Hardinge Hlv-h 11" X 18" W/ Newall New Dro - Hlvh

I have a 14 x 40 Takisawa 1979 ($2500 2 yrs ago with tooling) 2inch stock HSS .400DOC, 4inch stock easy HSS .200 DOC. a shaving tool angled compound will cut tenths to tenths over 12 inch length between centers.
Hardinge/Monarch overblown price/reputation, if one is on this forum one is not doing unlimited government check book work/projects.
Spend wisely/realistic accuracy .
Have fun enjoy
This just an opinion.
 
The monarch 10ee is probably the the best precision manual lathe ever produced

If I were you I would buy that green hardinge before it's too late, I know someone that was interested in it
 
I am fortunate to own a Sharp 1118H - basically a blueprint copy of an HLV-H. I still have the chinese 11x27 "Precision Matthews" lathe I had before I inherited the HLV-H from my father when he passed away.

Running the HLV-H is like getting out of a Toyota and into a Mercedes. They'll both get you there but they don't do it the same way. The HLV-V is massive, and everything about its design (HUGE belt drive motor, DC carriage and cross feed motor, etc) delivers amazingly smooth operation which in turn produces very accurate work with excellent surface finish.) For me, the pass-through 5C collet system with closer is the preferred work-holding mechanism for much of what I do and it is SUCH a pleasure when making batches of the same part. And it sure makes threading easy.

Still, there are some things I like the PM1127 better for. For one thing, changing the compound angle is just easier (the nuts are ore openly accessible) and I change compound angles a lot in the production of my wood mics and their aluminum grills. It also stands a little lower giving me a different physical relationship to it, with more freedom to move into a position for visibility or cleaning. I converted mine to use a KBMG regenerative variable speed DC drive which provides faster braking and faster speed control, as well as being able to run the spindle down to 15RPM - something I use when applying finish to a wood piece.

So the answer is - each lathe has shown itself to be better at certain operations than the other. I love having them both. If I needed to do a lot of high precision work and could choose only one lathe it would be the HVL-H - however, as much as I love it, for the work I do I would keep the PM1127. At 1/10 the price, I certainly don't worry about it as much!
 
What I have discovered is a newly manufactured lathe of similar capacity, and questionable quality (Grizzly) would cost as much or more than a used Hardinge HLV.


Am I missing something?
 
Similar capacity? You can buy a perfectly good new Chinese 12x36 for $3000 - see http://machinetoolonline.com/PM1236.html or, I think even better, http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-x-36-Gunsmithing-Lathe-with-Stand/G4003G?utm_campaign=zPage

Both have MORE capacity. Similar quality? No. But if you can find an HLV for $3K, you should be suspicious that it is totally beat up. Good reconditioned ones seem to be trading about $12K.
i've owned products from both Grizzly and Quality Machine. While the quality isn't Hardinge, if all you need to do is hold .002", piece of cake, and you can do better with a little care. I've run the crap out of my Precision Matthews 1127VF for 6 years now, practically every day. Takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
 
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So the price got better on the Hardinge.

While doing research based on the comments above. I have been offered a Leblond Servo 15" for a little less money.

I really like the thought of an HLV-H but the increased capacity can never be had on the Hardinge.


Damned choices.
 
I have a 1964 HLVH. I do 90% of my work on it. Since the LOWEST speed is 125 RPM,it is not really a lathe to do large face plate work on. But,most of my work is of a smaller nature. A while back,I had to swing a 24" x 8" x4" piece of hard maple,to make a silver tray hammering die. I was grateful for the removable gap on my 1986 Grizzly 16" lathe!! The gap piece went back PERFECTLY,which I WAS concerned about. My lathe was bought with another which we used in the toolmaker's shop. The gap did not quite go back perfectly on that one.

But,that was an unusual piece of work for me. The HLVH does everything wonderfully smoothly. And,by the way,the compound on mine is released to swivel by a 3/8" Allen wrench that fits a bolt sticking out of the side. No trouble at all,and quicker than a 2 bolt ordinary compound. The Sharp copy must be different in some details.

I will admit that making that PERFECT 4º tapered hole when making a new back plate can be a bit of careful work. I ended up scraping my hole out with high spot blue after several attempts get get a 100% fit. Then,I could finally put it on,and fit it to a new chuck.

If you don't get the fit perfectly,your new chuck will never run quite true.

I also made my own tool holders. I had one original Hardinge. They wanted $275.00 for tool holders! And,they were not even hardened!! I made 20 of them. My journeyman has an HLV,which takes the same holders.Just milled a long strip of them,and cut them off like bread! Most of the trouble was in threading all those holes for set screws. I should have brought my tapper from home!!
 
[SIZE=1 said:
"george wilson, post: 399033, member: 410"]I have a 1964 HLVH. I do 90% of my work on it. Since the LOWEST speed is 125 RPM,it is not really a lathe to do large face plate work on. But,most of my work is of a smaller nature. A while back,I had to swing a 24" x 8" x4" piece of hard maple,to make a silver tray hammering die. I was grateful for the removable gap on my 1986 Grizzly 16" lathe!! The gap piece went back PERFECTLY,which I WAS concerned about. My lathe was bought with another which we used in the toolmaker's shop. The gap did not quite go back perfectly on that one.

But,that was an unusual piece of work for me. The HLVH does everything wonderfully smoothly. And,by the way,the compound on mine is released to swivel by a 3/8" Allen wrench that fits a bolt sticking out of the side. No trouble at all,and quicker than a 2 bolt ordinary compound. The Sharp copy must be different in some details.

I will admit that making that PERFECT 4º tapered hole when making a new back plate can be a bit of careful work. I ended up scraping my hole out with high spot blue after several attempts get get a 100% fit. Then,I could finally put it on,and fit it to a new chuck.

If you don't get the fit perfectly,your new chuck will never run quite true.

I also made my own tool holders. I had one original Hardinge. They wanted $275.00 for tool holders! And,they were not even hardened!! I made 20 of them. My journeyman has an HLV,which takes the same holders.Just milled a long strip of them,and cut them off like bread! Most of the trouble was in threading all those holes for set screws. I should have brought my tapper from home!![/SIZE]
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I really appreciate the comments from an owner of an HLV-H and your honest admission of the Hardinge limitations.

I fear some of the comments I have received are not necessarily from experience with the HLV-H but from assumptions of them.

I have the room and if at some point I need another lathe so be it. It will really hurt my feelings to have to choose what machine I will use. LOL.


Please know I appreciate everyone's comments.


I think for me at this time it will boil down to: I can afford it now and why not.
 
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