Shopping for new lathe

[Rich20]

I am looking at the 1236 vs a 1228 or 1030. I am concerned about Chinese quality. I know the 1236 is Taiwanese but what about the others?
I could do most of what I want to do on a 1030 but I like the looks of the additional features of the 1236. Any thoughts from this that have either?
Thank you

 

[markba633csi]

I believe the 1236 comes in two versions, one from Taiwan. The 1236T is the better one
-Mark

 

[Aaron_W]

The PM-1236 is made in China, the PM-1236T is made in Taiwan, there is about $900 difference in price. The 1236T is about 150lbs lighter with a 1-1/2hp motor vs 2hp on the 1236, but the 1236T is supposed to be a better made and more accurate lathe.

Anytime you see T in the suffix on a PM machine it indicates a Taiwanese made machine.

Besides size, the advantage to the 1236 lathes is you get a full quick change gear box. The 1030 has a gear box to control the speed of power feed, but you need to use change gears for most threading. Not sure where the 1228 falls in that regard.

I think there are forum members with all of these lathes. You might want to change the post name to something with the lathe names in the title to catch their attention.

 

[BigWalt]

Well I purchased the 1127 vf had same issue deciding what size to buy as well, I can always upgrade in the future
Im told my either shipped friday or will monday. So I should have it in the next or so!!!!!

 

[Rich20]

The PM-1236 is made in China, the PM-1236T is made in Taiwan, there is about $900 difference in price. The 1236T is about 150lbs lighter with a 1-1/2hp motor vs 2hp on the 1236, but the 1236T is supposed to be a better made and more accurate lathe.

Anytime you see T in the suffix on a PM machine it indicates a Taiwanese made machine.

Besides size, the advantage to the 1236 lathes is you get a full quick change gear box. The 1030 has a gear box to control the speed of power feed, but you need to use change gears for most threading. Not sure where the 1228 falls in that regard.

I think there are forum members with all of these lathes. You might want to change the post name to something with the lathe names in the title to catch their attention.

Thank you this is very helpful to understand the numbering system. I guess my next question will be is how the Chinese model quality is.

 

[T Bredehoft]

The models sold by Precision Matthews and the bulk of the other Chinese machines are not in the same category. PM specifies strict quality standards, and their products adhere to these standards. Apparently the machines made in China for PM can not be depended upon to meet the quality of the Taiwanese (also Chinese) machines, so PM orders higher quality machines, at higher prices from Taiwan

 

[mikey]

I don't own a Chinese or Taiwanese lathe but I sort of have an opinion about buying lathes in general.

You haven't told us what you intend to do with the lathe so recommending which lathe to get is difficult. The lathe has to be able to handle what you want to do with it. If you have not defined this clearly for yourself then now is a good time to do that.

The size of the lathe is not just about how large a work piece it can handle. Most hobby class lathes below 12" do not have many important features that a good engine lathe needs. You need to be clear on what features are important to you and make sure the lathe you get has them because you cannot upgrade or mod the lathe later on. If you are not clear on which features matter, or why they matter, then ask here until you are clear. Most new lathe buyers do not ask, sad to say.

Beware of shopping purely by looking at spec sheets and comparing features and prices. Quality of construction does not show up on these spec sheets. Taiwan-made machines are typically made to a higher quality standard vs Chinese machines and while it costs more, the general consensus is that it is worth buying the better quality Taiwan machine.

So, once you define your needs and learn enough about lathes to know which features matter, find the lathe or lathes you want to consider and then define your budget. If the lathe you want is beyond your current budget then I suggest you wait until you CAN afford it rather than settling for a lesser machine.

Keep in mind that the basic machine is just part of the cost. It will cost you as much or more than the lathe costs to tool it up and buy the other tools you need to machine stuff. Whenever I see someone lay down a budget ceiling for a lathe I wonder if they are actually aware of the true costs besides the machine; most are not.

Finally, buy your lathe from a good supplier. PM has an excellent reputation for support after the sale that has been proven over the years to be a real thing and they are the outfit I would go to if I were shopping for a new lathe. If you call Matt, I bet he could tell you exactly what the differences are between the Chinese and Taiwanese models in the same swing class.

Purchasing a lathe is not a small decision. Do it with your eyes wide open and be as well informed as you possibly can.

 

[shooter123456]

The 1030 has a gear box to control the speed of power feed, but you need to use change gears for most threading.

Just a note, the gear box lets you select between 3 feed rates. If you want to feed faster to break a chip or slower to get a better surface, you need to use the change gears.

 

[wrmiller]

I don't own a Chinese or Taiwanese lathe but I sort of have an opinion about buying lathes in general.

You haven't told us what you intend to do with the lathe so recommending which lathe to get is difficult. The lathe has to be able to handle what you want to do with it. If you have not defined this clearly for yourself then now is a good time to do that.

The size of the lathe is not just about how large a work piece it can handle. Most hobby class lathes below 12" do not have many important features that a good engine lathe needs. You need to be clear on what features are important to you and make sure the lathe you get has them because you cannot upgrade or mod the lathe later on. If you are not clear on which features matter, or why they matter, then ask here until you are clear. Most new lathe buyers do not ask, sad to say.

Beware of shopping purely by looking at spec sheets and comparing features and prices. Quality of construction does not show up on these spec sheets. Taiwan-made machines are typically made to a higher quality standard vs Chinese machines and while it costs more, the general consensus is that it is worth buying the better quality Taiwan machine.

So, once you define your needs and learn enough about lathes to know which features matter, find the lathe or lathes you want to consider and then define your budget. If the lathe you want is beyond your current budget then I suggest you wait until you CAN afford it rather than settling for a lesser machine.

Keep in mind that the basic machine is just part of the cost. It will cost you as much or more than the lathe costs to tool it up and buy the other tools you need to machine stuff. Whenever I see someone lay down a budget ceiling for a lathe I wonder if they are actually aware of the true costs besides the machine; most are not.

Finally, buy your lathe from a good supplier. PM has an excellent reputation for support after the sale that has been proven over the years to be a real thing and they are the outfit I would go to if I were shopping for a new lathe. If you call Matt, I bet he could tell you exactly what the differences are between the Chinese and Taiwanese models in the same swing class.

Purchasing a lathe is not a small decision. Do it with your eyes wide open and be as well informed as you possibly can.

I agree with Mike, and will add my two cents.

I've had small lathes, and always ended up not liking them because they were missing features I wanted, and/or the quality wasn't there. So a few years back, I decided to get my 'last lathe'. I ended up buying a PM1340GT. Not because I need a lathe that big, because I don't. But it was the smallest lathe I could get that had the features I wanted. I wanted Taiwan build quality, a Norton gearbox, accuracy, and variable speed. I had to add a VFD to get the variable speed feature, and it was money well spent IMO. This lathe does everything I want, with the accuracy, quality, and features I was missing in my other lathes. If money were no object, I would have gotten a Hardinge HLV-H with digital threading (or a clone), but until I win the lottery the 1340GT will have to do.

 

[Rich20]

Thanks for the help. I will be using your insight to decide which features I really need or want. I want Taiwanese quality over Chinese. But aside from that I will be comparing the 1236 vs the 1236t to see what I need or don’t need. I was looking at the pep package on the Chinese lathe. Not sure I need everything that comes with that. We’ll see.
Thanks again.