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Having a decent combination lathe or lathe mill combo in your shop opens up a lot of opportunities. Well, that’s if you’re well-trained in using the machine.
A lot of machinists frown over the fact that every time they’re working on a project, they need to switch between a number of devices such as a lathe machine and a milling machine (see also lathe vs milling machine). It kills time and causes a lot of fatigue. If you forget to make some minor adjustments, then, you have to set up the other machine from scratch. This process is troublesome and boring. Also, this whole change between machines rips the joy out of creating something meaningful and precise.
To solve this problem, you can treat yourself to some of the best lathe mill combo machines. This multi-purpose wonder will save you time, space and energy. It’s a complex machine, yes. But to be the best you have to conquer the worst (read best).
It’s needless to say, a lathe mill combo is one of the best benchtop tools that a craftsman can have. Using this, take your work to another level without sacrificing too much floor space.
Last update on 2025-04-13 / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Best Lathe Mill Combos Ranked
- Buying Guide to Find the Best Lathe Mill Combo
- Best Lathe Mill Combo Final Thoughts
Best Lathe Mill Combos Ranked
Given the fact that they’re complex, it’s even harder to pick one. There are several things that you need to consider before you’re even going to buy one. Hence, I have listed some of the best lathe mill combos for the money.
Here, I will discuss their features as well as their flaws. Also, in the end, I have included a humble buyer’s guide which hopefully will assist to find and buy one for your own workshop.
So, without further ado, let’s begin.
Best Overall Lathe Mill Combo: Grizzly G9729
- Swing over bed: 16-1/2″
- Swing over cross slide: 11-1/2″
- Distance between centers: 31″
- Number of speeds: 7 lathe / 16 mill/drill, Lathe speed range: 175-1425 RPM, Mill/drill speed range: 120-1500 RPM
- Spindle: 4-bolt intrinsic, Spindle nose taper: MT #4, Spindle bore: 1-1/8″
- Spindle to work table: 12″, Spindle travel (drill): 4-5/16″, Spindle taper (drill): MT #3
- Four-position turret tool post
- Range of threads (inches): 4-120 TPI
- Range of threads (metric): 0.75-6.0mm
- Motor size (single-phase 110V): 3/4 H.P.
- Features: Forward / reverse switch, Built-in milling table with T-slots, Two separate motors, Power longitudinal feed, Power crossfeed, Magnetic switch, Four-position turret tool post, Steady and follow rest, Tailstock offsets 1/2″, Threading dial
- Standard Accessories: 5″ 3-jaw chuck, 1/2″ drill chuck, MT #3 chuck arbor 3/8″ x 16 TPI, 2 dead centres, Change gears, Steady rest, Follow rest, 9″ faceplate
- Weight: 692 lbs
When it comes to making an awesome Combination of Lathe and milling machine, Grizzly doesn’t mess around. The G9729 is a prime example of that statement.
If you want to up your game, why not consider this machine? It has a massive 31” between centers and a 16-1/2″ swing. It is packed with features, built to last, and offers precise results.
Let’s dive into this beast and discover what it has to offer. To begin, let’s start with the work capacity. As I already mentioned, it has a huge 31″ between centers and a 16-1/2″ swing.
If you crave a bigger workspace, this is the lathe mill combo that you should go for. You can easily imagine yourself fitting large workpieces onto this machine. They won’t put up much of a fight and also, you’ll find a lot of space to move around freely around the machine.
Speaking of the largest diameter of the workpiece, you can mount an element up to an 11-1/2″. This is known as the swing over cross slide.
Moving on, it has a nice 4-bolt intrinsic spindle and an MT# 4 nose taper. While it’s a win for Grizzly, it also has a 1-1/8″ spindle bore.
Speaking of spindle bore, you need to remember that it’s one of the parts that you can’t change or upgrade. The size is the size and it will never expand. If the size of the spindle bore is too small, you’ll not be able to do some of the works. But rest assured the 1-1/8″ spindle bore should do the trick for you.
The 3/8″ x 16 TPI drawbar holds the tool holder firmly on the machine and applies force to the spindle, especially when spinning at low speeds. Also, there’s a 4-way turret tool post that will make working with this machine a smooth experience. Change between the tools in a flash and speed up your work process.
Let’s talk about the built-in milling table. It comes with decent 7/16″ T-slots. It is also spaced 3.54″ (90mm) apart on center T-slots. The machine also has steady rest and follow rest. It plays an important role in keeping the workpiece steady during turning, especially if it’s long.
Some of the best lathe mill combo machines don’t have that, can you imagine?
At this time, you can’t think of a lathe/mill combo without variable speed. The Grizzly G9729 has plenty. It has SIXTEEN mill spindle speeds that range from 120-1500 RPM. As for lathe spindle* speed, it has seven ranging from 175-1425 RPM.
