with the price.
  • It cannot carry the high load.

5. KKmoon Mini Metal Lathe Mill Combo

This combo machine brought an exclusive idea manufacturing all the components in a combo but separately. It has two different colors they are black and red. This machine has different parts, such as jigsaw, grinder, driller, wood lathe, metal lathe, miller, etc. Because it is an assembly of different working machines, so we describe them separately.

Sizes: KKmoon mini has a dimension of 19.5 inches in length, 14.9 inches in width, 3.4 inches in height. Having only 7.55 lb this machine can be placed at any working space in the workshop. The several machines are comparatively very small than the others.

Motor & Power supply: Very small motor of 48 W will provide variable speeds up to 2000 RPM. These electrical appliances are of 100-240v with 50/60 Hz of AC. The output operating voltage is only 12 V and 4 A of current.

Jigsaw & Grinder: The jigsaws operating space is 90 mm x 90 mm / 3.54 inches x 3.54 inches. Maximum cutting depth is 4mm hardwood, 7mm for triply wood, 18m for softwood, 0.55 aluminum flakes, 2mm for organic glasses. On the other side, the grinder comes with an operating space of 120 mm x 100 mm/ 4.72 inches x 3.94 inches. Grinding materials are wood, plastic, soft metal (Gold, Silver, Copper, Aluminum, etc.)

Milling & Drilling: The drilling operating space is 120 mm x 100 mm / 4.72 inches x 3.94 inches. The drilling capacity is 6mm. miller slide stroke is 30 – 50 mm. Grinding materials are wood, Plastics, soft metal (Gold, Silver, Copper, Aluminium, etc.)

Wood & metal Lathe: The both wood and metal lathe have a maximum processing diameter of 45 mm. The center distance (processing length) is 135mm. Wood materials are wood and plastics, on the other side metal materials are only soft metals such as (Gold, Silver, Copper, Aluminum, etc.)

Finally, we have found that this machine is not for hard materials. So, this machine can be suitable at the ornaments shop, can be suitable for showcase gifts shop, etc. KKmoon Mini is our no 5th in the ranking. It has wonderful accessibility, very cheap. Only because of its working motor and capacity it couldn’t come on the higher rank. But it is best for any mini materials to design and shape.

Pros:

  • High accessibility.
  • Very cheap.
  • Best for soft metal shaping.

Cons:

  • Weak motor power.
  • The capacity is very small.
  • Manual speed operator.

6. Proxxon 34104 Lathe Mill Drill Head PF 230

We have two models from Proxxon ranked on our list. The features in these models are similar to the other models. There some dissimilarities in their sizes and capacities. This model is a top-quality precision model in today’s market. Because of the high price and the capacities, we put this model on our no 6th rank, and  PF 400 at 7th place. This model is very suitable in mini-workshops, better for daily workpieces.

Size:  PF 230 has a dimension of 19.5 inches in length, 14.9 inches in width, 8.8 inches in height. With this dimension, this model is 17.75 lb in weight.  This size slightly bigger than the KKmoon Mini lathe combo.

Motor: 140 W (0.1877 HP) of the motor will provide 6 levels of variable speeds fro, 280 RPM to 2200 RPM. The 6 levels of speeds are 280 RPM, 550 RPM, 870 RPM, 1200 RPM, 2200 RPM. It has an automated switch for variable speeds. It has also a bidirectional switch which can provide the opposite direction mode of the machine. This feature is pretty good with this model comparing with KKmoon Mni.

Mill: The drilling and milling tool can be rotated up to 360 degrees. The drilling capacity is 13/32 inches. It can rotate 360, so on the lathe machine, this machine will not give any obstacle. So the measurement will be accurate. On

Lathe: Lathe function is a compound table with X-Y axis travel being longitudinal and cross-wide respectively. The processing length is 10 inches (Center distance) With a ¾ inches in diameter of spindle bore this lathe machine can operate wood, plastic, soft metals, etc.

Therefore, we recommend this machine as number 6th on the ranking. It will be very suitable for mini-workshops etc.

Pros:

  • High accessibility
  • Not heavy
  • High precision
  • Automated speed switch regulator.

Cons:

  • Expensive

7. Proxxon 24304 PF 400 Lathe Mill Drill

Size: PF 400 has a dimension of 14.7 inches in length, 14.6 inches in width, 13.2 inches in height. With this dimension, PF 400 will be 49.6lb in weight. In Dimension, this is bigger than PF 230.

Motor: PF 400 is manufactured with a 140 W motor that can provide 6 levels of speed starting from 280 RPM to 2200 RPM. The motor is almost the same as PF 230.

Mill: The Drilling capacity of the machine is 1.38 inches which is pretty bigger than the other model. It is an exceptional feature. Beside The milling and drilling can be performed to soft metals, woods, plastic, etc, not the hard materials.

Lathe: PF 400 can easily fit into the PD 400 Lathe machine. The processing length (Center distance) of this model is 15.75 inches.  This size can suffice any workshop workpieces. But it can’t operate hard materials because of its weak motor.

Overall, this machine will be suitable for mini-workshops. As this one is pretty expensive with the features, so we don’t normally recommend this one to buy. If it is for mini workpieces PF 230 is suitable to buy.

Pros:

  • Bigger processing capacity.
  • The Drilling capacity is bigger than all other models.

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Weak motor
  • Not suitable for comparing with other models with price and features.

Things to Consider Buying Lathe Mill Combo

1. Size and Weight

When it comes to size, it means how fit it is in our home shop. You may aim to place them in your workshop. In this case, figuring out the dimension is important.

You may also put them on the top of a bench or desktop. A large lathe mill combo is not recommended to put in there.

Make sure that the floor can hold the machine. It’s very important to not overload the maximum capacity. Otherwise, you may want to see it collapses.

2. Motor

To see how powerful and versatile a lathe mill combo machine, we have to pay attention to the motor. A good motor is expected more than 1 HP to work excellently in the case of the workshop. If you afford the 2 HP, it’s good. Lower than 1 HP requires a lot of plans or we could crash the gear or the motor. In other words, it limits your ability to cut the workpiece.

3. For Metal or Wood?

Does the machine work to cut metal? In this case, RPM plays a significant role to consider. A lower RPM speed spindle is designed to work with metals while the faster one is for soft metals or wood or plastics.

4. Worktable

A worktable dimension represents how big the workpiece can be accommodated.  As the workpieces will be accommodated on the working table so this is also important to look into. Normally if we consider mini-workshop worktable above 10 inches is better. But if it is for a medium-sized workshop and needs a production line, in that case above 16 inches will be suitable for operating any workpieces.

Therefore, first of all, we need to decide on which purpose we need a lathe mill combo. After that, we consider those 6 factors and find the specifications from this post or detailed on the link provided at the last. And then we can consider price and accessibility, finally, we choose one to buy.

Finally, we always wish you the best of luck on your project.