Curious how folks would rank lathes in terms of desirability. I know that is a loaded question so here is what I'm looking for. Give me your top 3-4 lathes in terms of quality etc.. I have a small SB, but would like to get a bigger (floor model) lathe as a project. I have been looking at some SB 16in lathes, my brother tells me if I'm going to do it go big - ie. Hendey (and when I say big I'm not saying size but quality). So give me your top/desirable old lathes. Thanks
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Best Vintage Lathes
- Thread starter mwill135
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OOh this could be a long thread- there are lots of good big old lathes. Depends on your requirements for "good" and "old"
Lodge and Shipley, LeBlond, Bradford come to mind
-Mark
Lodge and Shipley, LeBlond, Bradford come to mind
-Mark
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- Sep 25, 2014
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Availability would be the #1 consideration. If it is not available - then it really does not matter how wonderful a machine it is. Of course, for a price pretty well anything you can imagine is available any time you want it (but when lots of $$$ is needed, then it is not really a factor here on HM). There are many nice import machines (European, Japan, Tiawan etc). My suggestion is that you don't sweat the brand name.
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I'm glad to see my Clausing Colchester in your top picks!!
The Monarch 10EE seems to be a very popular lathe, to me the 20-30" bed seems a bit restrictive.
The clones for the classics aren't bad either.
I'm familiar with the Cadillac which is a Korean made clone of Mori.
Also Whacheon/Hwacheon and Webb.
I got lucky when I bought my lathe.
Once you find a lathe that you think will suit your needs there are several things to look for.
For example, spindle bearings on my lathe would be over $3,000 and I would have to replace them myself. I'm not comfortable doing that.
There are so many other things to check before you lay down the cash.
Sourcing, inspecting and moving a lathe is an exciting event.
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- Apr 23, 2018
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I like machines that do metric and standard-
Nardini, SAG, TOS, Republic
Nardini, SAG, TOS, Republic
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- Jan 10, 2019
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- 1,220
Agree with the comment about availability, which translates into shipping expense. For older used lathes of the above brands, the purchase price will be $2k-$10K depending on brand and condition. But everyone ignores the potentially huge shipping expense, which will be thousands on its own.
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Personally I think you're going to find a 16" machine is a bit large for most work. They do come in handy on a rare occasion, but they are also clumsy for 90%+ of the work. I used 16" LeBlond machine on and off for years at work, however most work was done on the 13" one sitting next to it. Keep in mind that larger machines generally turn slower than the smaller ones. It's not often you want a 16" diameter hunk of steel turning at 2,000+ rpm.
I would look for something in the 13" range. There are a lot of good machines in that category, and they're less expensive to purchase, tool up and maintain. You might want to add Sheldon to your list The R series machines (in my opinion) are every bit as capable as any top end LeBlond or Monarch.
Personally I have a Sheldon MW-56-P and have been more than satisfied with it. I found it in Chicago through a member on another board. The machine itself was completely rebuilt, including grinding the bed and cross slide. I did put about $200.00 into it after I had it about a year to rebuild the unique drive system. The drive is a Worthington AllSpeed which is similar to a reeves drive. The speed changes are accomplished by a fast and slow button (2 lower buttons on the control station) that control a gear motor that opens and closes the variable sheaves. Speeds can be changed on the fly with a mere push of a button.
The price was right and the quality of the machine is excellent. I have less than $3,000.00 into in including the drive upgrade and tooling. It came with 2, 3 jaw chucks, a 4 jaw chuck, a 5C collet system, a BXA quick change tool post, a steady rest, a follow rest, a face plate, a couple live centers, a couple drill chucks, and other assorted goodies.
Here's a picture of it as it sits in my shop today:
I would look for something in the 13" range. There are a lot of good machines in that category, and they're less expensive to purchase, tool up and maintain. You might want to add Sheldon to your list The R series machines (in my opinion) are every bit as capable as any top end LeBlond or Monarch.
Personally I have a Sheldon MW-56-P and have been more than satisfied with it. I found it in Chicago through a member on another board. The machine itself was completely rebuilt, including grinding the bed and cross slide. I did put about $200.00 into it after I had it about a year to rebuild the unique drive system. The drive is a Worthington AllSpeed which is similar to a reeves drive. The speed changes are accomplished by a fast and slow button (2 lower buttons on the control station) that control a gear motor that opens and closes the variable sheaves. Speeds can be changed on the fly with a mere push of a button.
The price was right and the quality of the machine is excellent. I have less than $3,000.00 into in including the drive upgrade and tooling. It came with 2, 3 jaw chucks, a 4 jaw chuck, a 5C collet system, a BXA quick change tool post, a steady rest, a follow rest, a face plate, a couple live centers, a couple drill chucks, and other assorted goodies.
Here's a picture of it as it sits in my shop today: