# Question For You 1340gt Owners



## jbolt (Feb 24, 2016)

For those of you that got the preferred package do feel it was worth the extra cost? 

Is the quality of the chucks that much better than the standard Chinese stuff? How does it compare to a Bison or a Buck?

Jay


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## wrmiller (Feb 24, 2016)

When I bought my 1340GT I received one of the last of the old Preferred Packages, and was not impressed. I recently received one of the new 4-jaw chucks from the new Taiwan package and am quite satisfied with the quality of that chuck. Nice step up from the old package IMO.

I didn't get the upgraded 3-jaw as I had already bought a Pratt Burnerd 8" set-tru to replace the 6" that came with the lathe (I'll use that chuck on my rotary table).

I don't have it on the lathe, but here's a couple of pics from when I was unboxing it.











Someone on here reported that when they installed the new 4-jaw that they had zero run-out on the body. Not too shabby.


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## mksj (Feb 25, 2016)

New chucks are much better than the generic Chinese ones, tolerances are the same as the Bison or Gator. I also have the new 8" 4J  that Bill has, and it is comparable to my Bison chucks in tolerance/performance and finish. When you consider that a 4J Bison D1-4 will cost close to the same as the whole preferred package, I would say that the preferred package  is worth the additional expense if you do not have chucks.  Some of us use a Set-Tru type of scroll chuck, you can dial them down a little closer on the repeat TIR when not using an independent type, they will cost about the same as the whole preferred package. If that is something you are interested in QMT does sell the Bison Set-Tru chucks. The actual TIR of a standard scroll is probably 0.002" or better, Set-Tru is ~0.0004", a 4J independent can be dialed in to probably 0.0001" (just takes longer). 

I would say, that the new preferred package is significantly better than the previous package, I would not even consider a generic Chinese chuck on this (or most) quality of lathe. Had them, they where either returned or sit in their boxes. The Gator chucks supposedly are direct copies of the Bison, installed one of their D1-4 back plates on a Bison chuck the other day, very nice finish and tolerance at 1/2 the price of the Bison version. Bill and I have the PBA scroll 3J Set-Tru type chucks, very high quality units . They are available through Grizzly, but are about 10% more than the Bison version . Ajax Industries also has a wide assortment of chucks with very good pricing.
Mark


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## jbolt (Feb 25, 2016)

Thanks guys. I'm about to pull the trigger on a PM-1440GT in the next few days. (deciding on new equipment is not easy!)

I already have 6" import Set-tru chuck that is actually pretty decent. I think it is a Bison copy. It may not have the fit and finish of a higher quality but it repeats extremely well.  If I get this lathe I will be getting a high quality 8" Set-tru type chuck so I'm not sure I need a standard 3-jaw. I will also put a new back-plate on my 6" set-tru. My Chinese standard 3-jaw was 0.0015" from day one so 0.002" does not seem any better. I rarely use the standard 3-jaw anymore. I have never worked with a high(er) quality 4-jaw so I don't know what the difference might be. The Chinese 8" 4-jaw I have has never been a problem to dial in though I did end up regrinding the jaws to be perfectly axial. 

The other items in the preferred package are a live center and 1/2" drill chuck (which I already have high quality versions of),  a halogen light and micrometer stop. I may have answered my own question. Decisions decisions.....

Jay


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## wrmiller (Feb 25, 2016)

You sound like me...  

I too was intending to purchasing a quality 3-jaw set-tru, so I wasn't concerned about the quality of the 3-jaw. I bought the rather pricey (for me) Pratt 8" set-tru and can set it to where I can't see the needle move on a .001" DTI. And repeatability was so good I forgot what it was.  

If within your means, the Pratt (PBA) chuck is the best I've seen outside of a high-end commercial shop.


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## wrmiller (Feb 25, 2016)

duplicate


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## sanddan (Feb 25, 2016)

The 3 jaw chuck is nice but it is not a direct mount (requires an adapter plate) as the 4 jaw is. Mine has about .0025" runout as delivered, I haven't had a chance to mess with it to see if I can improve that. I think for the cost it should have been better than that but re-machining the adapter plate (or just a new one) should fix that. There are also some tweaks you can do to improve the stiffness of the sheetmetal stand, much easier to do up front before mounting the lathe on the stand. Most people have not had an issue but a few have so just something to be aware of.


