i need advice on purchasing a small lathe

Hahah!!! Good for all of you that bag on Harbor Freight.. I am soo glad you all have a silver spoon shoved up your asses to the point your spitting silver fillings from your mouth..

Apparently you didnt read the part "I" was stating about FUNDS....

Not all of us were as FORTUNATE as your lucky bastards that had the luxury of running out, buying a lathe of "superior" quality and rambling about it on here.

I am glad you look sooo highly of your lathe.. My point, I was born into a family who had to do things the hard way, earn money the hard way and life offered me no "silver spoon"....

So, with that.... Good for you all who have great lathes, but before you go bagging on everyone who "owns an overseas lathe" count yourself fortunate that you are the "Chosen ones" who had a bank roll to start your prestigious machine shops. Southbend, Logan, yadda yadda yadda... Falling on deaf ears...

I am not all proud of owning a Harbor Freight lathe, but I tell ya, I can machine just as close of accuracy on it, as I could on any damn other manual lathe!

But like assholes....everyone has an opinion! Ha!!

Good luck to yall on your "Gold lined gearbox lathes with genuine sterling silver handles and super hard carbide impregnated wayed can machine super kryptonite within fifty millionths accuracy lathes!"

And to hell with all of us who dont have a $50,000.00 bank roll to go out and buy whatever suits us at the moment...

Reality check!!

I think this forum post was about "i need advice on purchasing a small lathe"

Not about "What is the MAXIMUM amount of money can I "spend" on a lathe!

)

 

Mine was cheaper than a harbor freight lathe.

 

Cool lathe Johnny! My whole point of that spew I just did was just saying "without" the luxury of finding a gem like what you have there, and just having limited avenues of finding a lathe within a country mile of where you are at, sometimes overseas lathes are a good option.

I live on the western side of Colorado... Not a lot of machine shops here to go buy a used lathe or any other machine equip as far as that goes, and the closest city to us to get a lathe... 250 miles away!

As for all the rest of my machines... Bridgeport (and not a new one might I add) a Yamazen 4 axis CNC mill, and various other machines i.e..drill presses saws and such..

I would LOVE to find a small jewlers lathe like what you got there... They dont exist around here unless someone already has it in their shop and would never part with it.

My pops will have this lathe I have now soon, I actually am stepping up to a better lathe soon... Need a bigger one!

Lain

 

reality check? old American lathe with tooling: $500-1500

new chinese lathe without tooling: $1000-up

 

i`m no machinest but i can run a lathe and a milling machine, the first lathe i spent time one was from a high school, removed when they went to new machines, it was beat up a little but i went over it and got it working quite well, now the shop i`m renting has two lathes, one is about 12x36 i`d say and the other is about 36x60, the small one is british and runs like a dream, dont think i`d buy a new china lathe when i know there are better used ones for the same price, my advice is to make friends with the guys at a local machine shop, they will know who has a nice lathe for sale.

 

I do agree with ya Squirrel to a point.. But good ole iron cant always be found every day for pennies.

To be quite honest... IF...I found a good Clausing or such lathe THAT WAS IN GOOD shape... I would trade off this China lathe for it anyday... Where I live...its about availability..

I did have one guy who had a Clausing, wanted to sell it to me for $1000... That thing was SOOO beat that to fix it up would have been about 3 x what the chinese lathe was going to cost.

I need to machine accurate parts...Not worry about "What my lathe tells me what it is on the side with a brand name". I really dont give a shit what "brand" the thing is, so long as it machines accurate, and can make me a buck or two...then all is good!

Hahaha!!

Lain

 

True, if you just have to go buy a lathe today, then it might be a bit difficult to find good old American iron. otoh, if you have time and are patient and persistent, you might find something good for a good price. I got my south bend at a yard sale, you never know.

 

Hahah!! I WISH I could find a gem like that at a yardsale... That would be like the guy on here who bought a set of Ardun heads for $300 at a yard sale..

I would have to have the people splash me with water to wake me up! Hahahah!

Lain

 

Trust me, I was not all happy when I bought this Chinese thing.. I really dont like to buy anything "China"... but I had at that time, limited funds, and had to machine parts immediately... The Harbor Freight lathe was available, and could be delivered within a week and a half to my doorstep!

It served its purpose to get me out of a pinch in a hurry..

As far as the best lathe I think I have ever machined on to date... A Standard Modern lathe in the Navy...

Lain

 

No bankroll, no silver spoon, but I can't afford to buy tools twice, or three times. Take the time and get a quality tool the first time. Harbor Freight is not a quality tool. And it will cost yo more money in the loing run. So lose the attitude, the original poster got good advice and you got all shitty about it. Get over yourself.

Accurate and Harbor Freight don't add up. It's not about brand it's about quality... and not to mention using it in a real production situation...

