Are Good Used Lathes Like Unicorns?

[Janderso]

$3500 for that lathe is a fair price in my book. If you had to pay $5,000 you would need to see lots of tooling thrown in.
D1-6 is a great platform. IMHO

 

[Janderso]

Boy, it's hard to say. Lathes are kind of expensive on Craigslist these days

Yes, what the heck is going on?
two years ago there were many deals to be had compared to todays prices. Ebay reflects the same trend.

 

[MtnBiker]

$3500 for that lathe is a fair price in my book. If you had to pay $5,000 you would need to see lots of tooling thrown in.
D1-6 is a great platform. IMHO

Agree. It has a lot of life left in it. And investments in D1-6 make sense to me. Can run a 6" chuck with some finessing all the way to 16". Super flexible. Just a good size for the kind of work I anticipate needing a manual lathe to do. I'd likely get another D1-6 machine if it came to that.

Just comparing this to the clapped out Mori that started this thread. $7K asking price for a machine that was well past it's useful life. The cost/value prop is galactically different.

 

[BGHansen]

Here are some Craig's List listings in your general area (give or take a few hundred miles). I use the search engine www.searchtempest.com. Let's you type in the keywords for the search, price range, driving distance, etc. Shows hits for CL and eBay.

Bruce

Not familiar with the lathe make (Tech-Turn). Looks to be a 12x36 or 13x40 gear head with a Norton style QCGB. Looks like 3/4/6 jaw chucks for $3000

Tech Turn Table Lathe Bed for metal & wood - tools - by owner - sale

Lathe turning machine for metal and wood working.

tucson.craigslist.org

Grizzly 4003 12 x 36 for $3500 in Phoenix

36" Metal Lathe Grizzly G4003 - tools - by owner - sale

Good condition Grizzly Metal Lathe Perfect for Gunsmithing and other metal projects Works perfectly 6" 3-Jaw chuck w/2 sets of jaws 8" 4-Jaw chuck w/reversible jaws 10" Faceplate Steady rest Follow...

phoenix.craigslist.org

Logan/Powermatic 11 x 24 in Phoenix for $2000

Logan Powermatic Lathe Model 1100003 - tools - by owner - sale

Logan Powermatic Model 1100003 Metal Lathe Swing over bed: 11" Center distance: 24" Speed adjustable to 1000 RPM (2) 3-jaw chucks (1) Face plate (1) 4-jaw independent chuck Lathe and drive manuals...

phoenix.craigslist.org

 

[DAM 79]

Patience is a virtue there are some good deals out there but I have found that you have to wait it out !!!! And like said before these older machine are not NEW here on the east coast there seem to be more and more machinery popping up on CL and I have found you just have to be ready and depending on what your looking for they are out there (unicorns) I have missed one by two hours a Monarch series 60 13x54 that looked like it was frozen in time and I will kick myself for not calling the guy sooner because I went and bough just about everything else he had for sale literally
I am a hobby guy that just got started a few years ago and so far I have gone thru buying and selling a few lathes and timing is everything and it seems everyone wants a used machine that is in perfect shape well they all have some wear or some issue no matter how small because it’s used and unless your making parts for the space shop in your shop I say keep a eye out for some old American iron if you have the room because there are some really good deals on some machines that will be making parts long after we’re all gone !!! It’s all about networking and letting people know your in the market because once you start doing that there are good people out there that want to see there machines go to a good home !!! I’m fairly new to all this machining and I have fell in love with it and the people that do it every day and am glade to be a part of this group as well for all the knowledge that is here from everyone.
just my take on things

 

[MtnBiker]

Here are some Craig's List listings in your general area (give or take a few hundred miles). I use the search engine www.searchtempest.com. Let's you type in the keywords for the search, price range, driving distance, etc. Shows hits for CL and eBay.

Go back a page. I found one!! Pretty stoked.

 

[Winegrower]

There are many choices available here in middle California. For those complaining they are expensive, have you priced unicorns lately?

Before and during and after the time I got the Takisawa TSL-800, I had a choice of a Victor 1640, a Namseon 1640, a LaBlonde Regal, a Mori Seiki 850...I mean, there were herds of unicorns around.

My point is, no fair confusing availability with availability at a bargain price.

 

[hman]

Go back a page. I found one!! Pretty stoked.

Good news ... in more ways than one! I've been informally lathe hunting for a friend in the Phoenix area ... and if you were still looking, I'd have held off sending @BGHansen's info to him. But now that you have a lathe, I've passed the links on. It's all good!

 

[Ultradog MN]

I looked for 2 years.
Had the search for "lathe" on CL bookmarked on my phone. One click. I checked it 3 or 4 times a day.
I used searchtempest. Checked half a dozen auction houses including govdeals, hibid, proxibid, bidspotter, publicsurplus.com and others.
I bid on at least 7 or 8 lathes but never got one.
I did NOT want a China lathe. Was willing to sacrifice a bit of accuracy for a good ol piece of American iron.
Would have traveled up to 600 mi for the right machine
Two months ago I finally got one at a big plant auction. 90 miles from home. It was in the tool room for the last 40 years and not used in production.
It's nice. Worn but Not worn out.
Got 3 chucks, collets, face and drive plates, taper attachment + other stuff but no steady rest.
Weighs most of 2 tons.
A Monarch CK12. It's beautiful!
Don't despair. There's a lathe for you out there.
Photos of it are at the plant where it was.

 

[MtnBiker]

A Monarch CK12. It's beautiful!

Beautiful lathe!