# Adjust-Tru Bison



## ddickey (Nov 23, 2019)

Looking at a really good deal on eBay for an NOS 6 jaw. Backing plate is $400!
Any suggestions?


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## Latinrascalrg1 (Nov 23, 2019)

Is that a special backing plate for your model lathe or are you talking about the adjustment portion of the chuck?


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## pstemari (Nov 23, 2019)

What size chuck are we talking about? You can't say anything about the price without knowing that.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk


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## ddickey (Nov 23, 2019)

8" chuck. 
My lathe is D1-4 mount. 
I think the adjust -tru chucks need a certain back plate. 
Was offered to me for $850. 
I didn't want to spend that much and may not. With the cost of the backing plate it is not looking very attractive.


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

Wow, their prices have really gone up! The Bison D1-4 6-1/4" Set-Tru backplate for my 6-jaw was $165. A couple of yrs ago I paid $250 for the same back plate for my 3-jaw. Now they're like $300!

I got my Bison 6-jaw & backplate from Ajax, they were cheaper even than Enco 20% sale at the time. Give Rocky a call, sometimes he can do better pricing over the phone.

KBC Tools has the 8" D1-4 Set Tru backplate for $328, 1 in stock.

You can also use a Gator backplate as they are pretty much direct copies of Bison. Not sure who carries Gator these days & their prices have gone up too but should still be cheaper than Bison. Ajax carried Gator also, got my 4-jaw from them. Not sure if the new TMX that are made in Poland will fit.

Grizzly sells thick blank adapters that can be used to machine your own Set-Tru style backplates.


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## mikey (Nov 23, 2019)

darkzero said:


> Grizzly sells thick blank adapters that can be used to *machine your own Set-Tru style backplates*.



This. There is nothing magic about a Bison back plate other than it might be prettier than the others. Once your chuck is on it, you won't even notice the difference. I have a Buck back plate that is so pretty I am loathe to machine it but I'm gonna' ...


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## mksj (Nov 23, 2019)

Gator back plates are interchangeable with Bison, I have a Gator back plate on my 4J combo Bison. My understanding is they were a direct copy, just made in China. The few Gator back plates I have checked all ran with almost unmeasurable TIR. Check their catalogue, they should give you the specs.


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

mikey said:


> This. There is nothing magic about a Bison back plate other than it might be prettier than the others. Once your chuck is on it, you won't even notice the difference. I have a Buck back plate that is so pretty I am loathe to machine it but I'm gonna' ...



Yup, these days prices are so much I'd probably just make my own like I did when I had a 5" Bison 6-jaw on my mini lathe.

The Bison Set-Tru adapters are expensive to begin with cause they are steel, fully machined, & both mating faces are blanchard ground. I bolted them right on with no truing up needed. Same when I had a Gator 3-jaw chuck with Tech-Tru backplate, it was blanchard ground on one face, not nearly as pretty as the Bison and it was cast iron but it did the job just fine. It was a decent chuck, only sold it cause my sales guy at MSC gave me a smoking deal on a Bison 3-jaw Set-Tru that I couldn't pass up.

I wonder what happened with Gator distributors. When Fuerda first came out with the Gator brand, lots of  places were carrying Gator. Now a days not so much & their prices have gone up at least 3 times since I purchased mine. Maybe the price increase has something to do with it?


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

mksj said:


> My understanding is they were a direct copy, just made in China.



I won't name any names but the VP of Operations left Bison & went to GTS/Gator. Both facilities are not too far from each other IIRC. Not saying that has something to do with it but....   

That person was great to work with too. That Gator chuck that I no longer have, when I first got it both the chuck & backplate had cosmetic issues. All Industrial didn't have anymore stock. Emailed GTS (US dist for Gator) just to see what they would say & that person replied back directly.  Without question said he would replace it free of charge but they were out of stock. Told me to just use the chuck until they got their next shipment & they kept their word.


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## ddickey (Nov 23, 2019)

Well their back plate is $280 "only" $50 less than a Bison. This is a six jaw. IDK


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

ddickey said:


> Well their back plate is $280 "only" $50 less than a Bison. This is a six jaw. IDK



The backplate for a Bison 6-jaw & 3-jaw Set-Tru is the same. However for Gator they offer their adjustable chucks in semi-steel & steel which Bison does not. For some sizes the chucks are different size, ie 6.0" (semi steel) & 6.3" (steel), not sure about their 8"/8.25" so have to pay attention to that if getting a Gator backplate but at that price doesn't make sense.

Another wow, on Gator's prices now but that's to be expected with all the tarrifs.


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## ddickey (Nov 23, 2019)

$235 on Zoro free ship. 15% off code I used a few days ago no longer works. I think it saw nov19deal.


