Well, we got the machine on Saturday and Whit and I tried it out boring some 2" holes in green SYP using a fairly aggressively threaded bit. The handles extend tremendously or else it would be pretty tough to turn with the 1.5 to 1 gearing. I think it took about 50 turns to get down just past 4". We will play with the thread count and handle extensions as we try to dial in the machine to be most efficient. I had to finish hanging a screen door at home, so it was a brief trial.


Tim and Will-- we will use it some, but not too often, I imagine. I have a Boss I am trying to get working that would likely be the main machine. As for the cost, it was about what you would pay for a clean Miller's Falls these days.

I think the reason you see more of the simple machines is that they were affordable and worked well. This particular machine is very well made, and I can imagine it must have been a bit pricey for the average house carpenter. But a Snell or Ajax or something like that would have been more affordable.

Good point about framing with timbers being on its way out as these machines were being developed. The market for boring machines probably started shrinking in the 1880's or so and I suppose tool makers didn't put money into improvements and innovations for a shrinking market.

Tim, I think chain morticers have been around a while in Europe. I saw an old metal-bodied Mafell that could have been from the 40's. I'm not sure about Makita's but I would guess pre 1980.