Geared- head mills (and lathes) are generally preferred because they deliver full torgue all the time. That's never been a concern to me. Every mill I have had has been belt drive except my first X2 minimill years ago. Nevertheless, there is a price premium when new, and they do sell.
I would not let it affect the buying decision, and I would not pay any premium.
Here's where that round column becomes an issue: Say you just drilled a hole with your short drill bit, and now you need to tap it without losing position. You raise the quill all the way and still can't get your tap holder + tap in the available space. Now you have to unclamp the head assembly from the column and crank it up. In the process it can rotate around the column a little, losing your position. There are workarounds. This has only been an issue on a very few of my own projects.
As to a power reduction when using a VFD, that is not the case with modern drives. A 3-phase motor with a VFD is a great way to power tools. However, you do need to factor the VFD cost into the total. Add $200 and you are now at $1200, That is about the very most I would consider if there are no other good choices locally.
For that money, I would probably be looking at one of the X3 variants instead, like a G0704. You can get close on price buying new.
I recently bought one of the LMS Hi-Torque minimills. That is a very nice small mill, with a rigid column, more power, and a larger table than the regular X2s. If your work fits the envelope it's worth considering. Not sure if Grizzly has a comparable model.
Rex B - DFW
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