"How I Steal Real Lathes From Suckers". Great vid. If i ever get to feeling like mercilessly beating folks down on their well maintained lathe, I will follow this guide. Seriously though, all this makes me think a new lathe with fresh, induction hardened ways, is pretty solid value. Upgrade the motor with a fresh induction drive, and bob's the bloke your aunty calls hers.
Finally a useable how to buy a lathe video! I've asked for this info from others at your level and caliber on RU-vid and have always been ignored. This is greatly appreciated and a tremendous help!Thanks so much!
Dale, a great set of guidelines that will be a great help to the first-time buyer. Of course, this could be useful to other buyers too, but I would think that they were already aware of these things from their first acquisition, however, there does exist those who never seem to learn. Keep up the good work!
Dale A thousand dollars for a Hardinge are you kidding me I was looking at a 1980 model Hardinge that was flogged hard a university yes it had allot of tooling but some guy paid $22,000 dollars for it unbelievable. In Australia we just cannot get machines like that for the money you guy's can. For the money that you are talking you would get a pile of junk even machine shops that are switching to CNC still want ridiculous money for there manual machines that have been flogged hard making them money. I sold a Chinese import that I had for two years and added a stack of stuff and with some tooling and I struggled to $2500 for something that cost me over $5000. My dad paid $500 for an old Myford English lathe 1930's and it was totally disassembled in a box and it is a very small lathe gives you some idea how hard it is here to get machines. That is why we are force to go for Chinese stuff and then fix all the problems that come with them. The one I have now I have over $10,000 invested including the tooling very hard to justify to she who controls the finances when it is a hobby. Ok enough of my rant looking forward to the next installment of this series keep them coming. Dave
David Cashin 😧 I so hear you. There are some useful-practical things for having a home lathe But frankly not so many - when I want to build something I want to build it - kinda hard to justify$ to a spouse that is concerned about money and anything that will reduce the time I can spend with her. 😂
I was looking for lathes and found a company who sells them. Prices from $759 upwards from Hare & Forbes. They're in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Try Gumtree too. Play around with words on your computer when looking as well, that's how I stumbled on a couple of unknown machinery sellers in W.A. It's true though, some secondhand ones are so ridiculously priced for what they are, even with most of the stuff missing it isn't really worth buying them. Keep looking, I'm sure you will find the one your looking for
I'm in NZ - I feel the same way, but the bargains are out there. I got a 1975 Colchester Bantam Mk1 for $500, and I see them go regularly for $4000+. I just put in a stupidly low offer and brought cash on the day and the place I got it from said yes!
I have the opertipunity to go big All the little lathes are swamped by hobbyists I found a 3metre bed servian No one could work out how to move it so it sat for 2 years for sale Price ended uo at $1000 It cost me anouther $500 to hire a hiab trucks to move it iyt of their shop that day (part of the deal) Then anouther hiab truck onto a trailer and drive it 900km home At the farm my telehadler can pick it up easy and shift it into the shed Its masive but thats what made it so cheap
Come to the US there are tonnes of old ones or new ones. Grizzly, Jet, Tormach and home made. Many people build them out of scrap. Yeah I dont see how they even run. but some guys can get amazing results from them.
Good stuff, it is all your fault I had to break down and buy a 13" Southbend toolroom lathe last week....cheers, I have been watching you for a few years and like your approach....Paul in Orlando, Fl
I don't know if it's because it's 2021, or the part of the country I'm in (southern arizona), but I hardly ever see a full size lath for less than $2000 on craigs list, and if it's in nice condition (doesn't look like it was just pulled up from the bottom of a lake) and comes with some useful accessories, they tend to start closer to $3000 and go up from there.
Thanks for the video. I myself am looking to buy my first lathe. A lot of useful info. Most of what I am finding in Kentucky are going 3-5 thousand dollars in the 13 x 40 inch range.
Some great tips, thanks! Like you said, it's all about patients. I live in Oregon and there are usually only three or four lathes for sale on Craigslist at one time (that look worth looking at). Most of the time they are way over priced by a machine dealer but every once in a while you will find one from an old hobbyist or an estate sale. And they go pretty quickly for good money. It could take 6 months to find the right lathe, but patients pays off in the end. Thanks for sharing, can't wait for part two!
