# PM1440 GT , What out there is comparable ?



## Subwayrocket (Jan 20, 2017)

I've been thinking about the PM1440 GT , doing something maybe by spring ... 
Anything else out there that is comparable  ? 
Having owned a chinese mill and now a Taiwan pm935 mill , seeing the difference in tolerance, quality, fit/finish , i'm kind of sold on the "made in Taiwan" thing .   
Wondering what are the direct competitors of the PM1440GT , lathe that are similar dimensions, 
features, price ?
Thanks much , Steve


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## mksj (Jan 21, 2017)

In that price range, I think the closet comparison would be the Eisen 1440 lathes. https://eisenm.com/collections/engine-lathes  Grizzly: http://www.grizzly.com/products/Heavy-13-13-x-30-Gearhead-Lathe/SB1049
Some are a bit more heavy duty (EV and GE versions), but the PM1440GT has the larger spindle bore and probably better chucks. I do not think one is better than another, they all are very good and can do very precise work. There are the ERL-1340GT and the Grizzly version, both made in Taiwan, there are other variants but you are pushing into the 10K+ price range and these have smaller spindle bores Looking at some of the work other have done on their 1440GT (like Jbolt), it is not the lathes fault if it doesn't turn out correctly.

I had a Chinese bench top mill, and now have a Taiwanese (Acra/Sharp) full size knee mill, You are not even in the same ball park. Everything is just sooo much better made and more accurate. The PM935 is a manageable size, otherwise consider a full size machine if you need the extra capacity.  Everyone is different as to needs and budget. I started out with a bench top because that fit my needs and budget at the time. After a couple of years I out grew it's capacities and with some of my work revenue, I upgraded to the bigger knee and a 1340GT. I would go Taiwanese if your budget allows, at about a 25% higher cost, over the long hall you will appreciate the better made machine. Also you have to consider the vendor and support, this is becoming a big problem in a lot of industries, lots of positive buying experiences through QMT. Other vendors, at least from a few people, not so happy if they had a problem.


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## BGHansen (Jan 21, 2017)

I have a Grizzly G0709 14 x 40 and am very happy with it.  It has a 1 9/16" spindle bore with a D1-5 spindle.  Not that it's an everyday operation, but the universal gear box is nice if switching between English and metric threads.  A lot of lathes require you to change up the gears on the quadrant to go between English and metric.  On the G0709 the swapping is done with one knob on the QCGB.  I don't do a lot of single point threading, but have had projects where I went back/forth between the two systems, was nice to change over with the turn of a knob. 

In the grand scheme of things, that's a pretty minor feature.  The basic quality of the machine regarding the motor, smoothness of operating the carriage, etc. outweigh the advantage of the universal QCGB.  That being said, been very happy with my Grizzly, no issues in 1 1/2 years of ownership.  

Bruce


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## Subwayrocket (Jan 21, 2017)

Thanks guys, I appreciate any input while im in the looking process.


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## jbolt (Jan 21, 2017)

The Eison 1440 lathes of similar specs are made in the same factory as the 1440GT. The difference of the 1440GT is the head stock was specially made to QMT's specs to have a 2" bore and D1-5 spindle. It is my understanding that the steel stand is also custom spec for QMT. The 1440GT is unique in it's class for a Taiwan made lathe in that regard.

I think the G0709 & G0509G are a lot of lathe for the cost as the base price is low and they include a lot of accessories. The QCGB is also a big plus. I have not had the opportunity to see a G0709 but I have fiddled with a G0509G and was impressed with what you get for the cost so it was on my list. 

3 phase / 3 HP was my limit due to power limitations and physical room. Another consideration about going larger than the 1440 size is everything gets bigger, chucks tooling etc. An 8" chuck is about all I want to handle without a lift.

The "heavy duty" 1440's will have longer head stocks with 3 bearings, wider ways, quick change gear boxes, sometimes more HP and more substantial bases. The QMT 1440-HD is similarly priced as the 1440-GT and offers some good value for a Chinese made lathe.

