Looking to Purchase a Logan 200

[mgselin]

I do not have a lot of information about the actual lathe. I do know that it is a Logan 200. The seller states that it has all the change gears. He states it has no known issues. It comes with the cast iron legs. It has the original tool post and has not been upgraded to a quick change tool post. I'm assuming little if any tooling is included in with the sale. The seller states it ran perfectly when last used, but hasn't been used for a handful of years. He couldn't remember the last time he ran it. The only picture he has posted is one of several pictures of a sale he has. I believe he is a retired machinist as many of his other items for sale are precision measure devices, such as micrometers, calipers, dial indicators, ECT. Back to the lathe. His asking price is $1500.

From what I know, the Logan 200 is a very capable lathe, especially for a beginner hobbiest. So first, is there specific issues that come up with older Logan lathes that I could ask the seller? Second, if the lathe is in good or better than good shape, is it worth $1500?


Thank you for any info and help you have to offer.

 

[Nogoingback]

Greetings and welcome to the group!

The Logan 200 is a good lathe for a beginner, though I would say that since I own one.
You know that the 200 is a change gear lathe, so if you plan on doing much threading,
be aware that Logan also sold 10" lathes with quick change gear boxes that makes that
process easier. If that doesn't concern you, then the 200 should be fine.

One advantage of Logans compared with other older brands is that a fair number of spare
parts are available new from Logan at lathe.com. The business is owned by Scott Logan,
grandson of the founder. Folks complain about their prices, but the fact is they're available
which is more than you can say for a South Bend or a Sheldon. I did quite a bit of work on
mine when I first got it, and they had everything I needed except some castings which I got
off eBay.

Apart from the usual question of how much wear the lathe has and overall condition, one
item you need to check is the condition of the spindle bearings. The original New Departure
bearings are no longer available, though Logan does have a suitable replacement. They are
sole source bearings because they have an unusual design and the last time I checked they
were around $250.00 per set. Lots of folks have tried to find a cheaper alternative, but I'm
not aware of anyone succeeding. So, if you look at the lathe be sure to slip the belt off the
pulleys and rotate the spindle checking for roughness. They should be very smooth. If they
aren't that would definitely be a item for negotiation.

The price of the machine is going to vary depending on condition, what tooling comes with it,
and where you live, since prices differ in different geographic areas. In my area that would be
a reasonable price assuming the lathe's in decent shape. I suspect that where you are that
might be a tad high, though again it depends on what he's offering. It sounds as though that
machine is worth having a look at though. If you do, shoot lots of pics, make a list of all the
tooling he's offering and check over the machine as carefully as you can. Then let us know
how it went.

 

[markba633csi]

Good advice above from Nogoingback
Also, be sure to do the "light carriage lock- slide to tail" test to check the way and saddle wear
-Mark

 

[mgselin]

@Nogoingback and @markba633csi

Thank you for welcoming me, and thank you for the advice. I certainly will be checking the spindle bearings. Thanks for the advice on the quick how to. Ditto with the way and saddle wear check. I hope both have no issues. There is only one chuck and I believe it to be a 3 jaw chuck. I do not think there is a steady rest included. There is a live center and chuck for the tail stock. A small amount of tooling is included as well. It is hard to tell in the pictures, but it may be 31" between centers and not the 24". The price may be spot on, but I always fear paying too much for something. I am always happy to pay a price that is fair to both parties.

 

[mgselin]

Update-

I was able to purchase the Logan 200 lathe. I made the 3-hour road trip knowing that the asking price of $1500 was higher than I wanted to pay for the lathe, and it was probably higher than it is worth in great condition. When I arrived I took a good thorough look. The first thing I noticed was a fair amount of minor dings and blemishes in the ways. After that, I opened the belt cover and gave the spindle a spine. The bearings in the head stock were very smooth and quiet (that was a plus). Next I grabbed the tail stock and snugged up the nut a little and gave it a slide. As expected, there was increasing wear as I pushed the tail stock towards the head stock. I didn't take the time to determine the amount of play, but it wasn't what I would consider bad. I then counted all the change gears, and luckily they were all accounted for. Next I started looking around for any tooling and extras. There was about 5 lbs of ground HHS and blanks. Another 5 lbs of HHS tooling with brazed carbide inserts, along with a couple lbs of carbide still in packaging. I also found a 4 sided tool post and extra chucks. So I gathered everything up and placed it all in a pile and gave it a thought. I talked to the person in charge of the sale about their thoughts on the price. They weren't confident in what they were selling and how much it was worth. I was honest with him and said that I felt that even at $1000 it would have been too high of a price just for the lathe. My top offer would be $900 with all the extras that I put together. After some thinking and asking if I was willing to come back in the afternoon to see if they could get any other offers (which I said no) they agreed to my offer. I know I didn't get a lot of responses from my initial post, but I do appreciate the ones I did get. Thank you for your help.

 

[Nogoingback]

At $900.00 you probably did just fine assuming it runs. Don't hesitate to ask more questions, and let us know how the move
and installation goes. If you get a chance, we would like to see some pictures of the lathe.