Need help deciding on a new lathe

[wachuko]

What he ^^ said…

I came to this forum asking similar questions when I had nothing… I did not listen to the recommendations…because I did not understand them and because I thought I was never going to need anything bigger (this was for my first milling machine, a lathe was not even in my plans then)

First, go for the largest lathe you can afford for the space you have… and if you can make some more space available to be able to get an even larger lathe, do it…

Quick change gear setup is awesome and DRO is what civilized people should have . Well DRO in a milling machine is a must… I still do not have those in my lathes…but plan to add them.

And do not discount buying use. I was on the boat that it had to be new…even order one…but I was wrong… If you armed yourself with the knowledge from the folks here, you can buy used if you know what to inspect…

 

[wachuko]

I just realized that I made the same mistake folks here made with me (or I thought they did, I just did not know better at the time), when I came looking for a recommendation... and that was to actually recommend something! Not just to say to go bigger... sorry...

If I was in your shoes, and you had the money for it... I would suggest that the smaller lathe to go for is a PM1030V-w/QCTP... DRO can wait on a lathe.... but not on a mill, on a mill, imho, DRO is a must.

If budget permits, my second suggestion is the PM-1130V Lathe, because it gets you Quick Change Gear Box... now, changing gear really gets old quickly... This does away with that and it also gives you D1-4 Camlock Spindle Mount and larger spindle bore (1-1/2″ )

Why PM over Grizzly? You get a little bit more from PM and even if they look the same, PM makes a few changes that improves their lathe over what Grizzly offers.

 

[Winegrower]

How quickly do you need something? If not immediately, look for something used. It may take a while, but the value proposition is usually better.

I have looked at the HF lathe in the stores…wow, I could never be happy with one of these. For example, H&W has a well equipped Southbend for $1500. Please look around a bit before you compromise on these inferior tools.

 

[matthewsx]

Male space for a bigger machine if at all possible. I have a 12x36 and think it's about right for hobby work.

John

 

[wachuko]

Male space for a bigger machine if at all possible. I have a 12x36 and think it's about right for hobby work.

John

I agree… it was what I was getting until I ran across the G0709 locally for less than what the PM was…

 

[slow-poke]

I had a 7” mini lathe years ago, better than nothing but really limited. I then upgraded to an Emco 8, much better but still pretty light duty. More recently I upgraded to a 10x22 CX706, and added electronic lead-screw and a few other upgrades. This one is a keeper and should do for my hobby use. It weighs 350lb and is much more rigid. Having power feed on the cross slide is something I would really like and would pass on any lathe without now that I have it.

 

[stupoty]

One thing that is nice on a smaller lathe is a seperate power feed (slotted threading screw or second power drive bar) as they get bigger you do bigger things and knacker out the half nuts which is very dull



Stu

 

[Aaron_W]

So you have one of the cheapest 7x14 lathes. Lots of people have Chinese 7" lathes and are satisfied with them, but often these are people who either bought one of the higher end 7x16 from Little Machine Shop or Micro Mark at 2-3x the price of the cheap ones, or they put a lot of work into one of the cheaper ones to fix the issues. Those satisfied with the 7" lathes also have been realistic about the capability and not trying to make parts too big for a lathe that size. A big mistake many make is buying a lathe based on budget first, current space available second and considering the proper size lathe for the work last.

Quality also matters, although quite a bit smaller Sherline and Taig lathes can often take bigger bites than a Chinese 7".

The 7x family of lathes are pretty much bottom of the budget, so they cut every corner possible. As you go larger they cost more meaning they have a little more money to put into features and quality. 7x14 weighs about 100lbs, 8x16 around 160lbs 9x20, right about 250lbs. The extra weight makes it less portable, but even at 250lbs still manageable with two people without special equipment. The added weight also adds a lot more rigidity.

Once you get into the 10x22-30s easier to move (compared to a full size lathe) is a more accurate phrase than portable. With most weighing 300-400+ you will appreciate having an engine hoist or similar available.

Size wise the 8x16 and 9x20s are not a great deal larger than the 7x14s, the 9x20 is 37" long vs 30" for a 7x14. Most 10x22s are 44" and 10x30 52" so significantly larger, although still quite a bit smaller than a 12x28 or 12x36.

As far as new lathes go, you pretty much have to go with a 12" lathe to get a true quick change gear box. Vintage lathes on the other hand quick change gear boxes are fairly common on 9" and larger lathes. Vintage lathes are significantly heavier, an Atlas / Craftsman 6x18 weighs around 150lbs so similar in weight to a Chinese 8x16". A South Bend 9x16" weighs about 250lbs, the long bed 9x34" about 400lbs.

Newer lathes (1980s onward) tend to have a larger spindle bore, the Chinese 7" lathes have a larger spindle bore than most of the vintage 10" lathes. Variable speed is also fairly common on new lathes, while older lathes in this size class mostly use belts to change speeds.

Personally I think the 9x20s are a decent option vs the 7" lathes as long as mobility after set up is not a major need. Even better would be one of the shorter South Bend 9A lathes with quick change gear box, but that requires patience and the experience / confidence to evaluate a used machine.

