looking at machines

I started with a small lathe (6" Atlas) as well, and I agree with coherent: if you plan on stepping up it's worth it to go a bit bigger. Even if you plan
on making small parts at some point you'll want more capability. My current lathe is 10", and like you I had to get it down the basement stairs.
I just broke it down into pieces and re-assembled in place. There are lots of good lathes to choose from in the 10-12" range that will give you
much more capability than the 7-9" machines. You will also appreciate the greater rigidity that comes with them, which not only makes
it easier to make good parts, but allows you to make them in less time.
 
Finding good used older lathes depends a lot on where you live. Around me in the northeast there's more and more and more everyday. If your looking for precision Ck out the Hardinage lathes lots of them , since cnc took over. Many of those can be used but most don't have qcgb to cut threads . There's a beautiful set up complete with full set of 5C collets and tooling for $1,500. . Like I said it's a turret lathe with cross slide and compound extra. Many different LATHES out there , pm has a great reputation for sales and service. When I started we still ran flat belt machines along side older type tape cnc machines , I was always put in charge of the biggest machines in the shops. Why I guess because I was a big man and strong as an ox , literally my downfall to much heavy work really ruined my spine I'm told.
 
I have a 9x20 G4000 (weighs about 270lbs), I find it to be a great size for my small home shop and goes well with my 750lbs mill/drill. I sometimes wish I'd gotten one size bigger like a 10x or a 12x but honestly it works just fine for what I do with it. The space is limited in my multipurpose 2 car garage (used for automotive work, woodworking, fabrication/welding and machine shop all in one) and also the price had a steep jump for the larger lathes when I was shopping. But as they say when it comes to machine tools generally bigger/heavier/rigid-er is better-er :p

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Assume you've ruled out the mini lathes, Taig, Sherline and the various 7x12-16" machines?

The LMS machine just seems like a lot of compromise to me, not all that big but, at 281lbs not really portable and at $1900 priced with larger lathes.



A Grizzly GO768 8x16 is nearly the same size, 170lbs (110lbs lighter) and only $1150, or $1425 with DRO. Two average people can usually move 170lbs without too much trouble, and one strong person could move it small distances.

Grizzly has 9x19 (294lbs), 10x22 (330lbs), and 11x26 (490lbs) lathes at or below that price (much less for the 9x19). Weight of course goes up with the larger lathes.

Precision Matthews 10x22 PM1022V is $100 more, and weighs 360lbs (at this point I don't think it is going down steps assembled). The PM lathes seem to be well thought of here.
 
Also, lots of South Bend 9’s around. Exponentially more than SB 10’s. I would look for a 9” over the 10” simply because there are so many more of them available. You can be choosey about condition because there are more available. Mine (SB 9) weighs in around 450-500 pounds, and is in near perfect condition. Still shows scraping on the ways. But it’s a 48” bed. Strip off the tailstock and accessories, chuck, etc. and you will have a manageable load. Weight and rigidity are your friends once it’s set up and making parts - particularly when making small parts. The smaller the work, the closer you will want to hold tolerances. Good luck on your search.
 
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