Choosing between a PM 1236 and a PM 1340GT

Ray C said:
Both of these machines are a terrific bargain and the most significant physical differences are the length of bed and automatic gear changes. The 1236 is made in China, has a 6" shorter bed and side gears must be changed manually. When switching between thread pitches you need to manually change gears. When setting-up outside of some IPR (Inch Per Revolution) settings, you may need to switch the side gears.

The 1340GT is made in Taiwan, has a 6" longer bed than a 1236 and all the change gears are set by shifting lever positions.

In general, Taiwanese workmanship is higher quality than Chinese. You'll find higher quality knobs and etched numbering on the 1340GT.

In terms of precision, I have a 1236 (now several years old with hundreds of hours of run-time) and I regularly hold half-thou tolerances with ease. I could do the same with the 1340GT.

FWIW, we have a really good deal on some 1440 E and ELB units right now... An outstanding price indeed. These are basically larger versions of the 1236.

PM me if you're interested.

In any event, you can't go wrong with either. I haven't had any serious problems with either of them.

Ray
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Bumping an old thread for any updated opinions. I’m looking at these 2 machines. Would prefer to save some money and get the 1236 as long as these opinions haven’t changed......



I’m on the fence
 
Those are my choices also. I keep a sweep of online sources going looking for a trend. That could be a variety of things...stateside inventory reduction sales in face of impacted economy, or (perish this) deflation where prices drop as consumers pull back waiting, or no change perceptible. I currently see some games with shipping being "free." One contact with a "discounter" disclosed an $800 delivery charge ( to me) which eroded most of the price "advantage." Half of that charge was for residential delivery from their carrier's nearest depot (FedEx) versus $49 elsewhere . Beware the lowball vendors who broker and let the hapless customer contact China direct with problems. One guy waited 1 year for response . PM seems to have earned a good reputation and that should be factored into final decision. But it appears PM has had to resort to the "back ordered" tactic which many have...a low cost (12 x36 for instance) which cannot be purchased. My problem is that the lathe will be mostly a tool, not a full time hobby, and I will face that investment each time I enter my workshop. Torn between the beauty of the Taiwan PM and the utility of a rougher mainline China unit.
 
TX COWDOC said:
Bumping an old thread for any updated opinions. I’m looking at these 2 machines. Would prefer to save some money and get the 1236 as long as these opinions haven’t changed......



I’m on the fence
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I just went through this same process. Long story short, my 1340GT got here about a week or so ago. So far, I love it! My dad always used to tell me, "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of a cheap price is forgotten." Not that the 1236 is necessarily poor quality, but the Taiwan machines cost more for a reason...maybe take a look at the 1236T as a compromise.

Good luck!
Dave
 
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