Hello I work as an engineer at a small medical device company in California.
Currently we utilize a junk harbor freight lathe for any R&D development and I am looking to upgrade.
The biggest restriction I have is space. we operate in a rather small building so I'm looking for an overall length of about 50". The product we work on do not get that large so a 18" C-C working area would be enough. I have looked at getting a Hardinge HLVh but the 72" overall length is hard to justify. I understand most "benchtop" models are not worth the investment. Cost wise I am flexible but mainly looking for the 10k-20k range. My buying process is a bit restricted so Buying used from a private party is not really an option.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated I have been searching online but haven't been able to come up with much.
Currently we utilize a junk harbor freight lathe for any R&D development and I am looking to upgrade.
The biggest restriction I have is space. we operate in a rather small building so I'm looking for an overall length of about 50". The product we work on do not get that large so a 18" C-C working area would be enough. I have looked at getting a Hardinge HLVh but the 72" overall length is hard to justify. I understand most "benchtop" models are not worth the investment. Cost wise I am flexible but mainly looking for the 10k-20k range. My buying process is a bit restricted so Buying used from a private party is not really an option.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated I have been searching online but haven't been able to come up with much.