Grizzly Gunsmithing Lathes... Any Good?

I have been concidering this lathe from wholesale tools it is similar to the 12x24 grizzly it has a 1 3/8 through hole . they are local so i'll have no shipping but i'm wondering if paying the difference wouldnt be better. no one says much about the wholesale tool versions of these lathes.
http://www.wttool.com/index/page/pr...ench+Lathe+(WT)&update_continue_shopping=true
any thoughts before i spend the money
steve

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I have been concidering this lathe from wholesale tools it is similar to the 12x24 grizzly it has a 1 3/8 through hole . they are local so i'll have no shipping but i'm wondering if paying the difference wouldnt be better. no one says much about the wholesale tool versions of these lathes.
http://www.wttool.com/index/page/pr...ench+Lathe+(WT)&update_continue_shopping=true
any thoughts before i spend the money
steve

The lathe in the picture looks close to the g4003g, the control panel is set up a little different. I know the Shop Fox one is almost exactly the same with the addition of a factory OEM coolant pump! All I can say here is Grizzly warranty support has been 100% for me, they have provided parts (minor), the parts were under warranty, without any questions asked! So I say that is worth something! I liked the PM 1236, and after talking to Matt, he is a great guy, I would have purchased the PM1236 machine, but the cast bases and the extra weight (Mass) sold me on this, yes it is a chi-com machine, but I think it would be hard to beat it, for the money! Just my 2 cents! Bob in Oregon

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I have a G4003G that I purchased two years ago. That machine pleases me very much. It is very rigid and the controls are silky smooth. I would like a slower speed for threading, as its slowest speed is 70 RPM. My reflexes are improving in that regard, so lately I'm thinking that I won't need Chuck Yager anymore when I'm threading. It will take years for me to out perform its capabilities. (Probably never.) That machine has very fine power feeds, suitable for gun drilling.

I'm 5'4", and I do find the machine a little tall for my own good ... but my fondness for its quality more than offsets that problem. I've been thinking about making something to stand on while working with the lathe.

Years ago I had a top-condition South Bend 9 X 36 heavy. It was extremely easy to use and made cuts with a beautiful finish. Truthfully, the G4003G can match the SB's performance in every respect ... except the SB could turn at 60 RPM plus a few more speeds on the top end. I honestly believe that a new Grizzley G4003G is a better machine than a worn SB, and not outclassed much by a mint condition SB like the one I once owned.

The folks at Grizzley are good people, and won't hesitate to make amends for any problem you might encounter.

Mark

(Good grief, this can actually be considered "contribution")

Mark,

I could not have said this better, I agree 100%. Bob

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Ok I guess I do need to be 100% honest and voice my only gripe about this machine! I HATE the tailstock handle, I think it would have be 200% better it the removable handle,with the 1/2 torque adapter would have been on the back side of the tailstock! There is no detent, or o-ring to hold it onto the tailstock, and it is always falling off! 90 % of the time I am just using it for rough drilling and I do not need to torque it. I would LOVE to here from anyone that has figured out a way to, turn it around, or keep the handle from falling off the tailstock? Bob in Oregon
 
I have to add my vote to those who luv their G4403G lathes. I can't believe how much machine it is for the money. As far as the removable tailstock handle is concerned, I suppose if you needed to use a torque wrench often it would be nice to have the removable side facing you but I don't. I had planned on trying to reverse the tailstock shaft but now I just got used to reaching over the top and using the fixed locking handle on the back side. The Grizzly G4003G is such an improvement over the 11 inch machine that it replaced I just can't get the smile off my face when using it.
 
I have to add my vote to those who luv their G4403G lathes. I can't believe how much machine it is for the money. As far as the removable tailstock handle is concerned, I suppose if you needed to use a torque wrench often it would be nice to have the removable side facing you but I don't. I had planned on trying to reverse the tailstock shaft but now I just got used to reaching over the top and using the fixed locking handle on the back side. The Grizzly G4003G is such an improvement over the 11 inch machine that it replaced I just can't get the smile off my face when using it.

I looked at the parts diagram and thought about trying the same thing, have you found anyone that did it yet, with any luck? Looked like it would work, but you know how that always goes when you actually get there to do it! I know I am tired of it falling off all the time!

Bob in Oregon
 
I looked at the parts diagram and thought about trying the same thing, have you found anyone that did it yet, with any luck? Looked like it would work, but you know how that always goes when you actually get there to do it! I know I am tired of it falling off all the time!

Bob in Oregon
I took the detachable handle out once. Didn't like it and have never used it since.
Update;
I was just looking at my tailstock & got an idea for the removable handle. The hole in the casting is a different size front & back so I don't think it would be easy to swap it end for end but how about this? Drill a hole right thru the base of the handle and then tap a hole in the bottom of the torque wrench socket so you can lock the handle in place with a socket head bolt?
 
