I spent my apprenticeship in a machine shop that made the first US made ER collets; I know them well. They were originally designed to be used in ISO toolholders and they are very solid. We used to refit Bridgeports to use the ISO 30 and ER32 system. I think we may have had as many as 15 mills...
Let me know when you decide to get rid of the Bridgeport; shipping has always been the major sticking point for all my finds...
BTW, as soon as I get the surface grinder rebuilt, we'll need to talk about trading shop work. I apologize for highjacking the thread Steve.
@stevezero
It's always hard to imagine what a machine would be like in your shop area; this may help (see the reel from 18:50 on). If I was to buy a mill, it would have to be a small one, because my lathe and surface grinder already have the lion's share of real estate, and I still need a place...
As you said earlier, he'll have $2k in a machine he buys for $1k, after he tools it up...knowing what I know now, I'd pay the $2k and get a Bridgeport with tooling and an RPC and be done with it. That Comet might sell for the right price...you never know.
FWIW, I've seen quite a few Bridgeports for less than $1500 over the past two years. The problem with any used machine tool is that it's used. Which means worn, to some degree. Even a worn machine tool is capable of precise, repeatable work though, if it has a solid base. The test of a...
Here's Grizzly's Chinese version of the Tom Senior "Major" mill
If you're not in a hurry, GovDeals sometimes has mills worth looking at; search under "Machinery".
So, my 2¢ is that the only "small" mills worth buying are unavailable in the US (Senior mill). These mills were designed and produced with the hobby machinist in mind and are highly thought of in the UK. I have my eyes open for one that made its way to the great white north; if I find one, it's...