10 Best Benchtop Milling Machines 2024 (All Prices)

If you’re a hobbyist working with limited space, the best benchtop milling machines can help you boost your home workshop to the next level.

With no shortage of options, it can feel a little overwhelming – particularly for beginners. There’s not much worse than buying a new piece of kit just to find it can’t handle your project, or even fit in your workspace.

I’ve tested all the top options available and found the user-friendly Proxxon 37110 Micro Mill is the best benchtop milling machine for most people. This stable, portable tool is the easiest for beginners to get good results from – and also happens to be the most affordable choice.

That said, users with limited space tackling smaller projects might benefit from the more compact Kluch Mini Milling Machine, while the more powerful OTMT 0T2213 is a better choice for working with tougher materials.

In this guide, I’ll compare each of the best desktop milling machines across all the key criteria – like size, price, and power – to help you make a confident choice.

Desktop Milling Machine Reviews

1. Proxxon 37110 Micro Mill – Cheapest Benchtop Milling Machine

• Price: Check latest price on Amazon here

The Proxxon 37100 is a really decent little mill and one of the most affordable on the market. It’s an entry-level benchtop milling machine that’s ideal for beginners. 

It also offers great stability thanks to the cast iron base, while the vertical column and compound are both made of treated, high-quality aluminum for better durability. The headstock is made of die-cast aluminum and houses a 24-pole balanced motor, which retains stability even while milling at high speeds. 

This is a very user-friendly tabletop mill, with both axes fitted with adjustable dovetail slides and hand wheels with adjustable scales where one revolution is equal to 1mm. The milling speed can be adjusted from 5,000 to 20,000 RPM, so you can easily alter it based on the material you’re working with.

Our mill/drill machine reviews found this is one of the smallest and lightweight benchtop milling machines on the market, weighing just over 18 pounds, so it’s portable and ideal if space is an issue.

Attribute	Proxxon 37110 Micro Mill
Worktable Size	7 7/8″ x 2 3/4″
RPM Speed Range	5000 to 20000 RPM

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2. Klutch Mini Milling Machine – High Quality Hobbyist Mini Mill

• Price: Check latest price on Amazon here

The Klutch Mini Milling Machine is another popular mini mill that offers high quality at a relatively affordable price.

It’s a cast iron machine that runs without vibration, making for really smooth, precise milling. The Klutch Mini also offers plenty of strength for demanding projects, such as making tools like hammers or spanners out of thick stainless steel. This is thanks to the 1/2 HP, 110V variable speed motor and 2-speed gearbox that generates 350W power. 

We also like that the milling head and column can be tilted left or right by 45 degrees for increased versatility, making it easier to work on materials from different angles within a single fixture. 

This benchtop mill is highly-rated – many makers online praise its sturdiness and compactness, as well as its high performance for hobbyist projects.

Overall, we think this is the best beginner milling machine due to its reliability and ease of use, as well as its high quality despite the affordable price.

Attribute	Klutch Mini Milling Machine
Worktable Size	3 5/8″ x 15 3/8in”
RPM Speed Range	100 – 2500 RPM

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3. OTMT OT2213 – Impressive, Simple Feeding System

The OTMT 0T2213 mini mill is a small, compact benchtop milling machine with 1/2 HP and a 3.5” x 15” work table.

This benchtop milling machine has some great features that make it a useful addition to your workspace. For example, the head tilts 45 degrees from left to right, offering versatility and improved control for highly accurate cutting, milling, and engraving on your DIY projects. 

Other benefits are the fine and coarse feed for milling, as well as the dial with easy-to-read increments of 0.0001” which makes finding the perfect setting simple.

There are two different speed ranges: 0 to 1100 RPM and 1100 to 2500 RPM, which is an impressive maximum for a mini mill in this price range. The variable speed control allows you to easily adjust speeds while working with different materials of different thicknesses.

So, for example, you can quickly and easily set the machine to 2,400 RPM for cutting 6mm thick stainless steel, and then switch to 700 RPM for cutting 20mm thick stainless steel.

Attribute	OTMT OT2213
Worktable Size	3.5” x 15”
RPM Speed Range	0 – 2500 RPM

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4. Grizzly Industrial G0727 – Best Benchtop Mill 

• Price: Check latest price on Amazon here

If you’re a beginner looking to get into milling and only have a small workspace, look no further than Grizzly Industrial’s G0727. This is a small 5” x 8” mini mill that can fit right onto your benchtop! It’s also one of the most affordable mills on the market.  

This mill works both horizontally and vertically, so it’s a versatile and flexible machine that can be used for a range of different projects. Also, there’s very little setup time due to the simple conversion to horizontal and vertical operations.  

Another nice feature of this home milling machine is that the DC motor provides variable spindle speeds for matching material, tooling, and finish. This benchtop mill uses a 1/2 HP, 110 V single-phase motor with an R-8 spindle taper. 

