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Want to buy Hardinge HLV-H

Mrgt350

Aluminum
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Location
Moorhead,mn
I am new here. Looking for a good used HLV-H with tooling. Would like to stay in the 5-6k range. I know that is low for what I am asking for. Have decided that I would rather have this machine than a cheap china lathe.

I am a car/motorcycle hobbiest. Do not know what I will use it for other than I have a small sherline lathe and have used it to make several bushings, washers, threaded pins and such. Will be selling the sherline if I find something. Just want a bigger lathe and feel that an HLV-H will be one that will serve my needs well.

If you know of one or have one send me a PM or e-mail to [email protected]

Thanks
Greg
 
Fior that price,you will only get a REALLY worn out HLVH. I think you need more like $13,000.00 for a decent late 1960's HLVH. I have a 1964 HLVH. It has a little wear,but for my type of mechanical antique repair and often decorative work,it is just fine. It doesn't face quite flat,but turns fairly true.
 
Fior that price,you will only get a REALLY worn out HLVH. I think you need more like $13,000.00 for a decent late 1960's HLVH. I have a 1964 HLVH. It has a little wear,but for my type of mechanical antique repair and often decorative work,it is just fine. It doesn't face quite flat,but turns fairly true.

So, would I be better off spending 5-6k on a new lathe from China or Taiwan?
 
Or, you could pick up a Monarch 10EE for 5-6 in fair condition.

Tom

Not that familiar with the Monarch other than I have heard they are pretty good heavy accurate lathes. Have heard a lot of good things about the HLV-H and would like to find one in 220 volt.
 
The HLV-H is obviously a great lathe - I'm not trying to dissuade you of looking for one.

To say that a Monarch 10ee is a "pretty good" lathe is an understatement. The only downside as compared with an HLV-H in my opinion is the mass, which is really an upside except for those looking for something that moves around with them from place to place easily. The 10EE is every bit as good as the HLV-H, and then some for certain things. With condition being equal, I would take the 10ee, personally. You will most likely spend less for a decent condition 10ee than even a decent condition HLV-H clone.

Just as something to check out when comparing the two, take a look at the carriage bearing area on the 10ee (i.e. the length of bed that the saddle is supported by). Now compare that with the HlV-H. Which one would you guess has the potential to take the biggest cut, while maintaining accuracy? :)
 
Fior that price,you will only get a REALLY worn out HLVH. I think you need more like $13,000.00 for a decent late 1960's HLVH.
That's about right if you are talking about Machinery Values, who seem determined to buy up every decent HLV-H in the country. But if you are at the rare live auction that MV doesn't know about, it is possible to get a really nice late HLV-H in the $6K range. Curiously however I don't see them in live auctions nearly as often as I used to... I have no idea why that is.
 
I got a pretty good HLV-H from MV about 2 years ago in the 5-6K range. Sure doesn't seem worn out to me. It will hold half a thou all day long?? But then again what do I know??

Sometimes Industrial Machinery will have some decent Hardinges they are in Columbus Ohio.

Hope this helps. I sure do like using our HLV-H.
 
I just talked to a dealer today that knew of 3 hlv-h lathes at were getting replaced with Sharp toolroom lathes. He said he wanted to buy them and offered them $2k each. That is what I want to find. I would even double the offer.
 
A Monarch 10EE is a great lathe,no doubt about that. The trouble is,they are VERY COMPLEX to keep running due to their electronics. Many of them are converted to more modern means of variable speed control,if you feel up to it. I am happy with the relatively simple mechanisms on my HLVH.

Milacron,the price range I mentioned seems pretty standard all over Ebay.
 
Milacron,the price range I mentioned seems pretty standard all over Ebay.
Could be but eBay does not necessarily represent "The Market" for machine tools. There is a whole 'nuther world out there of dealers and auctions that never come anywhere near eBay.
 
"I am a car/motorcycle hobbiest. Do not know what I will use it for other than I have a small sherline lathe and have used it to make several bushings, washers, threaded pins and such. Will be selling the sherline if I find something. Just want a bigger lathe and feel that an HLV-H will be one that will serve my needs well."

