Worth of a L&S?

vtcnc said:
Curious to hear the outcome. If that spindle is in decent shape and the rest of the lathe isn’t all out of whack - that is one helluva a deal.


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We are talking a 90 year old machine, get real!
 
I am not saying that it may not be a useful machine, I have owned several that were even older, but advise caution and inspect carefully as to condition. It looks to me to be worth close inspection, but may be a bit overpriced. My good friend Ralph got a bigger one, as noted for a bit more than twice the money but a L&S AVS " Answer Lathe"18", likely from the 1960s or later. I like older machine tools, but they should be moderately priced and in good condition; pricewise, they should be consistent with their profitability in today's world.
 
After a lot of consideration, I've decided to pass on this "upgrade". I already have a Craftsman Commercial 12x36, and I was looking for something more rigid. Given the limitations, this would be more of a lateral move than an upgrade for me, even if the machine was in excellent condition.
 
In the old machine world, I'd get into the 4-5K range. That will buy you into a decent condition Monarch, Land S, Whacheon, etc where the machine is running and the seller or you can do some test cuts to determine wear and accuracy. When you find a good machine of that quality, and know how it runs, you get something that you can't reproduce new for 20K or more. I've been down the rabbit hole of finding and replacing parts for old machines and it is always cheaper to start with a higher priced better condition machine. I've bought and rehabbed about 50 old machines and found a really cheap machine that needs little work or money maybe twice. Dave
 
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