# Why Is G602 More Popular Than 9972?



## Investigator (Jun 21, 2016)

Just curious.   I am looking at buying, and keep hearing "bigger is better".  However, it seems there are lots more folks with the 10x22 than have the 11x26.  It seems there are more topics on mods for the 602.  So, I'm wondering why.  

What is it that makes the 'smaller' lathe more popular/better?

Put another way, why should I buy one over the other?


----------



## dlane (Jun 21, 2016)

What's a 9972, mabey the 602 needs more help, could be space limitations?.


----------



## Investigator (Jun 21, 2016)

dlane said:


> What's a 9972, mabey the 602 needs more help, could be space limitations?.



http://www.grizzly.com/products/11-x-26-Bench-Lathe-w-Gearbox/G9972Z


----------



## wrmiller (Jun 21, 2016)

Bigger isn't always better if you have space or money constraints, or are just simply making small(er) parts. If I had to guess, I'd say the extra length of the 11x26 might make it more cumbersome for those with smaller shops, but that's just a guess.


----------



## bosephus (Jun 21, 2016)

I went with the g0602 simply because it cuts more threads


----------



## Investigator (Jun 21, 2016)

bosephus said:


> I went with the g0602 simply because it cuts more threads



What do you make that needs the extra thread options?  Just curious to see what I haven't thought of.  What threads do you cut that aren't available with the 11x26?


----------



## Takingblame (Jun 21, 2016)

Gearbox vs change gears. And it's reflected in the price. That extra 300$ is for the gearbox. 


Edit: personally change gears are just fine. I rarely manually cut threads so taking the time to change the gears doesn't bother me. So I would rather deal with change gears than pay an extra 300$ for something I would use maybe 5% of the time.


----------



## Investigator (Jun 21, 2016)

Takingblame said:


> Gearbox vs change gears. And it's reflected in the price. That extra 300$ is for the gearbox.



OK, I'm going to show my ignorance.  I thought they both had change gears for the lead screw and that you move the belt to different positions on the pulleys to change spindle speed.  

What have I misunderstood?


----------



## bosephus (Jun 22, 2016)

You are correct on the gear box and belt changes for spindle speed .

And as to the threading ....   I can't say that I have cut any threads yet that aren't available on the bigger lathe .
But being able to was more important to me then the few extra inches in bed lenght .


----------



## Baithog (Jun 22, 2016)

I have the 602. It was not my first choice, but it was the best I could afford. The 11X26 has a little more capacity, but not a lot. If you need the length and diameter increase, then the negatives don't matter. I prefer the threading versatility to the increase in capacity. I may never need all those threads, but its a mess if you ever do. The machines are essentially the same design. The increased weight is from the capacity difference rather than some increased beefiness in the design. Be aware that neither lathe has a reverse tumble and will not turn left handed threads without modifications. They both also have the 2 bolt compound hold down plate, which some heavy turners feel is a deficiency.


----------



## Whyemier (Jun 22, 2016)

The 'mods' on the 9972 (and I assume the 602) are not that difficult, to get the reverse feed and ability to thread left hand.  The fact you have to make them says something though.  Still the G9972 is a good little lathe, can't really complain.


----------



## RJSakowski (Jun 22, 2016)

At work, we bought a Grizzly G4000 and I was impressed with the quality for the cost.  I had also had good customer service response from Grizzly.  The G602 was a step up in size and would meet most of my needs at a reasonable cost.  

One of the first things that I did on the G4000 was to beef up the compound clamp.  When I got my G602, it was also high on my list.  My current clamp is a 6 bolt design with 3 additional bolts on the dial plate as well.  This provides a very rigid clamping system.  Other mods that I made were adding a reverse tumbler, a spindle work stop, a carriage stop, and 3 axis DRO.  With these mods, I am quite happy with the lathe.

The one exception is the belt drive system.  For high speed operation the, the motor drives the spindle directly via a 3L belt.  For low speed operation, the motor drives a gear belt to an intermediate pulley and from there through 3L belt to the spindle.  From a drive torque perspective, this is bass ackwards!  The result is that there is a lack of available drive torque when doing heavy turning at low speed.  Unfortunately, I don't see a solution other than a complete redo of the drive train.

The 10" swing is actually 9-3/4", as I found out recently.  I also ran into the torque limitation cutting a 7" diameter in what was essentially a trepanning operation.  Heavier feeds would result in frequent stalls so a light feed had to be used.


----------



## Investigator (Jun 22, 2016)

Whyemier said:


> The 'mods' on the 9972 (and I assume the 602) are not that difficult, to get the reverse feed and ability to thread left hand.  The fact you have to make them says something though.  Still the G9972 is a good little lathe, can't really complain.



I assume then that you have a 9972, correct?  How do you like it?  Would you buy it again?


----------



## Fabrickator (Jun 22, 2016)

RJSakowski said:


> At work, we bought a Grizzly G4000 and I was impressed with the quality for the cost.  I had also had good customer service response from Grizzly.  The G602 was a step up in size and would meet most of my needs at a reasonable cost.
> 
> One of the first things that I did on the G4000 was to beef up the compound clamp.  When I got my G602, it was also high on my list.  My current clamp is a 6 bolt design with 3 additional bolts on the dial plate as well.  This provides a very rigid clamping system.  Other mods that I made were adding a reverse tumbler, a spindle work stop, a carriage stop, and 3 axis DRO.  With these mods, I am quite happy with the lathe.
> 
> ...


----------



## Fabrickator (Jun 22, 2016)

Oops, but what RJ said.  But I bought my G602 mainly due to space constraints rather than price.  I bought the largest lathe that would fit my limited space.  I did all of the mods and I like it a lot.  I also made a low speed drive conversion system for those times when I may need it, but also for the challenge. I've been using mine almost daily for the past 4 years now with no problems, except for a cracked oil level window that started leaking.  Here's my G0602 story when I began posting in another forum.

http://www.projectsinmetal.com/forum/general-discussion/diary-of-a-new-g0602/


----------



## johnlesar (Jun 22, 2016)

I have a 9972z. One feature I preferred was a separate carriage feed. It doesn't use the half nuts. I think the 602 uses the half nuts for the feed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Baithog (Jun 22, 2016)

Lots/most owners end up doing the modifications RJ did. They are great lathes for the money, but need some minor improvements. I did a single project that combined an auto stop, reverse tumbler, and a clutch that allows changing feed direction on the fly. The project was in 'The Home Shop Machinist' and in 2 threads here. http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/threading-at-400-rpm.20196/

http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/threading-at-400-rpm.20196/

and http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...the-400-rpm-threading-for-a-g0602-plan.32482/

Turning to a shoulder and high speed threading is pretty darned nice. A more advanced project, but well worth the effort.


----------



## Whyemier (Jun 22, 2016)

> I assume then that you have a 9972, correct?  How do you like it?  Would you buy it again?



Yes I have a G9972, its an older one I picked up down south of here a year or two ago (before that was using the SB9C). It's about 16years old.  Doesn't have quick change gears and none of the knobs and levers the newer ones have. But I like it and given circumstance I'd buy it again.  Small enough for the room I have and big enough for turning moderately big pieces.
Mine was used so I don't know how the price compares to the new lathes.













SANY0003



__ Whyemier
__ Jun 5, 2016


----------

