Should I buy this lathe? (Been crashed)

Assuming you don't have 440v 3 phase, you understand that you'll have to buy a different motor, right?

Don't fall in love with it before coming to terms with all aspects of it.

Agree with others on the price. Given what's there and how he's evading full disclosure, I'd offer $2000, and not much more. Who knows what other surprises he hasn't disclosed.
 
*GADS* I was hoping it was going for cheap.
It's a nice machine but not $5K nice.
RPC would be nice but you can also use a VFD with it if the motor is 220V.
I flipped a 10HP RPC here a couple of years ago and only got $500 for it.
 
The apron looks identical to my Jet. It looks to be in very good condition, minus the crash.
The 5000 he is asking is way to much. Like was said before you can darn near by a new one for that much.
In my area it would probably go for 2500.

Joe
 
I'd be very careful! A couple of months ago, I bought a used Sharp 13x40 lathe that looked to be in very good condition. It had some damage on the cross slide that looked like it must have been run into the chuck. I got it home and immediately did some tests on it, and there was a huge taper (0.001+ per inch). It may have turned out to be alright, but it also seemed very likely that the spindle was bent. In my case, I had a happy ending. The dealer that I bought it from had a money-return policy which they honored with no argument - and apologized for not having gone through the machine as thoroughly as they should have before presenting it as being in good condition. I assumed I was going to be in for a real battle, but there wasn't so much as a disagreement. All I was out was a little time and the fuel for two round trips 75 miles away. Good folks to do business with.

If you're particularly interested in this machine, I would suggest taking some stock with you to do some test cuts and mic the results. If the numbers are way beyond normal tolerances, you could be dealing with a damaged spindle. And if that's the case, it's unlikely you'd be so lucky getting your money back.

Regards,
Terry
 
if he crashed it ands selling I'd be worried . Must be something he knows will be costly or its parts can't be found. 5k with 2k borrowed gets you new . Just be carefull and Ck it out real well. Ck the motor plate it may be able to change wiring to use 220 three phase not sure but if you look you'll know for sure. I don't know if they make them that way , I think some can be used at lower voltage.
 
I vote for "I'd pass" for the following reason:
1. Sleaze factor. I'd be concerned that there are other things that the seller is "forgetting" to tell you about that you won't discover unit you start taking things apart. Things like cracked/chipped gears, etc. will ruin your day
2. This is a 30-year old Asian machine. One thing I learned with my old Jet 1024 is that the label doesn't tell you anything about what it actually is and where is was build. I had dozens of people contacting me about the 1024 (I posted about it on my forum some years ago), and it appears that there were at least 6 different manufacturers that made variants of this machine with incompatible parts. Even though Jet still has records of my S/N, they themselves had no clue what the machine was and the manuals (3) that they sent me were all different and din't apply.
3. Quality of Taiwanese machines from 80's and 90's was about as hit-and-miss as that of todays Chinese machines. Unless you really need 13x40, $5000 can get you a new Grizzly 12x32 gunsmith lathe that will be probably no worse than what this lathe was new, but that will get you warranty (with returns and exchanges), parts availability, etc.

If you are really set on this one, though, check the following things:
Find a way to check the gearbox (as in ask to look inside and inspect the gears)
Find a way to check that gears in the carriage are not messed up. With a lathe of this vintage the power feed worm gear can be worn out and the half-nut can be chewed up.
Check that the spindle taper is intact and is running true
Run the spindle for 20-30 minutes at high speed and check bearing temperature and listen for new noises
Check that the tailstock not high or low (i.e. the centers are at the same height) and the quill is not loose (especially when at the outer extreme of it's travel).
Tighten the gibs on the cross slide and see if it's not binding. The ways on these machines are hardened and take some effort to wear out; cross slide dovetails wear out fast, especially if the lathe wasn't kept clean and properly lubricated. Do the same for the compound as well.

Hope this makes sense
Yuriy
 
Aukai said:
440 is a nasty voltage, if your not aware of it, it will reach out, and grab you with devastating results.
Click to expand...

Just what I needed to hear . :rolleyes: I'm surrounded by it hear , and all my machines other than the grinder are 440 , which I will change soon enough .
I'll add this , we've had more than 1 person get hit with 440 in here , and they are still here !
 
If proper procedures are followed, it MIGHT not be a problem, open power lines, and back feeding circuits, not good. At best bad handling, flash burns, at worst dead, and crispy.
 
Everytime I have to change out the heaters in the dies , I'm shakin in my boots . Wires everywhere , water jets firing away and constantly blowing fuses . I think I posted about this some time ago , but I'm no longer able to change fuses or do anything electrical . ( which doesn't make me sad in the least ) It is now strictly saved for licensed electricians only . :clapping:
 
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