 

Welp... sorry for the shitty part, really dont mean to be that way, but.....ummmmm...uhh last time I checked... I got flamed with everyone else for doing the wrong thing for buying a Harbor Freight lathe... So I still stick by my word of I am glad some people are born "rich" and can have life on a platter at their becking call... Unfortunately... I am not one of them, and I am sure there are a LOT of others that are in the same boat... As you said... No silver spoon, no bankroll...

So ya do what ya have to do....

Lain

 

The funny thing about this post really... To the original person asking about advice on buying a small lathe.. I think the guy above that said "Go to a local well established machine shop, take a look around, and ask them where a good used lathe may be for a good price"

Out of my posts, and all the other "professional advice" listed here... that guy who listed that response has about the most accurate reply out of all of us... including me!

I can tell ya, I can see why old machininst get soo damn crochety! Must be in the water! Hahaahah!!!



Lain

 

I paid $400 for my 8" South Bend with decent tooling included, and my machine happened to be in incredible condition. I dont think you could buy the equivalent in a chinese package for that. Nothing about being rich, its about finding the right machine, in the right condition, for the right price. Not just going out and buying a harbor freight machine, and having big time trouble down the road.

Heck, South Bend parts are very easy to come by, and they are in many cases 50+ years old. When the chinese manufacturers move to another design (which is probably a stolen design from someone else), and you need parts for your HF machine, what will you do? And being HF, you WILL eventually need parts, and not all of them can be easily made.

You can defend you HF machine all you want, but Im not rich either, I do work hard for my money, and I will spend my money on a quality machine that was built to last.

The poster asked for a good small lathe, a 9" south bend is a great idea, going rate is reasonable, parts are very easy to come by, and they are wonderful machines.

 

Well put Chad and yep, I do agree with you that the Southbends are great lathes... Hell, back in the day, Southbend was what the Navy, and other machine shops I worked in swore by along with other good makes of lathes.

I may really have put things in on this post that "defend" the chinese ummm not so quality machinery.. I am here to tell ya, had I had a chance to get a lathe like a Soutbend for $400 (which today, I am sorry but is unheard of) I would have been all over that like white on rice!

Truth to the matter, I could not wait till someone turned loose of such a gem around here for months on end.

The ONLY thing I defend on having this HF lathe is that it DOES cut parts just fine, and I have turned a profit way more than you would ever expect on it... The damn thing can crap out on me tomorrow, and I would not care... It has paid for itself time and time again many fold over.

In my situation here....on the western side of Colorado.... that HF lathe was the best option at the time.

Back then, I did do checking around... I even went to some magazines that you may have heard of...one in particular called Machine Trader... LOTS.....TONS....Millions...ok not millions, but you get the idea.. of lathes in there for sale... None for under $5K for even a shitty American broke lathe! Tooling, hell I couldnt even choke the price of the lathe let alone tooling.

Nowadays, times are different, I am not eating ramen noodles and "wishing upon a star" for a cash flow... and yep, I agree with you that a good quality lathe is the way to go....and nowadays, when the time comes to get my next lathe you can bet your ass it will be something expensive if need be, and it will be made American...Or Japanese...

I think in the end of this post, everyone (including myself) does agree that the Chinese should keep their stuff over there... It definately is not "American" quality... NEVER will be!

But, I do find all these "$400 dollar lathes" made here in America that everyone (not just you) is talking about, dont exist...

Where were they when I was looking....all across the U.S.A..?

Buying a lathe in 1942 for $400 dont count! Hahaah!!!

Ok, I know that probably is not fair for me to put it that way but can you see my point? $400 lathes I really dont think exist! I would have definately bought one like what you got if they did and I would be the one on here saying F*** Harbor Freight!

Lain

 

Lain, I just happened to look a Craigs' list when I found mine, lucky. There was a p thread a while ago about a Bridgeport mill at an estate sale in L.A. for 900.00. I made it to the sale, but all he machinery was purshased as a lot, mill, lathe, duall saw, drillpress, grinder, all top machines that were owned by a retired German machinest, unlucky that time. Also, the best lathe does not make the best machinest. Mike

 

I got a Southbend lathe and a large Taiwan Rong Fu chopstick special mill-drill for $900, $450 apiece. With lots of tooling. They ARE out there.

 

Well, in all fairness, my $400 South Bend is only an 8" swing, its the smallest swing machine they ever made (Its actually physically larger castings than a 9", buts thats another story, without a whole history lesson). I purchased it a year and a half ago for $400. The 9" south bends are very desireable, and in many cases,sell for more than a machine twice its size. I have seen 10-16" soth bends and tooling in decent shape for around $1000-1500. They are out there.

