Lion-L Homge 820 Mill Drill, Anyone have One, Opinions

[neanderthal mach]

It's not unknown for companies to contract with others and then have there own name plates and placards added. Even Mitutoyo isn't above doing so because I have a Mayr built indicator that clearly states they built it for Mitutoyo and it has the Mit name and logo on it. Obviously its now impossible to ever figure out that was or wasn't done with these mills. But there's some definite design links to those Sheldon / Vernon machines. Too much to be just coincidence I think.

There may have been a license agreement between Vernon / Sheldon / Homage at some point after the war? Or if they were being sold anytime in the 60's-80's they just may have stolen, borrowed, copied the whole mill design with a few modifications like that counter weight and belt guard without any agreement or licensing. I'm not up on identifying any Asia built product by using the pronunciation of the name to nail down the exact Asian country of origin. If there is corporate links between Homge and Vertex? I know that while Vertex is a fairly large Taiwanese based company, there also not above contracting out castings, parts or even complete assembly's to mainland China. Or at least that was once true. Homge might have done the same? Sort of a moot point anyway since you've sold yours, but your thread might be of use to someone else in the future.

 

[projectnut]

It's not unknown for companies to contract with others and then have there own name plates and placards added. Even Mitutoyo isn't above doing so because I have a Mayr built indicator that clearly states they built it for Mitutoyo and it has the Mit name and logo on it. Obviously its now impossible to ever figure out that was or wasn't done with these mills. But there's some definite design links to those Sheldon / Vernon machines. Too much to be just coincidence I think.

In fact, it was quite common from the late 1970's through the 1980's. Even small-time retailers could get machines made in Tiawan with their own nameplates. Back in the late 1970's my father-in-law purchased a cheap Taiwanese made drill press from a local farm store sold under the name Rockford.

About a year later I decided to purchase one for my home shop. I went back to the same store but couldn't find that brand drill press. I asked the manager if they still carried them. His reply was that they carried the same machine but now under their own nameplate. He explained that the factory in Taiwan would put any nameplate on them you wanted if you bought a minimum of 500 machines. Forty some years later both machines are still in use.

 

[EmGo]

In fact, it was quite common from the late 1970's through the 1980's.

Even in the 1990's and 2000's .... K&T put their name on an Ikegai that I know of and Gleason on an Okamoto. Probably lots more.

 

[boslab]

Don’t want you to go on a wild goose chase as I’m unfamiliar with it, closest I remember was WARCO
Ie warren machine company, it might be just the colour is triggering the memory though
Mark