*For more on lathe spindles, see our What is a Lathe Spindle and How Does It Work? post.
This lathe mill combo is powered by a single-phase 3/4 horsepower motor. It offers plenty of power to work efficiently.
Grizzly is a well-renowned brand and this particular G9729 combo lathe/mill stands tall under the reputation that this company has. It is well-built and has tons of useful features. Apart from the fact that you can’t use it out of the crate, there’s nothing much to be concerned about.
Overall, it’s a nice and capable combo lathe/mill machine that will perform its duties with precision. So, it is safe to say that, you can definitely consider this if you’re thinking of upgrading or taking your mechanistic ability to the next level.
Best Value Lathe Mill Combo: Proxxon 34104
- 110 – 120V, 60Hz, 140W (0.1877hp)
- Speeds 280 – 550 – 870 – 1,200 – 1,500 and 2,200rpm
- Functions as a compound table
- Travel being longitudinal with X-Y and cross-wise respectively
- Included Three collets. Sizes : 15/64″ – 5/16″ and 25/64″ (6, 8, 10mm)
- The table is 4 5/16″ x 2 3/4″ (110 x 70mm) and has 3-T slots that are 15/32″ x 15/64″ x 15/64″ (12 x 6 x 6mm)
- Dimensions : 13.39 x 9.84 x 8.66 inches
- Weight : 17.75 lbs
- Warranty” 2 Years
Now, there’s a reason for me to put this little Proxxon product high up on my list. Yup, the subhead tells it all. It’s the best when it comes to putting your money to good use. This thing is essentially a drill head that converts your run-of-the-mill lathe machines into beasts.
One good thing about this drill head is that it comes with a wide range of mounting brackets. People can set this thing up wherever it’s more convenient for them. If you’re using a PD250/E lathe to go with this thing, these bolts and brackets are the perfect fit.
Trust me, you won’t have to spend a dime to get the items.
Get creative enough and you can even use this lathe head as a table as well. A bit small to my liking. Yet, 110mm X 70mm is no joke. Gunsmiths will find the small table easily maneuverable and movable. At this price, you’ll hardly find a product more suitable than this.
If you’ve been using Proxxon 34104’s predecessor up until now, rejoice a bit. This “Upgrade” allows metal and woodworkers to use it for small objects. You can move the collets horizontally and vertically. If it sounds like a “Compound” table, it is! Individual collets are 6, 8, and 10mm respectively.
However, collets don’t solely make up a mill lathe combo. Of course, you’ll need additional accessories.
Hey, it’ll save you some bucks. Ultimately, every piece of accessory (more on this a bit later) will be covered within the budget. Don’t worry about it.
Go a bit deeper and you’ll find variable speeds. Yup. This little machine can operate at variable speeds. In terms of RPM, the speed ranges from 280 to 2200 RPMs. Yes, people can either go “Very Delicate” with this machine or “Super-Fast.” In total, you have six speed levels at your disposal.
Case and point: You can polish metal or wood or even go grinding if you choose. With no additional costs, I must add. However, things don’t end there.
Apparently, people can run this thing in variable conditions. I mean, it’s dual-voltage supported. Be it inside the US or in Europe, it won’t cause your electric circuitry to go “Boom” anytime soon.
Proxxon’s Lathe Head has promises, sure. It also has some concerns. For instance, the bolts you see within the machinery, prove to be short (sometimes too short) to hold the parts in place. You might have to buy new ones for the job.
The drill chuck you see might not work with different bit sizes. You’ll have to buy a universal drill chuck I’m afraid. Yup, a bummer, I know. Check out my recommended best wood lathe chucks to see some of the best options.
Best Mini Lathe Mill Combo: Muchentec 6-in-1
- 6 in 1 Mini Multipurpose Machine Lathe
- Motor Speed: 20,000rpm
- Headstock speed: 2,000rpm
- Support power: 12VDC/2A/24W
- 3-jaw chuck(self-centering)
- Max Cutting diameter: 20mm
- Center distance:135mm
- Slide travel: 35 and 45mm
- Table size: 120×100mm
- Collet: 2 or 3mm drilling bit
- (1). Motor Speed: 20,000rpm
- (2). Headstock speed: 2,000rpm
- (3). Support power: 12VDC/2A/24W
- (4). Slide travel: 35 and 45mm
- (5). Vice capacity: 25×35mm
- (6). Collet: 1-4mm milling bits
- Package Dimensions : 21.65 x 15.75 x 3.15 inches
- Weight : 10.56 pounds
This one falls into the DIY tool kit category. So, if you’re the guy who is just looking for fun or wants to make the best use of your time, then you might want to read this one carefully.
