Do this Mill and Lathe have generic origins/names?

O

OldBones

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They both are Asian made machines and sold under the Chester name. I would say that 99% of all new machines these days are sold that way. The only exception being high priced high end machines mostly being sold under familiar names but still made in China or Taiwan. Here are some similar to the ones you are looking at, but just because machines look alike doesn’t mean that they are made by the same factory in China. There are dozens of factories making very similar machines and the company that you buy it from is the most important part.
http://machinetoolonline.com/PM-MV-BenchMills.html
http://www.busybeetools.com/products/MILLING-MACHINE-DIGITAL-READOUT-R8.html

There are two major manufactures of this common 7”x12” lathe. One is Real Bull and the other is Sieg, both in China. They look close to each other but if you do a search on H-M there is someone here knows the difference.
 
Either Sieg C2/C3 or Real bull. Both are made in Asia. The Sieg in Mainland China, Real Bull in Taiwan. Both are generic and parts can be bought simply by asking at Little Machine Shop. Chris is a walking storehouse of Asian Import lathes and will probably have everything you would ever need for one if you buy it. HF, Busy Bee, Jet, and several others rebrand these machines so they are pretty generic. Parts are commonly available, they do a great job when used within their design envelope and there is a huge following of these machines that have done all manner of mods and improvements over the years. I have the HF 93212 variant and plan to move up to the 14 inch bed extension after my 9X arrives and I can be without a lathe. Since I got disabled I haven't done much with my shop, but as soon as I tear a machine down I will have an unavoidable need, so I will just be patient. My 9X should be here around the 12th of June. I got it from another member who has done me a huge favor and is a real stand up fellow. Couldn't have gotten a bigger lathe without his help and forebearance. Don't find many folks like him anymore. Let us know what you decide to do. I would look for the one that has the longest center to center distance and the best basic supply of accessories. Things like follow rests, QCTP's, steady rests, assorted measuring and calibrating tools will really help sweeten the pot and save you from having to buy it all separately in the future. Then things like the digital tach and emergency stop mushroom button are nice too. The variants that are available is pretty broad, so shop around and try to find a 20% off or free shipping coupon if you can. I got mine for 20% off, no freight and the original price was 399.00 on sale, so I made out pretty good. Hope this helps and if you still are uncertain have a look at LMS and the 7X12 Yahoo group for some peace of mind and great discussions of that brand/make of equipment. Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

Bob
 
Can't tell with complete certainty but the lathe appears to be Real Bull. The saddle is H shaped on the SIEG and square on the Real Bull. Also, the Real Bull can have wipers on the ways.

Given what I have read and heard, the Real Bull seems a bit nicer lathe but overall similar quality. The only thing I would say is in the favor of the SIEG is that they seem to have a bit better support by 3rd party vendors (LMS over here and ArcEuroTrade over there.) Many parts however are interchangeable.

The only thing I would really suggest is that the longer bed lathes (12", 14") are well worth the extra money. The smaller ones run out of space for drilling very quickly.
 
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