Best Vintage Lathes

I love me some Mori-Swiki...
the old 10" lathe I had was too small for a lot of things I do. My 15 x 60 is good but I have NEVER needed the 60" length. It's not in the way (i like the pun) but an ideal size to me would be a 14x42 with an extra large spindle ID. I presently have 2 1/8" through but more would be much better. I find the big chucks to be great for swallowing bigger parts.
 
WOW, awesome responses. Not what I was expecting. I'm learning quite a bit. Some replies to some of the posts. Yes 16 is a bit big - I agree a nice 13 would be ideal. Surprised Hendey or Axelson didn't make the list. Also, no one spoke up for South Bend? Monarch, Leblond and Hardinge seem popular. Some names I didn't recognize - I'll have to research. One concern I have is my ability. A SB seems pretty straightforward. The Monarch seems really complicated (electrically).
 
mwill135 said:
WOW, awesome responses. Not what I was expecting. I'm learning quite a bit. Some replies to some of the posts. Yes 16 is a bit big - I agree a nice 13 would be ideal. Surprised Hendey or Axelson didn't make the list. Also, no one spoke up for South Bend? Monarch, Leblond and Hardinge seem popular. Some names I didn't recognize - I'll have to research. One concern I have is my ability. A SB seems pretty straightforward. The Monarch seems really complicated (electrically).
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sb are good just that they cant beat really good quality and south bend would be my 5 choice.
 
Hendy made excellent machines, however they are usually out of this world expensive, and as mentioned generally in the realm of unobtanium.

South Bend machines on the other hand have never been high on my list. We had a 10" in the shop and it rarely got used. It didn't have the power, rigidity, or bed length for many of the parts we made. It might have been a desirable machine under different circumstances, but for the type of work we did, you knew you were the low man in the pecking order when you got relegated to having to use the South Bend. A lot of people do seem to like them, and I think that's part of what keeps the prices up. I looked at a 13" model when I was shopping, but decided the Sheldon was a better machine for the money
 
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Chipper5783 said:
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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Chipper makes an excellent point. Any one of the brands listed here are good quality machines, but what
will matter with these older machines is availability, condition, tooling and budget. You could get lucky and find the "perfect" machine, or you could wait forever for it to turn up.
 
There is no perfect machine. With careful selection - I think you could get to "the perfect lathe" with three lathes ('er make that four - at least, but given availability constraints probably 5 lathes of different categories would be needed), . . . . Do I hear six . . . .
 
I have a South Bend 14 ½, and 2 Hendeys... a 12 and a 14.

My 12" Hendey was made in 1919... 101 years old and still runs wonderfully... I am in the process of refurbishing the 14".

My list would include Hendey, Lodge and Shipley, Monarch, Leblond, etc... not necessarily in that order.

As far as the South Bend lathes... I love mine, it runs great, will do anything I need to do, IMO, it wouldn't be in my top 5... maybe #6...

-Bear
 
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