Lathe buying advice
A little backstory - lost a lathe in a fire last year, and our insurance is paying to replace it up to $10,000. I've used old American iron in the past, but IME most have needed significant elbow grease to get into 'operational' condition and few if any have 'like new' tolerances. I've also heard none of the new machines are any good, cheaper materials etc, however I had always assumed that was on a per dollar trade aka a new $1000 machine isn't as good as a $1000 craigslist buy from the 40s but might not apply to a $10k new vs $2k used. If I bought used it would probably be a midcentury southbend 10in heavy, but I've used or owned a logan and atlas in the same size.
Here is about what I'm looking for and as usual everything can be compromised for a better overall machine:
Roughly 10in swing
110v single phase power, preferably 15amp capable (for flexibility as I move)
1in+ spindle bore
30+ inches between centers
Robust spare parts support (like in 30 years time when I need to replace something)
Quick change gearbox for threading and feeds
Power feed for carriage and cross slide
Capable of 0.030" passes in stainless 304 or harder
Under 500lbs (tough to meet given the need for rigidity)
Around $10k (no I don't get the cash, the difference, nor can I roll it into refurbishment costs)
I prefer new but used and ready to run is also fine - baby on the way so I'd like to spend more time running the machine than fixing it
Bonuses - CNC (stock or capable), Live tooling, etc etc
Low hanging fruit -
https://www.grizzly.com/products/south-bend-heavy-10-10-x-30-gearhead-lathe/sb1007
https://www.jettools.com/us/en/p/bdb-929-belt-drive-bench-lathe-with-stand/321372K (used the 14in jets in college, nice machines overall)
Main concern with the new "southbend" is replacement parts in 30 years and overall quality. Main issue with the 929 Jet and my old atlas is/was the small spindle bore. Jet also has the BDB-1340A which is within the price range, but at 1200lbs it's well past piano moving costs/difficulties.
So the $10,000 question is what machine do you recommend in the 10in swing range that is the best quality/accuracy that meets as many of the 'wants' as possible? I would love to find a hidden gem of a company I overlooked that is doing high quality work. I've never had the luxury of this kind of tool budget so I'm out of my comfort zone with brands that haven't been out of business for decades.
Posted Oct 24, 2021, 3:34 PM UTC
Hardinge HLV . The absolute best .