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Help with buying (price etc) a 17" x 33" Mori Seiki MS-850 (inexperienced buyer)

dragonjr45

Plastic
Joined
Jun 3, 2022
Hello everyone! I've been wanting to get a nice lathe for a long time now and finally something interesting has shown up in my area but I just have no idea on how to value it and the price seems high enough to prompt me to ask for help. Lathe is a 17" x 33" Mori Seiki MS-850 Engine Lathe and being described as very nice. Looks like it comes with 2 axis DRO, 10" 3 jaw chuck, steady rest, Quick Change tool post with tool holders, 3 phase (though I'd rather have single). Its 5 hp, >2" spindle bore. I would be Extremely grateful for your thoughts and advice on what a lathe like this should be worth assuming its in very good to excellent condition. Thanks for any advice
 
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Well hard to judge here as you neglected to give the asking price.....
But here is the thing, you stated that you have been looking for some time and there has been little to purchase in your area.
As with most things the market drives the price. If inventory is low , a nice machine will command higher prices than if there is a surplus.

So the choice is simple...Wait for a better deal that may never come or pay.....
A good industrial machine has a life span of 30-50 years plus....Don't know your age but if you run that machine fro 15 years ans paid $500.00 too much (what ever that is) the real expense is an additional$33.00 per year...Chump change in the big picture.
Condition and availability , and ease of moving are way more important than saving a few bucks.

If this is a machine you fancy and it fills your needs (size,and build quality) With the features (metric threading, taper attach etc) that you want, make your best deal and don't look back.
Cheers Ross
 
Sounds like not for business use? So you don't have an urgent need and can be patient. That is good. And sounds like you haven't laid eyes on? Do that.

See it in person. I looked at a webb lathe ms850 mori copy for $2500 well tooled. Figured something was not right. It had been used for toolpost grinding and ways were trashed beyond use but seller insisted it was in good shape. Not!

Around Kansas City,MO actually in good shape maybe 4K-6k? Prices vary greatly but if you are patient you can get a good deal. Good tooling a plus and figures into price. On ebay up they have been asking around 10K.

The Moris are nice lathes. Metric, imperial, module, and diametral threading and plenty of rigidity/power. 1800 rpm top. How much are they asking? I want an ms1250 with a taper attachment. BTW spindle hole is 2.375.
 
Yes,17x33 is an odd size,very short in the bed for a lathe for general use .....definitely close inspection,as it may have heavy industrial use........IMHO,it wouldnt be top dollar in class or even close because of the short bed,even if it was very good condition for age.
 
Short bed machines like this are often bought for trade schools and the like as they don't take up extra room on the class floor.
In general trade school machines have little "heavy" use. Of course there might also be the higher potential for a crash .....
Cheers Ross
 
Moris are top end machines and even with the short bed I would guess 5-10K depending on condition. Freighting any lathe right now is a 2K proposition so close is good. Have the seller fire it up and run some test cuts to verify it has less than .001 variation over a reasonable distance. If it is within a few tenths it is worth an upcharge. A new Taiwan lathe of lesser quality but new will be in the 15K range and should turn within tenths so that is a comparable. Dave
 








 
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