- Joined
- Dec 22, 2015
- Messages
- 561
I'm not positive, but from what I can see the PM lathes are the same or very close to the Craftex brand Busy Bee sells in Vancouver. The difference being that I have only heard good things about the after sales support from PM but the opposite about Busy Bee. At least their BC operation. It appears that PM also offers more options with their line up.
When I was doing my search for the first lathe a year ago and my second one, over the last week, I searched for Canadian suppliers of hobby lathes and pretty much came to the conclusion that it would be a Craftex or King Industrial. My opinion is that it's too expensive to buy from the US because our dollar is so low right now. I just bought a King 12 x 36 lathe (same as the Grizzly G4003). When I convert the Grizzly price (with stand included) into Cad$, the Grizzly would be almost $1,000 Cad more than what I just paid for the King 12 x 36 with a stand.
If PM had a dealer in Canada I probably would've bought both of my lathes from them because of the options they offer with their machines and the great reviews I've seen about their after sales support. However I've found an excellent dealer near me and he sells King Industrial lathes. I've had issues with my recent King purchases but I got GREAT support from my dealer and from King's head office to resolve the issues. From some threads I've read BB does not stock much, if any, parts for their lathes, so if a part is needed it could take months to get. King has parts in their head office (Quebec) and as such parts are more than likely available within a week. My experience with one of their mill drill machines convinced me to stay with that brand instead of taking a chance on BB. I did consider PM but the price difference with our dollar being so low was just too much for me. I don't think King machines are the best quality but in the hobby lathe market, I believe they are comparable to other hobby machines. The difference for me is 2 things: 1) the after sales support I got from my dealer and the manufacturer has been excellent 2) parts are available in Canada. Another point in their favor is that the Grizzly brand appears to be identical to the King brand. I checked parts lists for both of my King lathes and they are the same as the Grizzly's. It appears Grizzly may however put different motors on their machines and sometimes (as in the case of my mill drill) some extra features, like a switch that includes a reverse function. Grizzly also has a very large customer base and parts supply. Their parts prices are also good. Being in Vancouver you could easily slip across the line and get any needed parts or have them shipped directly to you.
Those are the reasons I stuck with the King brand but your experience could be different. I think having a supporting dealer and manufacturer is what makes the difference. If you're lucky enough to get a machine that doesn't need warranty work or parts for a long time, then none of that matters but if there are issues, it is comforting to know the support will be there.
I have no affiliation with any of these suppliers or manufacturers and offer this based on my research and my personal experience with the dealer / manufacturer of the machines I bought.
Hope this is helpful.
When I was doing my search for the first lathe a year ago and my second one, over the last week, I searched for Canadian suppliers of hobby lathes and pretty much came to the conclusion that it would be a Craftex or King Industrial. My opinion is that it's too expensive to buy from the US because our dollar is so low right now. I just bought a King 12 x 36 lathe (same as the Grizzly G4003). When I convert the Grizzly price (with stand included) into Cad$, the Grizzly would be almost $1,000 Cad more than what I just paid for the King 12 x 36 with a stand.
If PM had a dealer in Canada I probably would've bought both of my lathes from them because of the options they offer with their machines and the great reviews I've seen about their after sales support. However I've found an excellent dealer near me and he sells King Industrial lathes. I've had issues with my recent King purchases but I got GREAT support from my dealer and from King's head office to resolve the issues. From some threads I've read BB does not stock much, if any, parts for their lathes, so if a part is needed it could take months to get. King has parts in their head office (Quebec) and as such parts are more than likely available within a week. My experience with one of their mill drill machines convinced me to stay with that brand instead of taking a chance on BB. I did consider PM but the price difference with our dollar being so low was just too much for me. I don't think King machines are the best quality but in the hobby lathe market, I believe they are comparable to other hobby machines. The difference for me is 2 things: 1) the after sales support I got from my dealer and the manufacturer has been excellent 2) parts are available in Canada. Another point in their favor is that the Grizzly brand appears to be identical to the King brand. I checked parts lists for both of my King lathes and they are the same as the Grizzly's. It appears Grizzly may however put different motors on their machines and sometimes (as in the case of my mill drill) some extra features, like a switch that includes a reverse function. Grizzly also has a very large customer base and parts supply. Their parts prices are also good. Being in Vancouver you could easily slip across the line and get any needed parts or have them shipped directly to you.
Those are the reasons I stuck with the King brand but your experience could be different. I think having a supporting dealer and manufacturer is what makes the difference. If you're lucky enough to get a machine that doesn't need warranty work or parts for a long time, then none of that matters but if there are issues, it is comforting to know the support will be there.
I have no affiliation with any of these suppliers or manufacturers and offer this based on my research and my personal experience with the dealer / manufacturer of the machines I bought.
Hope this is helpful.