+kmcwhq You aren't going to find a Hardinge in decent condition around here for less than ~$4.5k - usually north of $5k. The Clausings are going to run you ~$1.2k for a 12x36 You might get lucky and find a widow disposing of her late husband's stuff for the low end of what I'm citing... As for Craigslist, you can find a few machine shapes piles of rust, with oil leaks, with asking prices that rival what they would pay ENCO for a new machine. California, especially Southern California, has been picked over, and lots of manufacturing operations have left the state. What was available before 2006 was much more of a selection than what's on the market today. And, don't even get me started on the PITA involved in buying an *affordable* used milling machine! BTW - Oil leaks might be just a matter of the seals drying out with age... or, they may well be a sign of abuse / lack of maintenance... Always look into them, lower your offer accordingly, and *don't* be afraid to walk away - or even run... Eric
+Metal Tips and Tricks (Dale Derry) I'd really hear the Colchester and Hardinge stories as well! Nice score(s) I've gotten some great deals over the years, but I think you've topped me with those
Thanks for the useful info. I have been looking at lathes and mills on Craigslist for a while, but was thinking that I would end up with a 1000 lb. paper weight, now I think I might finally buy a machine that I can learn to use.
Have been looking for a video like this one, didn't find one till now.... Just ordered a new one yesterday.... Guess I know what to look for now, kinda had an idea on most of it, but now a little more reassured. Thanks Dale!
I think this is a great video! Everyone on the forums always screams stay away from the grizz, buy used, but never an explanation of how or what to look for, but this, I learned more in this single video than 2 months on the forums. Thanks Dale! Im still lookin for that sub $1000 lathe but no luck. A lot of people still want 5K for a 40 year old South bend missing chuck, missing tail stock. Im still patient though. Anyway, keep the great videos coming!
extremely helpfull video, I was looking for exactly this, someone to show me step by step, not being a machinist, how to buy my first lathe and not get ripped off. verry good deals! im envious. ive been keeping my eye on craigslist in minnesota for a years and the only thing I see for under $1k are occasional old 6-12" belt driven lathes, or big lathes in really bad shape in need of serious restoration (usually sitting outside for years). lathes like the ones your showing would avarage mabey $5k here, with mabey $2k at the low end. It may be a difference in location, but i just dont think deals like that can be found where I live, ive been looking for probably 5 years and if a deal that good came up i would have made it happen.
You got an unbelievable deal on that Hardinge HLV-H lathe, I've never seen one on CL here for less than $10k. Even some of the smaller second op lathes with no tailstock or threading are around $3k.
I hear you, I paid $6,000.00 for mine, of course it was brand new with the DRO... Not going to get much unless you find a moron that just wants to get rid of his/her lathe cheap.
Next week on how to fetch a metal lathe will you have 4 mates sitting on the edge of the desk waiting to help with the lifting, great video though lots of good tips ...cheers gets a thumbs up from me
bought my first lathe recently wish i had seen this vid first. incidently i bought this exact enco laithe used and was completely taken advantage of and lied to. but thats life. thank you for the invaluable information!
still working on getting the bend out of the cross feed lead screw. Im daunted have no experience with this machine. luckily the ways and main lead screw appear in great condition. so i got that going for me...which is good.
I have the same lathe just re-named, looking forward to your next video because my lathe has issues with the tail stock lining up center in different positions along the bed. thanks for all the good info you produce.
+Theo worm That's a bad sign... You should be able to keep the tailstock centered on the spindle *without* any adjustments for the length of the ways... What you are mentioning can be anything from worn out ways to a bed that's been twisted - either by crashing the lathe under load, or having the lathe fall over and hit the floor / ground. Get a longish straightedge - 18" or 24" - and for this, a Harbor Freight (aka Horrible Fright) 24" combination square's ($10) blade will do the trick - and set it up against the ways and look for light leaking between the straightedge and the ways. Check it both horizontally and vertically, on both rails (unless you have a Hardinge or similar, which only have *one* dovetail way for the bed) If the light leaks are thin - like feeler gauge / shim stock,
+Theo worm Im glad you like the video. I had a similar problem with my lathe. What I did to fix it was take the tail stock off and clean the ways on the bottom of it, they were a mess.
