Hi,
a friend is coming over with a block and tackle this morning to help get it on to the bench.
Looking at the machine, it appears way better finished than the Sieg mills and in Australia substantially cheaper than the X3 mill, making it's purchase a no brainer. I was looking at the Sieg SX1P, then the SX2P. Then noticed that one of the major local suppliers had dropped the Seig range and brought in the Optimum range. Not only that but they were having a 3 day 15% off sale. Decided to have a serious look at the Optimum BF16. Unfortunately right next to the BF16 was a BF20LV. The price difference in the sale was not huge considering how much bigger the mill is, and I spontaneously whipped out the plastic.
The BF20LV here has a 3MT taper rather than the 2MT elsewhere which I thought was a plus. The machine came with a set of measurements that if accurate make it appear a very nice machine.
I will post some pics and impressions once it's on the bench and it has been cleaned. At this point I'm very happy. I bought enough accessories to get me started, so now my equipment is pretty complete. I have a Seig SC4 lathe, 6x4 bandsaw, the new mill, a pedestal drill and accessories. The whole purpose of this is to get ready for retirement in a year or two... so I'm buying up whilst the cash is still coming in!!!!
cheers
Gary