Enco 12x36 gearhead metal lathe, model 92070 for sale near me - thoughts?

[tominboise]

CL ad for ENCO lathe - the guy is asking $2850. Intended use is retired guy home shop use. I do have 240V single phase in my garage.

Nice Enco 12x36 gearhead metal lathe, model 92070, built in 1984 in Taiwan. Currently wired for 240V single phase, can be re-wired to 120V if necessary.

- 1.5 HP motor
- 12 spindle speeds 70-1220 rpm
- 1-3/8" spindle bore
- MT5 spindle taper
- D1-4 camlock chuck mounting
- Quick change gearbox for threading and feeding
- Change gears for metric threading
- 6" 3-jaw Bison chuck, reversible jaws (Poland)
- 8" 4-jaw Enco chuck, reversible independent jaws
- 10" faceplate
- Steady rest
- Follow rest
- Tailstock Morse taper 2
- Morse taper 2 Jacobs chuck for tailstock
- Morse taper 5 spindle adapter to MT3
- Morse taper 3 and 2 dead centers
- New Quick change tool post, BXA size
- 2 new BXA 202 tool holders
- Sturdy stand with adjustable leveling feet

Located in south Meridian (almost Kuna) near S. Columbia and S. Tenmile. Contact Jim for more information or to come and see it. Everything works, can be connected to power and run. New bronze nuts in the cross slide and compound, very small backlash. I have access to a hoist and can help load it into a trailer.

 

[Ulma Doctor]

I have 2 cousins to the lathe, Shenwai SW900B’s ( mine are belt driven)
They are wonderful machines

Edit: I didn’t realize that the ways were damaged -pass

 

[markba633csi]

Looks like a nice package
Edit: I missed that those chunks were hacked out of the ways- the things people do when they don't have a gap bed feature!
Probably wouldn't affect the operation much since they are the inside ways, but still it looks kinda crude

 

[Advil]

The two chucks and qctp are worth half the lathe. Buy.

Edit: Never mind. I really should look at the full size pics first. Who does that to ways??

 

[coolidge]

I'm a hard NO on that lathe. It looked great until I noticed the ways are seriously mangled under the chuck. Someone obviously went to town on them with a grinder to increase the swing.

 

[tominboise]

I'm a hard NO on that lathe. It looked great until I noticed the ways are seriously mangled under the chuck. Someone obviously went to town on them with a grinder to increase the swing.

Great catch and why I ask on this forum before I buy. It does look good but the ways are gone under the chuck.

 

[Firstram]

The two chucks and qctp are worth half the lathe. Buy.

Edit: Never mind. I really should look at the full size pics first. Who does that to ways??

I'm a hard NO on that lathe. It looked great until I noticed the ways are seriously mangled under the chuck. Someone obviously went to town on them with a grinder to increase the swing.

This isn’t terribly uncommon, not a deal breaker, more like an opportunity to negotiate a better price! The ways the carriage ride on are unaffected and how often do you need to get the tail stock that close to the chuck? The only problem I see is the steady rest won’t work in that area.

 

[coolidge]

This isn’t terribly uncommon, not a deal breaker, more like an opportunity to negotiate a better price! The ways the carriage ride on are unaffected and how often do you need to get the tail stock that close to the chuck? The only problem I see is the steady rest won’t work in that area.

Removing that much material and potentially releasing stresses in the casting causing movement, I'm still a hard no. Especially considering the guy is asking $3k and I'd be well under $1k with that kind of damage.

 

[projectnut]

I would agree it's not a deal breaker, but it will certainly affect the value of the machine. My Seneca Falls Star lathe has a similar (although much smaller) modification. The ways were relieved just under the chuck jaws to allow them to open for a larger work piece. I've had the machine over 25 years and the modification has never interfered with anything I wanted to do.

Having said that I would certainly offer less for the machine. I would start low and make my top price in the $1,900.00 to $2,000.00 range.

Here's a picture of the Seneca Falls machine. Note the relieved section of the back way under the chuck jaws. It's less than 2" wide but will allow the jaws to open to accept larger stock.

 

[tominboise]

I called and talked with the seller last night. He has owned the lathe for about a year and bought it modified that way. He says it does not affect anything other then the steady rest and tail stock won't work in that area. He is selling as he bought a new Grizzly 13X40. My personal thoughts are that I don't mind a machine that is used (and improved) but not really one that has been hacked up. I wonder about selling it later and having to explain to the next guy about the way modifications, etc. So I am going to pass.