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Harrison m400 turret. Good hobby lathe?

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Stainless
Joined
Apr 5, 2020
Location
Cincinnati
I ran across this lathe online and I’m always open to a upgrade from my plain bearing southbend 16. Anyone have experience with this lathe or got any input on if it would be a good garage unit, I see it’s 10hp 3 phase 220 I have 5hp 3 phase available at the moment. I’ve never even been next to a turret lathe so I’m not even a novice. Can I pretty much use the turret like a over grown tailstock? Anything a tail stock can do a turret can’t?

Used Harrison Harrison M400 Turret Lathe | HGR Industrial Surplus
 
Price is decent if in good shape - but being HGR "good shape" might be too much to hope for.

I've had it's little brother (Harrison M300) and it was a decent lathe. ABEC 7 headstock bearings. Metric/inch dials. And so on. I'd expect the M400 to be competent in most respects.

A center held at the turret end isn't ideal for precise between-centers turning.

Some turret lathes don't do threading or have a compound - but you look to be good on that score.

Given you'll have sales tax, need a larger phase converter, and have to move it - price may be closer to $5K when you're done. More like $7K when you tool it - looks bare of even a chuck now. The average garage shop might spend that money on a decent 14" x 40" or so lathe. If you already have that and want to swing more, take deeper cuts, it's surely worth taking a look if nearby in Northern Ohio.
 
Thanks peteM. I live a few hours from HGR and have bought from them before, you pretty much HAVE not inspect the machines in person before buying. I would trailer it myself But have no way to get it inside my garage atm. I liked what looks like a cam lock chuck and I’ve found some in what appears to be pretty decent condition for a good price. I love the threading capabilities it has, I wish it had a tailstock and steady rest. Thankfully I have a 100amp sub panel right next to my RPC so I should be able to upgrade to a 15hp idle motor pretty easy. The down sides I really have issue with is the tail, wear if present (and we know it’s there) and lack of a taper attachment.
 
Harrison is a good brand ,but the machine is a capstan lathe,(not a turret....just terminology),and unless you get a conventional (correct) tailstock thrown in ,price is on another planet ,IMHO....Unless you particularly want a turret ,Id certainly pass at that price,.....and the machine seems to be stripped of acessories ,a big downer on a largish machine ,maybe doubling cost before a chip is cut.
 
The link won't load in the UK (access denied) but I'd caution, if that M400's fitted with a turret, there's every chance it's been worked hard, ……..such turrets were quite common on Colchester Triumph 2000's (they made a very handy hybrid) ……….but the turrets were far from cheap, so were almost always fitted for a certain job or two that were big batch, usually on bonus and piecework, so the lathes were driven hard.

IMO structurally and mechanically there's mot a lot of difference between an M400 and Tri' 2000, ……….and drive hard Tri 2000's soon wore - badly, ………...check it under load in all the gears - if it was worked long & hard you'll soon find at which speed for it will whine, ………. if not scream, .then you don't walk away - you run!

Just my 2 cents - YMMV
 
Thanks fellas, I ask cause I do not know. I was not aware of the terminology on this style lathe and I’m also vary surprised they have a single central hitch point to pick up and move the beast! HGR doesn’t let you test ANYTHING even a pencil there outside you fiddling with some dials when they ain’t looking and as they say it’s true the forklift drivers keep score on how many levers they can snap off. I’m not experienced with gear heads so I assumed if lubricated properly (another bonus I was hoping to see, automatic oiler) then the gear heads would pretty much last forever?. Like I said I wouldn’t buy anything big without checking the v ways and wear in general in person. Last thing is the price drop is nearly 1000$ already. I’ve noticed HGR will stress on some things but totally fire sale others and a 800$ drop and it’s not even on last chance means to me it can be had cheaper. I already have a CXA wedge TP and a fair amount of carbide, stuff is to sharp for my SB16 at a breathtaking 900rpm max. I really like the look of the overall machine and the coolant containment (sb16 laughed at me when I showed her some coolant) along with the cam lock and capabilities, it’d sure make me feel like a big boy.