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## jbolt (Feb 25, 2016)

mksj said:


> New chucks are much better than the generic Chinese ones, tolerances are the same as the Bison or Gator. I also have the new 8" 4J  that Bill has, and it is comparable to my Bison chucks in tolerance/performance and finish. When you consider that a 4J Bison D1-4 will cost close to the same as the whole preferred package, I would say that the preferred package  is worth the additional expense if you do not have chucks.  Some of us use a Set-Tru type of scroll chuck, you can dial them down a little closer on the repeat TIR when not using an independent type, they will cost about the same as the whole preferred package. If that is something you are interested in QMT does sell the Bison Set-Tru chucks. The actual TIR of a standard scroll is probably 0.002" or better, Set-Tru is ~0.0004", a 4J independent can be dialed in to probably 0.0001" (just takes longer).
> 
> I would say, that the new preferred package is significantly better than the previous package, I would not even consider a generic Chinese chuck on this (or most) quality of lathe. Had them, they where either returned or sit in their boxes. The Gator chucks supposedly are direct copies of the Bison, installed one of their D1-4 back plates on a Bison chuck the other day, very nice finish and tolerance at 1/2 the price of the Bison version. Bill and I have the PBA scroll 3J Set-Tru type chucks, very high quality units . They are available through Grizzly, but are about 10% more than the Bison version . Ajax Industries also has a wide assortment of chucks with very good pricing.
> Mark



I've been hearing the Gator name thrown around lately. Don't know anything about them.


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## jbolt (Feb 25, 2016)

sanddan said:


> The 3 jaw chuck is nice but it is not a direct mount (requires an adapter plate) as the 4 jaw is. Mine has about .0025" runout as delivered, I haven't had a chance to mess with it to see if I can improve that. I think for the cost it should have been better than that but re-machining the adapter plate (or just a new one) should fix that. There are also some tweaks you can do to improve the stiffness of the sheetmetal stand, much easier to do up front before mounting the lathe on the stand. Most people have not had an issue but a few have so just something to be aware of.



All the chucks I own have had back plates. I would rather match the back plate to the lathe than take a chance on a one piece chuck.

This lathe is a slightly different animal than the 1340GT but it still has a steel stand. Matt says it is reinforced where it needs to be.


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## TomS (Feb 25, 2016)

jbolt said:


> I've been hearing the Gator name thrown around lately. Don't know anything about them.



Jay - I have a 8" Gator 4 jaw on my 12 x 36 lathe.  Very good fit and finish.  I machined my back plate from a D1-4 blank that came with my lathe.  After mounting runout was less than .001".  I'm looking to buy a 6" 3 jaw Gator to replace my made in India chuck sometime soon.

Tom S.


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## jbolt (Feb 25, 2016)

TomS said:


> Jay - I have a 8" Gator 4 jaw on my 12 x 36 lathe.  Very good fit and finish.  I machined my back plate from a D1-4 blank that came with my lathe.  After mounting runout was less than .001".  I'm looking to buy a 6" 3 jaw Gator to replace my made in India chuck sometime soon.
> 
> Tom S.



Thanks Tom, that might be an option for a new 4-jaw. The one I have will be sold with the lathe.

Where did you buy it from?


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## mksj (Feb 26, 2016)

Not quite clear on what you are looking for on chucks, size and if you are looking for a scroll or independent on the 4J. If you have chucks already, then you are not gaining anything with the preferred package. You might see what you can do on a package deal if you want something different.  Gator or Fueruda have been around for awhile, they are previous employees of Bison who formed their own company. I have read prior mixed reviews about their chucks from others in years past, but their most recent offerings seem to be very nicely machined. I did speak to the folks at Ajax Industries, they feel they are comparable to Bison and are around 30% less. I purchase my Gator backing plates from Tools4Less, but they are closing their doors.

