Thoughts on budget lathe chucks?

I am looking at 4 jaw chucks and would like some input from anyone with experience.

I have an 11.25"x36" 1939/1940 sheldon lathe with a 1.75x8 spindle thread. I am looking for a decent 4 jaw chuck to do fabrication, repair, etc... just for myself. I am not a full blown machine shop, but I do like to do as much as I can at home to save money and expand my skills.

I found a CME 0804FO on amazon for $200 shipped. It includes a 1.5" backplate, so I could open up the center hole to fit my lathe. Are these chucks any good? The reviews seem to indicate that they are, but you know how online reviews can be.....

Any suggestions for a better brand that won't break the bank?

Well if you are going to go cheap at least you have said you wanted a 4 jaw instead of a 3. Even a relatively inexpensive four jaw can be tweaked to give you the accuracy you need. At least until the jaws bell.

Ike Carlson said:

Are these chucks any good?

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It's a $200 chuck, that's your answer.
If it does what you need it to do it's good. At least it's a 4 jaw where you can dial it in.

Having been burned by cheap tools in the past, I'd go cautiously. Had a cheap chuck come apart on me once, at speeds way below what it was rated for. Lesson learned.

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.“

Benjamin Franklin

Watch Fleebay, Craigslist, Marketplace for something name brand and in good shape, I'm sure you'll be happier in the long run.

BTW, what's a "semi-steel body"?

8" 4-JAW LATHE CHUCK with independent jaws #0804F0- NEW | eBay

It was explained to me years ago that it is hard to make a living working with junk, most projects have a way of becoming complicated all on their own without having to fight your tools.
Always buy good tools, not necessarily the most expensive but of good quality as you should be using them for a long time

Buy a used one that has a good name on it. Your lathe is small enough that a chuck shouldn't be too hard to find, or expensive.

20 years ago the shop purchased a 12" cheapo 6 jaw chuck for a seldom used lathe.
First guy to use it didn't want to break his setup on his machine so he hopped on the "big lathe" to quickly polish a shaft.
Spun it up to I don't know what but this guy was one of my teachers and had been at the trade for 25+ years so I assume he knew what he was doing.
Next thing BANG!!! the chuck came apart in several pieces and the shook the lathe a few inches from where it was sitting before someone tripped the breaker to kill it.
Upon closer inspection one of the jaws had embedded it self halfway through the 3/4" plywood backing of the work bench be hind him.
The oldtimers in the shop blamed the grain structure of the material that made up the chuck, it was all gross and irregular.
We have only bought Bison and kitagawa since.

The lathe is a budget priced model from 1939/40.
It's not new by any means.
Your new (cheap) chuck should be just fine.

Terry Keeley said:

BTW, what's a "semi-steel body"?

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Semi-steel is a grade of cast iron where steel scrap is charged with pig iron in the melting furnace. It's properties are better than true cast iron but less than that of steel castings. In a similar class would be nodular and malleable iron.

Tom