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OK what are the pro manual 14x40 lathe options these days?

Finegrain

Finegrain

Diamond
Joined
Sep 6, 2007
Location
Seattle, Washington
Hi guys,

Still looking at a replacement for my tired 13x40 lathe. Very little available used + local (that isn't all beat up and still $6k-$8k) so am looking at new. I want this:

13-15" swing
40"-ish C-C
English (down to 4 TPI at least) + metric threads with no gear swapping
Prefer variable speed via VFD
Carriage feed stop
DRO
2,000 - 3,000#

It seems there are few options for new + really good manual lathes. Have been reading bad stuff about the Grizzly/South Bend version of the Colchester-style lathe (1012F). Also read some rough stuff about actual Clausing-Colchester. Not terrible stuff but if I'm going to drop $10-$15K on a manual lathe it needs to be quite good-to-go straightaway

Not interested in the lower class of machine.

What else is out there? American Turnmaster? Republic? Standard Modern? Standard Modern spec's are a little thinner than the others -- 1,750# vs. 2,000-3000#, 1-3/8" D1-4 spindle vs 2" D1-6, etc.

Thanks, and regards.

Mike
 
Seems like Whacheon is a popular choice.

Personally, if I was to drop that kind of coin, I'd buy a used Monarch, Lodge and Shipley, American, Axleson, or other premium lathe and have it rebuilt.

There's an Okuma LS engine lathe in my general area that is really tempting me to do the same thing. Of course, I can rebuild it myself (except grinding the bed ways), so my opinion is skewed.
 
Few of the great old iron lathes can cut metric straightaway, if at all. 10EE I/M can, but they typically sell for a huge premium in this area, and are not immune to bed wear and other assorted old-age issues.

Not interested in a fixer, no time for that.

Regards.

Mike
 
Whacheon/Mori Seiki/Webb etc. are very nice, but when available in known-good condition like from Greer, they are, at the end of the day, $12-15k 10-20 YO machines. At that price point, I'd rather have a warrantied smaller machine.

Regards,

Mike
 
I don't know what bad things you've heard about the SB1012F, but I've bought six of them over the past six years and have yet to have a problem. And these are machines that are used every day. They meet all your checkboxes. They certainly not going to take a 0.375" DOC in steel on a 6" workpiece; but that's not why they were bought. If I wanted a superlathe, I would have bought one. Make sure whoever you're listening to actually owns or runs one versus someone who is pining for a time when the machines were manufactured in the USA. My first two were made right before SB filed bankruptcy and sold their spare parts division to Leblonde, and the other four are machines that were made after the owner of Grizzly bought the company. The differences between the two styles of machines are so minute, they aren't worth mentioning, except that the newer ones are nicer :). If I were you, I would cut some chips on one before writing them off.

I also run an excellent condition Mazak Ajax Hercules, Mori MS850, and Monarch CK, so I have some nice iron for comparison. The other machines can achieve the same tolerances without DROs, and they are stiffer due to their larger mass, but the 1012Fs are quiet, a pleasure to adjust speed on, dead accurate with their DROs, and have modern safety features if that's important in your application.

What are you going to use it for?


Finegrain said:
Hi guys,

Still looking at a replacement for my tired 13x40 lathe. Very little available used + local (that isn't all beat up and still $6k-$8k) so am looking at new. I want this:

13-15" swing
40"-ish C-C
English (down to 4 TPI at least) + metric threads with no gear swapping
Prefer variable speed via VFD
Carriage feed stop
DRO
2,000 - 3,000#

It seems there are few options for new + really good manual lathes. Have been reading bad stuff about the Grizzly/South Bend version of the Colchester-style lathe (1012F). Also read some rough stuff about actual Clausing-Colchester. Not terrible stuff but if I'm going to drop $10-$15K on a manual lathe it needs to be quite good-to-go straightaway

Not interested in the lower class of machine.

What else is out there? American Turnmaster? Republic? Standard Modern? Standard Modern spec's are a little thinner than the others -- 1,750# vs. 2,000-3000#, 1-3/8" D1-4 spindle vs 2" D1-6, etc.

