yea, it might just be the mini lathe lottery system .. for 429 after tax to me door , this isnt too bad after lubing and adjusting for 45 minutes..But I think someone expecting a ready to run machine would be shocked... I do really like the tailstock.. I probably got lucky with the grizzly at the time , everything ran soo smooth.. Same can be said for my 6 yr old g4000 9x19 , that thing ran like a dream when new , still runs good today.
That tailstock lock does seem like a new design. Mine was rude and crude until I changed it to a LMS TS lock upgrade.
yea this design actually makes it quick to release and lock.. Never had one like it before.. Are you running the els from the guy clough 42 on youtube?
For the cheap ebay lathes, I always wondered what happens to the units that fail even the minimal QC of the branded mini lathes.
Quote from: WhatUPSbox? on January 16, 2022, 02:38:35 PMFor the cheap ebay lathes, I always wondered what happens to the units that fail even the minimal QC of the branded mini lathes.Smack into shape with the appropriate size hammer and stamp "Passed". And I do not speak in jest.
After the requisite adjustments my little Shop Fox mini lathe served me well for about a year until the control board died and I couldn't get a replacement. I took it out to try and repair it but the thing was so shoddy that it was hard to tell what the problem was... I ended up buying a big free standing a lathe made in Seabrook NH which is like two towns away from me which is cool. It's 60 years old but it was well maintained and the thing is built like a tank. It ended up only being $350 more than the mini lathe, plus $100 (out of gratitude) and the promise of some free shear pins to get one of my neighbors with a front loader to help me move it up to the barn. Other than being easy to move mini lathes are not worth buying in my opinion, just keep your eyes open on craigslist or other local listings for a used older lathe. Mine came from a shop which was renovating and just looking to get rid of some old equipment for cheap, it came with a ton of tooling and attachments too, most of which I haven't messed with yet.
I’ve got a 15+ yr old HF 7” mounted knee high so I can sit in a chair and run it. It’s a soldier. Still has same belt and I have run that little machine hard over the years. I also have a clausing 12” with change box. It gets all threading and big work. It has a 60” bed. Both are priceless to me. Dave
I’ve got a 15+ yr old HF 7” mounted knee high so I can sit in a chair and run it. It’s a soldier. Still has same belt and I have run that little machine hard over the years. I also have a clausing 12” with change box. It gets all threading and big work. It has a 60” bed. Both are priceless to me.Dave
My 9X19 Harbor Freight lathe is turning 30 this year. I stripped it down to just the cross feed for all manual operation, no threading at all any longer. It has has 2 bearing changes and is due for a third, the ways stay oiled so no real wear there and the swarf is kept off by putting a small piece of cardboard down under the chuck. I did get the QD tool post several years ago for fast tool changes and that has helped a lot but the bed and cross slide are not very stiff and it has a hard time cutting any steel so it gets brass and aluminum most of the time for food.