# Is the PM-1340GT a good choice ?



## DBlue (Mar 9, 2013)

I'm in need of a new lathe and have been looking at the PM1340GT, does anyone here have one or know anything about it ?

Thanks for any info about it....

Don


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## Ray C (Mar 9, 2013)

Yes, it's a fine machine.  It's made in Taiwan at the same place as some other big name equipment (of a higher order than South Bend).  The production line is high end.  It's a little more expensive than most people want to spend but attention to detail is outstanding and most folks go for other models which are also quite good.

Ray






DBlue said:


> I'm in need of a new lathe and have been looking at the PM1340GT, does anyone here have one or know anything about it ?
> 
> Thanks for any info about it....
> 
> Don


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## Ray C (Mar 9, 2013)

BTW:  That particular style of lathe is pretty common.  The beds and gearboxes from one brand to the next are very similar if not identical.  The difference is the components that go into them and the quality control of the production line.  The bearings are top notch (and very expensive).  All the steel components are properly stress relieved and treated where necessary.  The ground surfaces are properly checked and the heat treating of the ways is more thorough.   Higher precision on the leadscrews and heavier gauge metal in the spindle etc... The underside scraping is much higher quality and all the larger gears are checked for balance.  Slip-clutch on feed rod...  These are the kinds of things that Matt arranges for on his machines and it's one of the reasons they're harder to get -because they can't crank them out as fast and they have to "batch-up" his jobs to only a few times a year...  That particular model is usually sold-out fast -not purchased by hobbyists but, tool shops.

Lot's of folks see a similar style lathe and think they're all created equal.  -Not so.  The places that pump-out lathes in droves do not have the same subtle differences.  Does it make a difference?  Sometimes.  All of them cut well ...not all of them will last as long.  Some lathes of the same style just "feel better" than others...

Before I purchased my 1236, I was going to buy that same version but, in all honesty, it would be wasted on me.  I didn't need the extra bed length and since I pamper my equipment, felt the 1236 would suit all my needs -and it does.

Anyhow, that the general story about that lathe... It's a cut above.  Other than that, it's just a 1340 manual lathe.

Ray


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## DBlue (Mar 9, 2013)

Thanks very much Ray for the info...it's probably more lathe than I need, but I would rather pay a little more up front and hopefully get a bit better quality that will last...

Thanks again...


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## borris (Mar 16, 2013)

Dear Member:

After viewing the PM1340GT, I came to the same conclusions as described above and decided to purchase.  Matt showed me one in a box crate and I was sold after comparing side by side with a standard lathe. 

Steve


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## Ray C (Mar 17, 2013)

Good luck Steve and I hope you enjoy it.  Please tell us how it goes when you get it.  Did you order it with any fancy trimmings like DRO etc?


Ray



borris said:


> Dear Member:
> 
> After viewing the PM1340GT, I came to the same conclusions as described above and decided to purchase.  Matt showed me one in a box crate and I was sold after comparing side by side with a standard lathe.
> 
> Steve


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## borris (Mar 17, 2013)

Ray:

Thanks and will do.  I ordered the machine as a standard manual lathe with cooling, and the other basic manual add ons.  Nothing fancy.  It is a little scary to see how far Taiwan has advanced in their quality with China not far behind.  I own an older Chinese 3 in 1 machine "Shoptask" and this is not even close to the modern Asian machines.  Now I could only wish that we were building these in America. 

Hope you find the right machine to fit your needs also.

Have a great week. 

Steve



Ray C said:


> Good luck Steve and I hope you enjoy it. Please tell us how it goes when you get it. Did you order it with any fancy trimmings like DRO etc?
> 
> 
> Ray


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## Ray C (Mar 17, 2013)

Steve / All,

Same here and I too wish they were made in our Country...

The normal "Chinese" PM machines are nothing to sneeze at.  Matt goes a long way to make sure the machines are what he wants them to be and he's also trying to make sure there's a supply of darn decent machines at a price most folks can afford.   Matt's operation is small with very few staff so, he doesn't pay advertising fees, cataloges, documentation writers, etc and applies the savings to pay for more quality controls on the production line.

 I have the PM 1236 machine and honestly, I get along fine with it.  No real short comings to speak of...

Ray




borris said:


> Ray:
> 
> Thanks and will do.  I ordered the machine as a standard manual lathe with cooling, and the other basic manual add ons.  Nothing fancy.  It is a little scary to see how far Taiwan has advanced in their quality with China not far behind.  I own an older Chinese 3 in 1 machine "Shoptask" and this is not even close to the modern Asian machines.  Now I could only wish that we were building these in America.
> 
> ...


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