Considering a Grizzly G0709 14 x 40 Gunsmith Lathe

Cast Iron Daddy

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Hello all,

I'm considering the purchase of a Grizzly G0709 Gunsmith Lathe . It's a 14 x 40 and is advertised online and in the published catalog .

Was wondering if any of you have any negative / positive input on this machime ?

They also list a similar 13 x 40 Floor lathe for more ( $ 4795 Vs 4495 ) which has a few less goodies and is smaller . I don't really know why .

To the moderator : If this is in the wrong place , I'm sorry . Please move it to wherever it belongs .

Thanks a million guys !



Doug
 
Given the recent Griz bashing here, you may get an earful. And maybe even some constructive comments as well. ;)
 
I came so close to pulling the trigger on that lathe a couple of months ago. There are a few videos on YOUTUBE of guys rating them and using them. You definitely get a lot of lathe for your money. The guys on Youtube that have them seem to love them. If I couldn't have found something used that suited my needs locally (cheaper too)I would have bought that lathe. Hopefully someone here will chime in that actually has one.
 
Doug,

About eight years ago I was looking for a lathe and actually had that very lathe on order. I went to see the lathe at their Pennsylvania showroom. Fit and finish was OK, not as good as Jet lathes I've used that were of comparable size. The most disturbing thing is the conglomeration of small things that were wrong. For instance, the dish on the handwheels for the carriage, compound and tailstock would rub my hand during use (and I have relatively small hands). The castings were well painted, but not finished one millimeter further than absolutely necessary. Another hour by the manufacturer with a die grinder and some redesigned handwheels and the lathe wouldn't be bad. THE most disturbing thing was the lack of smoothness of the carriage. It didn't catch because the finish on the ways was rough, it was just "tight feeling".

When I told the salesman about that, he told me the carriage hand to "wear in." Why a carriage would have to wear in is beyond me. New Jet lathes that I've used were silky smooth and they didnt' have to "wear in."

Anyway, my order for that lathe and a new mill (G0757) fell thru because someone forgot to order it after I paid for the machines. My money was eventually returned and I bought a used Bridgeport and a used Nardine 1760E lathe for about $2000 less than the two Grizzly machines cost new. I brought both machines home myself.

The Nardini is heavier, has a wider bed, wider ways and has handwheels that don't try to eat your knuckles during use. The silky smoothness is there, even better than the Jet lathes, more on a level of a nice Sheldon lathe. I don't have any complaint about that lathe, or my milling machine. But...that's me. The Nardini lathe was built for industry, to be used two or three shifts per day, five days per week, fifty or more weeks per year. You get what you pay for.

If I were you, before I put the money down on the Grizzly lathe or any Grizzly product, find a dealer that has a Jet unit in stock and try it for yourself. Unless Jet has changed in the past few years, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Jet doesn't seem to cut corners like Grizzly does, but how you spend your money is your business.

I'm not sure if this falls into the realm of Grizzly bashing, but it is what I found through my own experience. Just because it's new and shiny doesn't mean that it's comfortable to use or isn't a piece of junk.

PS I do have a Grizzly drill press that I am pleased with. It is their G7948. The fit and finish is actually pretty good. I had to have the motor fixed by a local shop after it wouldn't stop shutting off under no load and I had to replace the drill chuck with a Jacobs unit because the runout on the original chuck was excessive (.009+) It would have cost me more to send the motor back to Grizzly for repair under warranty than to bring it to a local shop for repair. It turned out the centrifugal switch was damaged during assembly at the factory. Again, you get what you pay for.
 
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Griz is OK, but you might take a look at the Precision Mathews machines from Matt. They are Taiwan imports and are a better over all fit and finish for the money. They have a comparable machine to the one you are looking at for a comparable price too. Given the option I would go with one of the three, Precision Mathews, Grizzly and Smithy. Bolton also offers a comparable machine in the same range too. Just a thought.

Bob
 
Fluted ,

I would love a Nardini . Just havn't found the right one just yet . 'Im in oil field country ( Houston) , so good ones are snapped up pretty fast .

Will your Nardini do Metric threads ........if not , what has be be changed or is it even possible .



Thanks Again


Doug
 
This is one of those "to each his own" kinda things. I can't comment on the G0709 specifically other than to repeat that the folks who have posted YouTube videos about them really seem to like them. I bought a G4003G. The first one was damaged in shipping and Grizzly sent me another one before I ever sent the first one back. I've had no issues whatsoever with it being "tight" in any shape, form or fashion. It's capable of way more than I am. I have a machinist buddy who is teaching me some of the ins and outs of running a lathe and he's been very impressed with it. I've since added a DRO and am now more impressed than ever. If I were you I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger. Or you can hold onto your cash and wait for that perfect piece of NOS iron to fall into your lap. May happen, may not.
 
Bob ,

Thanks for the info.

Bolton has a warehouse here in Houston . Im going over there Monday to take a look .

Boltons are China I believe...............if not , please advise . Not a deal breaker , just info . Im
more interested in fit / finish .

The PM s are nice .............you reffered to Matt . Is he the PM sales guy ? Can I call him ?


Thanks a million
 
Another nod for PM machines and Matt - hes the owner and has a reputation for being over and above for communication and service - plus some very nice machines. I recently helped a buddy set up a PM 932 mill and was very impressed.
 
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