Deciding Between Bison & TMX 6-jaw chuck

When I talked to the guy at Ajax tool he said the two chucks were generally fairly equal and interchangeable. The Bison backplate can be used with a TMX and vice versa. His take was that Bison quality was slightly more consistent than TMX but didn't recommend a clear winner. He was willing to discount the Bison backplate a little more so the pricing was close enough I went that route ( I had found a NOS Bison set Tru for a good deal so I only needed the backplate ).

I don't know if the centering lugs are the same on both. The Bison 6" has set screws that are not equally spaced. I don't know about the 12" or TMX but equally spaced screws are easier to adjust. Dave
 
I'll add that I've been absolutely pleased with my 8" Bison 6 jaw chuck. The sucker has some gravity, but the runout is fantastic. I managed to find a brand new Bison chuck for less than a TMX which is why I went that way.
 
I guess I must've just gotten lucky on the EvilBay. It looks like I bought my Bison chuck from Ajax Tool, and from what I recall it was like $200 cheaper than the TMX 6 jaws listed on KBC. Still not a cheap chuck (I paid $1500 for it), but it's been a joy to use. Had to machine my own backplate because there are no set-tru compatible backplates for 1¾"-8 threaded spindles, so I didn't have to buy an expensive D1 adapter (instead, I got to spend like 12 hours turning down a massively oversized piece of ductile iron).
 
I also spoke to Ajax Tool when I purchased my set-tru 5C from them, similar discussion to above, specific to the 5C chucks I feel the Bison is a bit better as to minor issues. That being the case, when you get into the higher end forged steel body chucks they tend to be comparable between Bison/TMX, many of the chucks dimensionally are the same and the back plates are interchangeable (and also with some of the Gator back plates which are copies of the Bison). One other chuck to through into the mix is PBA, the ones still made in the UK not the lower priced ones under the Atlas branding that are now made in China.
PBA 12" 6 Jaw SETRITE Lathe Chuck 1226300

Close up pictures of the Bison 12" 6-Jaw SET-TRU Scorll Forged Steel Lathe Chuck
www.ebay.com

Bison 12" 6-Jaw SET-TRU Scorll Forged Steel Lathe Chuck-.0004" TIR, w/Fine Adj. | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Bison 12" 6-Jaw SET-TRU Scorll Forged Steel Lathe Chuck-.0004" TIR, w/Fine Adj. at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

I own the 6.3" PBA, it is very nice, but in this range I do not feel their is a best chuck among those we are discussing, they are all very good. I own two Bison and the PBA, all are top notch. Another individual I know bought the TMX 12" off of eBay as NOS and it was beautiful. Personally I would not want to be spinning this size chuck above 1500 RPM, if you are doing large diameter work you should be well below this. Also the TMX chuck is listed as 1500 RPM maximum on the chuck.

I would probably be in the Bison or PBA camp, as opposed to TMX. I just find the fit an finish a little better, but performance wise no difference.
1641073593500.jpeg
 
@mksj

I was looking at PBA (4J) chucks awhile back, & one chuck I looked at was made in Spain! I have nothing against Spain, of course. I studied there & my wife’s family is from Spain, but I thought it was odd that an English company would outsource manufacturing to the mainland.

I’m sure the quality control is up to spec & all that. I would imagine that the labor is cheaper.

My 5C collets are made in India by Crawford (an English company). Apparently the labor costs in the UK have the manufacturers looking elsewhere for workers.

In any case, I would be proud to own a PBA chuck.

As for the finish of TMX chucks, when I got my brand new, factory direct 12” 4J, I was surprised as to how poor the finish was. I remember saying to myself, “I hope that I never deliver a product like that to a customer!” They are obviously made for function and not beauty.
 
These days many of the major brand machine names (as well as others) have out sourced production and/or offer a less expensive line, so one needs to be very careful in reviewing the details in any kind of purchase at this level. I still would recommend the Bison as a known quantity, I know multiple other people that have purchased chucks from them and they all worked great and fit/finish was very good. Granted chucks are made to work and last, not look pretty. Rohm is a brand that is uncommon in the US, but I do know of another person that bought their 6J set-tru style and thought very highly of it. He was able to get it with a back plate at less than 1/2 new NOS on eBay. The big issue with Rohm is that they are stupidly expensive, the back plates cost several times more than those from Bison/TMX, and nobody seems to carry their lathe chucks/back plate. So unless this eBay seller can hook you up with a back plate, I would pass. FYI, the Rohm is rated to 2300 RPM, scary....
Rohm 12.5" 6 jaw Self Centering adjustable lathe chuck 163774 ZSU HI-TRU
www.ebay.com

Rohm 12.5" 6 jaw Self Centering adjustable lathe chuck 163774 ZSU HI-TRU $6580 | eBay

Item Number 163774. Number of Jaw Pieces. Chuck Type. Nominal Chuck Size. Gear Hobs, Lathe Chucks. ModelRadially Adjustable. Adjustable (Yes/No). Bore Gage setting Rings ( 10mm - over 300mm 1/4" - 13").
www.ebay.com

Also you need to look at the jaw types and width, I use a 4J 8" combination and the jaws are 0.2" at the tip so I can hold a wide range of stock. A 6J scroll is a matter of preference, they are more limited to thin stock as opposed to a daily driver, they also seem to be a bit worse with swarf/cleaning. Very expensive chuck if you only would use it infrequently. A friend in Tucson with the same lathe as yours went with the Bison combination chuck. Otherwise the Bison Set-Tru 6J if you can get a good price with a back plate. Probably call Small Tools and Ajax and see what they recommend and pricing. All my Bison chucks were sent from the US distribution center for Bison.
 
If all else is equal between the TMX and Bison, I would go with the Bison.
Consistency is a big deal.
 
What are your reasons for the 6 jaw set tru vs a 4 jaw combination chuck in the 12" size? I found a deal on a 6 jaw Bison and use it a lot but also found an old Union combo chuck and it is very handy. My chucks are 6" so maybe not comparable. Dave
 
Beckerkumm said:
What are your reasons for the 6 jaw set tru vs a 4 jaw combination chuck in the 12" size? I found a deal on a 6 jaw Bison and use it a lot but also found an old Union combo chuck and it is very handy. My chucks are 6" so maybe not comparable. Dave
Click to expand...

While making (4-10”) pipe welding coupons out of Schedule 40 pipe, my 4J independent deforms the pipe, as does my 3J scroll.
 
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