The negatives for me on the 1440-GT at the time I was looking were the change gears for threading, the 7" bed width and the steel stand. Having now put several hundred hours of use on the lathe the concerns of rigidity for the work I do have been put to rest. I have done a lot of single point threading and for the most common imperial and metric threads only two gears are used and it only takes a few minutes to swap over.

The positives that eventually swayed my decision were, made in Taiwan,  high quality bed castings, D1-5 spindle (IMHO a substantial improvement over the D1-4), 2" spindle bore (I would now go nuts not having this), the pull out chip tray, foot brake and QMT customer service. 

There are some minor things that could be improved: 

1. Move the access for the coolant pump/tray to the outside of the stand vs inside which can only be accessed from the back. 

2. Re-design the chip tray coolant drain outlet location to allow more extension of the chip tray.

3. Move the cross slide gib to the spindle side so the lock screw can be accessible with a DRO scale installed flush.

4. Make the stand 4" taller. Even my 5'5" daughter thought it was too low before I raised it.

5. Make the motor mount similar to the 1340-GT for adjustibility & service.

6. Hinge the gear cover to make gear changes quicker. (not a big deal but when I do metric threads I find myself leaving the cover off because I will be changing back after I'm done threading)


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## pstemari (Jan 21, 2017)

I'm super-happy with the ERL-1340 I bought from Matt.  Rock solid and no fussing around. The only time you need to touch a gear is when cutting worms. Everything else is done through the levers on the gear box.


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## Subwayrocket (Jan 23, 2017)

The G0709 and 0824 looks like good deals and nice machines . Also near the top of my list is "service after the sale" .
I've heard good things about Grizzly support over the phone


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## jbolt (Jan 23, 2017)

You may or may not find this useful. I did a spread sheet to try and evaluate the full cost of each machine I was considering or was similar in class including standard and optional accessories. I didn't include some other vendors like Eisen , Acer etc. because my phone conversations with the sales people didn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling about after sales support or I couldn't get detailed specifications. It may be unfounded but that was my impression.


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## mksj (Jan 23, 2017)

jbolt said:


> other vendors like Eisen , Acer etc. because my phone conversations with the sales people didn't leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling about after sales support or I couldn't get detailed specifications


Had the same experience, and delayed my lathe purchase until I spoke to QMT. Although it took them 2+ weeks to get back to me after I sent some email requests (this was several years a go).  There are quite a few times I wish I had a larger spindle bore then the 1340GT, and I personally would prefer an enclosed gearbox, with minimal or no change gears. The other features between machines in this class are close. JBOLT nice comparison, a lot of work went into putting that together, I also did a similar comparison with my 1340GT, did include the Eisen and Kent lathes that I was looking at. 
Mark


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## Subwayrocket (Jan 23, 2017)

jbolt said:


> You may or may not find this useful. I did a spread sheet to try and evaluate the full cost of each machine I was considering or was similar in class including standard and optional accessories..





mksj said:


> I also did a similar comparison with my 1340GT, did include the Eisen and Kent lathes that I was looking at.
> Mark


  I hear you on the support , time frame for response, etc . I think at a bare minimum that if someone spends $5K to $10K on a machine , a paid cx should be able to speak to someone about the any "hiccups" and probs that inevitably arise  with any machine, irregardless of how busy the company may be . In my profession, if someone has a problem, you CANNOT and DO NOT just leave them hanging , you can't not follow up, and we are always swamped and multitasking all the time. That would be completely unacceptable. I guess I just expect the same in my dealings with people.  

You guys have really gone out of your way to share your information. Just the time to type it all out !
Would like to thank all you that responded and helped me out with this. I appreciate it.

Thanks guys !


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## Matt P (Feb 2, 2017)

I have just taken delivery of a 3 phase 1440GT and it's everything I was hoping for. I also have a 1340 and upgraded to the 1440 for the 2" spindle which allows me to chamber 50 cal barrels through the headstock rather than in the steady.
IMO it's a great machine for the money and for my needs. There's no other machine on the market with the big bore, short headstock and the build quality.
Matt P


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