Another 'which lathe' post.

[hustlebird]

Hey All - About to pull the trigger on a lathe, and I am just absolutely gutted trying to decide which one to get. Currently, I'm looking at either the PM-1130V, or the 1340GT. I know these aren't frequently compared to each other directly, so let me explain my reasoning. I started looking initially at the Grizzly 0602, but got worried is might be a touch small. From there, I started reading about PM, and sorta zeroed in on the 1130V. I looked at some of the options above and below it, and the 1236T seems like the next step up for me, and what I'm looking for, and at only 7-800 more, the 1340gt suddenly comes into range.

I have the budget which would allow me to swing the 1340, but I haven't ever touched a lathe, so I'm not sure what the 1340 gets me. The other thing, is I would end up running a VFD to it, so there's a good bit of work involved in setting up the 1340, where as the 1130 should be ready when delivered.

I can also afford to fully 'kit out' the 1130, with DRO, 4 jaw chuck, and plenty of tooling (and materials to turn). Things will definitely be a bit tighter and slower with the 1340. I can fit either lathe in my space, but the 1340 would make it tight.

Having said all that, it seems like the 1130 would be the best fit for me, but what will I not be able to do with it? What limitations will I run into? Is there feature differences I'm missing? Trying to be thorough, and make sure I'm not missing any compelling reasons to jump way up, even if it stretches the budget razor thin. Thanks in advance.

 

[Just for fun]

The 1236T is made in Taiwan same as the 1340. The 1130 is Chinese. I ordered the 1236T because of that. Like you I've never ran a lathe but I didn't want a Chinese machine either. And 1236T is more then i need for the foreseeable future. Between the two you are looking at I would get the 1340 for no other reason then it is made in Taiwan. Besides that, the way I hear it lathes are like shops, the bigger the better!

Tim

 

[Ulma Doctor]

they are 2 completely different classes of lathes,
which one you choose is a matter of scope of work that you intend to do and how much you intend to use it

with respect, if you have never used a lathe before, you may wish to buy a smaller lathe to learn on
machine tools are not toys and there is potential for serious injury
a lathe with fewer ponies would be advantageous
you could certainly purchase the 1130 and be completely happy with that envelope
i have 2, 1236's and very much like that envelope and don't usually need much more, but when i do i have a 2040- but still secretly wishing for a 1340 for no other reason than i don't have one

the only thing(s) you won't be able to do with the 1130 is :
swing large work
take monster cuts, initially
drill very large holes with drill bits efficiently
parting materials will need to be explored

on the plus side, belt driven machines generally produce better finishes than gear driven counterparts
three phase driven lathes can even that playing field slightly, but still transfer vibration and gear noise through the spindle

the 1340 will produce more horsepower witch is great for deep cuts & large diameter drilling- no substitute for brute force
parting will be less of a challenge, greater mass and more available power would be advantageous
larger swing permits bigger potential, but at the cost of losing some of the finer touch of a smaller machine
the set up of the VFD is not insurmountable and would give even greater range to an already potent envelope

you'll need to decide , but for a beginner,
i would suggest the 1130
you can always outgrow it and make another newb happy when you are done with it
(or do what i do, KEEP IT ! )

 

[Aukai]

I started with a 1228 as my first lathe, and it was a good machine. I could have learned just as well on the 1340, and only have bought 1 machine. There are other brands in the price range that are in stock if PM has a wait time.

 

[MikeInOr]

I can not tell if the PM-1130V has a quick change gear box or not. It does not look like it does. I owned a lathe without a quick change gear box and it was cheaper for me to buy a whole different lathe than to upgrade my old Atlas 12 lathe to a quick change gear box.

I would not buy a lathe without a quick change gear box and I would not recommend such a lathe for someone just starting out either.

 

[Larry$]

I vote for the 1340 on the basis of it will be just as good of a learning machine as the 1130 and you won't have to "move up" to a heavier, more capable machine latter. Not sure why the 1340 needs a VFD, not available in single phase? If you don't think you will ever need a heavier lathe with more swing and more length then there is no reason to not save some $ and go for the 1130. BTW the actual useable area is considerably less than the swing and length numbers.

 

[Jubil]

Have yet to read a post on HM that says “I’m gonna upgrade to a smaller machine”.

Chuck

 

[rabler]

You will spend quite a bit of money on tooling. It can be added over time so maybe less painful, but cost does add up. Don’t leave yourself too tight on budget that you can’t afford tools, and materials to turn are getting expensive too.
An 11x30 is a respectable size lathe and will do well with 1.5HP. I started with a 10x22. In most respects I agree with @Ulma Doctor. I would guess few people starting out would notice the differences in finish as technique and tooling quality play big roles.
Regardless of size, the forces involved are considerable in cutting metal. Safety is critical, as flesh and bone cut much easer.

All that said, I now have three lathes, the biggest at 26x50 and nearly 10,000lbs.

