Any user feedback about recent experiences with the Precision Matthews PM-1022V lathe?

[SouthernChap]

Something I really have come to appreciate from Mr Pete's videos is (for the most part) he doesn't crap on machines and he seems to have a "show me" attitude, meaning he is willing to try something so he can form an opinion. Now there are machines and tools he has put down, but that is usually because they are right in front of him displaying their glorious badness.

He didn't approach the Unimat from the point of this thing is a joke compared to my Clausing, he made a real effort to see what the little thing can do. Same with the little ManSon. That is content that could allow somebody new to machining, who is considering a Unimat to watch and come away with "wow, that will not work for me", or "man that thing would be perfect".

He seems to be honestly amused by the 618 being a miniature version of his 12" Craftsman seen through his frequent comparisons of the parts.

He's a brilliant and natural born teacher and despite his age (and constant moaning about views and being 'shadow banned' by YouTube) he can't seem to help himself, he has to teach.

 

[cneuor]

Even with a 10” lathe I’d recommend 3/8” tooling: blanks cost less and there’s less to grind away.

With regard to those sets that Accusize (and others, including LMS) sell, I don’t like them because they have some funky profiles using forged blanks and other than for grooving a regular cut off blade in a specific holder is better.

Even though only 1/4”, this set would be better as a starting set since you get finished ground bits plus a set of blanks to learn how to grind your own. Plus the profiles are basic ones, making it easier to develop your skills:

View attachment 504849

@Aaron_W finished his post while I was digging out details; I fully agree with him

Oh, that's great! Thank you so much, @ChazzC , @Aaron_W

 

[braddr]

One thing that I think is worth noting is that there's the general viewpoint that older is better. IMHO, that's based on the general trend that older is bigger, and thus more solidly built. It's the mass much more than the age that's triggering the perception of better. I have the PM 1030, personally, but haven't used it enough to give much of a review (positive or negative).

 

[SouthernChap]

One thing that I think is worth noting is that there's the general viewpoint that older is better. IMHO, that's based on the general trend that older is bigger, and thus more solidly built. It's the mass much more than the age that's triggering the perception of better. I have the PM 1030, personally, but haven't used it enough to give much of a review (positive or negative).

That's probably partially true but more importantly also due to the fact that there's very little in the way of quality Western manufacture of machine tools these days that hobbyists can afford.

Try finding an affordable hobbyist sized lathe that's currently in production. You're going to struggle.

Most in-production affordable hobbyist sized lathes are far eastern. The better (and more expensive but still affordable at the top end of that term) examples are made in Taiwan. The lower quality (but generally still usable after a bit of fettling/adjusting/cleanup; especially the larger hobbyist models) models tend to be Chinese.

Buying old iron tends to gets you more mass, that's true, but it also gets you a higher quality of original manufacture and can save you a fair chunk of money. Especially, if, as is often the case, there's tooling as part of the deal.

Obviously though, there is the issue of wear and abuse. That's something that an experienced lathe user will be able to spot and thus avoid. For a beginner, often with no 'tame experienced lathe user' by their side to help them spot any issues, that can be a problem. Eh, that's secondhand buying for you though.

 

[Red96]

1022/1030 owner and user here.


To answer your specific questions..

• I've never had any issues with the cross slide movement. Mine is smooth and true, once cleaned and deburred. It did need the cross slide nut adjusted for backlash, but that was all.
• Regarding accuracy of the spindle tachometer. How much do we really depend on tach accuracy? We set speed by ear and how the material is reacting, not some specific "gotta be exactly 513 RPM" number, so is 'accuracy' really a relevant concern? I had issues with the speed control potentiometer, but easily corrected. See comments farther below. Was more of a issue with speed being irregular, not regarding tach accuracy.
• Not enough power at high RPM's? I have and use some HSS tools occasionally, but mainly I do my lathe work using inexpensive carbide insert tooling. No issues there at all with anything I've tried to do yet. My carbides cut just fine in the speed ranges available.
• To get to the higher RPM range you just have to move the belt from one set of pulley grooves to another. Takes less than 1 minute. Spindle speed is controlled by one of two belt positions and the adjustable DC motor, period. Change gears only need be rearranged for threading, as they affect only the lead screw speed, NOT the spindle speed.
• None of these concerns reflect what I've personally experienced using this machine. Hopefully you'll get some more actual 1022/1030 users to provide more of their respective experiences. I'm sure some have had different experiences with their 1022/1030 than I have.

