How much lathe......

That's the ones I have been seeing as well.
Did a search at 300 miles. My friend seems to think they are ALL overpriced Now the first one I posted he said it is a $300-$400 piece.
I think what one may find in that price range here in the Midwest will only be junk or toys.
He is knowlegable about machine tools and is rather a perfectionist IMHO
I think he is rubbing me cause he bought a very nice SB on the cheap after a 5 year search.
I plan on making some parts for my Cub cadets such as axle pins, cat 0 hitches
drawbars and spindle re[pairs if I can get good enough.
Thanks again folks!
 
finsruskw said:
This one popped up recently.
A friend told me not walk but to run away from it!!

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A lot of the lathes from the WWII era were sold surplus after the war as wartime production wound down. I have seen many from 1940-47 that were used very little before being sold off to farmers who didn't use them a whole lot in the big scheme of things. They've sat in shops and traded hands a few times or been passed down in the family. Some of them are practically brand new under the accumulated grime of 70 years. I'd not dismiss one that looks like this as junk until I had a close look at it.
 
Personally I would look for a machine a little newer than the first one you posted, but that doesn't mean older iron isn't desirable. I have a lathe of considerable earlier vintage and it works fine. Mine is a change gear machine, so threading takes a bit longer. Having said that I don't change thread pitches on an hourly basis, so I can live with the extra 2 minutes it takes to change gears.

As for cost it all depends on the size of the machine, the condition it's in, and the accessories that go with it. Over the years I have sourced several machines (not necessarily lathes) from your area. Among them are a Jet 125VS3 drill press and a Greenerd #3 arbor press. You're in the heart of the "rust belt" so there should be plenty of equipment coming up for sale as shops modernize, and change machinery to keep up with the trend of going CNC.
Over the years I have equipped my shop with nearly 2 dozen machines. All came from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. All were in good shape when purchased, and only 1 was above the $2,000.00 range. One of my later acquisitions was a Sheldon MW-56-P lathe from the Chicago area. The headstock had been totally rebuilt along with grinding and scraping the bed and cross slide. It isn't cosmetically the most beautiful machine on the planet, but mechanically it's like new. It came with a 4 jaw chuck, 2- 3 jaw chucks, a collet chuck, a quick change tool post, a couple drill chucks, a few dead and live centers, and assorted other accessories. This was and still is the most expensive machine in the shop, but as I mentioned earlier still in the low $2,000.00 range.

If your friend is in the machine shop business he may see the older manual machines as dinosaurs. In the commercial world they aren't nearly as desireable as they were 30 years ago. However if they are still in good shape, they can serve a hobbyist for many years.
 
Great that you have someone knowledgeable to watch your back. The first lathe I bought was an Atlas 12 x 36 for $700. It was in decent shape and needed some work. I didn't realize at the time it was missing some of the covers which I bought from Clausing for hundreds more (before eBay existed). Knowing what I do now, I'd have passed.

Just be patient and something will come your way. There are lots of older big iron up my way (Michigan): LeBlond's, Monarch's, etc. Naturally, lots easier and convenient to pick up something local to you.

Bruce
 
Patience will be your other best friend.

But, if you can get you buddy to come along while you check things out you'll get a better feel of what to look for and he'll get a better understanding of what you need. If you have the space there are fantastic deals to be had on the bigger machines and remember, everything costs less when you are standing there with hundred dollar bills in hand....

John
 
Unlike everyone else, I suggest buying new like something from PM if you are new to the hobby
 
So, this is an ongoing discussion, new vs. used.

If you are fairly mechanically minded, and you have a friend who can help you choose something, and you are willing to do some work on it an older machine could be a great deal.

If you are fairly mechanically minded, and you have a friend who can help you choose something, and you are willing to do some work on it a brand new machine could be a great deal.

Neither course of action will guarantee a trouble free experience but if you don't want to figure out new challenges then probably machining isn't the right hobby for you. What I can assure you of though is this forum has a wealth of great information all the way from people who are undertaking major overhauls of machines including scraping ways to folks who take a brand new machine and modify it with CNC or other controls.

The older machines can be a true joy to operate if you get the right one. You're probably a little too low in your price range to get a stellar example but you might get a serviceable 12x36 or 14x40 for what you're willing to spend if you're patient. Like I said before it's surprising what a deal you can get on a bigger machine if you have the space and are willing to move it yourself.

$2500 will only get you into the smallest PM machine, China built not Taiwan which does make a difference. Warranty and factory support are definitely nice to have but most on here who have had problems had to dig into the machines themselves to find a resolution. Often the quickest and most accurate advice is right here on the forum.

Chances are if you are already into restoring Cub Cadets you are more than capable of fixing up an older lathe and will probably enjoy it as well. I used to run an outdoor power equipment shop so I know how nice their older tractors are and I doubt you will be happy with China build quality. Look for something that's complete and has good ways and I'm sure you'll be alright.

John
 
I was fortunate to find a Takisawa TSL-800 lathe locally for $1500 (though without change gears or steady rest.) All depends where you live, how patient you are, what you want, and the budget.
 
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