Looking at another lathe

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RobJ

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Found a lathe listed for sale. Here is the listing.
Standard Modern Series 2000 metal lathe, 11 inch swing, 20 inches between centers. Build in 1968, originally owned by the United States Marine Corps and a retired USMC machinist before me. Everything works well, head stock bearings and ways are in good shape. Feature, a quick change gear box, threading dial, forward/reverse ect. Weights about 900 lbs without the stand and 1200 lbs wit the stand. Included with the lathe: quick change tool post, Pratt 4 jaw independent chuck, three tailstock chucks, versa mill (no motor), ID/OD universal grinder (no motor), DROs, a fair amount of tooling, some spare parts, and lubricants. I can help load to you truck or trailer.
He wants $2000 for it. If I haggle him down to $1750 is it a decent price?
 
Is it a decent price? How good are the ways and dovetails? Machine a test bar, Unwind the compound and wiggle the dial end. Indicate all play to evaluate the machine. Then compare to an equivalent Import machine. Would it be a better option to pay more for say the Grizzly G4002? If the quality of that Grizzly machine is anything like my MTW 1440 lathe then you got a steal. I had to teach my self scraping to make the machine usable.
 
I won’t buy an import machine unless it’s a giveaway. I’m going on what the seller says in the add. I’m not lathe wise that’s why I’m asking. I would check the ways fore and aft with a micrometer.
 
Thanks for the input Martin. I’ll give him an offer of $1750 and see where it goes.
 
Standard Modern lathes are better than most, made in Canada to high standards of quality and accuracy, but there are three things to consider, condition, condition, and condition. Sounds good, extras add up!
 
That’s what I thought with the extra goodies it might be worth it.
 
Sounds like a decent price for that size lathe, especially with the tooling included. Length between centers is a bit short ... but then, I've not done any lathe work myself that would require any more. You might want to look at the spindle bore, just to make sure you can put any anticipated diameters of work in there.
 
I thought it was a little short myself. I think I’ll wait for a longer one.
 
Standard Modern makes a really nice lathe, still in business today. In high school all the lathes were Standard Modern.
Smaller lathe means more room for a mill and surface grinder and bandsaw and...… Depends what you plan on doing. Most of your turning will be done close to the chuck. Swing over the centre is important but 90% of the turning I do on my lathe has no more than 16-18" stick out and I have 84" between centre.
Cheers
Martin
 
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