OK, so in my late night reply, I assumed that things had been cleaned of accumulated gunk & crud... I guess that I should have been more explicit about cleaning things up *first*... ;^)
All you guys who can't find lathes... I don't know what you're doing wrong. The last lathe I had was an old Atlas I bought for $150. The lead screw and everything that connects to it came in a box disconnected from the lathe, but I never used it so it didn't matter. I likewise let it slip through my fingers afterward, because I had it for three years and only did two things on it and I can't devote 12 square feet of shop space to an unused tool. :D I suggest two things for those looking.... First, like he said, be patient. Deals come along. Second, get to know the other tool heads in the area. For instance around me there's an engineering listserve, and they have an annual yard sale where everyone cleans out their old crap. That's where I found the Atlas. But that wasn't until the second or third year going. See point #1. :D
Lots of good information including the advice about the tailstock internal MT surfaces being badly worn or bell mouth. It is not an easy fix unless it is just slightly worn. I like to hear your advice on what to look when inspecting the headstock.
Wow - you've been in WA and OR and spending less than $1000 for those in 2016 - what deals. I should have purchased one when we got here 8 years ago - was seeing great deals back then. On the hunt now and as you say will have to be patient. But will get a kit put together and ready to go to check one out.
I bought a 12 x 36 atlas,,2 chucks 3 and 4 jaw,,, aloris tool post and nice full set of tools,,and has quick change gear box and shows no wear on gears and ways,,needle didn't move in spindle runout,,,payed 800,,
Other thing I found while looking is to see if that machine has any known common issues that are hard to fix. For example, fixing the drive on a Monarch 10EE isn't for the faint of heart, and the tubes are $1000 each. I think the LeBlond Servo Shifts can have difficult issues too, though I'm not an expert.
I just called my psychiatrist, I need help after hearing what you paid for your lathes. I must be crazy for paying what I did for mine. My wife is going to kill me. I have never seen deals like that and I'm not doubting what you are saying. I think location has a lot to do with it. I drove almost 900 miles to pick mine up and the only reason I bought it was it was fully tooled and looked great for being 60 years old. I wished I had seen this video before hand. The head stock bearing is zero in one direction and 1/2 a thousand the other. Using a test bar and dead centers over a 12" distance it's zero on both ends but moves .0005 over the 12" from Tail stock to Head stock. Can't get the nuts of the handles for compound and carriage feed where I have .060 back lash on compound and carriage cross feed. I'm not a machinist but had some machine shop background over the 40 years I was a certified pipe and tube welder. I'm disabled and have a lot of work cleaning this lathe and bringing it back to standard. I would never have bought it knowing what I know now, I don't think I would buy a South Bend Lathe but would look for a lathe with more HP and not a flat step belt pulley setup. My health issues are shutting me down from doing any physical work anyway. I hope your method of buying a lathe helps all who watches this vedio
Love the video great advice. I looked on CL but found lathes around 1500 slightly over my budget. I settled for a chinese make from Amazon 9x19 becuase its new and I don't have stress about a rebuild which is out of my scope. :-)
Now i know why people text me when i have a lathe listed on CL and say "if your willing to go under $1000 i will come look at it" I tell them to save their gas LOL
Who cares if they become impatient. You will pay in the end if you rush buy anything. Good salesman always rush you into buying something you do not need, or may be junk, Hence the term salesmen.
Exclennet video, very useful for me, as I fantasize about all them listings for cheap lathes here in France but wonder how to go about inspecting a candidate. Thanks ! Keep on trucking !
Wow, you live in a lucky area or 5 years have really changed things. Starting at 2k gets you nothing but rusted out projects and a dream. And sellers act like they are doing you the favor.