 

[Mach_Zero]

Thank you all for you awesome replies. They're really helping me avoid doing something stupid (like buying a cheap crappy lathe). I think a larger lathe would be much better. I'm going to look into a 10" size.

How quickly do you need something? If not immediately, look for something used. It may take a while, but the value proposition is usually better. I had to drive to Indiana to get my used 9x20 G0602/G0752Z, but it was worth the trip. The road trip was part of the adventure. I have a very cramped space in my basement shop, but I made it work. My G0752Z is a healthy step up from my mini-lathe, but it isn't a big Monarch. But I get by within its envelope.

To be honest I'm pretty intimidated going into the used market. I could get a better deal, but then there's a lot of pressure to inspect it and really make sure there's no hidden problems. Also, I have no idea how to search for a used lathe. Any particular websites that would help?

I just realized that I made the same mistake folks here made with me (or I thought they did, I just did not know better at the time), when I came looking for a recommendation... and that was to actually recommend something! Not just to say to go bigger... sorry...

If I was in your shoes, and you had the money for it... I would suggest that the smaller lathe to go for is a PM1030V-w/QCTP... DRO can wait on a lathe.... but not on a mill, on a mill, imho, DRO is a must.

If budget permits, my second suggestion is the PM-1130V Lathe, because it gets you Quick Change Gear Box... now, changing gear really gets old quickly... This does away with that and it also gives you D1-4 Camlock Spindle Mount and larger spindle bore (1-1/2″ )

Why PM over Grizzly? You get a little bit more from PM and even if they look the same, PM makes a few changes that improves their lathe over what Grizzly offers.

You know what, I'm starting to come around to the idea of getting something like the Precision Matthews. It looked really pricey at first, but the more you look at it, it's pretty good value. Power cross feed and included quick change tool post (honestly should be standard on any modern lathes). I'm seriously considering this option, but I may have to wait a while and save up to justify it. Better than buying an 8x or 9x now and then buying the 10x in a couple years, though.

So you have one of the cheapest 7x14 lathes. Lots of people have Chinese 7" lathes and are satisfied with them, but often these are people who either bought one of the higher end 7x16 from Little Machine Shop or Micro Mark at 2-3x the price of the cheap ones, or they put a lot of work into one of the cheaper ones to fix the issues. Those satisfied with the 7" lathes also have been realistic about the capability and not trying to make parts too big for a lathe that size. A big mistake many make is buying a lathe based on budget first, current space available second and considering the proper size lathe for the work last.

Quality also matters, although quite a bit smaller Sherline and Taig lathes can often take bigger bites than a Chinese 7".

The 7x family of lathes are pretty much bottom of the budget, so they cut every corner possible. As you go larger they cost more meaning they have a little more money to put into features and quality. 7x14 weighs about 100lbs, 8x16 around 160lbs 9x20, right about 250lbs. The extra weight makes it less portable, but even at 250lbs still manageable with two people without special equipment. The added weight also adds a lot more rigidity.

Once you get into the 10x22-30s easier to move (compared to a full size lathe) is a more accurate phrase than portable. With most weighing 300-400+ you will appreciate having an engine hoist or similar available.

Size wise the 8x16 and 9x20s are not a great deal larger than the 7x14s, the 9x20 is 37" long vs 30" for a 7x14. Most 10x22s are 44" and 10x30 52" so significantly larger, although still quite a bit smaller than a 12x28 or 12x36.

As far as new lathes go, you pretty much have to go with a 12" lathe to get a true quick change gear box. Vintage lathes on the other hand quick change gear boxes are fairly common on 9" and larger lathes. Vintage lathes are significantly heavier, an Atlas / Craftsman 6x18 weighs around 150lbs so similar in weight to a Chinese 8x16". A South Bend 9x16" weighs about 250lbs, the long bed 9x34" about 400lbs.

Newer lathes (1980s onward) tend to have a larger spindle bore, the Chinese 7" lathes have a larger spindle bore than most of the vintage 10" lathes. Variable speed is also fairly common on new lathes, while older lathes in this size class mostly use belts to change speeds.

Personally I think the 9x20s are a decent option vs the 7" lathes as long as mobility after set up is not a major need. Even better would be one of the shorter South Bend 9A lathes with quick change gear box, but that requires patience and the experience / confidence to evaluate a used machine.

Thanks for you post. It really summed everything perfectly. I think I'd probably be happy with the 9x. But as everyone has said, I really should go for a larger lathe. I have plenty of machining experience and I've loved machining since I was 15 and started machine shop in high school. I think a 10x would be about the largest I could fit into my space (and largest my budget will allow lol), so I'm going to strive for that.

 

[BGHansen]

I didn't see too much on Craig's List in your area (www.searchtempest.com). Here are a few options in FL on Facebook Marketplace. You have to log into Facebook to access the ads; links won't post. I did a search for "Metal Lathe" to get these hits. I excluded a number of 14x40 sized lathes and ones without quick change gear boxes.

Bruce