Are tailstock turrets any good?

[Ultradog MN]

I bought a tail stock turret at an auction a few years ago.
Threw a $35 bid on it and was the only bidder.
It was made in Germany - #3 MT.
I have used it several times but the chucks are small and cheap.
I was going to put better chucks on it but haven't gotten roundtoit.
If a guy set it up with a couple sizes of center drills, a couple sizes of pilot drills and maybe a live center I could pretty much leave it on the lathe for many of the things I do.
I certainly wouldn't sell it for what I paid for it.

 

[fciron]

I bought a tail stock turret at an auction a few years ago.
Threw a $35 bid on it and was the only bidder.
It was made in Germany - #3 MT.
I have used it several times but the chucks are small and cheap.
I was going to put better chucks on it but haven't gotten roundtoit.
If a guy set it up with a couple sizes of center drills, a couple sizes of pilot drills and maybe a live center I could pretty much leave it on the lathe for many of the things I do.
I certainly wouldn't sell it for what I paid for it.

I don’t use drill chucks on mine.

I have a chunk of 5/8” CRS that fits the sockets in mine. Only takes a few minutes to make a bushing if I need one. The bushings get a flat (rough and ready from the grinder) so they won’t spin in the socket and cross drilled & tapped for a set screw to hold the tool. The drill gets a little grinder notch for the set screw and I just leave the bit in the bushing.

Less overhang, less sliding the tail stock back and forth, etc.

 

[specfab]

Typically the "real" problem with tailstock turrets is that you don't have a quill handle to operate the tailstock ram. The typical tailstock turret (as others have noted) is OK for doing generally small stuff, if the tailstock ram and taper aren't very worn, the turret mechanism is nice and tight, and it's reasonably close to spindle center, but there is no comparison IMO to a bed-mounted turret setup. I have a Clausing 5914 with a bed turret, and even for only a few parts (like 2 or 3) the ability to drill rapidly instead of having to run the tailstock in and out with its screw drive is just wonderful. I tried out a tailstock turret in a shop a few years after initial experience with a different Clausing 5914 with a bed turret, and came away thinking "what's the point?" in regard to the tailstock turret.