All I can say is, you should change your name to Mr. Lucky. I live in Portland Oregon and I don't ever recall seeing a pro model lathe for under $1000, in any 'shape. Not to say that bargains can't be found if you're persistent in your hunt. I recently purchased (off of craigslist) a Boyer-Schultz 6-18 surface grinder for $200, a deal I thought I would never see. So I keep looking for that magic deal to replace my little 9x20 HF bench lathe. Maybe lightning will strike twice.
here in Australia we don't have the manufacturing industry and the population so its hard to get good small lathe as they don't come up for sale very often, especially here in Tasmania, I have had enough of Chinese, Taiwan tools and no longer buy them, I sold them and I replaced my tools with good quality used Aussie built tools even if I have to refurbish them. or I buy US, British, European or Japanese stuff.
This buying advice all came too late for me but to be honest I think I would have bought my hobby lathe anyway just because it's a fantastic antique. Got it here in the UK for £100 ($132). Drummond round bed lathe built between 1908 and 1938 & many of them were used in the machine shops on battleships in WW1. Have you ever had a round bed lathe with an internal screw ? I'm still building up the courage to clean it never mind open that can of worms.
Gracias por los consejos, estoy buscando un torno y me resisto a comprar uno chino aún siendo nuevo, no parecen buena calidad...o quizás alguno si? muy didáctico, gracias nuevamente.
Advice here on lathes and their pricing is similar to following "buy lottery tickets - you get rich". I never saw a 12 x 36 or 14 x 40 lathe for under or around $1000 USD. in over 5 years. But these things do indeed happen - a friend got older Atlas for like 50 USD (!!!) at estate sale. Chances are similar to lottery ticket win.
Interesantes comentarios.....tengo amigos que se han fabricado tornos a medida....o bien comprado tornos como un sencillo aa109 atlas mini Kathe como el mío.... lógicamente una empresa metal mecánica no es igual a un hobby millonario....a menos que seas Batman.....pero se puede hacer bueno con pocas cosas y suficiente dinero....pero más que invertir dinero es mejor invertir tiempo en saber buscar.....yo soy chileno..pero acá solemos armar tornos ingleses antiguos o bien mejorar los americanos con partes usadas y con las personas correctas que sepan reparación dichos repuestos o partes...no recomiendo nunca los chinos por que sus matrices son bastante defectuosas....suerte a todo y otra vez gracias por incentivar la cultura de fabricar nuestro mundo con nuestras ideas.!!!!
Hi Dale, Great videos you do in the channel, i have a question, do u know why the handwheels on the lathes like pinacho and some chinese lathes are in opposite position like your emco lathe? I mean, in your emco u control the crossslide handwheel with ur right hand and the other feed handwheel with ur left, BUT im other lathes is the opposite...crossslide with the left hand and feedwheel with ur right hand, hope u can answer me, thanks.
Useful info Dale.Just a point of note, at the beginning you mentioned Metric, English or even Whitworth well its the Whitworth, BSW, BA that are English (British) threads not the UNC UNF which are American threads despite being in imperial measurements ........... Just a view from an English Engineer :) :)
The best and worst of British engineering :D lol almost indestructible that is until they break down. I have bruised quite a few knuckles, scrapped a lot of skin and expressed quite a few choice words on Landrovers in the past
Are the mini lathes available on amazon etc worth it in any way? I see reviews of them that kind of go "yeah its ok if you do a bunch of work on it to make it function right". Buying used seems a minefield for a noob, plus getting something that weighs a couple of hundred kilos sounds like a real challenge. Is it all worth it compared with the risk of buying a mini?
Haha....I’d be better off buying a lotto ticket. You can hardly buy a “decent” Chinese 8x16 mini lathe for $800-1000, although this video is a bit old, I don’t think lathe prices were that much cheaper 3-5 years ago. Of course I’m trying to buy my very first lathe and I don’t really want to wait months or years for a killer deal. Great tips tho👍
How many lathes do you need? I know a guy here i Sweden who has 4 lathes 2 milling machines and I only got one lathe and one milling machine and I'm pleased with that. By the way thanks for the video. :)
What was wrong with the Hardinge that it was $1000? If I'm not mistaken, the last time I could price a new manual lathe from Hardinge they were $55,000.00 . My company bought a Hardinge knock-off for $37k.
