Grizzly 8x16 lathe vs eBay 8x16

The little Chinese lathes catch a lot of grief from people with "real" machines but they are capable within their limits and can really help with the learning curve without getting too deeply committed. They are a popular starter lathe so there are always buyers for a used one if machining isn't your thing, or you eventually buy something better and don't want it taking up space. The 8x16 and smaller are particularly easy to get rid of because they require no equipment to move and will even fit into the back of a Smart car.

Going with Amazon was probably a good choice. These seem like decent little lathes as long as you don't get a reject and Amazon will probably be easier to deal with than ebay if you get a bad one.
 
I'm looking forward to reading about your experience with it. You are a braver man than I! But somehow I don't worry. Seems like you know what you're doing.
 
jwmay said:
I'm looking forward to reading about your experience with it. You are a braver man than I! But somehow I don't worry. Seems like you know what you're doing.
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Well I am not quite sure I know what I am doing, but this is how I learn so.....
 
So the lathe has shipped but rather than coming from here in So Cal as the Amazon seller lists as their address, it is coming from New Jersey. Too bad - it had to land here in CA, traverse across the country, and will now make a return trip. Fingers crossed that it makes it OK....
 
Aaron_W said:
The little Chinese lathes catch a lot of grief from people with "real" machines but they are capable within their limits
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I was watching a video over the weekend, this guy had a small mill and was showing off his new mill. He had a new end mill, he was taking a .015" full width cut in aluminum.
You could see the rpm slowed down as soon as he entered the work, the motor was struggling.
I turned off the video. I said to myself, what a piece of junk.
On the other hand. If you are into modeling and you are making small parts with proper sized tooling for the machine....
Changing from a 3 jaw to a 4 jaw in a small lathe is a snap. On a real machine, it's not that much fun.
They all have their pros and cons. IMHO
 
Janderso said:
I was watching a video over the weekend, this guy had a small mill and was showing off his new mill. He had a new end mill, he was taking a .015" full width cut in aluminum.
You could see the rpm slowed down as soon as he entered the work, the motor was struggling.
I turned off the video. I said to myself, what a piece of junk.
On the other hand. If you are into modeling and you are making small parts with proper sized tooling for the machine....
Changing from a 3 jaw to a 4 jaw in a small lathe is a snap. On a real machine, it's not that much fun.
They all have their pros and cons. IMHO
Click to expand...

Yep, all about using the right machine for the job and having realistic expectations. If somebody expects Bridgeport like capabilities from a 50lb mill, well they are going to be disappointed. I've also found small lathes to be far more capable than similar size mills.
 
The way I see it any way this adventure goes I will learn a lot that will help me at such point that I want to spend serious (to me anyway) money on a "real" machine tool.
 
Tomzo said:
The way I see it any way this adventure goes I will learn a lot that will help me at such point that I want to spend serious (to me anyway) money on a "real" machine tool.
Click to expand...

Still, the cost of that lathe is not pocket change either... at least for me it was not. I started to look for a 600.00 lathe and quickly started looking at one just like that, but it was approximately 1,200.00 at the time...

I could have been playing already if I had taken the jump... anywho... soon, soon, soon...
 
I am going to start another thread on the lathe as it, or at least most of it, arrived today.
 
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