Need buying advice for Enco lathes

Aaron_W said:
If that lathe is really 12x58 then your photo shop looks short, a lathe that size would be about 7 feet long. Looking at it again though I'm doubting the 58" between centers, maybe it is measured like Southbend giving bed length rather than between centers?

I don't really follow lathes this size that closely, but if you could get it for $1500-2000 I'd think you did pretty well. Considering that is seems to fit your space where many other 12" lathes don't that alone might be worth accepting the sellers price assuming it is in decent shape.

It does seem to me that locally machines have been drying up on CL the past several months. Not sure if is seasonal, Covid related or something else.
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The seller said the whole machine is 63" long. I think it's a 12x36.

I suspect the dearth of machines has to do with COVID and it being winter and close to the holidays. I bet here will be lots of machines available after the new year.
 
ARC-170 said:
The seller said the whole machine is 63" long. I think it's a 12x36.

I suspect the dearth of machines has to do with COVID and it being winter and close to the holidays. I bet here will be lots of machines available after the new year.
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Yeah, 63" would make sense for a 12x36, my 11x24 is 55" long including the base.

That is what I've been thinking too. CL was still pretty active this summer, but except for some really overpriced stuff has really dropped off recently. makes for some very boring window shopping, but at least it keeps the impulse buys down. I have enough projects to keep me busy for awhile as it is.:)
 
I found a lathe like mine with a QCGB. It came up when I was searching for a lathe. I bought it because it has a QCGB and a ton of other tooling. I will try putting the QCGB on my lathe and selling the other one and all the tooling it came with, keeping a few goodies for myself. I think I will be able to make all my money back and get the QCGB for "free". It will keep Her Majesty happy as well. Wouldn't want to **** off the Queen! Ha! I jest, she's awesome, but gives me the stink eye when I buy tools.

The Enco is nice, but I think it's just too big. Sellers are getting over $2,000 for these machines (as of Dec, 2020) and that's just too much. This one is also a bit too far of a drive. I appreciate all the help and input and will reference it again if my QCGB switch doesn't work as planned. I also hope this thread provides advice for anyone else looking for an Enco.
 
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