 

Actually Chad, I do agree, I know they have to happen once in a while...finding a damn good price on a good lathe... My situation was a bit more hasty to buy thus I did what I did..

I think another approach to help the original poster of this would be to list any avenues that may be searchable on the web at least or magazines that anyone may know out there that have used machinery in them...

You know, places that are looking to sell, and not rake (or sell chinese junk) people over the coals for machinery.

EBAY dont count... everyone already knows about ebay.

Machine Trader Magazine is one of the largest mags I know of, but there again, prices are high.

Yes, I did buy my CNC milling machine off eBay. But I did drive to L.A. to get it. It did not work, and I completely repaired it (controller and all) as that is another avenue I do (repairing CNC machinery)

I got that mill (Yamazen 4axis mill with tooling and all) for $2000.00

That was through user name 1machinerysales on ebay. We actually bought our Bridgeport mill through them as well for a whopping $950.00

So there is my input on who I know to buy from...

Anyone else out there know of places to pick up any machinery for reasonable prices? Where are they and do they have a web site to see what they have?

Lain

 

my 1941 Logan lathe was purchased at an school auction..a lot of schools are discontinuing shop classes and are getting rid of shop equipment

 

Wow you are an ass, you keep with the silver spoon shit... I know what I'd like to do with a spoon about now... and eBay doesn't count. Cool then you won't be bidding against me as I buy more good equipment on there.. I watched a few nice lathes go cheap in the last week. And I'll drive a few hours for them no problem... You really need to get over yourself...

 

here is some good info

http://www.mermac.com/advicenew.html

don't get in a hurry and you can find a quality lathe for a decent price and if you ever need to sell you'll get your money back easy.

later jim

 

Zman, obviously you are not taking this the way I am meaning, and yes, I was being a smart ass about the $400 dollar thing...

Ebay, the reason I put "Ebay dont count" is simply because WE ALL know eBay is there... I dont mean "Dont buy anything from eBay"

I sure as hell dont mean "pass up all good deals on ebay" Lord knows I dont! hahah!!

Didnt I state in one of my posts that I bought TWO mills off eBay? Yep, sure did...

I have been "Over it" as you put it, I am truly hoping you can "get over it too"...

Quit taking what I say so in vein. I didnt mean to upset your sensitive little feelers there... I will be "politically correct" from now on. Promise!



Lain

 

I just bought a really nice harrison 13" swing for $600 with coolant. They are out there, but you gotta wait for them. I was just about to go the chink route & got lucky...

I bought a Bridgeport with collets, some endmills & a vice for $500. Delivered!

 

Very cool!

When I got my Bridgeport, The mill had a Kurt 6.5 vise still on it, and a box of collets... The vise was soo dirty that I thought it was a china pos... After getting it all home and cleaning it up, it was soo black with crud that the blue color known on Kurts was just buried..

After a vise rebuild, and a little TLC, she is as good as can be for a used vise.. When I bought the mill Both me, and the company thought it was a cheap vise so that was a cool thing getting that little treasure along with an already great priced mill...

Should have see us packing that thing home from CA to Colorado.. It looked like a man standing on our trailer all wrapped up in a tarp holding his arms out straight! Hahah!!

Lain

 

Thank you Cob for the info! Yep, yer right on that one, I dont dare call Harbor Freight for a part...I already knew that going into it though.

And by the way, to please the Jury and Executioner... That lathe is the only Harbor Freight special I own! Hahaha!!!

Lain

 

Just a quick question Cob... Do you know if HAAS CNC machines castings are made here? I was under the impression that they were so called "100% American made" machines...

But you know how that goes... They may or may not be, just wondering if you knew that or not...

Partially because I would like to get (someday) one of their TL1 small tool room CNC's

I have a good Yamazen CNC mill now that I shelled out $15K on a Centroid controller.. Works wonders and has probing capabilities.

That HAAS lathe would accent the mill nicely..

Lain

 

Cool thanks Cob!

My shop now, I am always balls to the wall..Got several employees and I desperately need to move shop to a larger building. I am beyond "garage" machining and do production runs of parts from minimums of 20 pc up to runs of 100. All flathead parts... no joke!

Lot of the parts we make, we cannot mention here. They are for various un-named customers. MSC is always at my side (The BIG assed blue catalog!) and we do buy through them.

So another lathe, mill, and various machines are in order... The cnc lathe is the first as far as big purchases go for me. Thus I thought I'd ask as it seems you know what you are dealing in.

Do you get any kickbacks from MSC for a sale? Shoot me an email and talk to me more... It may be soon that we will be buying another lathe.

(And no...Hahahaha!!! We will not be getting rid of that Harbor Freight lathe...Hell no, we are going to run that little sucker into the ground...already paid for itself too many times over to count.) Hahah getting a laugh out of that part just for fun!

Lain