Trying to decided on a benchtop lathe

[shawnwil16830]

I'm in the market for a benchtop lathe. I have limited space for a machine so it will be a smallish machine. I've been looking at the PM 1022 and the Bolton 1224. THe Bolton is the biggest machine I can fit in the space but I have some concerns about quality. The PM is a bit more money but based on reviews have an excellent reputation.
I'm still scouring the used market but have yet to find anything worth the asking price.

Any advice would be welcome.

 

[silence dogood]

I'd go for quality and customer relations.

 

[DavidR8]

The PM hands down.
There’s a bunch of PM owners here and from what I’ve heard PM supports their customers well.

 

[shawnwil16830]

The PM hands down.
There’s a bunch of PM owners here and from what I’ve heard PM supports their customers well.

Customer support is big. I guess I’ll be making a trip to Pittsburgh in the spring if I still can’t find anything on the used market.

 

[mickri]

Welcome to Hobby Machinist. Lots of really knowledgeable people on here that will help you out. Don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how simple you may think it is. Someone will have the answer for you. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you hope to make with your lathe.

What do you think you want to make with your lathe? Write out what I call a Statement of Requirements (SOR). Don't forget to include tooling. Tooling up a lathe can easily exceed the purchase price. Let your SOR guide you in your search.

When looking at used lathes search out estate sales. And be willing to travel some distance. I used searchtempest.com and searched within a 400 mile radius of my home. Ultimately I found my lathe only a couple of miles from my house. It came with just about everything in the craftsman catalog. While I paid more than I wanted to I did not have to spend big $$$$ on tooling.

PM has a good reputation. I have heard nothing good about Boltons.

 

[jaek]

The PM 1022 looks to be higher quality and has some nice features for sure like a hardened and ground bed and the separate drive key for power and cross feeds. If you have to turn something with a large diameter or do coarse-pitch threading the Bolton's geared head and low-speed power will be very helpful.

 

[matthewsx]

Hi and welcome,


I have a Bolton and your concerns are warranted. I traded for mine (had a 6" Craftsman) as a project so am willing to put up with the complete lack of support to have a much bigger lathe.

As I'm sure others will point out size is the one thing you can't add on to a lathe so if you're considering something with a 12" swing I'd recommend making absolutely sure you're not able to squeeze a 12x36 into your shop. Generally the extra swing comes with a substantial gain in rigidity and capability.

We're currently discussing how to assist folks like you concerning lathe selection so I'd encourage you to participate in that discussion as well.


John

 

[shawnwil16830]

Hi and welcome,


I have a Bolton and your concerns are warranted. I traded for mine (had a 6" Craftsman) as a project so am willing to put up with the complete lack of support to have a much bigger lathe.

As I'm sure others will point out size is the one thing you can't add on to a lathe so if you're considering something with a 12" swing I'd recommend making absolutely sure you're not able to squeeze a 12x36 into your shop. Generally the extra swing comes with a substantial gain in rigidity and capability.

We're currently discussing how to assist folks like you concerning lathe selection so I'd encourage you to participate in that discussion as well.


John

I’d love to have a 12x36 but there’s literally no way to fit that in the space allowed. The Bolton is literally biggest machine that will fit and only just. The only reason I was considering it at all was for the extra swing.
I’m not looking for a project though so.....
Too bad really. I like that gear head set up.

 

[shawnwil16830]

Welcome to Hobby Machinist. Lots of really knowledgeable people on here that will help you out. Don't be afraid to ask any question no matter how simple you may think it is. Someone will have the answer for you. Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you hope to make with your lathe.

What do you think you want to make with your lathe? Write out what I call a Statement of Requirements (SOR). Don't forget to include tooling. Tooling up a lathe can easily exceed the purchase price. Let your SOR guide you in your search.

When looking at used lathes search out estate sales. And be willing to travel some distance. I used searchtempest.com and searched within a 400 mile radius of my home. Ultimately I found my lathe only a couple of miles from my house. It came with just about everything in the craftsman catalog. While I paid more than I wanted to I did not have to spend big $$$$ on tooling.

PM has a good reputation. I have heard nothing good about Boltons.

I’m not overly concerned about tooling. My father in law is a retired machinist as well. I have access to all the tooling and machines I could want until I get my own.
That’s honestly why I haven’t been in a hurry to buy. I have access to a Bridgeport, a Decent full size import lathe as well as an older CNC mill.
I just want to be able to walk into my basement, ignore the world and cut some metal.

 

[matthewsx]

I’d love to have a 12x36 but there’s literally no way to fit that in the space allowed. The Bolton is literally biggest machine that will fit and only just. The only reason I was considering it at all was for the extra swing.
I’m not looking for a project though so.....
Too bad really. I like that gear head set up.

It sounds like you have an appreciation of what the extra swing will give you and access to good machines while you search for the best fit. Being in PA definitely gives an advantage in finding used tools. What I would do in this situation is to look at lathes.co.uk and figure out what will fit your space and budget, then start looking. Your father-in-law would be the first place I'd start since he may have friends who've retired and gotten past their home shop days.

You're at the right place to discuss needs and what machines would be best. We all love to help folks figure this stuff out and members here span the range from mini through full industrial. The PM machines have a good reputation and consensus is you won't be disappointed. But since you started out looking at a 12" lathes you might want to consider which machines would give that and fit your space....

John