Which lathe?

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drsamm

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New here to the site/forum and wanted to get some advice from the experienced...I'm thinking of getting a metal working lathe for my home shop. My problem is that I've never owned one and know very little about them. I am by no means inexperienced in fabrication, welding, plasma cutting, drilling, cutting, etc., and I have a lot of machinery, but I've never used a lathe. With my background experience in most everything other than a lathe, I'm relatively sure I could catch onto it pretty quickly. My main concern is in not wanting to make an expensive mistake and wind up with a very heavy paper weight. I would like to get some opinions on what would be a good machine to begin with and to be the most useful and long lasting as I seriously doubt I'd ever buy another one. Just from my own mind and experience with my other shop tools, I'd like to stick with USA made machinery. I don't want or need one that will take up 12' of room and weigh a couple of tons, I'm looking for something what I might call "medium sized". I don't want a toy or a behemoth. Not from any hands on experience, but I always thought that the Atlas machines (not necessarily lathes) were very good ones. There is one for sale here locally for $2200. It is a model 2500 machinist's lathe. I have not seen it but from the pictures, it visually appears to be in really good shape, not nasty and greasy or beaten up. I have no idea if this is a good price. After doing a little research on these (the Atlas ones in general) I was a bit disappointed to see that they seem to have problems, from what I read, most of which have to do with the gears that drive it. I don't want another "project" of any kind so, of course, build quality is the number one concern. I like Clausing machinery and have a couple of their pieces, so I'm pretty sure one of their lathes would be top notch. Also, I know it's not a USA one but there is a pretty nice looking JET on anther site for sale for $1500. I've had good luck with their tools in the past, so I'm wondering if their lathes are worth a thought. I just really don't know what to look for in regard to potential problems if and when I ever do find one of any make. My shop has 110V power and 220V single phase, so I could go either way with the power. The space I'm looking to use for one is about 8' X 6', so something that would easily sit in that size area. Budget for one would be up to maybe $3000. but, of course, would like to land on a fine quality one for less, if possible. As with most anything like this, I see a lot of different ones for sale but they are all over the place in prices, sizes and brands, which can be quite confusing. Any and all advice or insights would be much appreciated. I am in no particular hurry, so time is not a factor...
 
I would recommend something better than an Atlas. Given your budget, something in a 10-13 in. South Bend, Logan, Sheldon or Clausing are much better machines. The Jet might also be a good choice, assuming it's in decent condition. There are lots of Taiwanese lathes out there (too many to name) that are quite capable and more than adequate for a home machinist. I would give preference to a gear-head machine over belt-change, preferably with metric/inch threading capability. Don't hesitate to get a 220v 3 phase machine, a static phase converter can be had for less than $100 and 3 phase opens up much more in choices and capabilities.
 
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Welcome. What is the main thing that you do in your shop? Such as, do you plan to do a lot of threading? A quick change gear box would be nice. It seems like that you need a least a 10" or bigger. When you buy, include tooling and that can add to the cost, But it's worth it. When you see something that you like, send pictures and ask questions. There are guys here who most likely have the same model and brand and can help you not just on buying it but also how to use it.
 
Curious to know what "problems" you heard about regarding Atlas gears, since in my opinion the gears are seldom an issue. Those lathes do have other minor issues, like any machine. Atlas lathes are considered somewhat light duty machines compared to some others, but there are plenty of replacement gears and parts available. Lots of happy Atlas owners here, including yours truly. (I have two)
-Mark
 
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Atlas lathes have flat ways, not good for alignment. also they have all too many pot metal parts. I would not particularly recomend a South Bend lathe under 13" swing, the smaller ones do not have much power to do much useful work, the 13" does ---
 
My opinion is that you don't just go buy a lathe, you have to buy into a lathe ecosystem. You are going to need so much more than just a lathe...like tool post, tool holders, inserts, tailstock accessories, collets, storage, etc. Get something with a rich supply of parts and information, hopefully with a lot of that coming with the original purchase.
 
On the other hand, there are NUMEROUS owners of small (<13") South Bend lathes that love them.
It all depends on how much capacity the OP wants.
 
extropic said:
On the other hand, there are NUMEROUS owners of small (<13") South Bend lathes that love them.
It all depends on how much capacity the OP wants.
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Capacity is not what I was concerned with; my point is that the 13" SB has the power to move metal, the smaller ones do not have so much. I have owned several of both, and know whereof I speak.
 
Winegrower said:
My opinion is that you don't just go buy a lathe, you have to buy into a lathe ecosystem. You are going to need so much more than just a lathe...like tool post, tool holders, inserts, tailstock accessories, collets, storage, etc. Get something with a rich supply of parts and information, hopefully with a lot of that coming with the original purchase.
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You make a very good and valid point!
 
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