Newbie looking for some advice on purchasing a new lathe Jet or Smithy

[BGHansen]

I have a G0709 lathe and have been very happy with it. I can't speak with personal experience about the Smithy, but reviews are generally something like, "it is okay as a lathe and disappointing as a mill". Kind of a jack of all trades, master of none.

This is a very good deal on what looks like a Clausing 5914 lathe. I have a "baby brother" Clausing 5418 and would be jumping on this one if it wasn't in Dallas. $1500 including a taper attachment.

Metal Lathe tool machine wood turning - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Clausing brand Lathe and assorted tools. $1,500 o.b.o. Owner used this for machining and possibly turning wood. Heavy duty. Approximate size dimensions in photos. Located near Skillman and...

dallas.craigslist.org

Bruce

 

[Rufustoad]

Wow that's great as I have never found anyone that owns anything 14x40. I am selling my Grandfathers South Bend 9" 4.5' bed and upgrading to a 14-40. I am with you on the Smithy and have found no one that has anything great to say about it plus if you look on their website and zoom in on the lathe bodies it really looks to me like the castings are very pooris and cheap looking.
I am really liking the Precision Mathews 3yr warranty not to mention the 8" chucks and the 3hp single phase motor. I am thinking the 14" is probably to big but I really only want to do this 1 time.
Until last week I was going to go with the G0709 as well but the Mathews is really looking good plus that 3yr is very attractive but I would love for this person that started this thread to chime in.
That Clausing looks promising but I am a long ways from Dallas as well and I am looking for new.

 

[GeneT45]

I haven't owned either of those specific machines, and I've never owned a Jet lathe, BUT I started with a Smithy (1394) and I've owned a few Jet tools. In general the Jet were better made. I would definitely not go with a Smithy - but again, I don't know that specific lathe.

I wouldn't rule out used machines either. It sounds like you want to / should rule out project machines, that need work to be usable, but it might be possible to find a used machine that works out of the chute. Finding used machines is all about your location - if you're near one of the major (former) manufacturing areas in the US it seems machines are always around. Elsewhere they can be as rare as hen's teeth. I ended up going with an East-European lathe because I thought it was good bang for the buck and the old US iron around me at the time was rode hard and hung up wet. Your situation may differ.

GsT

 

[snoopdog]

Thanks to all for the great suggestions and insight. I have made my decision and have come across an extremely well kept and very fair deal on a Precision Mathews 1236.
A combination of asking price ,thought process and gut instinct led me to getting a good start on learning on the smaller yet very capable machine and perhaps in a few years upgrade to a more robust and higher end machine. For now tho, I am very excited (and the plus side is) in keeping true to my initial Budget I now have the funds for some very decent tooling like a nice rotary & push broach set.
Again Thank You All.

We expect pics

 

[Liljoebrshooter]

This post was from 2019.
Joe

 

[BGHansen]

This post was from 2019.
Joe

Oops, looks like the thread OP was in the Dallas area so I hit www.searchtempest.com to do a "metal lathe" search in that area. Looks like the thread was resurrected by a member from Indiana.

Bruce

p.s. Fortunately for us Midwesterners, there are PLENTY of older American-made tools to pick from. Here are a few from Facebook Marketplace.