DECIDED ON A 7X14

riversidedan

H-M Supporter - Silver Member
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
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No doubt thiers a jillion mini lathes out thier good and bad and cant rack my brain anymore:concerned: so decided a 7x14 would fit my needs.
I wont talk price cuzz at this point doesnt matter but something under 1K would prolly work for my applications.

Everyone sez bigger is better but not in my case, so need to stick to something in the bench top category. main concern now is power, bigger tool selection and other minor things I wont list...... My GO 4x6 micro has been great for learning and doing smaller projects but have diffrent things in mind now. and will be doing mostly aluminum projects..
So looking for suggestions re asian or U.S. 7x14 lathes.
 
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I'm assuming you have researched this one?
 
Get the Grizzly, they have decent service and parts
-Mark
 
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So looking for suggestions re asian or U.S. 7x14 lathes.
I think you are stuck with chinese. I am unaware of any U.S. 7x14 mini lathes. Heck, I don't even think there is a Taiwan 7x14 available. Good luck.
 
Is there a big price difference between 7x14 and 7x16? if there's a small difference, I would get the 7x16, it is still the same lathe but with a 2" longer bed which may sound insignificant but you'll appreciate it when dealing with longer workpieces.
Also consider the extended cross slide kit for your lathe.
 
I bought a 7x12 back when that was the longest available version in its class. There have been some cases where I wished I had a few inches more, although ingenuity got me through most (but not all) of those. Right now there is a $120 difference between the Grizzly 7x12 and 7x14, and I think the difference would be worth it. Griz doesn't seem to stock the 7x16 but Micromark and LMS have 7x16's. They all have good to very good customer support. I'm not affiliated with any of these vendors so have no hidden agenda :).

I'd stay away from ebay vendors and the like. Getting problems corrected can be difficult, plus it's more likely you will get one that needs significant tweaking to function well. Just going for the lowest priced lathe could mean you spend less time up front doing machining while you fix the machine itself. This isn't a truism but I've read horror stories that would make me think twice (or thrice) about buying the cheapest-possible 7X lathe.

On the other hand, having to dive into the innards of your lathe will teach you a lot about it (whether you want to or not :).
 
Look at the features on the different 7x lathes, the 7x10, 7x12, 7x14 and 7x16 are similar but not identical and there may also be small differences by brand name. Some have 2 speed ranges, others just one but with a motor that has a wider speed range. Some have a cam locking tail stock instead of needing to use a wrench. These are just two differences I am aware of. Some vendors spec more powerful motors on their version. Look at the tooling included as well, this often accounts for a good portion of cost differences between two "equal" machines. Some also include upgraded parts, like metal gears or an imperial lead screw.

The 7x10 is in reality 7x8, but the rest are pretty close to the stated size.

Quality control seems to be the major drawback on these so a good vendor who will be there if you have issues is worth paying a bit more for. Grizzly and Little Machine Shop both have good reputations. Harbor Frieght has the 7x10 and 7x12, not great quality control, but they are good about exchanges of defective items. Ebay will get you the best price but you are often on your own if there are issues.
 
thanx for the input guys again alot to study and think about, altho have a pretty good picture of whats going on.
 
If you can afford it I would look at the 8 x16. The extra size is very worthwhile. Good luck with your purchase. I have
used a 7 x 14 for a number of years and recently got hold of a 8 x 16. The size difference is fantastic. Your choice.

Barry
Australia.
 
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