Don't know about lemon, but an abandoned bastard child instead.
I have one, and if I could get my hands on another I would in an instant.
For the right application "gang-bangers" cannot be beat, and when it comes to "gang-bangers" the Minilathe is the main Gangster.
The design intent is absolutely awesome, so brilliant in fact that the Haas engineers had to figure out how to fuck it up.
Unfortunately they have succeeded in the latter!
Nonetheless, if your application is 1" or smaller, then the Mini is a nice choice.
It is not any less reliable than the other Haas machines of the same age ( the whole electronic cabinet and control is identical to the same vintage MiniMills )
Uses the same rails, motors etc. so repair should be no problem unless it is a structural part that is Minilathe specific.