I have owned two Rockwell vertical mills, they are scaled down copies of a Bridgeport. O.K. for smaller work but lack the power and rigidity for larger work. As regards a DRO on the lathe, I have used a Trav A Dial for many years once you install a DRO on your lathe you will wonder how you got along without it. Far less mental math along with the chance for errors, vastly improved speed getting things done. As valuable on the lathe as the mill in my opinion. No need for a DRO with a lot of fancy functions, a simple unit that is just a counter is all you need. BTW I have more than 40 yrs. in the Tool & Die and gunsmithing trades, so I speak from experience.