Thanks, and regards.

Mike
Click to expand...
 
mbraddock said:
I don't know what bad things you've heard about the SB1012F, but I've bought six of them over the past six years and have yet to have a problem. And these are machines that are used every day. They meet all your checkboxes. They certainly not going to take a 0.375" DOC in steel on a 6" workpiece; but that's not why they were bought. If I wanted a superlathe, I would have bought one. Make sure whoever you're listening to actually owns or runs one versus someone who is pining for a time when the machines were manufactured in the USA. My first two were made right before SB filed bankruptcy and sold their spare parts division to Leblonde, and the other four are machines that were made after the owner of Grizzly bought the company. The differences between the two styles of machines are so minute, they aren't worth mentioning, except that the newer ones are nicer :). If I were you, I would cut some chips on one before writing them off.

I also run an excellent condition Mazak Ajax Hercules, Mori MS850, and Monarch CK, so I have some nice iron for comparison. The other machines can achieve the same tolerances without DROs, and they are stiffer due to their larger mass, but the 1012Fs are quiet, a pleasure to adjust speed on, dead accurate with their DROs, and have modern safety features if that's important in your application.

What are you going to use it for?
Click to expand...

While I don't know the SB having read the spec sheet here http://cdn1.grizzly.com/specsheets/sb1012f_ds.pdf and seen it's made in Teiwan and not China , plus has Japanese Bearings and Allen Bradly controls, ...........plus what mbraddock has said (6 in 6 years has to be some sort of recommendation) ................I would definitely take a good long look at one.


And before all the naysayers kick off, NO I am not shilling for SB or anyone, .........just applying common sense.
 
About 15 years ago I had a Sharp 14/40 Variable Speed that I absolutely loved. It was a really nice machine to use. Back then I think they were Taiwan. Today I have no Idea where they are made.

Dan
 
It may be a little light but the Harrison m300 lathe might fit the bill. I think the new ones are made in China these days. Cheaper if you find a used one sold under different names including, cholchester, do-all, and a few other names. 600 group product.
The 13x40 weighs 1750 pounds with base. 3hp motor, D1-4 spindle, 1.5" bore.
Bill D
 
Techguy said:
About 15 years ago I had a Sharp 14/40 Variable Speed that I absolutely loved. It was a really nice machine to use. Back then I think they were Taiwan. Today I have no Idea where they are made.

Dan
Click to expand...

have always been of the opinion that "Sharp" was a sales brand only. They purchased machines from "whoever" and put the SHARP name plate and some number on the machine.

With lathes, as you went up the line, machines went from second tier Asian to second tier European. It was hard to get a handle on just what a "Sharp" brand machine tool might be , year to year.

Note, The Cadillac machines are truly good. YAM built. I had one "back then" a short bed 16 ". A smooth, powerful and comfortable machine to operate.
The "feel" was much like the MAZAK I have now. perhaps the bedways were not as refined.
I
 
ewlsey said:
So who actually makes these Mori clone lathes? Cadillac, Yam, Ajax, Sharp, Victor, etc?
Click to expand...


YAM is the maker of the Cadillac lathes, If I have it correctly, You could date a YAM by it's name plate. Japan had
an image to overcome (quality) And "Caddy" oozed quality in America. So YAM sold machines with Cadillac name plates. It was the late 80s??? when YAM came out of the closet and started showing the YAM nameplates. Now, YAM makes CNC machine tools. It may be difficult to find a "late model" manual machine.

YangMachines - CNC Machine Tools Company - Yang Machines
 
bryan_machine said:
How are you actually finding these things on craigslist? All of my searches there fail. (I'm looking for a machine similar to what Finegrain is...)
Click to expand...

In Craigslist I went to the appropriate state (Wash), picked one of the cities (Seattle), selected 'tools' and did a search in that forum for 'lathes'. You can repeat that for any of the cities listed in Wash and often get different listings for lathes.

'Search Tempest' allows you to do the same thing.

Stuart
 
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