Shopping for new lathe

Before I installed change gears for the first time, I was really intimidated because I wondered if I would be capable of doing it. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it is not at all difficult.
 
mikey said:
One day, I would like to see HM implement a "Mentor Program" where an experienced member takes a new guy under their wing to help them find and learn to use the lathe or mill that suits their needs.
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That's a great idea! So when you gonna start it up? I'd fly over for that.... and for the food too. :big grin:
 
I've kinda' already done that via PM's for quite some time BUT you are welcome any time you fly over here, Will. Not the mentor part; the food part!
 
erikmannie said:
Before I installed change gears for the first time, I was really intimidated because I wondered if I would be capable of doing it. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that it is not at all difficult.
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Nope, it isn't. Change gear lathes are actually capable of cutting far more threads than a QCGB, although it is a bit more inconvenient. My Emco Super 11 has a fantastic QCGB but I have to change gears on occasion and it doesn't bother me one bit, either.
 
@Rich20 when I bought my first lathe it was a 750 lb 12X36 lathe made in Taiwan, but very light for its size. For small work even in tool steels, it held up very well. I found that the tooling I bought made a big difference in what I could cut. So I tooled up wuith Kennametal tool holders and I was very happy with the result. However, 2 years ago I need to chamfer a 9" High tensile corrosion resistant pipe used in oilfields - not a stainless, but a near stainless.

It just couldn't cut it at all. I broke 3 Kennametal carbide inserts trying. I then put it up on the 14X40 that weighs over double, and it cut it like a charm, with the same tool holder with the same grade of insert.

Be very wary of over-generalizations, even mine. There are great Chinese made lathes out there, but you will not find them at a discount price. there are crappy lathes made everywhere in the world. You need to keep in midn what your current use is, and what your predictable use of the machine is. If you are chambering a barrel, that tells you that to fit the barrel, chuck and tailstock, along with the workholding, you need at least 40 inces for a 26" barrel. If you are doing long stock, the the through hole in the headstock is improtant. But these are just numbers.

After more than 30 years of doing this stuff, I'm comfortable buying a used lathe or mill from a machine shop, knowing what the lemons are, etc and fixing what's broke. That gives you the best bang for the buck.

-- For a new person, use a reliable vendor, tell him your needs, and work with him to find the lathe that will suit you best. The guys here will help you a lot, and there's some great advice above. Narrow your choice down to a couple of lathes and return here and ask people their experience with each of them. You will probably find at least a couple of guys that own each lathe, and what their differences really are.
 
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