Out of the box, this one weighs 10.56 pounds, and the dimensions of the package are 21.65 x 15.75 x 3.15 inches. It certainly is heavier and much bigger than other mini kits. The reason behind this is that it’s made out of metal.
Hence, this machine has more durability and stability. Being robust in kind, this one might be a little difficult to move around, but still, it shouldn’t pose much of a problem. You’ll only be using one lathe at a time.
Speaking of which, this mini handwork machine kit can be assembled into 6 kinds of different machine tools. In this area, no difference from the other two has been mentioned earlier. Like them, it also has jigsaw, lathe, drilling, milling, sanding & woodturning mini machines.
With these mini machines, you can only operate on wood materials, plastic, and soft metals like Copper, Aluminum, or Gold. If you come to think of it, this 6-in-1 Mini Handwork Machine Kit can become an ideal tool for many things such as hobby crafts, model making, and processing small parts.
You can also use this toolset to learn the basics. Before buying a bigger complex lathe, you can try this. It won’t cost you much, yet you’ll have a clearer idea about how these things work on a bigger scale.
What caught my eye in this machine is its transformer. Not only does it have both CE and UL certifications, but also it has some safety precautions. For instance, the transformer has overcurrent, overvoltage, and overheating protection.
These features add up to the durability of this machine, ensuring you a longer service.
Moving on, the mini lathe and drill both have the same motor speed (20,000 RPM), headstock speed (2,000 RPM), and support power (12VDC/2A/24W). The lathe is equipped with a self-centering 3-jaw chuck and has a maximum cutting diameter of 20mm.
As for the drill, it has a 2/3mm collet and the table size is 120 x 120mm. That is a decent-sized table for a DIY tool like this. The slide travel is 35 and 45mm which is also pretty standard.
In addition, the milling machine also has the same amount of motor speed, headstock speed, and slide travel as the drilling machine. However, the vice capacity is 25 x 35mm and the collet has 1/4mm milling bits.
The same goes for the woodturning machine too. With this, you can process soft metals, wood, and plastic. In terms of maximum processing diameter, you can mount a workpiece that is 45mm in diameter and 135 mm in length.
The handwheel has an accuracy of 0.02 mm scale line. So, it can be small but still, it can produce precise results. Bravo to the machine!
Last but not least, the sanding machine and the jigsaw. Yes, you guessed it right, these two also bear the same amount of motor speed and headstock travel. The sanding machine, though, has a working area of 123 x 100 mm. On the contrary, the jigsaw’s table size is 90 x 90 mm with a stroke of 4 mm.
Overall, this 6-in-1 Mini Handwork Machine from Muchentec has the potential to live up to your standards. Out of other DIY tools that I have reviewed in the past, this one is the most promising. Considering its features, it surely is one of the finest DIY tools that I’ve ever seen.
Buying Guide to Find the Best Lathe Mill Combo
Now that we have gone through the list, let me help you find the best combo lathe/mill that you can have. There are a lot of things to consider and sadly, there seems to be an ample amount of wrong information over the internet.
Not only will they misguide you but also create confusion about this modern phenomenon of a machine. I’ll try to turn you in the right direction and help you search for your desired combo lathe/mill machine as best as I can.
Here, I’ll discuss some of the crucial things that you need to consider even before you buy one.
What are Your Needs and Will it Fit into Your Workplace?
You must know what exactly you want from your combo lathe mill machine. Once you decide what you need, you’ll find that your search area has been compressed hugely. Only then you can search the machines according to your needs.
The next best thing you can do before you buy this machine is take the measurements of your workplace. This is where you’re going to install it. If it’s a benchtop that you’re going after, make sure the surface is strong and flat.
Also, normally machines like these seem to weigh a lot. So, it’s better if you have to move it only once. One more thing is that, make sure you have plenty of space to move around your workstation. You won’t feel restrained and you’ll find the space as a blessing since it’ll give you agility and freedom.
How Many Combinations of Machines a Lathe Mill Combo has to Offer?
This is where things get serious. Given the fact that you already know what you want from a combo lathe/mill, vigorously consider the number of combinations as well as the types. Since you’ll be spending a lot of bucks on this kind of machine, make sure you get the best possible combination that you can find.
If you have to spend money, spend it once.
There’s a counter-argument though. You can, most of the time, cut your materials using different types of techniques using only the lathe mill. In that case, you have to spend more time to figure out how you can do that.
However, with a combo, you get more ways of achieving your goal since you’ll have milling, drilling, and turning in one machine. This saves time and energy and eliminates the exhaustion of switching between several machines.
