Cost Of Used Lathes

[Cory]

Bill,

That's almost an splitting image of the one I have. Looks like a 20" like mine. The only things that are different from mine is that one has the original model "X" box ways. Mine are vee ways. Mine is the gap bed version that L & S made. Until this one came along, I never knew that L & S made a gap bed version. Mine is about 4 foot longer!.
If you decide to get it, let me know. I'll offer you all the help I can on repairing the lathe if needed. Hard to tell if the one in the picture has D-1-8 or L-1 spindle nose. See if you can get the S/N and share. I can get John Oder on the other forum date it for you.

Ken

Hey ken would you be interested in parting with your follow and steady rest. I have a 1955 L/S 20" standard model 42877. Having a hard time finding these parts.

 

[eeler1]

Monarch can be factory rebuilt to original specs for $70k or so, just at thot. Problem with most monarchs is that they are so HEAVY, compared to the SB, most of us have trouble moving them into our basement or garage. Otherwise, agree, different class of machine.

 

[Keith Foor]

Bill, trust me you will need to travel. Columbus never had the manufacturing that even Dayton had in the past. So there were fewer machines that were of any quality in this area to be sold off to home users. There is some stuff on craigslist, but its either home gear in the sub 12 inch swing catagory or it's worn out and priced too high for the wear. I am in the hunt myself to replace a 1923 SouthBend I had with a modern 13X40 or so lathe. I would advise you to look on bidspotter and btmindustrial auction sites. Bitspotter is international so pay attention to the location of the auction. BTM is out of Michigan and has auctions up there monthly. But realize that for some reason prices are up alot right now. I don't know if its exporters or its ebay resellers that are buying equipment but there is money showing up at these auctions and stuff in general is going for higher numbers than expected. I have heard alot of guys that have been in the business of rebuilding and reselling talk about this at the sales.

Things to know about an auction.
If it's a mill and Says Bridgeport on it, it will go higher to the home shop guys because they know that name.
If it's a lathe and says South Bend on it, same thing. It has the name on it.

Saw a Allison lathe, which was a copy of a Mori sell the other day. I was considering it until I started looking for information on the manufacture. The lathe was labeled as being manufactured in Roswell NM. I could find NOTHING about the lathe on the web. I couldn't even find the manufacture. That is a big red flag for me. Parts for such a machine would all need to be made as nothing exists if it wasn't a direct copy of a Mori and typically copies are not direct copies, they just look like another machine from the outside. This is even true with the imports.

 

[george wilson]

I watched the "Mighty" video about the 16" Holbrook lathe. A fantastic machine. The camera person was very BAD!! Panned WAYYYYY to fast,and instead of keeping the camera on the tailstock,for example,that the guy was talking about,kept the camera on his FACE!! How aggravating. Still,much to learn about this wonderful machine,perhaps the finest lathe ever built. Incredibly useful features!

Then,there was a video of a green 10" Holbrook in a window at the bottom of the 16" video. I clicked on it. The operator's words were exceedingly hard to understand. I think he was Australian. I have a few Aussie friends,but this guy was very incomprehensible! Enjoyed seeing how the lathe worked,though I think he may wear the clutches out by shifting so FAST into different speeds,etc..

P.S.: That "Allison" looked like an ordinary Asian made lathe,except that it had ways similar to a LeBlonde. But,the Le Blonde's ways were removable and replaceable hardened tool steel.

 

[British Steel]

Holbrooks are a bit, er, "over-engineered", even more than Monarchs Shame when I see one that's been abused, but such is life when people don't know what they've got?
Mr Holbrook would make tooth-sucking noises looking over the draftsman's shoulder, muttering "It needs more iron in it", before wandering off... They didn't sell a lot, the production rate was too low and the price too high, most wound up in Serious Research Establishments - mine was in the Armaments Research and Development Establishment at Fort Halstead - I have the slightly-bigger brother of the Ozzy guy's C10, a C13, it's older than me (60+), no noticeable wear *anywhere*, they're built to last and I expect it has another 100 years in it!

Dave H. (the other one)