Hello, My Take On The G0749

deanbw

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Hello all,
I was in the machine trade for many years ending with owning a shop building food processing equipment for Stein, Con-Agra, that crowd. I left the trade when it became work instead of fun to own a shop, I never intended to go into business, it just evolved.
Ok, enough rambling, I have had many machines - ran many machines, I found my self needing a 16 to 20 inch lathe with the capacity to turn 3 1/8 (well,80 mm) acme screws anywhere from 5 to 8 ft in length. I don't have room in my shop at home for a machine that long so I looked for one with a large spindle bore. I found the G0749, it was 10hp, 3 1/8 spindle bore.....perfect since the screws are really closer to 79mm. I have never seen a review of them so here is my take.
It is a fairly beefy 16 x 40 machine, I can easily run the 8 foot parts by using the steady rest and just picking up the thread to continue, (these are used in an automated floor system in one of our theatres). I did have to get a 20hp american rotary phase converter to start the thing Grizzly says 3 times the hp rating but a good one with double the hp and heavy capacitors works great.
It run very strong, not whisper quiet but not too loud, takes a very nice cut with no chatter or strain. It is a heavy duty lathe, not an engine lathe so the dial on the cross slide is .004 o/d per increment, not a big deal because if I am doing anything close I use a mag back dial indicator anyway, so turning close is easy enough to do. It also has no slot in the compound for the tool post, so if you change to a quick change post you would have to cut your own "t" slot or just not be able to slide post on compound......eh.
It threads very nice holding the pitch quite true over long parts. I will say I don't like the nomenclature on the head stock, it is easy enough to read and understand, I just don't like that it is printed on, that means it will wipe off if hit with a solvent or even repeated cleaning. For that reason I ordered a full set of all dial labeling , head stock and carriage signage (plates) so I have spares. I don't have a good picture of the machine, this is the machine side of my little shop at home, I try to keep most of the fab/machine tools separated for obvious reasons, but if you look on the right, that is the G0749. In ending my long diatribe I will say, while not a 30,000 dollar Clausing , it is a quite capable and good running machine for the money.
shop.jpg
 
Your "little shop at home" eh? ;)

I've read the manual for that little bruiser. Came away fairly impressed. Even more so after your review. If I ever need any axles or PTO shafts turned I know who to talk to.

Welcome to the site, and oh yea...nice lathe! :D
 
Thank you wrmiller, yes my shop is not equipped as I would like, but for the most part it works out ok, and yes, I am probably a little spoiled after 40 years doing this and you start to think everyone has a machine shop at home.
If you ever need a shaft made, come on over, it's just a couple hour drive.....:chunky:
 
Hi,
Having had it for a while, would you buy it again? I'm seriously considering this one.
 
And they seem to be discontinuing it....
 
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