Maximat 7 should I consider for a first lathe?

[Subway5752]

I am considering buying a used Maximat 7 for my first lathe. I had been thinking of buying a mini chinese lathe but thought it might be too small and cheap for small repairs to power equipment around the house. What does everyone think. Also had been looking at an Atlas 109. Please give me advice. Prices around here at $650.

 

[Richard King]

I am considering buying a used Maximat 7 for my first lathe. I had been thinking of buying a mini chinese lathe but thought it might be too small and cheap for small repairs to power equipment around the house. What does everyone think. Also had been looking at an Atlas 109. Please give me advice. Prices around here at $650.

If you can find a good Maximat 7 for $650.00 you better scoop it up. The Atlas is pretty small and if it doesn't have a quick feed change, then I would keep looking for one. The quick change makes it a lot simpler then changing gears. If you do find a deal on a non quick change lathe, then be sure they has a good supply of gears that go with the lathe. There are several of those Chinese lathes. Please read the Precision Mathews, Harbor Freight and Grizzly Forums as you will get lots of help making a decision. It might be better to buy a used bigger machine then a new small one.
Rich

 

[Ray C]

If you plan to only work on smaller things, a 7" lathe is OK... What kind of work do you have in mind? If there's a chance you'll ever want to work on bigger things, Rich is right... shop around for a bigger lathe. If you're really space constrained or, if you know for sure you're interested mainly in making small things then of course go with the smaller unit. Generally speaking, we recommend folks to get the biggest unit (provided its in good shape) you can.

If you get a machine that needs repair, folks here can guide you along but, it's easy to get in over your head if it needs any kind of resurfacing of the critical areas. There are many folks here can help you with that too but, it's more of a craft/art than you might be willing to commit to.


Ray

 

[Richard King]

If you plan to only work on smaller things, a 7" lathe is OK... What kind of work do you have in mind? If there's a chance you'll ever want to work on bigger things, Rich is right... shop around for a bigger lathe. If you're really space constrained or, if you know for sure you're interested mainly in making small things then of course go with the smaller unit. Generally speaking, we recommend folks to get the biggest unit (provided its in good shape) you can.

If you get a machine that needs repair, folks here can guide you along but, it's easy to get in over your head if it needs any kind of resurfacing of the critical areas. There are many folks here can help you with that too but, it's more of a craft/art than you might be willing to commit to.


Ray

Ray is our resident small machine tool expert. He is our main moderator in the Precision Mathews forum and can give you the best expert advice on those machines. Several of our moderators personally own the machines they moderate on. Give Ray some more info, so he can fit you with what you need. Rich

 

[samthedog]

I had a Maximat V10 and although a good little lathe, it lacked a hardened bed so was worn on the ways. Also, the headstock contains some fibre (tufnol) gears that allow for extremely quiet operation, although these can suffer damage if someone tries to change gears while the machine is still running. These can be expensive to replace.

As Ray said, if the capacity is fine, then snap one up. I had a V10 and I found it too light to use with confidence as a crash with that machine would have equated to a good sum of money and time to repair the damage. I would recommend getting a lathe that exceeds the capacity you require by 25%. This will provide you with a machine that you can hang on to for a long time as it will still be suitable for those occasional projects that you didn't expect to do where capacity will be tested on a small lathe.


Paul.