What are factors for what "class" of lathe to buy?

[skcncx]

I used to have a PM1228 lathe when I was back in the states. It's a great little lathe especially if space/stairs/apartment is an issue. Good little lathe that I've successfully used for gunsmithing and it really punches well above its weight.

HOWEVER...

A PM1228 lathe is a bench top lathe, make no mistake about it. As long as you have that expectation then you'll be happy with it. Which means you won't be able to make heavy cuts like Abom does on his videos, and your choice of inserts will need to be mostly finishing cuts to get a good finish.

From what I can see a PM1236 lathe is a completely different lathe. It's gear head, so that means unlike a 1228 you can take heavier cuts by slowing your speed down in exchange for higher torque. Whereas a 1228 uses a BLDC motor that may have torque issues at lower speed and all that (though I never really found it to be a problem).

So if you need a lathe with punch get the 1236.

I have a victor lathe now, but unfortunately can't do gunsmithing anymore because it's not legal in my country (Taiwan).

Thanks for the the feedback. I landed on ordering the PM-1236T (Taiwan) version as it appears all around a level up on overall quality and certainly weight, the PM-1236T is 850 lbs where as the PM-1228 is 490lbs.. so that extra 360 lbs should help out. PM-1236T is also a bench top but is a gear head lathe, so I'm not sure if that's the same as having what older lathes call a "back gear" for slower rpm, but with the 220v 1.5 HP motor and geared down for more torque should provide all I need.

 

[Just for fun]

I think you made a great choice, I love mine.