The G0727 has a 45-degree L/R head tilt, a maximum spindle to table distance of 6-1/2“, a longitudinal table travel of 11-7/8” and a cross table travel of 3-11/16”, with a table size of 4-3/4” x 18-1/3”. 

Other benefits of this hobby mill include dovetail ways for improved accuracy, a heavy cast iron construction and compact design mounts for robustness, and three-axis control, all of which combine to give great precision and versatility. 

Attribute	Grizzly Industrial G0727
Worktable Size	5” x 8”
RPM Speed Range	200 – 2000 RPM

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5. Bolton Tools BF20VL Variable Speed Mill – Powerful Mill for Home Use 

Bolton Tools is well known for providing high-quality mills at low prices, and the BF20VL is a great example of that.  

This 7″x 27.5” variable speed benchtop milling machine is perfect for small machines. It boasts a sturdy dovetail column, so it’s an extremely robust machine. The mill also has a digital read-out for both the RPM and spindle quill travel. 

This mill comes with a 6 7/8” x 18 7/8” travel on the table. The all-gear drive spindle is driven by 1HP motor that provides plenty of power for cutting a wide variety of different materials.  

Another useful feature of this mini mill is its 90-degree head tilt, which allows you to carry out functions like drilling holes through a block at an angle without the need for an angle vise. 

The BF20VL’s small size and relatively low price make it one of the best budget mill machines for beginners. There are also a range of optional accessories that Bolton Tools sell that will enhance your milling experience.

Attribute	Bolton Tools BF20VL
Worktable Size	7″ x 27.5″
RPM Speed Range	50 – 2900 RPM

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6. Shop Fox M1111 – Excellent 1HP Milling Machine 

If you’re looking for a mid-range mini mill that offers power, accuracy, and versatility, the Shop Fox M1111 is a great choice. 

This benchtop milling machine offers 12 different speed options from 1,000 to 1,750 RPM  allowing you to precisely pick the right speed for different jobs. It also offers 1HP in contrast to the 1/2 HP of the many cheaper machines. This enables you to tackle more demanding projects such as those that use stronger metals like steel rather than lighter materials like aluminum, like for making clamps, vises, and other practical tools.

The M1111 also has some nice features to improve efficiency and usability. For example, it has a quick tilt headstock for easy horizontal milling, and the headstock can be tilted by 90 degrees, so it’s considerably more flexible than most more affordable benchtop mills.

There’s also a backlit digital tachometer on this tabletop milling machine that allows you easily monitor the precise spindle speed. Push button speed control also makes adjusting speeds super simple. 

Another highlight is the 5.75” x 15.5” cast iron work table. It’s very sturdy and stable, while the hand wheel and fully geared lift system allow you to easily lower and lift the table by up to 14.75”.

Attribute	Shop Fox M1111
Worktable Size	5.75” x 15.5”
RPM Speed Range	100 to 1,750 RPM

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7. Taig 5019DSLS Micro Mill – Best Small Mill for Steel Cutting 

Don’t be fooled by the small size of this Taig Tools machine – the 5019DSLS micro mill is a powerful mill that certainly packs a punch and is perfect for beginners. 

One of the most impressive parts of this home milling machine is the Advanced Digital Syn Lock Servo (DSLS) control, which uses the latest microcontroller chip technology.  

This is coupled with new 200 oz-in stepper motors that reach rapid traverse speeds of 100 inches/minute with High Motor Torque, with a step resolution of 0.00125 inches, providing both precise and robust cutting. Taig Tools has carried out capability tests showing a single pass that showed a single pass 1/8” depth slot cut in mild steel with a 1/8” end mill. 

This desktop mill has a precision-engineered steel and aluminum structural design, so it’s very sturdy. Each moving component is made of steel and hard anodized aluminum, and the machine features adjustable brass gibs to ensure it will last a long time. 

So if you’re looking for a desktop milling machine that provides exceptional steel cutting and high motor torque for a low price, the 5019DSLS is a great choice.

Attribute	Taig 5019DSLS
Worktable Size	3 1/2 x 18.4 inches
RPM Speed Range	1000-10000 RPM

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8. Jet JMD-18 – 2HP Benchtop Mill/Drill Machine with Large Table

The Jet JMD-10 is one of the more expensive options out there, but its exceptional quality means it’s certainly value for money and is a contender for the title of best benchtop milling machine.

For starters, it offers 2 HP, our benchtop mill reviews found it’s four times as powerful as the Klutch Mini and many other cheaper mini mills, allowing you to work on hard metals like steel with much more ease. 

Another big benefit of the Jet JMD is the large worktable, measuring 9.5” x 32.25”. This provides more than double the working space of the cheaper benchtop milling machines we’ve reviewed, so you can work on a wider variety of projects with less maneuvering. 

