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

[Bob Korves]

Make sure everything works before buying it, or have a plan to fix anything you find in less than good, usable condition. Run it under power, make it do everything it is supposed to. At that price, it may well have issues, but price does not define condition. Hurry, you are not likely the first to see the ad.

 

[markba633csi]

Of course you should get a lathe. Any other questions?
Mark

 

[Mitch Alsup]

If you are going to do tapers and threads, you want a lathe big enough that access to the bolts securing the compound slide easily.
This generally starts at 11 or 12" like a 12×36 will have these bolts on top and in easy access,
where as a 10×24 will have these bolts under the compound slide itself making taper setup difficult.
This was one of the reasons I ended up with a 12×36. As it is, maybe I should have gone to 14×??

 

[MontanaLon]

Lathes make the world go round.

To be honest, there isn't a lot of "household" work that can be done with them. But you would be surprised at how quickly you will wonder how you ever got by without it.

As for what to make, the options are endless as long as it is cylindrical or some derivation thereof. Add in a mill and you can make just about anything.

As far as size goes, it is easier to make small parts on a lathe than it is to make big parts on a small lathe. Sometimes big on small is impossible and the smaller your lathe the smaller too big is.

But at $200 don't even think twice about it. Even if it is a pile of junk, you can likely get way more than $200 out of the parts and keep the tooling to go with the next lathe you buy that may not be a junker.

 

[Dabbler]

Lathes make the world go round.

Montana, I thought that lathes made the stock you are cutting go round! Maybe I'm doing it wrong!

 

[Robo_Pi]

I agree with most others. For $200 I wouldn't be standing around talking about it, I'd be rushing over to pick it up before someone else does. You can't go wrong at that price. Especially if you're getting extra tooling with it. Better jump on it before it's gone.

 

[richl]

Why do we always get these conversations? If someone posted an ad on cl that said something to the effect.... "millionaire giving away piles of money, first come first served" would you first go to the internet and ask your friends if you should go, and what exactly should I do with the money when I get it? Sorry to sound critical, 2 of my 3 lathes were me being in the right spot at the right time and willing to do whatever necessary to get the machines in my shop.

Be bold, if the machine is what you say, it is either a once in a lifetime find or a misprint. Figure out what wonderful things you are going to do with it after it is in your shop.

Hope you get it!

 

[Standsontoes]

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.

 

[Robo_Pi]

Be bold, if the machine is what you say, it is either a once in a lifetime find or a misprint.

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 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.

 

[Robo_Pi]

it is a 6 hour drive to go get it

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.

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