# Atlas Craftsman Lathe on CR



## Steve M (Jul 23, 2013)

How much should one really pay for something like this?  I am interested in finding old bench lathes for restoration but most of themforsaleare ridiculously high $$$.  Saw an Enco/Grizzly/HF 12x36 the other day for $4000!

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/tls/3914272263.html

Steve


----------



## Richard King (Jul 23, 2013)

Steve M said:


> How much should one really pay for something like this?  I am interested in finding old bench lathes for restoration but most of themforsaleare ridiculously high $$$.  Saw an Enco/Grizzly/HF 12x36 the other day for $4000!
> 
> http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/tls/3914272263.html
> 
> Steve




The new machines usually have a quick change and can cut metric and standard American.  Most have ball bearing spindles. a Hardened bed, a warranty, customer service, etc. 
That's is an older machine and it looks like it's been cared for, but hasn't been used for a while.  I would say it is over priced as I have seen others sell for  $ 300.00 to $500.00.  Have you called the seller?  Was he the original owner?  See if he would take less.  If he is the original owner, maybe you can get him to show you how to use it if you need to know.   I had a friend show me his Atlas he bought for $800.00 a few years ago and it has a quick change and all kinds of attachments and tooling also.  At that price I don't think he will sell it.  Rich


----------



## Lance (Jul 23, 2013)

Steve M said:


> How much should one really pay for something like this?  I am interested in finding old bench lathes for restoration but most of themforsaleare ridiculously high $$$.  Saw an Enco/Grizzly/HF 12x36 the other day for $4000!
> 
> http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/tls/3914272263.html
> 
> Steve



Steve,
I live in Houston and have found most machines for sale in Texas are priced by people smoking crack. :nuts: Anything at a decent price is junk, and after refurb you will have as much as just buying a decent lathe from up north and shipping it. I looked on craigslist for over a year, and finally bought one off of fleabay and paid to ship it. Bought a 12-36 with quick change for $430 gave him another $300 for the original stand and it cost me $320 to ship from Delaware. So for $1100 I had a running lathe requiring no work, and was still under the cheapest  comparable lathe I had looked at here for $1400 with no stand. I have found most machines are up north, unless you want to purchase some old oilfield behemoth . My atlas mill came out of Indiana and it only cost $200 to ship it, so if your looking for a deal start shopping craigslist up north (searchtempest.com) and factor in  a couple hundred to ship and you'll find it's more reasonable. I use YRC freight and they are wonderful, 4 days from Delaware to Houston damage free, delivered to my doorstep.


----------



## righto88 (Jul 23, 2013)

I would also say that is a bit over priced. But I have found everything I am looking for is over priced.


----------



## Lance (Jul 23, 2013)

Steve M said:


> How much should one really pay for something like this?  I am interested in finding old bench lathes for restoration but most of themforsaleare ridiculously high $$$.  Saw an Enco/Grizzly/HF 12x36 the other day for $4000!
> 
> http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/tls/3914272263.html
> 
> Steve



In answer to your question if he would loose the 1 on the front of the price tag he would be in the ballpark. First of all look how it's mounted, on plywood, it may be  warped or twisted being mounted this way. I would have to take a good look at it and he would have to come way off of that price!!
Found a current example of a Texas "deal". http://houston.craigslist.org/tls/3950621116.html
Looks like it might still be under power if you are brave or crazy enough to try it out!!!!!:roflmao:


----------



## george wilson (Jul 23, 2013)

Being an Atlas with the old style thinner bed,and no QC box,I'd not pay more than $300.00 for it.


----------



## rafe (Jul 23, 2013)

Lance said:


> In answer to your question if he would loose the 1 on the front of the price tag he would be in the ballpark. First of all look how it's mounted, on plywood, it may be  warped or twisted being mounted this way. I would have to take a good look at it and he would have to come way off of that price!!
> Found a current example of a Texas "deal". http://houston.craigslist.org/tls/3950621116.html
> Looks like it might still be under power if you are brave or crazy enough to try it out!!!!!:roflmao:



I'd jump on that if I were close....that has plenty of life left in it ......more than $600 worth .....


----------



## macrnr (Jul 23, 2013)

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/tls/3889694768.html
This guy has been looking for a home for over a month here Albuquerque. South bends are a better machine than an Atlas in my humble opinion.


----------



## Lance (Jul 24, 2013)

rafe said:


> I'd jump on that if I were close....that has plenty of life left in it ......more than $600 worth .....



Point being $600 for the machine, $150 for a wrecker to move it, hours tearing it down, $300 at the sandblaster, $500-700 to resurface the ways, $200 at the motor rebuilder, belts bearings priimer paint etc etc, I could have bought and shipped one for less, and not had all of the work in it. Yes if you were out to make money, parting this one out on fleabay you could probably make $1000 or so, but that's a lot of work for such a small return on investment, then your still stuck with the main casting, hauling it to the scrapyard.


----------



## cjtoombs (Jul 24, 2013)

This lathe comes with a lot of accessories, don't discount that.  I've seen these Atlas/Craftsman lathes go for 500 to 600 out here (west coast) with essentially no tooling.  You will have to come up with the accessories if you want to use the lathe.  I bought an Atlas 12x36 and have been adding all the accessories, it is essentially ready to work now (3 and 4 jaw chuck, face plate, QC tool holder, MT2 &3 dead centers, MT2 live center, MT2 drill chuck, steady and follow rests).  I have about $1000 in it after putting some parts on it as well.  There's a lot of talk on this thread about the desirability of the QC threading gearbox.  That depends on what you are going to use it for.  For a hobby lathe, a change gear lathe is more versatile.  You can cut threads with it that you can't with the QC gearbox (without adding change gears to it).  It's a bit more of a pain to change feeds.  Note that those change gears that are included with that lathe normally go for over 100 on eBay.  I don't think the lathe is worth 1700, but I don't think you are going to get it given to you.


----------



## george wilson (Jul 24, 2013)

I started out with a Craftsman /Atlas 12" lathe. I am not going to denigrate the Atlas lathe,but South Bends are in an entirely higher echelon. You can do good work on an Atlas if you don't mind the time invested. It would take me several hours to make a smallish milling arbor for my #4 Burke mill. When I got my first 10x24" Jet lathe,I could accurately hog off metal,and make an arbor in a fraction of the time.

For hobbyists,time may not be important. I began making money with my lathe,though,and the time became significant. I took the money I made and re invested it into better and more machinery and tools.


----------



## Lance (Jul 26, 2013)

Here are some on the Pittsburgh craigslist. http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/3960121136.html I would pay $700 and $300- 400 to ship before I would buy the other junk previously posted.
Or this craftsman http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/3954596425.html $300 plus about $250 to ship.
Or this logan with original stand   http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/tls/3919587019.html $800 obo plus $300 to ship.
Machines are more plentiful and much cheaper up north!!


----------



## george wilson (Jul 28, 2013)

I got a Logan like that for my step father. It was an o.k. lathe. After he died I got it back,found a QC gear box(not quite the same model) got it put on anyway. It now belongs to a friend. I had no room for it. I don't think my Logan had ever been used when I got it.


----------

