Trying to find my first Mini Lathe

C

CaseyBrownKnives

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This is my first post. Just found what looks like an old Craftsman 101 for sale for $175, which includes tooling and the table it's mounted on.

Here's the desription:

6-inch metal cutting lathe for sale, can also be used for wood. Used but still very functional. Automatic advancement of tool, such as for cutting threads, sometimes doesn't catch automatically. It can still be used manually and everything works fine. Headstock diameter: 6". Lathe length: 32". Maximum usable length for turning: 16" with tailstock. Many bits, attachments, tools, calipers, etc. included (not sold separately). Heavy duty metal table (W 48", D 24", H 34") is included. Local pickup only.

Thoughts?

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Damned cheap and worth every penny! Grab it whilst you can. Great looking starter lathe that you will get great ROI on in the future.
 
Hello and welcome,

There are plenty of lathes out there although at $175 this one was pretty cheap.

Now that you've gotten skunked on this one take the time to really figure out exactly what you want to do with a lathe and figure out the minimum requirements for the projects on your list. Also, how much space do you have to dedicate to machine tools and what is your budget for both machine and tooling.

The Craftsman, while priced well is a flat way lathe with no quick change gear box (QCGB) for ease of threading and feed speed adjustment. It's also a fairly light machine which will require smaller cuts than a heavier unit.

Many folks do good work with them though, and there's a wealth of knowledge and spare parts available. So, if you can find another similar deal you should probably go for it even though you may want to upgrade in the future.

I had a similar but newer machine and although it could do the job it was somewhat fragile and I did break it while pushing a little too hard. I also had an old Seneca Falls 9" change gear lathe and a Bolton 13x40 as well and the pretty much all came to me for short money and required work to get them up and running well.

I consider my current machine about right for hobby work, it's a 12x36 Taiwan built lathe from the 1980's that I paid $800 for (the one in my avatar). To me this is a good size since I'm unlikely to work on things much bigger but at ~600lbs it can take a decent cut in steel. It also has a pretty good size spindle bore and the QCGB to make threading/feeding simpler.

Your needs are probably different from mine but taking the time to decide exactly what you need (or at least close to it) will be to your advantage in the long run.

Remember, time is your friend when buying machines.

John
 
CaseyBrownKnives said:
Well, apparently over 60 people responded on the add. Probably not getting this one. We'll see.
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I feel your pain, in my experience, if it is a good deal you need to know that it is a good deal when it hits CL or Marketplace, you need to be able to evaluate immediately, and be ready to buy immediately, the not so good deals will wait for you to ask around about it.
 
matthewsx said:
Hello and welcome,

There are plenty of lathes out there although at $175 this one was pretty cheap.

Now that you've gotten skunked on this one take the time to really figure out exactly what you want to do with a lathe and figure out the minimum requirements for the projects on your list. Also, how much space do you have to dedicate to machine tools and what is your budget for both machine and tooling.

The Craftsman, while priced well is a flat way lathe with no quick change gear box (QCGB) for ease of threading and feed speed adjustment. It's also a fairly light machine which will require smaller cuts than a heavier unit.

Many folks do good work with them though, and there's a wealth of knowledge and spare parts available. So, if you can find another similar deal you should probably go for it even though you may want to upgrade in the future.

I had a similar but newer machine and although it could do the job it was somewhat fragile and I did break it while pushing a little too hard. I also had an old Seneca Falls 9" change gear lathe and a Bolton 13x40 as well and the pretty much all came to me for short money and required work to get them up and running well.

I consider my current machine about right for hobby work, it's a 12x36 Taiwan built lathe from the 1980's that I paid $800 for (the one in my avatar). To me this is a good size since I'm unlikely to work on things much bigger but at ~600lbs it can take a decent cut in steel. It also has a pretty good size spindle bore and the QCGB to make threading/feeding simpler.

Your needs are probably different from mine but taking the time to decide exactly what you need (or at least close to it) will be to your advantage in the long run.

Remember, time is your friend when buying machines.

John
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dabear3428 said:
I feel your pain, in my experience, if it is a good deal you need to know that it is a good deal when it hits CL or Marketplace, you need to be able to evaluate immediately, and be ready to buy immediately, the not so good deals will wait for you to ask around about it.
Click to expand...


Yes on all of the above. I bought a small/mini lathe (Unimat) and mill (Sherline) a few years ago and still use them regularly (model airplane builder). I wanted bigger eventually and watched Craigslist for years. I eventually found a 1440 lathe and knew immediately it was a good deal. I bought it on the spot. Lots of thumbs ups from members here. The next year I found a 50x10 table knee mill and jumped on that immediately as well.

Both are bigger than I will ever need but both were great deals. Patience…….
 
The OP, like many of us, may have no space or easy access to the space, or ability to handle moving a 10, 12, or 14 inch 600 to 1000 pound machine.

That is why mini-lathes are popular. They bring easy access to hobby machining for those individuals.

They have limitations, but good work can be done.
 

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CraigH said:
The OP, like many of us, may have no space or easy access to the space, or ability to handle moving a 10, 12, or 14 inch 600 to 1000 pound machine.

That is why mini-lathes are popular. They bring easy access to hobby machining for those individuals.

They have limitations, but good work can be done.
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Perhaps. That’s why I suggested evaluating needs. Many folks also upgrade as their interest increases.

I didn’t see where the OP said their space or ability would require a mini lathe.

John
 
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This one just popped up at an estate sale. I don't recognize what it is. They want $1000 for everything.
 
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