What did I buy? F.E. Reed

Hi- I’ve been searching craigslist for a cheap lathe to experiment with, and found my next door neighbor was selling one. For $220 including a ride across the field to my barn on the forks of his John Deere included, I didn’t give it much thought. There’s a motor that hangs off the back and the belts to make it run, and a large set of loose gears.

So, what the heck did I buy? Can’t find a date or serial number.

-John

F.E. Reed company produced a lot of lathes around the turn of the 20th century. There are several folks on this forum who own them too, including me. By the "& Co." in the name, your lathe was built after 1891. The fact that the carriage feed belt pulleys are inboard of the threading feed gears means it is an earlier model. It looks to be about 14" swing, but you can measure that. The swing was also cast into the top inside of the legs - you'll find a 14 there probably. The date and serial number are sometimes stamped into the cross piece of the bed at the tailstock end. If you search this forum for "F. E. Reed" you'll find a bunch of threads talking about these lathes in detail.

Nice old lathe - enjoy it!

Irby