Are smithy lathe combo s all there cracked up to be?

[wnec65]

I have a Granite 1324 that I bought used on Craigs list about 3 years ago. The previous owner had burned out 2 motors and upgraded the motor and control with a Lenze AC Tech VFD. I've had no issues with it. It is a little light has I downsized from a Hardinge Tool Room Lathe, but a move to smaller quarters forced the downsize. I'm retired now so time is not a factor. I found that switching from lathe to mill to be somewhat of a hassle, so I just bought a G0704 and now the mill on the Granite is pretty much idled. Think about selling it and just buying a nice lathe, but right now it is serving my purposes.

 

[racardon]

I'm a 3 in 1 owner as well. I have a 1994 vintage Shoptask machine. It's similar to the Smithy Midas. It has served me well. I'm sure if I had started out with separate machines, it would have been a real pain to move to a single. I am very fortunate in that my "ministry of Finances" actually funded the purchase with a bonus from her job. Gotta love that woman.

Even though I have been puttering around the machining hobby for some 20 years, I still am an intermediate at best. But I am convinced that the quality of work turned out is more dependent on the machinist than the machine.

Good luck with your purchase. Whatever you decide, don't look back. Just get on with using it.

Roger

 

[Snugrat]

I also have a smithy combo and after a lot of repairs ( drill chuck going bad,
gears grinding to powder, clutch gone bad, etc.) all repairable and I have used
it lot for many projects. I would suggest something else on your wish list. In all
fairness I must say it is a 20 yr old machine and they probably have improved
them a lot. Good luck with your decision. Snugrat

 

[Cobra]

I started with a 3 in 1 because of the cost. After a couple of years, (and moving to retirement!), I sold it and moved to separate lathe and mill.
The 3 in 1 worked fine but I seemed to spend most of my time switching back and forth between lathe and mill.
The only reason I would recommend the 3 in 1 machines would be if you absolutely do not have the space for two machines. If it is financial, I would start with a lathe using a milling attachment (or friends with toys) and then add a mill as funds became available.
Best of luck.
Jim