Weighing an upgrade

[twhite]

I am in the group of keep your 9A and add another lathe.
One thing to consider. Maybe look for a lathe with say 13” swing. If you have room that is.


Cutting oil is my blood.

 

[Jake M]

, but am I doing enough turning to justify it at the moment?

I ask myself that question often. More than likely I don't like the answer I get.

Personally.... I think that a well equipped 9a (-very- well equipped in this case), will make a FAR more useful tool than a scantly equipped 10 inch, even if it is more rigid. The extra rigidity will save you some time cutting. But how much? Outside of that, you get an extra inch..... You know as well as anybody, that when you have no lathe, you have no worries about that. When you have a 7 inch lathe, you find an eight inch piece of work. When you have an8 inch lathe, you find a 9 inch piece of work. when you have a 9 inch lathe...

My "back of the envelope" estimations, from a practicality standpoint, figuring on a used market where prices are NOT fixed and not always predictable anyhow, and ruling out an absolute score on a well equipped machine showing up... not saying I wouldn't jump if the lathe AND the deal were right, but I'm not gonna hold my breathe either. The internet means nearly all people who want to will know what they've got. The deals are few and far between. If I were to upgrade my 9a for swing and spindle capacity, I couldn't. Because the "extras" raise the prices exponentially, I'd have to bank on my 9a for the "extras", and put a 15 inch, bare or close to it lathe next to it to even think about being ahead of the game.

Now, from a HOBBY standpoint? If you want it, if it fits the hobby budget, if you've got space for it, does the above even matter? Well, yes, of course it does, but perhaps to a much lesser degree......

 

[G-ManBart]

Outside of that, you get an extra inch..... You know as well as anybody, that when you have no lathe, you have no worries about that. When you have a 7 inch lathe, you find an eight inch piece of work. When you have an8 inch lathe, you find a 9 inch piece of work. when you have a 9 inch lathe...

I'd say the ability to use 5C collets and the 1-3/8" spindle bore might be even more important than any rigidity or swing increase.

I haven't owned a 9A, but I have owned both a 10K and a 10L and the 10L is a fair jump up in capability over the 10K so going from a 9A to a 10L is a pretty significant jump in overall capability.

I don't see tooling/accessories as a huge issue (outside of cost) when you're talking about a 9A or 10L...it's all pretty much available, often immediately. If it were another brand things might be different since for many accessories can be nearly impossible to find.

 

[DavidR8]

I used to have a SB 10K (basically a SB 9) which had a spindle bore just under .75"
I had the opportunity to buy a Busy Bee (Grizzly) DF-1237G which has a 1-9/16" spindle bore.
Aside from the extra capacity over the bed, and more rigidity, the increased spindle bore is a game changer for me.

 

[Aaron_W]

Agree with the well equiped smaller lathe vs somewhat larger minimally equipped lathe thoughts.
Your past experience with the 9" lathe also plays a big part, do you want bigger because you are often pushing the size or just because bigger seems like a good idea.

I have a Sherline 3.5x17", Atlas / Craftsman 6x18", and a Logan 11x24". I have lots of tooling for the Sherline and Craftsman, but only basic tooling for the 11".
The only time I use the 11" is when the work won't fit on the smaller lathes.
Between the better tooling, better condition, being quieter I find the smaller lathes are just more pleasant to use.

 

[kopeck]

So if nothing else, this has turned into an interesting conversation.

So, I wasn't looking to upgrade; that is I wasn't actively shopping. I like to cruise FB Marketplace in the evening like a lot of people do. These lathes showed from a seller that I knew of and had talked to in the past. I don't want to get into prices and stuff like that, but I think his asking price is fair/reasonable. Not a steal by any means, but he's a guy who's been around a lot of South Bend and knows the going rate. He wouldn't be selling junk, that's what made me think about making the jump.

While I wasn't actively looking to upgrade, I've felt that at some point, I probably would. It's the spindle through hole that really frustrates me. I feel like I waste a lot of stock just because I have to cut a chunk off a bigger piece to chuck up and have a reasonable stick out. The extra inch of swing hasn't really been an issue with the stuff I do. Heavier cuts in steel would be nice, but as someone pointed out, I'm a hobby guy, I'm not getting paid by the hour.

The idea of jumping up to a 13" is interesting. Space isn't really an issue; I don't have stairs to contend with, and a lot of times, the bigger lathes are more reasonably priced. Let's face it, "Heavy 10s" are desirable, and you pay for that.

Because FB Marketplace is on to me now, a Delta/Rockwell 11" lathe just popped up for a very reasonable price. It's dirty, but it looks like it's all there. Tapered spindle, 3 & 4 jaw + collet chuck. I know parts are an issue on these units, and they do have some "wear parts" that often need replacing.

What a rabbit hole. Then I have to sit back and think, do I need another project?

K

 

[SLK001]

To me, it would be a "no-brainer". I would get one (or both) of the 10Ls. The taper attachment is probably worth half of what your 9A is worth. A lot of people with a TA say that they never use it. I have one on my 10L and I use it quite often. But I understand the space issue. A significant bonus with the 10L is the 1-3/8" spindle bore.

 

[MikeInOr]

So if nothing else, this has turned into an interesting conversation.

So, I wasn't looking to upgrade; that is I wasn't actively shopping. I like to cruise FB Marketplace in the evening like a lot of people do. These lathes showed from a seller that I knew of and had talked to in the past. I don't want to get into prices and stuff like that, but I think his asking price is fair/reasonable. Not a steal by any means, but he's a guy who's been around a lot of South Bend and knows the going rate. He wouldn't be selling junk, that's what made me think about making the jump.

While I wasn't actively looking to upgrade, I've felt that at some point, I probably would. It's the spindle through hole that really frustrates me. I feel like I waste a lot of stock just because I have to cut a chunk off a bigger piece to chuck up and have a reasonable stick out. The extra inch of swing hasn't really been an issue with the stuff I do. Heavier cuts in steel would be nice, but as someone pointed out, I'm a hobby guy, I'm not getting paid by the hour.

The idea of jumping up to a 13" is interesting. Space isn't really an issue; I don't have stairs to contend with, and a lot of times, the bigger lathes are more reasonably priced. Let's face it, "Heavy 10s" are desirable, and you pay for that.

Because FB Marketplace is on to me now, a Delta/Rockwell 11" lathe just popped up for a very reasonable price. It's dirty, but it looks like it's all there. Tapered spindle, 3 & 4 jaw + collet chuck. I know parts are an issue on these units, and they do have some "wear parts" that often need replacing.

What a rabbit hole. Then I have to sit back and think, do I need another project?

K

I went from a Craftsman/Atlas 12" to a SouthBend 13" and can't imagine ever going back to a smaller lathe. I still have the Atlas 12 but it is just taking up space. For me I feel the SB13 is all the lathe I will need for the rest of my life.

I wouldn't even consider the Delta/Rockwell 11". Do you like working on machines or do you like making parts?

 

[kopeck]

I wouldn't even consider the Delta/Rockwell 11". Do you like working on machines or do you like making parts?

Oh, I know. It was just more of a "look at that". They look like solid units but parts seem to be as rare as a hen's teeth!

K

 

[MikeInOr]

Oh, I know. It was just more of a "look at that". They look like solid units but parts seem to be as rare as a hen's teeth!

K

I understand completely! Half my shop is full of "look at that's". I work hard at NOT adding to the collection.