PM-1127VF-LB

Lowlyslows

Registered
Registered
Joined
Dec 30, 2018
Messages
18
Hey all,

I am in the market for a lathe and figured I would start my, new to me, machining hobby with the Precision Matthews 1127VF-LB lathe. I wanted to ping those that own the lathe and see what your opinions are both good and bad on the lathe. Also, how is cutting/machining large diameter material? I am hearing that the design and motor may cause a low torque issue at the lower spindle speeds.

Thanks!

-Paul
 
VFD driven motors can do that. I haven't noticed any trouble, but I haven't gone above 3" steel. That was some hard stuff, needed carbide to cut it. But carbide also meant I could run faster. I usually run near the highest speed in the low range, 200-350 RPM or so. Some operations need slower speed, but I haven't noticed a lack of power causing a problem.

How much diameter are you looking to turn? And what material?
 
I have that lathe. Largest dia. turned so far is 6.00 steel hot rolled plate...no problems. Things I'd wish were different... get rid of the change gears as the set up PM uses is poor and some what problematic; Chuck mounting... I change chucks often, wish I had bought "D" mounting type. Nice lathe for the space that I had available.
 
VFD driven motors can do that. I haven't noticed any trouble, but I haven't gone above 3" steel. That was some hard stuff, needed carbide to cut it. But carbide also meant I could run faster. I usually run near the highest speed in the low range, 200-350 RPM or so. Some operations need slower speed, but I haven't noticed a lack of power causing a problem.

How much diameter are you looking to turn? And what material?

Well I would like the machine to be able to turn the max diameter that can be put in the chuck. I will be working with steel and aluminum.

It has been suggested that I go with the Grizzly 0602 model because it maintains torque at lower RPM.
 
I have that lathe. Largest dia. turned so far is 6.00 steel hot rolled plate...no problems. Things I'd wish were different... get rid of the change gears as the set up PM uses is poor and some what problematic; Chuck mounting... I change chucks often, wish I had bought "D" mounting type. Nice lathe for the space that I had available.

When you turned the 6" steel, what was the max you removed on a single pass? What did you use to cut it and what speed did you have it set to?

The new 1127 comes with D1-4 camlock spindle mount which I hear is nice.
 
Well I would like the machine to be able to turn the max diameter that can be put in the chuck. I will be working with steel and aluminum.

It has been suggested that I go with the Grizzly 0602 model because it maintains torque at lower RPM.

Well, the stock chucks are 6", and the other poster mentioned running that. Depth of cut matters, but what you're getting at is speeds and feeds. Larger diameter needs lower speeds to maintain the proper rates. That's somewhat tricky on a lathe, for facing anyway, as the correct speed varies based on the diameter of the work at the tool's location.

The fully variable speed models are nice here as you can adjust on the fly while the power feed handles the cut. It also depends on the material. Aluminum is fine, you can run that at such high SFM that you don't need to really worry. 12L14 steel would be fine. 4140 would need carbide, but you can get it done. For a low carbon steel like 1018, at 6" diameter, HSS would want to run about 70RPM. That's low enough you might see some torque loss. Switch to inserted carbide and you can move up to about 350RPM, which would eliminate that concern.

The grizzly you mentioned uses step pulleys for speed adjustment. That's where the mention of not losing torque comes from. Speeds are less flexible, but you don't get VFD loss. In practice it isn't as big an issue as some people think. Particularly with modern motors. And if you use the right tools for the job.

While testing some changes, I took 0.250 off the diameter of a 12L14 rod that was about 0.280 at the time. HSS tool, 350RPM, using power feed. No chatter. That was partly due to swapping the compound out for a solid block, but it gives you an idea. That really hard steel I mentioned, I can get about 0.100 depth of cut with good finish. That requires nicer inserts though.
 
The G0602 is also a change gear lathe like the 1127. Some view this as a major negative but change gear lathes can cut more threads than most quick change lathes. Other than having to change gears to thread, it isn't that big a deal. This is especially true with a VFD motor.

The G0602 is not able to reverse the feed so it cannot cut left hand threads without modding it with a reverse tumbler; this is a big enough deal that guys mod the lathe to allow a reverse feed. It also only has a 1" spindle bore and has an inch less capacity over the bed vs the 1127. It also lacks a separate saddle feed drive and has a threaded spindle chuck mount.

Then again, the G0602 is half the cost of the 1127 and it is a lot of lathe for $1500.00. I am NOT knocking this lathe but feature for feature, the 1127 is a better buy. The PM1236 is even better.
 
I do not have any insight to add other than the PM1228 is a player too. I'm just getting mine up and running, so no reviews to add. I didn't have room for the 1236
 
The 1228 is nice but I’m starting down a slippery slope of “if I spend a few more dollars I get a better machine.” I went from a 0716 to the 1127. Gotta draw the line! Let me know what you think of your machine! What did it come with?
 
I drew the line at 1228. PM has accessories, but you may be able to do better with members here selling their tooling when they are down sizing. Also look for deals on the quality lines of tooling on Ebay. Post a link, and ask here for a confirmation if it's a deal or not. The team here has been awesome. I have already bought quality name tooling to replace the cheaper stuff, why buy twice.
 
Back
Top