Depends on the time of year, and the project. I literally bought the mill for the hydraulic clutch conversion, where I knew I needed to make (likely) multiple mounting adapters until I had it all working correctly:
That particular project took four adapters. The first one I had 3D printed, and I milled out the three aluminum ones. Each new adapter incorporated changes I couldn't have anticipated without it "in-hand". From a time perspective, the milling machine paid for itself on that single project, simply because I didn't need to wait for a machine shop to make each one for me. From a dollar perspective, it probably still owes me a fair chunk of change :P
Most of the year, for a home garage enthusiast, it's more of a paper-weight in the way. But when you need it, my gosh is ultra handy. I do need to buy a lathe though. In squamish I had keys and access to a buddy's, but in Port Alberni the lathe access is a little more challenging. Lathe in 2018 I think.
For my mill, I bought a Busy Bee Tools CX601. It's the largest mill I can still move with an engine hoist, which at the time of purchase was an important consideration. I was renting, and had to be able to move the mill without a forklift. It uses full size tooling, and the bed size was quite good.
https://www.busybeetools.com/product...out-cx601.html
I do tend to joke around that it's a glorified drill press taking up way too much space in the shop, but just the other night it saved my butt on the front suspension job I was working on. When you need it, nothing else will do, and it's absolutely amazing.
-Dave