# 2"+ bore Hobby lathe wanted. Do they exist in 24-36"?



## Sparkynutz (Mar 5, 2022)

Jack of all trades with many years experience on big lathes, mills etc. 
I'm looking for a smallish but reasonably accurate lathe used or new. Budget is not an issue if I find the right unit.
Needs-
1. Reasonably accurate with little to no slop or taper and ability to make repeatable cuts.
I don't want to fix up a poorly made machine or worn out old one. 
2. Big-ish bore. 2" bore very minimum.
I know this is hard to find but a solid requirement. 
3. Less than 40" bed but prefer 36" or shorter if possible unless an all in one unit with mill head. 

Wants.
1. Power feed because finish looks nicer but not a deal breaker. 
2. DRO would be handy if already installed but don't want to mess with installing one myself and can deal without it if slop is reasonable. 
3. Single phase 220v power a definite plus but not required. 
4. Smaller the better. I make mostly collars, bushings and shafts out of 1-2" round stock. 
5. I don't need threading option so a machine without it may save money but not a requirement. If it has it I probably won't use it. 
6. Heavy-ish duty. No plastic gears would be nice. 

There's probably more I'm forgetting but Hopefully that help get some feedback on models that fit my wants and needs.
If you or anyone you know has a unit that fits the bill please let me know make and model so I can add it to the list to look for when shopping.
Thanks!


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## mksj (Mar 5, 2022)

I would look at the RML-1430 available through Acra, or the 1440GT or 1440TL available though QMT/PM. The RML-1430 would be a special order, but doable, you may loose some resale value with a shorter bed lathe. The RML/1440GT have 2.06" spindle bores, the TL is 2.55". Size wise the 1440GT is going to be a very short overall lathe due to a narrow headstock, you can pull the information from the sites. You can do a basic VFD install on all of these, or run them off of an RPC. The 1440TL and RML-1430 are available with factory VFD's but will run 3-4K more.  You can order any of these lathes with an installed DRO, you will want a 1 micron scale on the cross slide. QMT/PM does have a new version of he PM-1440-2SM that may also be worth looking into depending on budget, it comes with a VFD option and DRO, it has 2" spindle bore and at a very reasonable budget in today's market. If buying used you may be able to find an odd ball 2nd operations lathe.



			https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-1440gt/
		






						PM-1440TL 1640TL & 1660TL Ultra Precision Lathes – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.
					






					www.precisionmatthews.com
				





			https://www.precisionmatthews.com/shop/pm-1440-2sm/
		






						RML Series High Speed Precision Lathes - SUN MASTER CNC Lathe Supplier
					

Find quality high speed precision lathes in SUN MASTER, the RML series will be your best choice! Please contact us, the leading CNC lathe supplier.




					www.sunmaster-cnc.com
				




Victor had a 1630 model that has been discontinued, but might find something used





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## keeena (Mar 5, 2022)

Larger bore was also something I had in mind when searching for lathes a while back. Generally speaking I found you need a somewhat recent (last 20-ish years?) machine and 14" swing to get a 2"+ spindle bore. This generally means a machine with 40" between centers.

If looking new I'd be focused on Taiwanese-built lathes with good US-based support; mksj provided some good examples


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## Sparkynutz (Mar 5, 2022)

Wow! thanks for the great starting list!
RML-1430 Looks to be almost perfect. 
The only spec I'm unable to find is weight. I don't have a lift gate at my house and my small tractor is only rated at about 600lb at the pins. I've moved stuff close to 1000lb with it but barely off the ground or dragging, mostly pushing. 
Price seems reasonable for the features. Wonder if I can find a used one locally that I can check out in person before buying.


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