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I took the detachable handle out once. Didn't like it and have never used it since.
Update;
I was just looking at my tailstock & got an idea for the removable handle. The hole in the casting is a different size front & back so I don't think it would be easy to swap it end for end but how about this? Drill a hole right thru the base of the handle and then tap a hole in the bottom of the torque wrench socket so you can lock the handle in place with a socket head bolt?

Yes I thought about that also, maybe go 1/4" NF allen socket bolt, and counter bore the handle so it is flush! I knew there was a reason, I did not just turn that shaft around, I look at it once, and now that you say it that was the deal, the bores are not the same on the front and back. Thanks for all your help Bob in Oregon
 
I took the detachable handle out once. Didn't like it and have never used it since.
Update;
I was just looking at my tailstock & got an idea for the removable handle. The hole in the casting is a different size front & back so I don't think it would be easy to swap it end for end but how about this? Drill a hole right thru the base of the handle and then tap a hole in the bottom of the torque wrench socket so you can lock the handle in place with a socket head bolt?

Ok I was looking into doing this today, the only question I have is when I look at this is, If drill thru the handle adapter like we talked about, I also will be drilling thru the side of the threads, and or the locking handle that is attached to the adapter, if I leave the handle in! May just have to deal with it and leave the handle in front off!

Bob in Oregon

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Ok I was looking into doing this today, the only question I have is when I look at this is, If drill thru the handle adapter like we talked about, I also will be drilling thru the side of the threads, and or the locking handle that is attached to the adapter, if I leave the handle in! May just have to deal with it and leave the handle in front off!

Bob in Oregon


What about this idea, Mill a round hole maybe 3/16" deep on the male part of the square drive socket, and epoxy on of those little small strong magnets into it? You dont really knock it off it just comes out due to vibration?
Good? or Bad? any thoughts? Bob in Oregon
 
jumps4: I had a Taiwan made Jet 1024 very similar to the one in your picture. It was the first DECENT lathe I had. I am sorry I still don't have it. It was a belt drive lathe(those are getting harder to find in a larger size lathe). The belt drive made beautiful,smooth finishes that a gear head just won't do unless you have a very expensive older machine,liker a Dean,Smith and Grace. I liked the thread range,too. If I had one again,the first thing I'd do would be to change the messy black rubber belts (that get your fingers black!) for a red link belt. Then,changing speeds would be a neater job.

I have a Hardinge HLVH,but it does have a more limited thread range. 11 is the coarsest thread,unless you start bypassing the gearbox and using the outside gear capability. The extra gears cost a fortune,though.You CAN cut any thread you want if you buy the gears @$500.00 a pair.

I wonder if the Chinese version of my Taiwan lathe would be equal to it. If it was,I'd really like to get it. WT lists most of their lathes as out of stock,which isn't very helpful. I went to their Charlotte,N.C. store. Not too impressed with the few lathes they had there at the time(1980's). This one looks nicer.
 
George,

From my understanding, the "Sharp" brand of the HLV is pretty good. Sharp has cleaned-up their act and those units are Taiwanese and re-badged under many different names. It's the predominant one out there now. I'd like to get info about the "Eisen" version as it's not the same re-badged unit. Anyhow for any of the new versions the replacement parts are probably not going to work. I have some inside help finding this information out so if you tell me what gears/parts you want, I stand a chance at finding-out if they'll work with new factory parts. Don't get your hope up too high though.


Ray



jumps4: I had a Taiwan made Jet 1024 very similar to the one in your picture. It was the first DECENT lathe I had. I am sorry I still don't have it. It was a belt drive lathe(those are getting harder to find in a larger size lathe). The belt drive made beautiful,smooth finishes that a gear head just won't do unless you have a very expensive older machine,liker a Dean,Smith and Grace. I liked the thread range,too. If I had one again,the first thing I'd do would be to change the messy black rubber belts (that get your fingers black!) for a red link belt. Then,changing speeds would be a neater job.

I have a Hardinge HLVH,but it does have a more limited thread range. 11 is the coarsest thread,unless you start bypassing the gearbox and using the outside gear capability. The extra gears cost a fortune,though.You CAN cut any thread you want if you buy the gears @$500.00 a pair.

I wonder if the Chinese version of my Taiwan lathe would be equal to it. If it was,I'd really like to get it. WT lists most of their lathes as out of stock,which isn't very helpful. I went to their Charlotte,N.C. store. Not too impressed with the few lathes they had there at the time(1980's). This one looks nicer.
 
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