There are 12 speed settings ranging from 150 to 3,000, so there’s plenty of versatility for different projects, while the cast iron column offers fantastic stability and durability. We also like that it has some pretty innovative features, such as the integrated work lamp. 

The JMD-18 is also an intuitive mill built with usability in mind, with simple controls and an easily readable internal depth gauge.

Attribute	Jet JMD-18
Worktable Size	9.5” x 32.25”
RPM Speed Range	150 to 3,000

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9. Supra Vertical Knee – Best Benchtop Milling Machine for Intuitive Controls 

This mill, created by CNC Masters, is an upper-range machine that’s powerful enough to keep industrial millers happy while also being user-friendly.

You can use the Supra Vertical straight out of the box, with a simple setup process and intuitive controls that are easy to get the hang of. This is a versatile mill and can be used for a wide range of projects, from engraving to ceramic production. 

This is also a very strong and robust mill, made entirely out of cast iron. One nice feature is that as well as using automation technology for the machining of complex parts, this milling machine can also be operated manually by using the hand wheels of the axis.  

The Supra Vertical has full 3-axis movement with a max travel of 34” x 11.5” on the X and Y axes, while the Z axis is quill driven for high precision. 

There are various packages available that come with different add-ons, so you can pick the package that best suits your budget.

Attribute	Jet JMD-18
Worktable Size	10″ × 54″
RPM Speed Range	Unknown

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10. Bridgeport Series 1 Standard Knee Mill – Best for Large Businesses

The Bridgeport Series 1 Standard is an impressive benchtop mill that its creator Hardinge claims is “the most popular milling, drilling and boring machine in the market”, and with over 370,000 of the machines built, there’s certainly some substance behind the claim. 

This Bridgeport mill is favored by many professionals and business owners due to its high levels of accuracy, reliability and versatility. 

It has some really useful features, such as the innovative airflow cooling design. This eliminates the need for external fans, which prevents expansion from heat build-up and prolongs bearing life. 

Other benefits of the Bridgeport Series 1 are its one-shot lubrication so you can easily keep your machine lubricated and the SystemChrome-plated ways and gibs for increased robustness. 

Regarding the specs, this 3D milling machine is 87” high with a large 9” x 49” worktable. It has a Power Quill Feed 3 drilling capacity of 3/8” and a manual drilling capacity of 2 Cl/min. The milling machine also has a very wide high speed range of 500 – 4,200 RPM and a low speed range of 60 – 500 RPM, along with 3HP, so it packs plenty of power. 

There are a full range of accessories available from the Hardinge website so that you can customize your Bridgeport mill as you wish.

Attribute	Jet JMD-18
Worktable Size	49″ x 9″
RPM Speed Range	60 – 4200 RPM

What You Should Know Before Buying a Mini Mill

What are Benchtop Milling Machines Used For?

From jewelry and models to electronics and tools, a mill allows you to create essentially anything that can be achieved by shaping materials. Benchtop mills are most commonly used with metals, but can also be used with wood. This not only makes mini mills a great tool for hobbyists, but also a valuable asset to small business owners. 

Benchtop mills, also known as mini mills or mill/drills, were used almost exclusively in industrial settings until fairly recently. But, with new lower-cost desktop milling machines becoming available, everyday hobbyists now have more options when creating DIY home projects.

Milling Machine Model	Spindle Speed (RPM)
Proxxon 37110 Micro Mill	5,000 – 20,000
Klutch Mini Milling Machine	100 – 2,500
OTMT OT2213	0 – 2,500
Grizzly Industrial G0727	200 – 2,000
Bolton Tools BF20VL Variable Speed Mill	50 – 2,900
Shop Fox M1111	100 – 1,750
Taig 5019DSLS Micro Mill	1,000 – 10,000
Jet JMD-18	150 – 3,000
Supra Vertical Knee	Unknown
Bridgeport Series 1 Standard Knee Mill	60 – 4,200

How Much Do Benchtop Milling Machines Cost?

Desktop milling machines vary a lot in price, and none are exactly cheap. The more affordable machines can be bought for under $500, while on the other hand there are many that go for thousands; tens of thousands in the case of some industrial mini-mills. 

The quality you get is largely based on how much you spend. That’s not to say that you can’t bag a decent benchtop mill for under $500, but that you should carefully consider your particular needs and DIY goals before making a purchase. 

More expensive mills typically offer more power, accuracy, speed, less vibration, better stability, improved durability, and larger working tables, so bear this in mind.

Milling Machine Model	Price
Proxxon 37110 Micro Mill	$448
Klutch Mini Milling Machine	$999
OTMT OT2213	$1,100
Grizzly Industrial G0727	Discontinued
Bolton Tools BF20VL Variable Speed Mill	$2,205
Shop Fox M1111	Discontinued
Taig 5019DSLS Micro Mill	$3,495
Jet JMD-18	$3,339
Supra Vertical Knee	$10,923
Bridgeport Series 1 Standard Knee Mill	$19,600

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