The 4J 8" independent from QMT is a direct D1-4 mount, and probably the best bang for your buck for this type of chuck. Very nicely machined and well balanced at speed, a big issue with the cheaper generic Chinese chucks. If you are looking for a Set-Tru  scroll type chuck, then you are looking at a significant chunk of change, and there are other options I would consider. My primary 8" chuck is the Bison 4J combo which gives both scroll and independent, the scroll repeats to around 0.002-0.003, and takes about 30 seconds to tweak the jaws to get it down an order of magnitude. The combo holds stock down to about 3/16", but I use a 5C for round stock usually under 1". In the Set-Tru variety scroll 3J or 4J, probably recommend the PBA like Bill's, Bison or try out a Gator. You previously mentioned a PM1440GT, not sure if this was a typo, or a different lathe version. Matt had mentioned he was looking at possibly bringing in a larger version of the PM1340GT, would be interesting to know. Also, a number of us have converted our machines to VFD with very good results, so something to consider when ordering the machine/motor phase.


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## jbolt (Feb 26, 2016)

Not a typo. The PM1440GT is just coming out. D1-5 spindle w/2" bore, 12 speed, 52-2200 rpm, 3hp, foot brake, coolant system, pull-out chip tray. Made in Taiwan at the same factory as the 1340GT. 

My current lathe has a D1-4 so I will only be keeping the 6" 3-jaw set-tru and the 5C chucks and getting new back-plates for those. I will probably skip the preferred package and just get another 4-jaw for now. 

On your combo 4-jaw, once dialed in how well does it repeat for the same size part? How much adjustment does each jaw have independently?


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## TomS (Feb 26, 2016)

jbolt said:


> Thanks Tom, that might be an option for a new 4-jaw. The one I have will be sold with the lathe.
> 
> Where did you buy it from?



IIRC I got it from Tools 4 Cheap but that was a few years ago.  May be wrong but I think they are out of business now. 

Tom S.


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## mksj (Feb 26, 2016)

jbolt said:


> On your combo 4-jaw, once dialed in how well does it repeat for the same size part? How much adjustment does each jaw have independently?



Repeat for the same part with the combo is around 0.002-0.003, about the same as a standard scroll, but not a Set-Tru type without tweaking the independent jaws. The independent jaws ride on the scroll mechanism, adjustment range is about the same as an independent so about 3" per jaw. Axial trueness  is surprisingly accurate the best of all my chucks, under 0.001 at 6".  The Gator backing plates fit the Bison chucks (minor cutting of the registration step is required), and cost about 1/2 the price. If you need more details PM me. Firestopper also has one on his lathe, so also can provide some info.

Neat that Matt is going ahead with the 1440GT, look forward to hearing more info on it. Sounds like a beast of a machine. The ERL 1340 and 1440 are also worth looking at, I might have sprung for the ERL-1340 had I known QMT carried these at the time, but the 1340GT does everything I ask of it. I do feel that the Taiwan machines are much better built, and worth the premium pricing if you can swing it. 

Tools4cheap url is gone, so I think they have closed shop, Jeff was very knowledgeable and they carried a wide range of chucks. Ajax Industries would probably be a good alternate. Grizzly also carries some of these chucks, but Ajax would be the first to call since I feel they could provide more information and usually match pricing.


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## jbolt (Feb 26, 2016)

Well I just put a deposit on the lathe. Kind of weird doing that sight unseen. Matt does not have pictures yet  but based on the thread chart he sent me I believe it might be similar to the Eisen 1440E but with larger spindle. It has most of the features I was looking for. I would have preferred to get into a larger machine with a wider bed and one-piece base but with two kids in college and being in the middle of a remodel I had to set a limit for my budget. I considered the 1440HD but I wanted the larger spindle bore and if this ends up being the last lathe I ever have I wanted something of better quality. Hopefully that turns out to be the case.

Lathes should be here in 5 - 7 weeks. Now the pressure is on to get my old lathe cleaned up and sold and my garage rearranged for the larger machine.


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## wrmiller (Feb 26, 2016)

We of course expect a write-up with lots of pics.


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## jbolt (Feb 26, 2016)

How's this for a start?


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## wrmiller (Feb 26, 2016)




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