Choosing between a PM 1236 and a PM 1340GT

GA said:
Did I miss that link... or is it in a different post or thread?

Having both the lathe and mill up to Taiwanese quality.... well that would be... well... (fill in the blank)... :)
What was that comment... 'Lusting over machine tools'... LOL

Oh, and there goes the budget... <grin>
Click to expand...

I apologize, I forgot to attach the link.

Here you go. They are about half way down the page.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=24010

I know there are a lot of people using the PM45/932 and extremely happy with them, however I am the type who goes overkill on about everything I do, especially tools. I want the highest quality I can afford and couldn't wrap my head around getting a Taiwanese lathe and then not being happy with the level of quality of the milling machine. Hence my reason for changing my order to the Taiwanese PM935TV and YES blowing my budget to hell, but my wife was awesome about it and I only wanted to make this purchase once and not regret it or feel like I had to upgrade again in a few years.

Mike.

</grin>
 
GA said:
Did I miss that link... or is it in a different post or thread?

Having both the lathe and mill up to Taiwanese quality.... well that would be... well... (fill in the blank)... :)
What was that comment... 'Lusting over machine tools'... LOL

Oh, and there goes the budget... <grin>
Click to expand...

We have a Taiwanese RF 45 clone but, it's not being sold on a commercial basis. We have 10 units for evaluation purposes. I haven't been able to find time to speak with Matt lately and he too is busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger but... the last I heard, he hasn't even looked at those Taiwanese units yet.

Anyhow, gimme a shout (Private Message) if you want to talk equipment...


Ray


</grin>
 
zmotorsports said:
I apologize, I forgot to attach the link.

Here you go. They are about half way down the page.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=24010

I know there are a lot of people using the PM45/932 and extremely happy with them, however I am the type who goes overkill on about everything I do, especially tools. I want the highest quality I can afford and couldn't wrap my head around getting a Taiwanese lathe and then not being happy with the level of quality of the milling machine. Hence my reason for changing my order to the Taiwanese PM935TV and YES blowing my budget to hell, but my wife was awesome about it and I only wanted to make this purchase once and not regret it or feel like I had to upgrade again in a few years.

Mike.
Click to expand...

THX Mike... not sure how I missed that thread... I think I have read a goodly portion of this area (PM and LMS).

Gonna have to think about this and check the budget and piggy bank... however:
There is a good chance I may go "all Taiwanese" (that is, the 1340GT and this new mill). Probably be Christmas or 2015 by the time they both arrive.
 
Ray C said:
We have a Taiwanese RF 45 clone but, it's not being sold on a commercial basis. We have 10 units for evaluation purposes. I haven't been able to find time to speak with Matt lately and he too is busier than a one-armed wallpaper hanger but... the last I heard, he hasn't even looked at those Taiwanese units yet.

Anyhow, gimme a shout (Private Message) if you want to talk equipment...


Ray
Click to expand...

THX Ray!

You are making me drool... the possibility of having BOTH machines Taiwanese... <grin>

What is the availability of a 1340GT at this time?

Will PM...

John/GA
 
Having recently received my 1340GT, and having gone through the same exact thought process on the different lathes/Norton open gearbox, I have no regrets on the purchase. The 1340GT is a very good quality lathe/package at the price point, but it was double my initial budget. But, I am continually impressive with the components and level of finish (No casting grit, very smooth manual controls, high quality electrics...). I am currently rewiring it for a VFD.

Also (no offense) but having purchasing other Chinese equipment, like my RF-45 clone mill (Optimum BF-30), I wouldn't consider it again unless my budget was paper thin. The BF-30 is an OK mill but the quality is disappointing at the price level. The tolerance are good, but I have had to replaced a number of items that failed and it just doesn't have the feel of better built mills. If I were to do it again, I would get a small Taiwanese knee mill or possibly a Tomach CNC. When you get down to it, the amount of floor space used is not much different, the only issue for me was one of weight (moving it). I have always kicked myself for not buying higher quality tools/equipment (and usually end up replacing them), especially when you figure the cost difference over many years of use.
 
Hi!

New to this forum too, I'm awaiting the delivery of my far fetched PM1236 here in France.

I also chewed the idea of the 1340GT. A lathe is not (at least for me) something that you are going to change back and forth every year like many do with a smartphone or even a car. It is cumbersome to move. It takes time to set up, adjust, get acquainted with and all.

So my first though was that I should get the best machine I can afford even if it requires a few months to recover financially speaking.

Then I went into the details of the costs with Matt. I needed a CE certification to import in France. I needed a metric version. I wanted the DRO. I needed the transportation over the pond. Etc, etc.
The costs just kept piling on top of the price of the machine.
At the end of the day, even if the machine did seem a clear cut better, The price difference was simply too much (+3000 euros more IIRC). That was just over what I could afford, so I finally decided on the 1236.

I hope I won't be disappointed. But remember some people have the same dilemma with the 1127 vs. 1236, in that case the 1236 is the "nicer" option. Some with the 1340GT vs something even better/bigger. There is always a better, nicer option. If you search the internet you will find people that are delighted with their 1236 and they believe it is one heck of a lathe for the price. Just saying. You will need a load of tooling too.

