Ok, so it's just a REAL little thing on my PM-1228 lathe...

7milesup said:
That would tick me off....
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Apparently there was a period of time when PM was selling the PM-1228 lathes with only the 1100 watt (1.4 hp) motors in them. Before that period, they were selling them with the 1500 watt (2 hp) motors, and apparently sometime recently they have switched back to selling them with that 2 hp motor. I bought mine on October 15, 2020. So I guess what I got was the "B grade" model of the PM-1228 that was downgraded during that period. Interestingly enough, the operator's manual all along claimed to have the 2 hp motor in the machines shown in the specs.

Tick me off? Well, sorta. But only when I think about it. I am thinking that the reason the spec label got omitted from this model was probably because it showed the spec of the 1.4 hp motor instead of the 2 hp motor on it. And further thinking back on it, I am now wondering if my doing knurling on that 1.5" diameter stock I was working with didn't bog down the motor instead of slip the drive belt on the pulleys. I am using the scissors style knurling tool and I was clamping down on the aluminum rod pretty hard.

Anyway, I am thinking maybe I should contact Matt to see if he can conjure up a 2 hp replacement motor for me somehow to get me out of this "B grade" feeling I have about the lathe I got from him. Looking for a correct replacement drive belt for it has had me thinking about the motor a LOT lately, and it is preying on my mind. Things like this can really nag the crap out of me. With everything else going on in the world lately, I was able to just blot it out with higher priority thoughts. But here it is rising back to the surface again.

When I mentioned this to Matt right after I got my lathe, he said I wouldn't notice any different between the 1100 watt motor and the 1500 watt motor. But since they have gone back to selling it with that 1500 watt motor, well, if there is no difference, why go back to the more powerful motor? I dunno, guess I am just feeling a little shafted by it.
 
Tired&Retired said:
I dunno, guess I am just feeling a little shafted by it.
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I don't blame you, I would feel the same. There is a big difference between 1.4 and 2 HP. I don't think PM did this to be deceptive, though. It is more likely that the 1.4 HP motor was available and the 2 HP wasn't and PM opted to install them so they could get the machines out to folks who were not so patiently waiting for their machines. I'm making this up but Matt has proven to be a stand up guy and it would be a good idea to have a discussion with him. He has shown himself to make things right.
 
that would bother me. You should have a label with model and serial #. The serial # should tell them what to pull parts from.
Also the motor would definitely **** me off. 2hp is 2hp.. less means $$$ back.
 
So here's my take on things. You *really* want a label - and yet in the bigger scheme of things (does the lathe perform as expected, etc) it is a 'smaller' thing. So how about asking if he will pay for a 3rd party to make a machine label for it in *approximately* the same format? This isn't completely unreasonable, and several machinery label companies will do something appropriate for 20 to 40 bucks.

Even if the discussions with Matt don't get you one, you can purchase one from one of these companies, and use the model from @pdentrem photo...
 
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If you are going to pay to print your own, you might as well put your own logo and company name on it!!! If you do not have a company then.... then it is time to make one up! How about "T & R Inc."
 
When this machine was ordered, it was advertised in the web site specs as 1.5HP. It was ordered in late 2020.

Nobody was hiding anything. It was only changed because at the time we ordered machines, there was an exemption for the extra 25% tariffs that are coming in from China on lathes 1.5HP or under. We were trying to save us and customers a lot of money by changing this from a 2HP to 1.5HP Machine. Guess what, 1.5 is rounded off a lot of times by many companies to 2HP anyway.

We also ordered our PM-1236 in with a 1.5HP Motor, and it was saving us enough to do a free upgrade to a Baldor motor at that time too. Comes in at 1.5 HP so no tariff, change to Baldor, same result, US Made Motor. Tried to save money for all. Look up the exemptions, its somewhere in that 301 tariff BS I dont have hours to look it up again. We have a broker who alerts us on these kinds of things.

Look at the price on them now compared to when you bought it a year ago.

But, by the time this shipment of the 1228 and 1236 came in (LATE as always anymore) the exemption expired, so we had to eat it anyway.

They changed, they dont put the spec sticker on the machine anymore. I couldn't get a sticker that they do not make anymore. None of our other machines had a spec sticker on them, so it made sense not to have it anymore. I do not have one or I would have sent it of course. But they dont make them anymore.

I did not ignore you, I have over 120 something that have been answered over the past 2 years from you when I just searched, if I missed one email, I am sorry, but that doesn't happen often.

If you don't like the machine, send it back, life is too short to be unhappy.
 
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