Need buying advice for Enco lathes

I think that is one of the generic 8x14 lathes. I've been seeing these pop up on CL used often for not much less that you can get them for new on eBay.

Here is one that looks similar for $675.

8x14 lathe

They say 8x14, not sure if that is a more realistic measurement or if it is actually shorter than the 8x16 you can find from Grizzly and others. It does look a little different than the 8x16 Grizzly sells at twice the price. In particular Grizzly's G0768 has a knob to change direction, and that space is blank on the ebay lathe.

$600 for a G0768 or WBL210 would seem a fair price, but not so much if you can get the same lathe new for $75 more.
 
I have that second lathe (the Enco 110-2034). Very capable machine and a great size for a serious hobbyist. I paid $1100 for mine and it came with one 6" 3 jaw chuck. $2200 is too steep IMO. depends on your area. I'm in Cleveland and we have a lot of machines available.

I needed to buy a toolpost, a 4 jaw chuck, and all the change gears to do metric and offsize inch threads. I do not have a steady or a follow rest, although I have not needed them.

Condition on mine was great except for dirt and a banged up stand.
 
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ARC-170 said:
Anyone ever heard of this brand: MINGX (I think). Here's a link to the lathe: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/201058001477102

The pictures appear to be of two different lathes. I looked up both the MX-210V and the WM180V and it appears to be an 8 x 16, similar to the G0768. It might be too small, but I've never needed to make anything bigger (famous last words!).
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I called this place up. They have no idea what it is or what it comes with, just that there is a box with some parts in it, along with the machine. The person I talked to said they have 2 machines, which might explain the different machines in the pictures. A new G0768 is $1350 and they are asking $600 for this one.
Is this a fair price if it comes with the change gears, 3- and 4-jaw chucks, steady rest, follow rest, etc?

Here's my question for you all: Is a 9x20 really a major step up, so I should wait, or is this 8x16 a good deal and a good machine for the home hobbyist?
 
I think that these lathes are a step down from your craftsman 12x18. The only thing your craftsman is missing is a qcgb. On these lathes you still have to deal with change gears. So you are getting a smaller lathe with the same thing that you don't like about your craftsman lathe.
 
mickri said:
I think that these lathes are a step down from your craftsman 12x18. The only thing your craftsman is missing is a qcgb. On these lathes you still have to deal with change gears. So you are getting a smaller lathe with the same thing that you don't like about your craftsman lathe.
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The thing I don't like about my current lathe is that it's really messy. I thought maybe the change gears on this small one would be less so, but you make a good point. The next size up Grizzly, and I'm assuming similar lathes as well, has a QCGB and a power cross feed. These smaller lathes don't have a power cross feed, which is not a huge deal, but it is nice. My Craftsman has a power cross feed that I've used a few times and I liked it.

I can wait. The more I look the more I learn.
 
I agree with @mickri on that lathe being a step down. It’s smaller which equals less rigid. It also has 3” less swing and that’s not a trade off I’d make.


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The sheer mass of the lathe to me would make the biggest difference because that is the limiting factor on the depth of cut you can take, the accuracy of your finish cuts, and your enjoyment. Compare the import 9" lathes with some of the rare high quality ones like an EMCO (not ENCO). The Emco is tremendously more heavy for the same travel size and this is for good reason.

If you are used to working on a heavy 12" swing lathe, I bet you'll be disappointed when a tiny lathe squawks at you for pushing it a little too hard.
 
I think you'd really be better off waiting for a generic 12x36 to turn up, or maybe a Heavy 10 or Sheldon equivalent. Anything less will just trade one problem (messy change gears) for another (lack of rigidity, lack of size etc). Send Ulma Doc a message, that guy has a sixth sense for machine tool deals :)
 
I agree with Chuck, unless your Craftsman has issues, worn out etc, I'm not seeing these as any better than what you have. I assume you are limited in length to something in the 3 foot range? That is a pretty significant limitation as most of the 10x24 lathes that you could find with a QCGB (Logan, Southbend, Atlas / Craftsman, Jet 1024) are going to be about 4 feet long.

macardoso said:
The sheer mass of the lathe to me would make the biggest difference because that is the limiting factor on the depth of cut you can take, the accuracy of your finish cuts, and your enjoyment. Compare the import 9" lathes with some of the rare high quality ones like an EMCO (not ENCO). The Emco is tremendously more heavy for the same travel size and this is for good reason.

If you are used to working on a heavy 12" swing lathe, I bet you'll be disappointed when a tiny lathe squawks at you for pushing it a little too hard.
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The 9" import lathes are a copy of the Emco Compact 8, and they weigh almost double what the Compact 8 did (128lbs vs 250lbs). The Compact 8 was probably built to a higher standard, but looking at features, these days I think the clones are probably a better option, than buying an original when you consider what people pay for Emco's and the lack of support for them. Even the 8x16 lathes outweigh the Compact 8, most weighing 160+ pounds. Kind of ironic as the design has become so popular, but the Compact 8 seems to be the dud of the Emco lathes.
 
Aaron_W said:
I agree with Chuck, unless your Craftsman has issues, worn out etc, I'm not seeing these as any better than what you have. I assume you are limited in length to something in the 3 foot range? That is a pretty significant limitation as most of the 10x24 lathes that you could find with a QCGB (Logan, Southbend, Atlas / Craftsman, Jet 1024) are going to be about 4 feet long.
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I'm limited on depth. The workbench this will be mounted on is 24" deep and I cannot make it any deeper or it will interfere with the wife parking the minivan. That's a huge deal, since I already have taken over most of the garage. The 12x36 I mentioned in the first post would be a good choice if it wasn't so huge; it's 30" deep.
 
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