Buying a new lathe

[darkzero]

Re: Buying new lathe

Might want to check with Matt, but I think that that lathe may be built in T-wan. I know that the one that I have been looking at that he is selling is.

http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM1340T.html

Nope, it's China. So far the only PM machine made in Taiwan is the lathe you linked.

 

[tripletap3]

Re: Buying new lathe

Nope, it's China. So far the only PM machine made in Taiwan is the lathe you linked.

It is China. But this lathe is made in one of the nicer China factories and I would say on the same level as Taiwan looking at it. I have some prior experience with China made equipment. Most people think that just because two lathes (or most any China equipment for that matter) look the same then they are made by the same factory and just painted different colors with different decals, and that is just not the case. There may be a dozen factories making the same design with a huge difference in quality between them.
Some factories have a heavy turnover and use cheap labor like migrant or temporary workers that come into the cities in the off season to work in the factories then go home to grow crops. They may be using old equipment in dim lit dirty factories. This is probably the most common factory in China but that is changing. And on the other extreme there are those that use best skilled full time workers and have clean lit factories much like what we think of when we think of a factory in the US. The latter is becoming more common but guess what? Yep you got it, it costs more and it takes longer to get these products.

 

[tripletap3]

Re: Buying new lathe

It sold last weekend. I needed some cash to pay for my new one!

I looks like tripletap3 just got his! 10 month wait?? I couldn't have waited that long!! First come first serve!.

I sold mine for the same reason. Matt gave me a 2% discount for cash. You are very lucky that you got the last of the order. The 10 month wait was mostly my fault. I had orderd a PM1127 and literatly a week before it came in I changed to a PM1236 and just missed the order. Best move I could have made though glad I waited. Better to go 10 months waiting than 10 years wishing I had.

 

[dickr]

Re: Buying new lathe

Looks really nice. I would think that's a great improvement over the former. Nothing wrong with a Chinese lathe if it does the job. Many many years ago after WW II we (USA) started getting things from Japan and they were originally junk and earned that name. Then they improved with practice. Then Taiwan came on, because of communist china, there stuff was junk to begin with. Now they make many fine machines.There are many countries now that are going through the same process. It's an international world competing so we have to look and buy the best we can afford. That might be new or old rebuilt, but if it works for you that's the one you need. Who knows your next machine might be a Haas cnc where the parts are made all over the world and assembled in the USA. Congratulations.
dickr

 

[OakRidgeGuy]

Re: Buying new lathe

Yeah, I have read and read that there are about 5 main factories that build these bigger machines.. and I do know that some are better than others. But from what I understand, the quality from the Taiwan plants are better than the best China plant. But that is just what I have read on the "interweb"!

 

[darkzero]

Re: Buying new lathe

It is China. But this lathe is made in one of the nicer China factories and I would say on the same level as Taiwan looking at it.

Unfortunately I would have to disagree. Almost every Tawain lathe, mill, or bandsaw I have seen in person is much nicer than any China made machine I have seen. I can always see where they "cut corners" in the China stuff. The Taiwan machines are much better quality, especially in the casting & finish work. Even the stands are much nicer as well as the crating. For example, if you ever see a real Rong Fu (mills & bandsaws) in person compared to a China made RF clone you can tell the difference. My local MSC has a number of Taiwan made machines on the showroom floor, I always drool over them.

But don't get me wrong, remember I have this same lathe & a RF45 clone, I'm very happy with them. However they definitely show made in China quality. You get what you pay for & the PM machines are a great value compared to others.

 

[GaryK]

Re: Buying new lathe

Well, the trucking company called on the 26th when it was supposed to be delivered, and said that it will be delivered the 27th
sometime between 9 and 5. I guess we all know what that means, huh? They showed up at 4:30.

Anyway, here they are:


What's inside:







And finally I had to do a little surgery to the pallet so I could use the engine hoist.


I just moved the lathe over to the right between the two studs and cut away the third.
Circular and hand saw were required and it only took about 5 minutes total.

At this point I'm too tried to do anymore, plus I have some thinking to do on how to proceed.
I will be positioning this close to a wall so I won't be putting the coolant system in the pedestal.
I'll just set it underneath or at the end of the lathe.

Anyway that's my update so far. I'll be back at it tomorrow.

Gary

 

[PurpLev]

Re: Buying new lathe

so far so good.

so they said 9-5 and showed up at 4:30? thats good... much better than them showing up at 5:45

 

[GaryK]

Re: Buying new lathe

Got everything done but the cleanup.

Not too hard to do. I did it all by myself and a 2 ton engine hoist.

Here it is after I dropped in on the stand.


Here it is just before I removed it from the hoist.


I moved the location of the DRO from the top of the head casting to the electrical box.
This moved it farther back and inline to the chuck from where I would stand. This way I would just
have to look up rather the up and to the left.


This is just another view.


I went to Lowe's with the cover to the coolant tank and had them
color match it for touch-up paint. $2.99 for a small sample. What a deal!


Now I have to clean up all the goop.

 

[jpfabricator]

Re: Buying new lathe

Lookin good so far, but we are all ready to see some chips fly!! woo hoo