Actual weak parts of the machine that I've experienced with my 1022/1030.

• As with all of the Chinese made machines, plan for time to do some disassembly, cleanup, deburring and general fettling of assemblies when you get the machine. They don't clean out the machining debris at the factory and use inferior lubricants. Once you clean, deburr and oil, everything starts to move smoothly.
• The compound slide is terrible as delivered. I rebuilt mine, re-making some of the parts and adding some bushings and bearings to smooth out the movement. Happy to expand on what I did; feel free to shoot me a private message if you wish to hear more.
• I do wish that I had popped for the 2-axis DRO, and will be adding one soon. Also will be making a makeshift DRO for the tailstock quill.
• Tailstock is a bit on the wimpy side. Could use more travel in the quill, and is lacking in rigidity which manifests when trying to drill holes >.500".
• Apron assembly on mine leaked oil really badly, as did the lead screw transmission box. Both were removed and resolved with some cleaning and resealing with RTV. Hasn't leaked a drop since.
• Speed adjustment potentiometer contacts get carboned up after time, and the speed with jump around a bit. Resolved by just moving the knob back and forth through its range a few times with the motor off; this cleans up the contacts inside and it goes back to working normally again. I have a good quality replacement pot for when it finally poops the bed.

Recommendations.

• Do plan for disassembly, cleaning and deburring. This sounds tedious, but I found it strangely satisfying. Learned a lot about the machine too.
• Do purchase 1 or 2 of the spare back plates that P-M offers with your machine (Lately these seem to be on perpetual back-order, but you will need them eventually)
• Do buy the DRO if it's within your budget restraints. I got the P-M DRO on my mill (PM-30) and it is wonderful. Will be adding one to my lathe soon.
• Do plan to buy / make / adapt an ER collet chuck. They are very versatile. I went with ER40. Recommend a metric collet set - many threads on here explain why metric over imperial. You'll need one of the above-mentioned P-M backing plates for this.
• If within your budget and space requirements, you might want to consider the 1030 over the 1022. Same machine in every way, just ~7" longer ways. That extra real estate is great to get the tailstock more out of your way when doing operations. A center or drill into your elbow really sucks.
• Change gears do suck. No dancing around that. You'll need to do some fitting of the change gears to their mounting hubs as the gear bores are too tight out of the box. I find I can thread using dies for 95% of what I do, thankfully, so rarely need to mess with these.
• Do plan to do some fiddling with the compound slide to get smooth action for when you need it - and plan to make a solid tool post mount to use the other 95% of the time. I spent a lot of time fixing my compound, and I don't think I've used it more than a couple times since making my solid tool post mount a year ago.

 

[cneuor]

@Red96 Thank you so much! I'll take you up on your offer to help, and I’ve just sent you a PM.

 

[Winegrower]

Considering a 10x22 lathe, I'm fine with the 10, but the 22 is just too short. You will have a part, say a 12" shaft that you want to drill and thread the end, but you need a chuck and a drill, and perhaps a long reamer, or a tap and a tap guide held in the chuck. Things get very crowded fast.

I had a Logan 10" for many years and almost never needed a larger swing, and with as I recall maybe a 36" bed or more, it was plenty long enough.

 

[Red96]

PM offers a PM-1030V, which is the exact same machine as the 1022 in every way except for ~7" longer ways. IIRC, it was only another $100 over the 1022. That is what I have, and I do appreciate the added Z axis length. You only need to impale your elbow onto a center or drill bit in the tailstock once to see the light.

Understood that not everyone has the room though. But if you do, it seems a no-brainer.