Advice on lathe for home shop

I enjoyed the extraction, really it was fun!
 
I just got a reply from the Cincinnati seller and he’s firm at $2,000, he says there are 2 guys coming to look at it this week and if they both pass he’ll get back to me. I’m going to start looking at other options, I’ll look at the MSC for starters, and then decide on the leblond.
 
It looks like the leblond is sold. I’m back to square one, the MSC 13x40 has moved to the head of the line. I was able to dig up a manual for a grizzly 9731 which appears to be the same machine. Reading through the manual they call out all the items the lathes shipped with ( the same list is on MSC‘s catalog) and from my brief exchange with the seller all he has is the follow rest. Of biggest concern is the lack of the full set of gears to get all the thread pitches called out on the front of the machine. Also missing are the faceplate(s) four jaw and the steady rest, I’d like to have all that stuff, hopefully it’s still available.

Dabbler, you said the gears are available for reasonable cost, what is your source, are you fabricating them or buying from a supply house? Any ideas of a source for the other missing accessories othe than used .
 
My LeBlond came without any of the change gears when originally purchased

They guy who bought it made most of them, but had the 2 of them made at a shop here in town that specialized in gear hobbing. [They were an odd number of teeth that he didn't know how to cut].

Another source is of course the manufacturer. LeBlond wanted about triple for the gears that the local shop would make them for.

Sometime you can buy new old stock or parted out pieces. This gets risky, as you have to know how to properly measure gears' pressure angle and calculate circumferences for each Diametrical pitch or Module. Not rocket science, but takes a little skill and a Machinery's Handbook.

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A few words about purchasing used equipment: It can be heart rending to try to pick the 'perfect' or 'best' option. With some skill and information, you can more easily identify better options, but there is always a risk. Even with a new purchase there is a little risk, which can be helped by reading reviews or getting first hand information about the model you are buying.

The only way to get a good deal is to be able to quickly evaluate it and close the deal. Hesitating will ensure you will only have the leftovers to choose from.

I was the third guy to view a Bridgeport clone at a manufacturing facility. It was an 8X32, which was too small for them so it only saw about 50 hours of use. The other 2 guys hesitated for days. I paid the seller after 3 minutes of evaluation. I got an 8000$ mill for 2K$, essentially brand new.

Since the MSC isn't properly tooled (no 4 jaw, no steady rest, no face plate, no change gears) -- I'd pass on it unless you can satisfy 2 things: it is a smoking deal, and you are willing to spend a year getting parts for it. That's what it will take at a minimum. Expect that list to cost between 300$ and 1000$ to get the MSC lathe working satisfactorily.
 
I was just saying a similar thing to my wife, I should get the cash I’m willing to spend on a lathe and keep it at home , then when a lathe comes up for sale I can go look , cash in hand , as soon as possible. The MSC lathe that I was supposed to look at this afternoon was scooped up by someone else this morning. I talked with the seller this morning when the second buyer inserted himself in the mix and as he was missing the change gears I stepped back. I should have gone yesterday but I needed to get to a bank , lesson learned... all in all I’m glad to keep looking, I’m learning what fits and what doesn’t. It seems that 1500 clams is the magic number. Above that and the machines linger a while , at or below 1500 the are gone quickly.
thanks for the continued advise on these machines, I really do appreciate it, Eventually I’ll find “ the one”
 
@GSweldmech - It sounds like you've learned what you need to, and planned ahead accordingly. I know I've lost out on one or two Craigslist deals myself because of either hesitation or lack of "the ready." But live and learn. It appears your location is pretty decent as far as equipment availability is concerned, so I expect you'll soon get the lathe you want.
 
It isn't just the cost, you will find the smaller machines when priced right tend to sell much more quickly. You have an advantage in having the space for a bigger machine. Be ready to buy when you see one that seems a good deal and the right fit for you, but don't feel like you need to jump on the first thing that comes along and might work for you. It seems like CL ads for machines pick up in the spring and summer. Makes sense, I certainly wouldn't want to try and move a big machine in the rain or snow.
 
... But if you see any red flags, no't jump on it. I've made the mistake of buying a 'red flag' machine, and well, It is going to cost me a lot tol get running.
 
I would caution having cash in hand and ready to pounce. That is fine if you have time to evaluate the machine and know where the market is price wise for the machine you are considering. Sometimes spur of the moment decisions turn to regret. Go into the deal eyes wide open with the knowledge that there will be another one if it doesn't work out.

Edit: Ha! Dabbler was writing his while I was writing mine..
 
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