My friend Jim has just got an M1, and it is the first Tom Senior I had seen, I was very impressed with the quality and build is solid! Have a look on http://www.lathes.co.uk, on the machine tool reference guide, he gives all the details. Nothing wron with Elliot either, top quality machines, nothing to choose between really, depends on what you can get!

Phil

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The Tom senior was also on my 'looking list'. But like you space is a consideration.

I decided it would be a little tight in the area the mill needs to go. I could fit it in but then would not be able to store my motorbike also.

I take delivery this week of a Boxford VM30 which is not quite as large but also does not have some of the features that a Tom senior does.

If you get a good one that has been looked after I hear Tom seniors are 1st rate in the application the were designed for.

Nick

Jack if you can find a good one with a vertical head snap it up.

Fairly robust for a small mill but do stand out from a wall. Will need extra room at back if using the horizontal mill on ISO taper.

Only used the one where used to work on occasions, load up and leave to run, theyre ok. In fact far better than the 626, VMC and the like, they were made to last. Ronan picked one up last year and quite happy.

Most have seen are worn, walk away and bide your time.

I used to have a Tom Senior M1 mill with the standard vertical head,good well built solid machine,good for horizontal milling,unfortunately there is not much room under the vertical head,especially if Clarkson auto lock chuck is used, it would be ok if the E type head was fitted,lot more room and has a quill feed on the spindle though these are rare,though they do come up occasionally on E bay. you need room at the back to change belt speeds and remove the draw bolt for the horizontal arbour. Went to the factory once back in the seventies with a mate who collected his new E type mill,very good machine tool builders.

The Elliot omnimill looks ok plenty of room under the spindle though probably not so rigid as a Senior, Have a look at a Harrison,similar in size to the Senior though there appears to be more room under the spindle as the vertical head attachment is set higher in relation to the horizontal spindle, Some types of Senior and Harrison were supplied only as vertical,its far better to have the horizontal and vertical options. These mills are ok for small model building,i.e. 2'' traction engines,and 5'' locos,but if you may want to restore old motor cycles or stationary engines then a bigger mill is better i.e. Bridgeport as you always run out of room on a smaller mill.though a smaller mill is far better than no mill.