Ps : one thing also is that the 1340GT doesn't have a foot brake. Maybe that doesn't sound like much but as someone who is starting turning, it does add a little peace of mind to be able to stop and brake the machine relatively fast. That said, I still think that if you have the money (at least twice the price of the lathe), get the 1340GT. Don't forget the DRO.

cheers
 
GA said:
Is there anyone close to the Metro Atlanta area that has PM machines? Specifically a PM45/932 or a 1236 or 1340? Would love to visit and see them... :)
Click to expand...

John,
It is kinda far, but if you are up Columbia, SC way, you are welcome to come by and have a look at my 1236. I started out with an order for the 1127, but decided to blow up my budget and get the 1236. It was a bit more than I really had to spend, but now I am glad I said to heck with it and did it anyway. If I had had the money and space I probably would have gone with the 1340, but it was just not possible. I think the 1236 is a very nice lathe for the money and am very happy with it....that being said,
Go ahead..get the 1340...you know you want it smiley_evilGrin.gif

Morgan

smiley_evilGrin.gif
 
Morgan RedHawk said:
John,
It is kinda far, but if you are up Columbia, SC way, you are welcome to come by and have a look at my 1236. I started out with an order for the 1127, but decided to blow up my budget and get the 1236. It was a bit more than I really had to spend, but now I am glad I said to heck with it and did it anyway. If I had had the money and space I probably would have gone with the 1340, but it was just not possible. I think the 1236 is a very nice lathe for the money and am very happy with it....that being said,
Go ahead..get the 1340...you know you want it View attachment 83061

Morgan
Click to expand...

I think you are reading my mind... :LOL:
I probably will order the 1340... just have to justify it in my mind first. From what I hear from RayC... they are sold out and the next available will be around Christmas or winter 2015...
Funny you speak of moving up from the 1127 to the 1236... I did the same thing in my mind. At first, I liked the 1127... then realized it was not large enough for what I need. I think the 1236 would handle the work, however as I read in a previous post... the 1340GT is really a well built lathe!
Now to find a Taiwanese version of the venerable RF45 clones. RayC tells me QMT may or may not stock and sell the 'test' version that was posted in this thread:
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=24010
Shame, I really do not want to go to another company... however the lure of a Taiwanese quality machine is worth the $$$ to me.

I tend to be one that understands the subtleties of quality... and appreciates them. The heating and AC business I run caters to folks who are willing to pay for quality service, not cheap prices; yet understand value. Most of my customers are long term, and I am 100% referral.

THX for the offer; I might take you up on visiting your shop... One of the brands of heating and AC equipment I handle is from SC... the corporate office is in W Columbia, and the plant is in Orangeburg. The co name is Alliedair (www.alliedair.com), they are owned by Lennox.
Columbia is only a few hours away... and AC season is winding down.

BTW: My last name is Morgan... you have a good name... :)
 
I did the same thing, on another forum I had posted when I purchased the PM1127VF. I had a HF8x14 which I outgrew in less than a year. Also having used the larger lathes at the local college I knew I had to have a larger lathe. Main thing was that I hated changing the gears on the 8x14.

So I purchased/paid for the 1127. Shortly after I learned that I would still have to change gears for the threads I used commonly. Wasn't in my budget (cause I was looking to buy a mill also) but I called Matt back to change my order to the PM1236. Although it doesn't cover every single imperial thread without changing gears it does cover every single thread I cut often & I have to change gears except for metric. It's only the very coarse & very fine threads that require a gear change. Much easier on the 1236 than any mini lathe though. No gear changes required for carriage feeds either that I need.

On a budget I purchased a PM45M-PDF. As you know it's also made in China. Fit & finish is not as great as a genuine Rong Fu but it has performed well for me & has handled everything I have needed to do to date. Although I would still like a full size BP clone someday I'm not in any hurry to get one & have no regrets on the China mill or lathe.

What I really wanted at the time was the PM1340T (not GT, their previous tool room model). On that other forum another member purchased one & that lathe is beautiful. I'm assuming Matt does not carry it anymore has it has been removed from the site for a long time. The PM1340T is basically a Clausing Harrison M300 that MSC sells for $14K. IIRC The PM1340T was just under $7K.

Sure I would love to have a nice Taiwan machine too but it's not that big of a deal to me. If I were to do it all over I would be buying the PM1440-BV or even the PM1440-HD which are China machines. I do want a 14x lathe someday but for now I'm perfectly fine with what I have, again no regrets.

If you're set on a Taiwan RF-45 style mill you could always buy a genuine Rong Fu 45. Enco sells them (not to be confused with the Enco branded 45 which are made in China now) but they aren't cheap. They cost $3500-$4000 depending on the options you want. The IH/COA version is nice too which has some casting "upgrades" & a larger table but I'm not sure if they are made in Taiwan. I was going to get the IH but I decided to stick with Matt as he has always taken care of me. Matt always offers the best value.
 
GA said:
BTW: My last name is Morgan... you have a good name... :)
Click to expand...

I was named that because it is a family last name. There is a pretty good chance we are related. Got any family in upstate SC or TN?

Drop me PM if you are planning on being in the area. Only Monday and Wednesdays are no good. My shop is really just half of my garage...nothing fancy, but a little more room than the machine shop on a WW2 sub!
 
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