But if you don’t want to spend big bucks and just want to do some lightweight work around your household, then you can consider the DIY tool that I have mentioned beforehand. It offers 6 different combinations of machines.
You can’t process hard metals with them and they’re no match for the combo lath/mills but still, you can get a lot of work done while having some fun. So, you must know exactly what you want, how many combinations you want, and what your job requires.
Is the Machine Efficient Enough?
It won’t do you any good if you end up with a beast of a machine that doesn’t run efficiently. The very performance of the product depends gravely on it. If it’s powerful but you can’t get your work done smoothly then life will become a lot harder for you.
You’ll have to invest more time and energy behind an inefficient machine and most of the time, you won’t be getting the desired results anyway.
So, how can you tell whether a lathe mill combo for beginners is efficient or not for example? Well, you can simply do it by checking some numbers. For example, check RPM (revolutions per minute) numbers. These numbers indicate how fast a machine can cut down hard materials using spinning blades.
Are the numbers lower or higher? If it’s around 2000-2500 RPM, then it should be just fine. All the products in this list have almost the same RPM. So, yes they’re pretty efficient.
Another thing you have to take into consideration is voltage usage. If your machine draws too much power and still you’re not getting enough rotation speed, the cutting tools are not going to do anything.
In this case, what will happen is that both your tools and workpiece will be damaged. So, make sure the product that you’re going to go with, has the right amount of voltage and it can supply the necessary power for your spindle to rotate. There should be a harmony between RPM and Voltage.
You can well imagine the necessity of a combo lathe/mill being efficient. Numbers don’t lie. Please check them before you make the purchase. If the machine works effectively, it won’t waste materials as much. It’ll make clean cuts and offer accurate results.
Is the Machine Too Hard to Maneuver?
A lathe mill combo is a beautiful piece of machinery because of its simplicity. The more you can do with it, naturally the more complex and intricate it will become.
Still, there has to be a margin that should indicate the ease of use of this machine. It should get more comfortable to use after spending some time with it.
In Summary, What are the Things that You can Check in the Case of Some of the Best Lathe Mill Combo Machines?
First of all, you can consider the working area. Check the swing over bed distance and the swing over the cross slide. If the numbers are handsome and meet your standard, it should be easy for you to operate.
If you’re a gunsmith, check if the product has a large ‘through-hole.’ The Grizzly in this list has a decent one. The next thing you can check is the distance between centers. If you normally work with bigger projects, make sure the numbers are okay for you.
You don’t want to bring an expensive machine to your workplace and still not be able to mount your workpiece. Moving on, check the drill head’s whereabouts. Is it easy to operate? Does it come in your way when you’re not using it?
I’m specifically mentioning these things because you can’t upgrade or change them. Once you buy the device, you’re stuck with it. So, please be watchful and make sure you’re comfortable with every bit of the machine.
One more that can play a huge part in making this machine easy to maneuver is a digital readout. A digital readout will show you important data like RPM, variable speeds or depth, and lengths of cuts. You will find them extremely crucial and helpful while aiming for precise work results.
Although most of the machines have them nowadays, still, sometimes we tend to miss the most obvious things. So, do check it too.
Check the Build Quality and Parts Durability
A combo lathe/mill is not child’s play. Excluding the DIY tool, these machines are required to perform heavy duties, day in and day out. They have to do a lot of cutting and of course, the materials are meant to be hard and sturdy. Not only that, they have to deliver accurate and precise results while processing them.
Hence, the machine will have to be strong and firm. It should have a decent build quality and ergonomic design. It should scream the words durability and professionalism through its parts. Since they’ll have to face a lot of abuse and be under a lot of pressure, they have to withstand them with vigor.
Check the materials that it’s built with. Especially the build of the parts that will face the most of the music. The spindle, spindle bar, toolpost, drill head, mill, lathe jaw chuck, gears, motors, power supply, the levers, check everything.
You don’t want it to break down easily. After all, fixing machines like this costs a lot of bucks. So, make sure it’s durable enough before you finalize any deal.
Best Lathe Mill Combo Final Thoughts
This brings us to the end of the article. Well, there are a lot of arguments against the idea of a combo lathe/mill on the internet. Some of them are pretty convincing and it almost made me believe that maybe, just maybe they could be right.
But once I really dived in, I found that some of the lathe mill combo machines deserve more praise than they get and I put them on my best list. It saves you time, it saves you money and most importantly, it brings out the best in you by improving your workflow by a huge margin.
Take Proxxon 34104 for example. It offers nothing but precision results time and time again. It’s simply among the best lathe mill combos that you’ll ever come across.
Yes, they have some minor issues, like the drill chuck of Proxxon might not always work. But again, which machine is absolute and has no problem at all?
Turn Big, Turn Safe. Welcome to the turning world!
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