Brought this up on the English Wheel post too - no positive there. Are these lathes worth trying to use - has anyone had a good experience? HF has a 9" x 20", gear head, belt drive on sale for $650. ENCO has some in the same ballpark $ wise.http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRBR
I can't speak to the quality of the latest offerings of ENCO, but I own a 15 year old 12X40 belt drive lathe and an Enco mill. The lathe came with four pages of documentation on accuracy and runout. I've used it for fabrication of a ton of street rod parts and unless you are a highly skilled tool and die maker the lathe will perform at a level beyond your needs. It had specs as good as anything I found in midpriced lathes of the time
they have them at tractor supply. i think they seem kind of sloppy and crude in some aspects, but i have never used one. i would still think of buying one if i had that amount of money and i found no other way to spend it. i think you can find a real lathe, used for that price, just keep an eye out. i guess with space limitations that might not even be an option.
They work fine for nuts,bolts and spacer type parts. Just remember, a Machine is only good as the Nut behind the handle.
I bought a used Atlas for $600.00 with lots of tooling. Just hold out for a quality used one. I also have a big old flat belt, babit bearing lathe. I use the big lathe way more. The more mass in the machine the better it cuts. I checked out the lathes at Harbor freight, they're toys compared to even a 12in atlas-craftsman.
I don't know about ENCO's larger lathes, but the 9x20 is just like the HF, crap. You can get an old Southbend 9" for the same price(maybe way less like I did), and be worlds ahead in quality. I bought a 7x10, pretty much a little brother to the 9x20, it ran for about an hour. It's been taken apart twice, I can't even give it away. Watch craigslist and www.practicalmachinist.com classifieds. I found mine in a free paper locally(I wouldn't count on that, I lucked out).
I'd look around a little. I found a 13" sheldon made in 1952 for 500.00 with a lot of tooling. This thing is sweet. They're out there if you have some time to look. Make sure you check the ways for wear on any used lathe.
I have a 13x40 Enco with an Enco E3 tool post. It is a very accurate lathe. It is NOT a heavy duty machine. Parts are not available for this particular model any more. Enco has a habit of doing that.
I agree with Dyce and Mike...buy yourself a much better quality used machine like a 9" Southbend for that kind of money. Those little mini-things are only good for very small aluminum parts. You need a much longer bed. There is probably a used-machine outfit not too far from you. And yes, get something that's in good shape, not some POS that has been left out in the rain. And let's not forget the benefit of using collets! (I also have an old Atlas shaper!) A good Southbend will retain its value, where one of those little Chinese toys will be worthless. Here is a photo of my Southbend lathe: http://www.mcload.com/SB_Lathe.jpg It is the PERFECT size for the serious hobbyist. Anything bigger, you just take to a machine shop. Keep your eye on EPay, though even these are heavy as shit (a good thing)! And you can still buy Southbend parts for it, especially leadscrews. Patrick
Nice machine, Pat. Was it your Dad's? A good machine, but very small, is the Arizona-made Taig. Sounds asian, but it ain't. 4.5" (extendable to 6.5 ") swing, 9 3/4" between centers, great for spacers, small parts, etc, and you can put it in the closet when not in use. A very well made little tool. I had one, and really liked it. Just a little over four bills, less if you scrounge your own 1/4 H.P. motor. http://www.taigtools.com/mlathe.html
NOOOOOOO! At least you kept the shaper. I have a buddy with a mill if you need anything, and an aquantance with a CNC mill, both in theie personal garages, both in Houston. I have a crappy Tiawan mill-drill; funny thing is, the guy was selling it for half the price as a new one from HF, and "throwing in that old junk lathe"(my 1934 9" Southbend). After a little paint:
Oh YeaaaaH!! That is a sweet machine! Too bad it doesn't have the change gear box. Mine is due for a repaint too! Patrick
One word describes the HF lathe SHIT!!!!!! Do yourself a favor and look around and buy a good used Atlas or Southbend.
This was a one year only Model 405, all the 9" Workshop models were refinements of this one. It uses change gears for threading, and I have all of them. I need to get a more "traditional" leather belt, and ditch the serpintine auto parts store special. But is is once again a functional tool. Some before&after shots, and lathe info here: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217517&showall=1
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