Why should I NOT buy a 3-in-1 machine?

[Newmetalmark]

FWIW, my experience with a combo anything is that while it indeed can do "everything" to some degree of well, they almost never do anything really well, and the machine (whatever it may be) get's outgrown very quickly. I think you'd be better served to be a little patient and get a lathe with the features you want and then a mill, or at least, a milling attachment for your lathe.

 

[strantor]

Yes I agree. I've decided on a Logan lathe. I'll be picking it up on Friday. I think I can make or buy a milling attachment, which will give me a fully functional lathe and a partly functional mill, instead of a partly functional lathe/mill.

 

[OakRidgeGuy]

Maybe I am missing something here.. but a combo unit of a lathe and mill.. why is it called a "3 n 1"? When there are only two componets to the machine.

 

[HSS]

Mill, Drill, Turn

 

[OakRidgeGuy]

So a lathe or a mill is a 2n1 unit

 

[george wilson]

In case it hasn't been mentioned,consider the extremely SHORT length of the lathe headstock they unusually have. Not much of an invitation to spindle rigidity.

A non machinist car racer asked me about getting a 3 in 1 to work on his cars with. Even the salesman at MSC,who I know pretty well through purchases I made over the years,advised me that the 3 in 1 they sell should be stayed away from. I wish they had advised me to stay away from their big Pro Master lathe!!!! Most screwed up lathe I ever bought.

 

[randyjaco]

As stated earlier, Houston does not have a lot of cheap used machine tool. Mexican buyers buy them for good prices and haul them back to Monterey, etc. That being said, my whole shop is composed of tools I have picked up at cheap prices off of CL, flea markets and yard sale. You have to be quick. The good deals only last a couple of hours. I have passed on deals to fellow Home Shop Machinists here only to hear them say that they called the following day or on the weekend only to find out the deal was sold.

Here is a nice 3 or 4 in one for a mere $10K 8^)
http://houston.craigslist.org/tld/3332969862.html

Randy

 

[strantor]

Here is a nice 3 or 4 in one for a mere $10K 8^)
http://houston.craigslist.org/tld/3332969862.html

Randy

That beast has been on CL for weeks, along with the 3950$ smithy (that used to be 4500$) and the 3000$ south bend.

I emailed the guy with the smithy and informed him that, while he may have paid >5K last year when he bought it (doubtful), the smithy company was currently selling it for 3300$, in case he was wondering why he wasn't getting any bites. I made it clear that I was not trying to haggle - I could not afford the machine - I was just trying to give a friendly tip. Dude tried to argue with me about it. I finally said ok, you're right. It's worth every penny of 4500$. next day he lowered it to 3950, still 600 bucks over what it sells for brand new.

 

[OakRidgeGuy]

Here locally, I saw a CL ad for a Logan 850 that was in total mess and the guy was asking 2800 bucks for it. The pic was dark, it took a bit to even figure out which model it was. I wanted to make a offer, but I am afraid that it would prob insult him greatly.

 

[wolframore]

Recently I went to get old tooling from a retired machinist to find that he sold his Hardinge for $300 and a 12" rotary table for $100! Ah was too late! But I got some really cool tooling all starrtt and name brand cutting tools for next to nothing... made a good friend and teacher in the process! tool few hundred... cool friend, mentor and teach - priceless.