I’ll see what pics I can load of the HGR link for everyone, I’m on Mobil so I can’t load full size for now
 
''Gear heads lasting forever'' ………….a lot of gearhead lathes will give a long life, but IME both Harrison & Colchester (they're all but the same and come from the same works) gears (along with a lot of other parts) are / were recognised to be on the soft side, so wear quicker.

Please bear in mind that both Harrison and Colchester were never considered ''top class '' lathes - think Ford or GM - aka built to a price and they do what it says on the tin - for a limited period of time, ……….and believe me, the harder they're worked the quicker they wear.
 
Just seen the vid, looks like it's got a power chuck draw bar on the back of the spindle and the big ''all power'' turret, ……..my ££ say it's been on heavy chucking work and had the shit kicked out of it.
And judging by the dust around the spindle nose it was cast iron work - which will have really 4Xed it :eek:
 
Thanks limy, that’s the input I was hoping for, the spindle nose dirt surprised me I didn’t expect it to be there. I’m not familiar with Harrison and sensed from the lack of posts on PM about them that they may be of a cheaper standard then the “big boys”. I’m a impulsive buyer with these machines and am glad I rarely have time to drive to HGR or I’d trade in on a new lathe every 28 days.
They have a 30 day money back no questions asked and it’s very nice, I had a sb10L that I retuned and they scooped it up and off it went no questions 28days after I bought it
 
I was kinda thinking pick up a 15hp Motor at HGR while I’m there and that lathe, a drive and a few hours then get a 4jaw cam loc and put the cxa on And make some chips but I agree with you i think it’s starting to look a lot more like a “used” machine. Them rose colored glasses will get ya
 
Last edited:
Running to and fro changing M400's is heavier going than swapping out SB's

From Harrison M400 lathe

An M400 weighed 1753 Kg (3857 lbs) in 1000 mm between-centres' form; 1956 Kg (4304 lbs) as a 1500 mm capacity machine - and 2159 Kg (4760 lbs) as a long-bed, 2000 mm model.
Overall lengths available were approximately: 2215 mm, 2690 and 3240 mm (88", 106" and 127") respectively..
 
No doubt, the weight doesn’t scare me I just don’t have a forklift is all haha, id call my buddy with his wrecker and have him lift it to my door and use skates. Determination is key and quick reflexes help a lot! Like I said it’s make me feel like a big boy.

So I ask you this.

Assume wear is identical on both machines what would you prefer to have?
A 1957 SB16x7 threading dial, hard bed, Duel lever gb.

Or this m400?
 
johnoder said:
I'd guess the big looking spindle nose is D1-8" - don't snag a chuck until you know for certain
Click to expand...

The link to Tony's lathe site says D1-8 but I would wait and make sure unless it was a screaming deal. They could have done a custom or the owner might have modified it.
Any idea how much it cost when it was made. The similar looking m300 came out around 1971 and is still being made today, in china.
Bill D
 
Limy, I use them for hobby work, nothing that makes a dollar at the moment (id like that to change ha) so I guess you could say “light prototyping”. My main reason I originally bought my knee mill was (hold on gotta put my flame suit on) to complete some 80% ar lowers I had, then I picked up a lathe to compliment the mill and it’s just grown from there. Can’t say there’s actually a need for any of these outside learning to turn what’s inside my head into metal.

And for the Purists out there I bought the lowers first and mangled one in a drill press x/y Vice, I plan to build a few lowers and other projects from some 0% lowers in the future when my skills get there, I also don’t plan to ever get rid of my machines, as long as they work (an the opportunity to reasonably upgrade Is not present) then they stay.
 
I plan to stop up HGR to see it in person some time, I would never start buying the accessories to a machine I don’t have haha,

Thanks everyone for stopping by with valuable opinions and input I do appreciate you all
 
Also I was curious, the turret rides on its own set of ways in addition to using the inner tailstock ways on the bed, am I Naïve Im hoping the wear is mainly in the turret ways not the bed? And the cam lock spindle, I assume it doesn’t have a very big through hole in the head?

Found it, thanks again bill for the links, 2.5 inch though hole, induction hardened ways, splash lube head stock (that’s disappointing I was hoping it had pressure lubrication)and factory option was D1-8 spindle but as stated it could be custom
 
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