What are factors for what "class" of lathe to buy?

[mksj]

Correct, lever up is usually reverse and down is forward, but one can also reverse the feed direction at the gearbox. Pretty standard feature on full size lathes. The lever mechanism is usually notched so it locks in the stop position with a ramp from the forward/reverse positions. Some lathes it controls the motor/contactors/relays for direction, larger lathes usually use a clutch system.

 

[skcncx]

This guy is bigger than I want... but is 20 minutes away... just showed up today.

Smithy MI-1440L

Smithy Lathe - tools - by owner - sale

Please follow the instructions as I will not respond to scammers. It the listings active, do not ask if I still have it. Do not tell me you are out of town but will pay extra. Face to face...

akroncanton.craigslist.org

Never heard of Smithy... looks like they have a MI-1337L, more of the size I want. They are out of Michigan. Plus they sell Lathe/Mill combos... but, I've never been happy with multi use tools though... great idea that never pans out.

The PM-1228... is still tops at the moment... I know it's not the preferred setup, motor, electronics, weight or higher quality of the Taiwan stuff... but it just seems to fit the bill for my use the most.

 

[Ischgl99]

The Jet 1236P looks like it has a threaded spindle, you won't be able to turn with the spindle turning in the reverse direction. That is helpful for threading away from the chuck. Joe Pi has a video showing how he does it and says he rarely threads towards the chuck.

 

[Dabbler]

@skcncx There are financial benefits in the used market. In many cases there is fairly low risk, and many times the seller has already worked out the bugs, if any.

Try to get a well cared for machine. that will help a lot.

 

[Christianstark]

Where is the smithy made?

 

[skcncx]

Where is the smithy made?

It appears in China and same factory as some of the Harbor Freight combo machines.... will respond when I hear back from them directly.

Looking at reviews... it's the typical spread, some think it's great, others think it's horrible.

---EDIT---
From Smithy directly "All of our machines are designed by us but manufactured in China."

Like everything else, doesn't really tell us much.

 

[Aaron_W]

This guy is bigger than I want... but is 20 minutes away... just showed up today.

Smithy MI-1440L

Smithy Lathe - tools - by owner - sale

Please follow the instructions as I will not respond to scammers. It the listings active, do not ask if I still have it. Do not tell me you are out of town but will pay extra. Face to face...

akroncanton.craigslist.org

Never heard of Smithy... looks like they have a MI-1337L, more of the size I want. They are out of Michigan. Plus they sell Lathe/Mill combos... but, I've never been happy with multi use tools though... great idea that never pans out.

The PM-1228... is still tops at the moment... I know it's not the preferred setup, motor, electronics, weight or higher quality of the Taiwan stuff... but it just seems to fit the bill for my use the most.

Smithy is mostly known for combo lathe / mill machines but that looks like many of the common import lathes. Parts may be an issue, but I bet it shares a lot with some other import brands.

 

[Dabbler]

It looks clean and unabused. Good value considering your other alternatives... If it has any tooling, even better.

 

[skcncx]

Smithy is mostly known for combo lathe / mill machines but that looks like many of the common import lathes. Parts may be an issue, but I bet it shares a lot with some other import brands.

Yea, different but the same as the others... nothing really to differentiate in my opinion. The combo units look intriguing, but my guess is the mill attachment to the lathe is just a little more functional than the mill attachments you can put on some lathes... nobody from my impression use them much... generally, I'm not a fan of multi use/functional tools that are quite a bit different... I'd rather have a single purpose tool.

 

[skcncx]

It looks clean and unabused. Good value considering your other alternatives... If it has any tooling, even better.

It does look very clean, reached out on it and the seller's focus is more woodworking so this just sits... so a good deal to be had... I'm out of town for a bit... so, hopefully it's still available when I'm back... being so close is really nice. Otherwise, I keep coming back to the PM-1228 if nothing else pops up.