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Where to buy milling machines and lathes in Canada

Hugo.B99

Plastic
Joined
Sep 13, 2022
I am a mechanical engineering student and I want to buy a milling machine but I only seem to find resources in the US, I was wondering if any of you have some preferred websites or places to go to for used milling machine at a decent price. I am mainly looking to get a smaller size one in the range of 40in or less because I am a bit limited in space. It also has to be 240V because I am in a residential area and can't get more than that.
 
Look on Kijiji. Why would you want to buy a used machine from a dealer as your first foray into machine ownership?

Quebec is a huge manufacturing province. You’ll find something.

Busy Bee as listed above is like Grizzly. Rebranded Chinese machines. Anything in the 40” centres range would be the same lathe as King Industrial, Precision Mathews, Grizzly etc. They’re decent for home gamer.
 
Canada has approx. a tenth of the population as the U.S., so it has fewer machine tools to start with than down South. I suggest scrounging Kijiji, ebay, craigs list, etc. but also auctions. I have been very successful at auctions, but it takes time and luck. In general, I believe Quebec has more equipment than Ontario, for example, I went to Montreal for my Deckel milling machine. Also, you see ridiculous mark-ups from Canadian equipment companies that buy at auctions and then want too much for the used equipment. By just locating in Canada, to stay in business, these companies need higher mark-ups than in the U.S. You could buy from Busy Bee, however you may grow out of a basic Chinese machine and want better. Become an expert at what you want, I worked part-time at a local shop to learn before I bought, I also put my designs into small CNC shops. Also learn how to move equipment safely. Keep in touch with smaller machine shops, they may have equipment that is surplus to their needs but is just moved to the back of the shop. This has been the case several times. The best shops are one-man operations run by a guy that knows what he is doing, these guys are gems.

On the flip side, be prepared to pay more for the right machine, especially something that is not completely worn out (buying used machine tools is like buying a used car, except that in many cases there is no jobber to go to for replacement parts). If you own it for a long time, the re-sale value is not a big concern. Read about Variable Frequency Drives (VFD), you can get three phase output from a single phase in. And do not count out going to the U.S. to pick up something good, learn the rules for border crossings.
 
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I am a mechanical engineering student and I want to buy a milling machine but I only seem to find resources in the US, I was wondering if any of you have some preferred websites or places to go to for used milling machine at a decent price. I am mainly looking to get a smaller size one in the range of 40in or less because I am a bit limited in space. It also has to be 240V because I am in a residential area and can't get more than that.
If I lived in Canada I would start here.......I have made the trip up to Montreal to pick up a machine from one of their sales.


They have all sorts of machines available, just have to wait and find one that what would work for you?
You can look at sold items to see what prices you can expect to pay........now with all that said, buying a used machine you have to do your research and it still may be crap shoot!

Good luck,

Kevin
 
If you're looking for an entry level machine watch the auctions. Consignment auctions tend to get anyone's junk, surplus, and leftovers but complete plant closeouts or estates tend to have better quality. So saying, my Dad bought a big old lathe at an consignment auction for $1100 and after rewiring it, has used it ever since. He's been offered much, much more than what he paid for it but he's too in love with it to sell it.

Following are a few of the auction sites I search. You might get the best luck searching your local auctions
bidspotter.com
proxibid.com
rbauction.com
apexauctions.ca
surplex.com
 
In in the Toronto area and anything that comes up for the home shop around here is overpriced, worn out crap. Both my drehbank and frasmachine came out of the Midwest, the Walhalla of used machinery.

Plan a road trip...
GC Surplus used to be a good source but with new bidding system things go silly high. Agree with Terry, the US midwest has always been my best source for machinery and tooling. Even after paying shipping and taxes to get across border. Got to admit, the screaming good deals of 10-20 years ago seem only like a memory now.
 
Camp on Bidspotter. Occasionally there's equipment up for auction in Canada. Can get heck of a deal if you have the cash ready.
 
I am a mechanical engineering student and I want to buy a milling machine but I only seem to find resources in the US, I was wondering if any of you have some preferred websites or places to go to for used milling machine at a decent price. I am mainly looking to get a smaller size one in the range of 40in or less because I am a bit limited in space. It also has to be 240V because I am in a residential area and can't get more than that.
Hugo this site might interest you. I notice a bunch of mills going in Canada.


Cheers from Arizona!
 
I live in the Montreal region
Really dude?

Translate "Milling Machine" Or "Metal Lathe" in to Franglais and search those terms. "Machine Tools" too!

I'm a bonafide Maudite Anglais monolingual Anglo from BC, and even I could work out what Outils d'usinage, fraiseuse, and Tour a Metal was while reading the Montreal daily rag while I lived out there. Chuck in "Usee" too. And the world is yer bivalve mollusk!
 
What do you mean by "decent price"?

Your ambition is very common - pay almost nothing for a fabulous machine. That sometimes happens, but not very often (sort of like winning a lottery). My experience, as a young guy that ended up in mechanical engineering, was buying a slightly used (new new) lathe from a reputable dealer - was the right thing to do. I certainly paid full price ($10,000 for a mid level 15" lathe - 40 years ago). I have long, long since forgotten about the price. I have certainly spent more than that getting it all well dressed out. Looking back I ought to have gone for ~$15,000 option (the size has been about perfect, but it would be cool to have a higher class, few more features etc).

I have since acquired ~10 more machines (some in that lottery win category). If you are serious, spend some real money - in the long run you'll never even notice (but if you purchase a disappointment, then you'll be constantly reminded of the poor decision).
 
What do you mean by "decent price"?

Your ambition is very common - pay almost nothing for a fabulous machine. That sometimes happens, but not very often (sort of like winning a lottery). My experience, as a young guy that ended up in mechanical engineering, was buying a slightly used (new new) lathe from a reputable dealer - was the right thing to do. I certainly paid full price ($10,000 for a mid level 15" lathe - 40 years ago). I have long, long since forgotten about the price. I have certainly spent more than that getting it all well dressed out. Looking back I ought to have gone for ~$15,000 option (the size has been about perfect, but it would be cool to have a higher class, few more features etc).

I have since acquired ~10 more machines (some in that lottery win category). If you are serious, spend some real money - in the long run you'll never even notice (but if you purchase a disappointment, then you'll be constantly reminded of the poor decision).

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.“

Benjamin Franklin
 








 
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