Unless you are going to estate sales or buying it short order/time crunch good luck with that. I have been watching craigslist for a year and not a single contender goes below 2k let alone 1. Sad thing is that people post up $3-6k lathes every day just caked in grease, grime and rust acting like they are doing you a favor by selling their filthy neglected piece. That or its 3-6k with zero extras. You can find deals here and there though. I just missed buying a 6 month old Miller syncrowave 250 tig welder with EVERYTHING plus consumables for $800 at an estate sale (the base unit minus the cart, bottle, helmet etc is ~$4000 new). Dude that had it on hold showed up with 5 minutes to spare before they sold it to me instead.
Hi Dale, just a quick correction, sorry to be a pain in the ass, maybe you can put one of those boxes in the vieo, but it's lathes.co.uk with an s not lathe.co.uk. Nice video, great to see you on NYC CNC, still haven''t watched the whole of John's footage.
+Metal Tips and Tricks (Dale Derry) just finished watching the NYC CNC stuff, did you do this in response to that question, very thoughtful if you did, it's a tricky topic! BTW we say co as in cola rather than C O too.
Thank you for a brilliant video. A real pleasure to watch. Lets talk about Australia for a sec. Pay less than a $1000 for a lathe in Australia?? You;re not serious are you mate? $1000 is the scrappers price. All we get here is imported Chinese or Taiwanese crap which starts at $1500 and anything that remotely resembles something old has a million dollar price tag on it and is usually flogged to buggery but its old so it must be good. Good luck with beating anyone down on price too. seen blokes here bid $1000 for a rusty beaten broken old anvil which had no rebound but cause its old and there is no quantity of quality gear people pay stupid prices. Australia gets the shit end of the stick with stuff and we pay a premium, and we are overrun with wheelers and dealers all trying to sell you scrap metal under the guise of "rare" or "quality" Rant over ............
I think I would rather buy a new Chinese lathe than try to get a good deal on an old machine. Their is so much to look for that us amateurs will overlook on a used machine of any kind and the eventual repaired cost will be as much as buying the new Grizzly.
+Amateur Redneck Workshop Hi Harold, That's the on-going debate isn't it? Whether to buy new Chinese or old American... The South Bend lathe in my avatar is from the 1970s, runs like a champ, but was never used in an industrial setting. It's been used in a community college since it was brand new and has always been well cared for. It could probably be used for another 40 years, no problem. However, when I check Craig's List and Ebay, everything I see looks rode hard and put up wet. I live in southern Oklahoma and we have a lot agriculture, but not much manufacturing. Every once in a while something pops up in Dallas or Oklahoma City, but usually those machines are trashed. We have a Grizzly lathe 16x40 that we use for gunsmithing and light machining and it has its quirks. It probably wouldn't hold up for daily hard use but it suffices for what we use it for. A buddy has both a smaller Grizzly and a larger Jet, neither of which are industrial quality, but they works well enough. Take care, John T.
Seriously paid that much for the Clausing!? Lol the Colchesters here in the uk are rarely seen for less than a couple thousand £. Your right about getting a deal if you wait though, got my 3rd machine for free lol.
Hi, i build small flash light housings from stainless steel at school, but i want my own lathe. The housings are small like 95mm to 200mm long and 14mm to 30mm wide, what would you recommend for that? And and nice video btw.
Hi Dale, I’m an avid viewer and subscriber of your RU-vid channel. Great stuff. This is partially your fault!! I just bought a year 2000 Enco 13x40 Turn-Pro lathe😁👏🏼👏🏼. Has factory DRO = happy! If I remember correctly, you have the same or similar lathe. Wondering if you would advise me on quick change to post size. BXA or CXA?? Thanks!!
Build Something Cool ; Hi Dale, thanks for the reply. I ordered a Bostar BXA through eBay - $180 to the door w/7 holders. Works great, I like the size. I used your advice while examining the lathe and got what I think is a great deal. Thanks again for all your videos. I’ve learned a lot!
