Should I buy it - Jet 1224PS Lathe ?

rajhliux said:
You think it would be better to buy a new lathe around $2K which comes with tooling rather than this JET lathe? It seems like I'll end up spending $2K for buying QCTP tooling and a better motor with this JET lathe.
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If the JET lathe is in good condition, it will be far better in quality than anything you can get for 2K.
You do not need to replace the motor unless you find the 1/2 HP bogging down in, say, parting operations.
The QCTP is probably a must-have, and you're probably looking at a BXA.
The steady rest is not necessary immediately, you can always build one, and you can probably find one on ebay.

If you need a lathe now now now and this seems to be in good condition, by all means grab it and then make upgrades as-needed. If you are in no hurry, take a few weeks/months to get a feel for the used machinery market in your area. There's always a better deal available as soon as you have spent your money :)
 
Probably too much, Raj. You need a lathe which comes with a taper attachment. Do some research and familiarize yourself what they look like.
-Mark
 
Ulma Doctor said:
the Jet 1224's are solid machines, the price is a steal for $1500

i personally would convert to 3 phase and use a VFD, but it can be used with a 1/2hp motor with lighter DOC's
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I'll try to have my electrical supplier to supply my home with a 3 phase power system but that'll require me to hire a licensed electrician to legally take that supplied 3 Phase mains power and hook it up to the main electrical distribution panel which will be another project, I only have 220 volt single phase power as of now. VFD will be a must.
 
ThinWoodsman said:
If the JET lathe is in good condition, it will be far better in quality than anything you can get for 2K.
You do not need to replace the motor unless you find the 1/2 HP bogging down in, say, parting operations.
The QCTP is probably a must-have, and you're probably looking at a BXA.
The steady rest is not necessary immediately, you can always build one, and you can probably find one on ebay.

If you need a lathe now now now and this seems to be in good condition, by all means grab it and then make upgrades as-needed. If you are in no hurry, take a few weeks/months to get a feel for the used machinery market in your area. There's always a better deal available as soon as you have spent your money :)
Click to expand...

Good to know that this lathe is a good buy for its kind and price range with today's market.
I'll have to find a good set of QCTP.
That is true, I don't like that feeling when I buy something and right away there's a much better deal... no one likes that.
 
markba633csi said:
Probably too much, Raj. You need a lathe which comes with a taper attachment. Do some research and familiarize yourself what they look like.
-Mark
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Yes, it is somewhat overpriced. I've seen some youtube videos, seems like a taper attachment uses some kind of hydraulic stuff.
Thanks.
 
I agree with Mike (Ulma Doctor). About three years ago, I fell into a great deal on a virtually exact clone of the Jet you're looking at. Mine was built in 1976 under the brand, 'Kin Shin Machinery Works'. I got a real education on these old machines. I essentially dismantled the machine, cleaned it, tweaked it, put it back together, and loved it. Since it was a second lathe, I didn't think I would use it very much, so I put it up for sale. First guy who looked bought it for the EXACT application you mentioned: threading (in his case metric). He wasn't even out of my driveway when I realized I should have kept that lathe. What a great little machine it would have been for one-off jobs. I second the comment that you'll get a whole lot more lathe for the dollar with that machine than a new one you would buy for the same amount of money. All this, of course, is predicated on the assumption that it's a GOOD MACHINE. It's old, so be careful. My opinion - and it's purely a green hobbyist's - it'd take some pretty significant abuse to wreck that machine. They're built extremely well for the size they are. $1,500 is steep for what you're getting. I paid $750 for mine and got all the tooling to go with it (including all the metric change gears). But I had to buy a motor. No biggie. I learned a lot working on that machine. It ran flawlessly when I finished. I made a little money on it, but in retrospect I wish I hadn't sold it. I think I'll go cry.

Regards,
 
tjb said:
I agree with Mike (Ulma Doctor). About three years ago, I fell into a great deal on a virtually exact clone of the Jet you're looking at. Mine was built in 1976 under the brand, 'Kin Shin Machinery Works'. I got a real education on these old machines. I essentially dismantled the machine, cleaned it, tweaked it, put it back together, and loved it. Since it was a second lathe, I didn't think I would use it very much, so I put it up for sale. First guy who looked bought it for the EXACT application you mentioned: threading (in his case metric). He wasn't even out of my driveway when I realized I should have kept that lathe. What a great little machine it would have been for one-off jobs. I second the comment that you'll get a whole lot more lathe for the dollar with that machine than a new one you would buy for the same amount of money. All this, of course, is predicated on the assumption that it's a GOOD MACHINE. It's old, so be careful. My opinion - and it's purely a green hobbyist's - it'd take some pretty significant abuse to wreck that machine. They're built extremely well for the size they are. $1,500 is steep for what you're getting. I paid $750 for mine and got all the tooling to go with it (including all the metric change gears). But I had to buy a motor. No biggie. I learned a lot working on that machine. It ran flawlessly when I finished. I made a little money on it, but in retrospect I wish I hadn't sold it. I think I'll go cry.

Regards,
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Wow, $750 for yours, that was a good deal. I might as well wait until something like a used taiwan made or better pops out for around that price range. Yes others have mentioned that it will be a wise and smart choice to get a old used lathe. It will be a good learning experience for a beginner like myself.

$1,500 for the use lathe + $1K for the taper attachment + $1K with most tooling (possibly more) + $150 for the Electronic Lead Screw.
Safe to say I'll be spending around $4K in 2 weeks to get this used lathe ready for service... might as well wait until i find something better.
 
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