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

ddickey said:


> $235 on Zoro free ship. 15% off code I used a few days ago no longer works. I think it saw nov19deal.



Here you can have mine, this one is tartgeted but I'm not gonna use it.


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## ddickey (Nov 23, 2019)

Thanks a bunch. I made an offer to him. If he takes it I'll buy a back plate from Zoro


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## mikey (Nov 23, 2019)

darkzero said:


> Yup, these days prices are so much I'd probably just make my own like I did when I had a 5" Bison 6-jaw on my mini lathe.
> 
> The Bison Set-Tru adapters are expensive to begin with cause they are steel, fully machined, & both mating faces are blanchard ground. I bolted them right on with no truing up needed. Same when I had a Gator 3-jaw chuck with Tech-Tru backplate, it was blanchard ground on one face, not nearly as pretty as the Bison and it was cast iron but it did the job just fine. It was a decent chuck, only sold it cause my sales guy at MSC gave me a smoking deal on a Bison 3-jaw Set-Tru that I couldn't pass up.
> 
> I wonder what happened with Gator distributors. When Fuerda first came out with the Gator brand, lots of  places were carrying Gator. Now a days not so much & their prices have gone up at least 3 times since I purchased mine. Maybe the price increase has something to do with it?



My Buck plate is steel and I think its ground, too. I will still take a pass across that face before mounting, just because.


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## darkzero (Nov 23, 2019)

ddickey said:


> Thanks a bunch. I made an offer to him. If he takes it I'll buy a back plate from Zoro



Here, even better....

20% off $200+ or 15% off $100+

WNTRCATDLZQU

Expires December 15, 2019.


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## ddickey (Nov 24, 2019)

On a side note: It looks like Rohm has stopped making six jaw chucks.


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## petertha (Nov 24, 2019)

I was looking at this recently myself. I bought a Bison 5C Set-Tru at Ajax. At the time I found their prices to be pretty competitive on new. 

The 6"-6J Gator works out to 1195 USD including D1-4 Adjust-Tru backplate




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						6" GATOR Lathe Chuck 6 Jaw TRU ADJUSTABLE + ADAPTER FORGED
					





					www.ajaxtoolsupply.com
				




The Bison 6"-6J forged Set-Tru is 1635 USD including back plate as combo




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						6 1/4" Bison 6 Jaw "SetTru" Forged Lathe Chuck + Adapter Plate
					





					www.ajaxtoolsupply.com
				



If you buy the chuck (7-868-0600) and backplate (7-875-063) separately it works out to 1294+364=1658

So that's a (1635-1195)=440 USD difference on list price basis. I bought a 5" Gator 4J & 3J specifically for my rotary table & mill setup. My opinion is that price ratio to Bison about matches the overall quality, fit & finish wise. If you can get a good deal on a Bison chuck, I wouldn't be opposed to getting a Gator Adjust-Tru backplate to save some bucks. All it has to do is fit the spindle nose well & allow for the Set-Tru to be adjusted. Then it stays put hopefully for many years. I found a few deals on Ebay but by the time I factored shipping 2 chunks of iron separately, the price gap started closing. 

I've come to the personal conclusion that chucks are critical to doing good work & should be treated as an investment. Maybe that's just my inner voice trying to justify the cost. If you only need a 6J for grip, then you can mitigate the Set-Tru & get a conventional backed 6J chuck. But if accuracy & repeat ability is a factor, then the 'adjustable' chucks are really the way to go. I lived with my plain 5C collet chuck runout for too many years. It was also Bison but also had run-out & nothing one can do about it. In hindsight I wish I ponied the extra bucks. But that's a personal decision we all make independently.

To make you feel better, its less expensive for me to buy a Bison from USA & have it shipped to me vs. buying through CDN distributor. I really don't know why, but it is what it is. If anyone does have a Gator 6J Adjust-Tru, I'd like to hear your opinion & findings but I don't want to side track this post.


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## petertha (Nov 24, 2019)

Oh, and there is also a Bison 5" dia 6J Set-Tru at lower cost if you don't need the extra inch capacity. I don't know if Gator makes a 5", didn't check.




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						5" BISON  6 Jaw  SET-TRU Chuck Forged Steel 7-868-0500
					





					www.ajaxtoolsupply.com


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## COMachinist (Nov 27, 2019)

I think Bison like a lot of things are just way over priced now. I have an 8” Bison I hardly ever use. Just don’t always need an 8” chuck much and it is just a pain the lift and heft around. My Shars zero ajust 6.25” is more accurate and will just about do anything “hobbyist needs”, and yea the chuck, D1-4 back plate cost less the the Bison back plate. Dang 1658.00 usd for a hobby chuck is a lot of good tools for other things, but if you got it spend it, you can’t take it with you. I thought with the strong USD. They would be cheeper.
Good chip making.
CH


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