Best size lathe for home use / new import

Cripes. I just looked at your location. Eisen is practically in your back yard.
 
Eisen 1236 GH $7095.00 base price sold out Eisen 1440E $9195.00 base price sold out if i was going to spend $10000.00 i still might buy from PM
Found a add on EBay Eisen 1440 $11995.00 free shipping +tax so PM 1440LB $6910.86 WLG service
I like the PM 1340 GT $5999.00 base price sold out OCT 2021 time in
 
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So no one is going to stand up for the 1236 machine is it to small or to light or it' made in china (so is the 1440LB )
The 1236 w cast iron stand 1450 lb The 1440LB w cast iron 1800 lb
 
Interesting weight comparison. 1440LB @ 1800#, PM1440HD 2750#. Same capacity machine, 50% increase in wt.
Where? Much of it probably due to the bed width. 7 3/8" to 10.25" a 40% increase.
They didn't list the bed depth but it probably increases proportionately. Given the relationship of cross sections to torsional stiffness the HD model will likely have more than a 100% stiffer body.
The only other big advantage for the HD is it's slowest spindle speed 40 VS 70. Top speed on a lathe doesn't count for much.
The LB has it's main advantage in spindle bore.
There are many things you can't tell from reading spec sheets.
 
A few points..

1.) When comparing lathe weights one needs to look at the base. Many times a cast iron base accounts for a substantial increase in weight. The PM1440GT does not have a cast iron base so weighs less than the PM1440HB or HD. I would still pick the 1440GT.
2.) Spindle bore size is PM's claim to fame. I believe my Eisen is made in the same factory as the PM 1440GT.

3.) Yes, the Eisen is $9100 on the website. As I mentioned earlier, I talked them down to $7500. My reasoning was they sell these on eBay too and eBay charges a minimum of 10% seller fee. That is nearly $1000 so I figured that was a good place to start.
a.) The Eisen comes with the DRO. The DRO is already installed. Add $800 to the PM for that.
b.) The Eisen has free shipping. Precision Matthews charges $400-$450 for delivery.

If you want a lathe now, you will probably have to settle for Chinese. Most of the Taiwan lathes are sold out.

Without hands on experience, one may wonder what is the difference between a China mainland and Taiwan lathe. Well, just one piece of anecdotal evidence from my experience is the tailstock. On my Chinese PM1022, the quill on the tailstock was so sloppy that drilling a simple center hole was challenging. In fact, the quill was so bad that I was going to make a new one that actually fit. Then I decide to hell with it and sold it. The Taiwanese 1440 does not have that issue. The quill is very precise. Just one of a number of issues that I had.

I may sound like an Eisen fanboy, but what I am pointing out is that there are many more options than PM or Grizzly for good machines. Acra, Acer, Kent USA are a few others.
 
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So no one is going to stand up for the 1236 machine is it to small or to light or it' made in china (so is the 1440LB )
The 1236 w cast iron stand 1450 lb The 1440LB w cast iron 1800 lb
I think there are a few on here with the 1236, personally I'm looking at the 1236T. I was originally looking at the 1236 precision but trying to avoid buying anything from China.

Sounds like it might be a little late but ask on the Precision Matthews section about the 1236 you are looking at.

I don't know what kind of parts you are wanting to make, but you know the story bigger is always better.

Tim
 
Junkman,
It looks like you are getting lots of good advice. We are all pretty good at helping others spend their money!
There are so many threads that involve new machinists that are looking for advise on which machine tool to buy.
These threads repeatedly get lots of traffic.
I always read through the posts. The discussions always seem to include, buy the biggest machine you can afford and buy Taiwanese if you can.
The demand for machines right now must be high or production/shipping must be an issue.
So many products are on back order or out of stock.
 
Only you can decide the money you are willing to spend, but regardless, I would find the largest Taiwanese machine in the price range I was willing accept. If I couldn't get as big as I wanted now, I would save and wait. Maybe the delayed availability is a good thing.
 
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Is there any value in the claim that a machine is made in a 9002 certified factory?
 
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