Always been interested ...Should i get a lathe?

Exactly. This is the kind of deal you should by even if you don't want or need a lathe. If it's what you say it is, then you could easily double your money overnight just by reselling it instantly.

These are the kinds of ads that typically end in one of three ways.

1. It's simply gone before you can even call the number.
2. It was indeed a misprint and they were asking $2000 and not $200
3. It was some kind of trick where they are trying to get you to pay $200 down and mo. payments after that.
4. It isn't really as advertised and there are major parts missing or broken.

The 5th scenario is always possible, but a very lucky find when it happens.

5. The ad is for real, you got there and first, and BINGO, you got a great deal!

#5 happens. Hopefully for you this will be the case. But #1 is far more likely if you're wasting time posting on the Internet asking if you should buy it.

The lathe in question is in a sale of a machine shop foreclosure that is about as far away from civilization as you can get up here in the great white north... the seller doesnt know anything about machines. He said it turns on and runs, i had him send me picture of the gear box and other specifics.
This is the smallest lathe in the sale and im assuming it didnt get much use... there is added badging on it that indicate its from a industrial machine supplier in my city... which is only 10 years old... so my hope are high that the ways arent worn...

That said i agree with most that its probably too go to be true, but at $200 i could easily flip it for triple if it is broken... and if it works and i decide its not for me i could sell it for about $3000 in my area as per the going craigslist rate right now for a lathe this size ( again pricing is my area and canuck pesos)


Perusing the forums over the last day has giving me a better idea of just how useful a lathe can be for a home gamer. I also have a cattle farm so perhaps ill save driving into the tractor dealer a bit less often for the odd part.

Ill update if i do end up picking this up... thanks for the thoughts gents
 
If you can get the guy to send you some pics and you're confident that you'll take it,...

AND if you can get him to commit to the sell before hand (perhaps even pay for it in advance if you trust the guy, or put money down)

AND if you are willing to drive that far to pick it up (probably worth the trip)

Then I say GO FOR IT! :grin:

But the longer you sit around and contemplate it, the more likely someone else will buy it out from under you.

So make the choice and do it,...... or not.

Let us know how you make out.

BEST OF LUCK! In whatever you choose to do.
 
That's a valid concern, IMHO.

I have seen great deals on Craigslist that were 6 hours away. For me personally that's just too far. Period. I'd have to pass no matter how great the deal is. I'd probably pass on this if it was 6 hours away too. :grin:

Especially if you don't even know if it will still be there by the time you arrive.


I drive a rig for a living so 6 hours in a pick up is a treat compared to that... not a huge concern but when you factor in fuel for the cost of the lathe now im talking about $500....

Still worth it id think..... still working on getting the Ms. on board... even if she says no i might just get it and store it in the barn till she comes around haha.... if i get rid of my table saw in the garage she might come around haha
 
Sounds like it could be worth the drive. A machineshop closing down may also have other items for you to consider.

Again, good luck.
 
Im confident the lathe in question is in good working order... it is a 6 hour drive to go get it (joys of living in canada) which im sure is keeping most of the riff raff from scooping it up...

Thanks for the info mike im sure ill refer to your thread lots. Im glad to know that it will fit in the box of my truck easy enough.

Standsontoes, I wouldn't wait too long , others who are interested in that lathe may not hesitate they way you think, distance is a one time hardship and many including myself ignore the pain of long travel, if the seller is not willing to hold it for you until you get there, then offer to pay a half now and half later just to secure the deal.
BTW, as a mini lathe owner I didn't take the mini lathe bashing personally, it is rampant around here any way, the funny thing is, you don't see many mini lathe/mill owners knock their machines ,that should tell you they are not as bad as you think and your goal is not to buy one anyway .

Best of luck and welcome to the forum. let spending begin.
 
I drive a rig for a living so 6 hours in a pick up is a treat compared to that... not a huge concern but when you factor in fuel for the cost of the lathe now im talking about $500....

I think it's worth it.

Still worth it id think..... still working on getting the Ms. on board... even if she says no i might just get it and store it in the barn till she comes around haha.... if i get rid of my table saw in the garage she might come around haha

Can't help you there. I'm single so I get to do whatever I want. :grin:
 
BTW, as a mini lathe owner I didn't take the mini lathe bashing personally, it is rampant around here any way, the funny thing is, you don't see many mini lathe/mill owners knock their machines ,that should tell you they are not as bad as you think and your goal is not to buy one anyway .

Off topic point, but I can't help but agree. We don't see the mini lathe owners bashing their own machines. That speaks volumes.

Same for the Chinese machines. I have a Chinese machine, and while I'll agree it's not the greatest thing in the world, it's not junk either. And for the price I'd say it's well worth it. I don't even think it's meaningful to compare it to machines that cost twice as much. China probably make pretty good expensive machines too.

The reason Chinese machines get such a bad rap is that people buy the cheapest Chinese machines and then complain because there not as good as expensive machines. Well, duh? That's like buying a cheap economy car and complaining that it's not a Rolls Royce. :grin:
 
Off topic point, but I can't help but agree. We don't see the mini lathe owners bashing their own machines. That speaks volumes.

I own a Microluxe (i.e. Sieg) 7x16 mini-lathe. I bash the mini-lathe constantly. I suppose as an alternative to building a lathe from scratch (ala Gingery), they're a good idea. I bought the mini-lathe intending to use it, and it was unusable from the get-go. It's currently in pieces while I slowly fix everything that is wrong with it.

That 14" Logan I bought from a closed machine shop on craigslist? Worked from day one. Well, okay, it worked as soon as I got the 3-phase power going, which was more like day 13.
 
Still working on getting the Ms. on board... even if she says no i might just get it and store it in the barn till she comes around haha.... if i get rid of my table saw in the garage she might come around haha

I have to admit, I kind of sprung the whole machine shop thing on the missus when she returned after a few-weeks absence. It was a bit of work building a shop in the barn that fast, but now it's the place where I fix everything :)
 
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