Ah, you are going lock-to-lock here.

THat is to say, the sherline is just about as far at one end of the spectrum as you can get in terms of inexpensive and limited ability.
The HLVH is heading far towards the top end of a home shop lathe for the applications you are discussing. If you have 6K to drop on
one of those, heck you probably have 20 K and get a good one.

However if you want to split the difference and move up from your existing position on the curve, spend the 6K on an intermediate home
shop machine. For example, you could get a very cherry condition southbend 10L and even buy some tooling for it with the leftover cash.
You could buy a LOT of tooling if you purchased a good condtion 9" southbend lathe, and still be midway between the sherline and the hardinge.

Now. Here I am going to go out on a limb and say, if I had to own ONE lathe, and was given the choice between a southbend 10L and an HLVH,
I would chose the southbend hands-down.

HLVH has no back gears. Will not do heavy cuts on large diameter work. The 10L has a LARGER spindle bore by far.

Yeah I know. The threading on the HLVH. But how often does one really DO single point threading in the home shop?

My advice: unless you're bill gates or donald trump, you don't need an HLVH. Buy something realistic.
 
Jim,
I hear what you are saying. I originally started looking at standard type lathes. I know this would be the most economical way to go. I am not concerned with turning large items and do want be able to do threading. I have a friend who has an emco 20d and a super 7 myford. He has on order a cnc hlv from babin and has convinced me that the hardinge is the way to go and will fit my needs.
 
Jim Rozen: If you have ever had an HLVH,you would not talk like that. The HLVH delivers super smooth surfaces that the SB is not going to give. The HLVH goes up to 3000 RPM,which is excellent for small diameter parts,or turning ivory(granted,most of you won't be doing that,but you might be doing small parts of brass or plastic). About the back gears: I wish the HLVH would go below 130 RPM. That might could be done with a VFD unit. It cuts enough metal off to suit me. I have a larger lathe for heavy grunt work. There is a simple to use extension of shafts coming out of the left outside end of the QC gearbox on the HLVH. With a banjo and extra gears,which do not have to even be Hardinge gears(just so they all mesh),you can cut a huge number of gears not listed on the gearbox chart.

I often thread,and the HLVH has the fastest,most convenient threading system I am aware of. Lastly,there is no substitute for the silky smooth feel of the controls. It's a real high quality machine that is a pleasure to use.
 
HLVH has no back gears. Will not do heavy cuts on large diameter work. The 10L has a LARGER spindle bore by far.

Jim agreed on the no back gear, but you can just take a few more passes on large dia work. Its not like larger work is impossible.

But I wouldn't say the heavy 10 has a large spindle bore "by far". They're both 5C (only) sized spindles. Maybe an 1/8" difference, tops? Not like a D1-6 w/ a 2+" bore;)

HLVHs have the goofy nose taper so mounting plates will cost you $$ but its not a show stopper. There are plenty of VERY nice lathes that will cost less $ than a HLVH. But if an HLVH is what you really want, and HLVH is what you should get. As long as you don't overpay you should be able to sell it for approximately what you paid for it if you ever change your mind.
 
Jim Rozen: If you have ever had an HLVH,you would not talk like that.

Hmm. Lemme check:

Nshop_right_1.jpg


It's old but it's a mainstay at our shop at work.

And what this here?

Nshop1.jpg


In the background, a heavy ten.

So yes my statment stands: if you had to own only one lathe, pick the heavy ten.
Spindle bore on those is 1-3/8, the hardinge is 1-1/4. Sometimes that extra
eight inch matters! The point about spindle speed is well taken - the hardinge is
smooth at top speed and the spindle bearings are unparalleled. But if somebody
told me I could have ONLY ONE then the 10L would in fact, be it.
 
Jim Rozen: If you have ever had an HLVH,you would not talk like that.

And what this here?
That one doesn't really count as it has almost none of the features that make a late HLV-H truly desirable (Push button vari spindle speeds, DC feeds, threading,etc )
 








 
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