Of identical layout to the early-1950s designed Arboga EM 825, the U2508 was a heavier and generally more robust machine introduced during the 1970s. The distance from spindle centre line to inner face of the column was actually 3/8" less than the EM825 - but this was compensated for by a maximum table to spindle nose capacity of 20", a massive increase of 8" on the older machine. The quill movement was lengthened by 1/2" to 41/2", the main column diameter increased from 4" to 51/2" and the standard table increased from 175/16" x 97/16" to 22" x 10". Although the cross travel remained unchanged at 61/2" the longitudinal travel was increased by 41/2" to 151/2" . An optional, self-contained, electrically-driven table power feed unit reduced maximum travel by 1" but provided 6 feed rates of 0.75, 1.375, 2.5, 3.75, 7 and 12.5 inches per minute (19, 36, 63, 96, 179 and 315 mm/min).
A 2-speed 1/0.85 hp 3-phase motor was standard and drove the No. 3 Morse taper spindle at: 100, 205, 345, 440, 695, 885, 1450 and 2900 rpm - a wonderfully wide range and a considerable improvement on the original 100 to 1280 rpm range.
The all-up weight was 605 lbs.
During the 1970s and 1980s a copy of the U2508 was built in Taiwan.

Although the castings of the U2508 were 'squared-off' and the vertical column more massive, there is still no mistaking the early-1950s origins of its ancestor machine the EM825.

The optional, self-contained, electrically-driven table power feed unit reduced maximum travel by 1" but provided 6 feed rates of 0.75, 1.375, 2.5, 3.75, 7 and 12.5 inches per minute (19, 36, 63, 96, 179 and 315 mm/min). The drive was taken through a safety friction clutch and the motor could be reversed to provided travel in both directions.

Of neater appearance than the earlier power feed gearbox, the 6-speed unit fitted to the U2508 incorporated a large angled-face satin-chrome finished micrometer dial.