 

[ArmyDoc]

Hey All - About to pull the trigger on a lathe, and I am just absolutely gutted trying to decide which one to get. Currently, I'm looking at either the PM-1130V, or the 1340GT. I know these aren't frequently compared to each other directly, so let me explain my reasoning. I started looking initially at the Grizzly 0602, but got worried is might be a touch small. From there, I started reading about PM, and sorta zeroed in on the 1130V. I looked at some of the options above and below it, and the 1236T seems like the next step up for me, and what I'm looking for, and at only 7-800 more, the 1340gt suddenly comes into range.

I have the budget which would allow me to swing the 1340, but I haven't ever touched a lathe, so I'm not sure what the 1340 gets me. The other thing, is I would end up running a VFD to it, so there's a good bit of work involved in setting up the 1340, where as the 1130 should be ready when delivered.

I can also afford to fully 'kit out' the 1130, with DRO, 4 jaw chuck, and plenty of tooling (and materials to turn). Things will definitely be a bit tighter and slower with the 1340. I can fit either lathe in my space, but the 1340 would make it tight.

Having said all that, it seems like the 1130 would be the best fit for me, but what will I not be able to do with it? What limitations will I run into? Is there feature differences I'm missing? Trying to be thorough, and make sure I'm not missing any compelling reasons to jump way up, even if it stretches the budget razor thin. Thanks in advance.

You are kind of comparing apples and oranges when compareing the 1130V and the 1340GT. The 1130V is a Chinese lathe, without a quick change gearbox, with considerably less mass, and a work envelope that is 15% smaller in terms of swing and 25% smaller in terms of length.

If it were me, and I were struggling to decide between the 1130V and the 1340GT, I would eliminate both and try to decide between the 1236 and the 1236T. These two machines sit right in between the two you are considering. I don't think it is an easy or obvious choice between the two - which is a good thing. It means you really can't go wrong either way.

If you are leaning towards the 1130V, I would get the PM 1236 instead. These are both Chinese lathes, but the 1236 gives you slightly larger work envelope, is heavier, and most importantly, the 12 inch machines are the first level with any type of quick change gear box, which I think is very important.

Looking at the Taiwan machines, this series starts with the 1236T. If you feel the 1340GT is affordable, but you feel like it might be a little uncomfortable financially, get the 1236T instead. You'll still get the Taiwanese quality, save about $1000, and it is a more comparable machine to the 1236 Chinese lathe.

I would make yourself a spread sheet of these 4 machines - it is hard to directly compare them because the Taiwanese machines don't come with the same equipment packages as the Chinese machines - you have to add those components in to get an accurate price comparison.


Best of luck, and please let us know what you decide.

 

[hustlebird]

You are kind of comparing apples and oranges when compareing the 1130V and the 1340GT. The 1130V is a Chinese lathe, without a quick change gearbox, with considerably less mass, and a work envelope that is 15% smaller in terms of swing and 25% smaller in terms of length.

If it were me, and I were struggling to decide between the 1130V and the 1340GT, I would eliminate both and try to decide between the 1236 and the 1236T. These two machines sit right in between the two you are considering. I don't think it is an easy or obvious choice between the two - which is a good thing. It means you really can't go wrong either way.

If you are leaning towards the 1130V, I would get the PM 1236 instead. These are both Chinese lathes, but the 1236 gives you slightly larger work envelope, is heavier, and most importantly, the 12 inch machines are the first level with any type of quick change gear box, which I think is very important.

Looking at the Taiwan machines, this series starts with the 1236T. If you feel the 1340GT is affordable, but you feel like it might be a little uncomfortable financially, get the 1236T instead. You'll still get the Taiwanese quality, save about $1000, and it is a more comparable machine to the 1236 Chinese lathe.

I would make yourself a spread sheet of these 4 machines - it is hard to directly compare them because the Taiwanese machines don't come with the same equipment packages as the Chinese machines - you have to add those components in to get an accurate price comparison.


Best of luck, and please let us know what you decide.

About the QCGB. I'd be running the 1340 in a 3-phase w/VFD configuration. And I'm under the impression the 1130V is built the same from factory. Does the VFD not significantly reduce the need for gear changes? In fact, the 1130V is only a 2-gear system, with a low and high, along with the VFD for variable control in those ranges.

For me, I actually really like the 1236T, but the price difference between it and the 1340 is small enough that I can't imagine not bumping up to the larger lathe. Likewise, the design of the regular 1236 is unappealing (1phase, nonvariable motor, 18-steps from 65-1800 rpms).

The percentages are nice to see, and I seem to always forget to mentally figure those.

Have yet to read a post on HM that says “I’m gonna upgrade to a smaller machine”.

Chuck

Lol, same here! but that's precisely why I'm stressing it, I know there's plenty of people on here who bought and haven't upgrade beyond their first lathe. Trying to not overspend as I get into the hobby (which I have a tendency to do).