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Cincinnati hydroshift 13x36

StevenP85

Plastic
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
First time poster on here. I've read a lot of content but I'm finally ready to join in. I have a chance to buy a Cincinnati hydroshift 13x36. I don't have any experience with them nor do I know much about them. The guy wants 1500 for it. I'm thinking it is a fair price. Not sure if these machines are worth it. I have some pictures if it is helpful.....I'm looking at this machine for a small home shop. The tooling is minimal 4 jaw, steady rest, follower rest, and faceplate. It has a toolpost on it also.
 
cinci traytops are decent machines , but i would be concerned that the hydrashift mechanism was working perfectly.

i have never used one personally, but i have run servoshift Regals which didn't always cooperate . $1500 could be a good
price for a Traytop in good condition, but if the shift mechanism is messed up , it could be worthless . i suppose
if it were stuck in gear, you could feed a VFD into it.

DO NOT BUY THE MACHINE WITHOUT RUNNING IT AND CYCLING THROUGH THE GEARS!

good luck.
 
First time poster on here. I've read a lot of content but I'm finally ready to join in. I have a chance to buy a Cincinnati hydroshift 13x36. I don't have any experience with them nor do I know much about them. The guy wants 1500 for it. I'm thinking it is a fair price. Not sure if these machines are worth it. I have some pictures if it is helpful.....I'm looking at this machine for a small home shop. The tooling is minimal 4 jaw, steady rest, follower rest, and faceplate. It has a toolpost on it also.

Long time now since the last NEW Hydrashift left the factory, so I'd take for granted that at least part of the shifting is dodgy., maybe most of it.

But.. Pennsyltucky is close to where lots of them spent their working lives, "the knowledge" to repair can be found, and you did say "small HOME shop"?

Ready-to-run tooling - steady AND follow rest are seldom still there - 4-J can do lots of work, those and the TP sold-off could get back the entire $1,500 if there as no better option.

And they are not as hard to move as a heavy-duty engine lathe, same work envelope.

A L&S, Monarch, Axelson, ATW, Hendey, it is not. Closer to Leblond's middleweight "Regal" in target market when new.

I'd call it worth the modest risk, and in an all-'round useful size for a home shop. If you can lay-hands on it, so much the better. If you dither until someone ELSE does?
 
The machine seems to be mechanically sound in every other aspect. Everything seems to have minimal backlash and seems to be pretty well cared for. I believe I can get out a bit cheaper than the asking price if I take it without seeing it run..... figured I could recoup my Monet parting it out if need be. I would be interested in finding a nice 3 or 6 jaw for it. I'm not sure what the spindle nose is? If I remember correctly it had cam locks..... but not 100% sure on that.
 
Spindle should be a D1-4 ,my dealer friend has the same lathe on his floor right now. Sweet shifting compaired to the LeBlond-Makino servoshift he also has. In fact if the Cincy had a taper attachment it would be in my shop now !
PS I have a 6" 3 jaw in the for sale section right now, it's a D1-4. D1-4 pin dia. is 5/8s.
 
I am pretty handy with machine repairs but I'm not familiar with these particular machines.

You won't be the first by a long shot to mess with that. Help from the PM community should be enough to guide you if the need arises.

At the priced asked with even modest tooling, it is essentially a "free for the hauling cost" machine. D1-4 goods will fit MANY other lathes.
 
D1-4 pin dia. is 5/8s.

For general reference, D1-4 and D1-3 look very much alike in online photos.

The only "easy" measurement - especially for a non-machinist - to quickly take to tell them apart IS that pin diameter.

D1-3 = 9/16"

D1-4 = 5/8"

And may have EITHER a Metrifuckated attach thread if Chinese-made, or the stronger "Inch" one, if made by legacy US-makers.

Mack-it stocks the US ones, new. Also the mating locks that live in the spindle, which will work with either proper or Metrifuckated studs.

Shars has the Chinese studs with the weaker threads for their CI backplates.

Both Bison and Feurda/Gator also have forged-steel and semi-steel backplates, still Metrifuckated, but a bit stronger.
 
not to be a downer here- but i've never seen a cincinnati lathe with anything other than a
long taper spindle ... a 13" should be an L-00 or L-0 ....just sayin'...

One I ran had a 4-Jaw.

No one has to care how those are attached unless they get broken before the lathe is plumb wore-out for the second time.

:D
 
Machine does also have a taper attachment! It actually seems to be a very well cared for machine. I guess you go with your gut on it. As i said before worse comes to worse I can make my money back by parting. I'll have to take a look in the for sale section. I am new still haven't figured half of the stuff out. If I knew how post them I have a couple pictures of the machine.
 
Machine does also have a taper attachment! It actually seems to be a very well cared for machine. I guess you go with your gut on it. As i said before worse comes to worse I can make my money back by parting. I'll have to take a look in the for sale section. I am new still haven't figured half of the stuff out. If I knew how post them I have a couple pictures of the machine.

Then just go grab it and growl, as if it were fresh meat on the bone, old dog! Pictures after you get it home and sorted out.

Some of the better deals in machine tools we see asked about here get bought-up by quicker-acting decision makers whilst a more timid soul is still discussing and agonizing over the whichness of what as if it was a brand new car.
 
Very good advice! I appreciate it.

To put it into perspective...it takes the price of TWO $1500 lathes to buy ONE dealer triple-flush, pan & filter renewal, and refill of a ZF 6-speed automatic transmission... ...that doesn't have ANYTHING wrong with it but the calendar date or odometer reading.

Much less at a good Indie shop, but still... the gen-you-whine ZF juice alone ain't cheap.
 
I like the Cinci hydroshift lathes. They are a good, useful middle weight lathe and a perfect size for a home shop. Be advised the hydra shift mechanism is complex and if it not working correctly, you will have your hands full. The price and the fact that it has a TA tells me to grab it ASAP.
 
... there's nothing 'bad' about an L-0 spindle, (unless you don't own a hook spanner(!) they take a little
longer to clean out than a D- mount, but unless you're swapping chucks all day long ....who cares. chucks are
plentiful .

they are good lathes, and if the ways are nice and everything looks solid -i'd go get it before it gets away.
every damned gunsmith and hotrodder/possum skinner is looking for a 13" machine to put in his basement, so they
typically sell for $3k-$4K around here.
 
... there's nothing 'bad' about an L-0 spindle, (unless you don't own a hook spanner(!)

Always thought they were the strongest of all spindles, and certainly more so than a D1 or A.

Well. Maybe not so clear-cut. Someone who did the math pointed out they add a longer lever-arm component than the short taper ones do.

Three-pin D1's I can like. Not really "quick" change, but close, plus very good repeatability. Six pin, not so quick, but a lot harder to FUBAR.

"Threaded"? .. should simply be on some OTHER Pilgrim's lathe.

:)
 
I should hopefully be bringing the lathe home this week. I'm sure I will have a whole lot more questions like how to shift it properly.
 
Well what happened..... this is a very nice lathe I have a Hydrashift in my "home shop" 18 X 96 lol a very nice lathe Pm me if you need help with anything like how you are going to power it ....
Happy Hunting
archie
 








 
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