For my brand new ShopFox M1112 12x36 lathe. Is an Aloris overkill? The price for a BXA Aloris with four tool holders is a bit more than double the price for a Phase 2 with five tool holders. Plus, I'll probably get three or four more standard tool holders.
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Aloris or Phase 2?
- Thread starter Maplehead
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- Jan 20, 2018
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When in the business, we bought nothing but Aloris or Dorian. As a hobbyist with no income stream to justify the expense, I bought a Bostar AXA. Is it as smooth and perfect as an Aloris? No. Is it a solid, repeatable toolpost? Yes. I did a little fine tuning to make it a little smoother, but it worked well as received. With the money saved you could by a bunch more holders or other tooling.
Here's the BXA
Here's the BXA
BOSTAR BXA 250-222 Wedge Type Tool Post, Tool Holder Set for Lathe10 - 15" , 9PC | eBay
Whole set includes: (Total 9PC ). All working parts hardened and precision ground. 250- 202XL (1PC) Oversize Slot Boring,Turning & Facing Tool Holder, can use square tool bits or round shank bit up to 3/4".
www.ebay.com
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- Oct 18, 2016
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I've been buying toolholders from All Industrial from their eBay site, and I can't tell the difference between
them and the one Aloris toolholder that I own. Can't speak for their tool post. When I bought my Logan
I bought a Phase II AXA set for it, and while it works fine, the machining on the parts
was, in my opinion, pretty crude. If you want to go Chinese, I'd buy All Industrial. Cheaper than Phase II
as well. If you're set on an Aloris tool post, then just get the post and buy the tool holders from All Industrial.
them and the one Aloris toolholder that I own. Can't speak for their tool post. When I bought my Logan
I bought a Phase II AXA set for it, and while it works fine, the machining on the parts
was, in my opinion, pretty crude. If you want to go Chinese, I'd buy All Industrial. Cheaper than Phase II
as well. If you're set on an Aloris tool post, then just get the post and buy the tool holders from All Industrial.
All Industrial AXA Basic Lathe Tool Package | eBay
Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for All Industrial AXA Basic Lathe Tool Package at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Phase 2 II Quick Change Tool Post Set 5 Holders Wedge Style 251-111 Aloris AXA | eBay
This design is based off of the Aloris AXA series and is sized to fit lathes with a 9"-12" swing. This is the more accurate wedge style, not the cheaper piston model.
www.ebay.com
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- May 11, 2017
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- 232
I have a toolpost from Precision Matthews that gives me fits sometimes, but that's a different story. I have mix of PM and Aloris toolholders.
The PM are fine but the screws to tighten the holders are sloppy and soft, and the Phase II I had previously were as well. Easy fix - just order new ones from your favorite supply house.
The Aloris holders are definitely nicer. The screws are better out of the gate, and there is one really nice thing they have over the Chinesium brands. The post that screws into the holder and that holds the adjusting nut and lock nut has a channel cut into it along its length. Between the adjusting nut and the locknut there is an internally tabbed washer that tabs into the channel in the post, and it prevents the the washer and thus the adjusting nut from moving when you tighten down the lock nut. That's a really nice feature.
I got my aloris holders used for $30 each, so they were worth it to me for that. It would be hard for me to justify the Aloris new price against the price of the Asian ones though. But, if I can get more Aloris for around what I paid for them, I'll do it.
The PM are fine but the screws to tighten the holders are sloppy and soft, and the Phase II I had previously were as well. Easy fix - just order new ones from your favorite supply house.
The Aloris holders are definitely nicer. The screws are better out of the gate, and there is one really nice thing they have over the Chinesium brands. The post that screws into the holder and that holds the adjusting nut and lock nut has a channel cut into it along its length. Between the adjusting nut and the locknut there is an internally tabbed washer that tabs into the channel in the post, and it prevents the the washer and thus the adjusting nut from moving when you tighten down the lock nut. That's a really nice feature.
I got my aloris holders used for $30 each, so they were worth it to me for that. It would be hard for me to justify the Aloris new price against the price of the Asian ones though. But, if I can get more Aloris for around what I paid for them, I'll do it.
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You kinda answered your own question. Are you okay with more than double the prices for your post and tool holders? If so, then buy the Aloris. Personally, I have a Phase II on my Heavy 10 that I really like and that I have zero problems with. I can get the basic tool holders on sale for around $12 each, so ask yourself how often do you want to change the bits in your holders. The more holders you have, the less often you'll be swapping out bits.
I'll be changing out a lot of different tooling so yeah, the Aloris route would be much pricier, but I'm one of those guys that prefers higher quality tools over cheaper, as often you end up getting the higher quality tool down the road anyways. However, I guess the real question is... is my lathe Aloris quality? One post on this subject I read said an Aloris on the Grizzly 4003 type lathes is like Cadilac hub caps on a Chevy. In other wards, a waste of money.
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I think the real issue is that there are Chinese brands where the quality is good. We all know that some Chinese stuff
is subpar-to-junk grade, but not all of it is, and identifying the good stuff is key. And there appears to be some cost
cutting with the American stuff as well. There was a post around here recently about poor quality finishing on, I
think, some Aloris tools and OP wasn't happy about it. There are American brands with good reputations that don't always
live up to them. (Starrett comes to mind.). I'm not saying Aloris is a poor brand, but the consensus around here is that the
better Chinese toolholders are just fine.
is subpar-to-junk grade, but not all of it is, and identifying the good stuff is key. And there appears to be some cost
cutting with the American stuff as well. There was a post around here recently about poor quality finishing on, I
think, some Aloris tools and OP wasn't happy about it. There are American brands with good reputations that don't always
live up to them. (Starrett comes to mind.). I'm not saying Aloris is a poor brand, but the consensus around here is that the
better Chinese toolholders are just fine.
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- Dec 20, 2012
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- 9,422
Look at it this way. A 12X36 lathe is mid-size, not a wimp, and it is more than large enough to use a decent tool post. Is it good enough to use an Aloris or Dorian tool post? Yeah, it is. I own both Aloris and Dorian posts and use them on my Emco 11" lathe. Both of my posts are slightly older than the current generation and have zero quality control issues. They are smooth, reliable, trouble-free and do not loosen in use.
I do not own a Chinese tool post and probably never will. However, it is the consensus on this forum that they are more than up for the task and I have no reason to doubt the guys. You will save money going this route if cost is a concern.
About 1/3 of my tool holders are from Aloris (the rest are imports) and the quality differences between them and the Chinese equivalents is significant; quality really shows here. However, the import tool holders DO WORK.
Perhaps one option is to buy an older Aloris or Dorian tool post. Check with @jwmelvin or @mmcmdl to see if they have a deal for you. Then if you have the money, buy Aloris or Dorian tool holders; they really are the best to use on this type of post. However, if you need a lot of them then it will get expensive really fast and the imports, while not of the same quality, will work just fine.
Bottom line is that your lathe will benefit from a good tool post. How good depends on how much money you are willing to spend.