Suggestions for a small bench top lathe?

[IQRaceworks]

I'd love to get a small engine lathe for my shop. Something that would let me turn small bushings, wheel spacers, trim parts off, shafts....maybe something that will swing up to a 6" diameter part. Nothing crazy precision, but something that is rigid enough to make a nice surface finish and hold +/-0.001"...which should be pretty easy. This will mainly be for maintenance and automotive type stuff.

Any suggestions?

Grizzly has a few small ones, I know HF has a small one that looks like it's complete junk. Who else makes these bench top lathes?

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-7-x-14-variable-speed-benchtop-lathe/g0765

 

[ItsNemo]

Go at least one size bigger, that size won't take a cut worth anything in steel unless you go glacially slow.

 

[1982fxr]

I've read Little Machine Shop in California sells the best versions of those. I think the final assembly is done in Germany.

 

[Packard V8]

Are you more constrained by space or by cost?

jack vines

 

[zmotorsports]

Get ahold of Matt @ Precision Mathews. He has good products and really stands behind them well after the sale.

Precision Matthews Machinery Co. – Precision is our first name

www.precisionmatthews.com

Here are a few of his popular import benchtop lathes in the 10-11 inch range.

10-11” Swing – Precision Matthews Machinery Co.

www.precisionmatthews.com

His Taiwanese equipment is exceptional as he works very closely with the factories and does a good job spec'ing them out.

 

[liliysdad]

Are you more constrained by space or by cost?

jack vines

This is the vital question. If you have the room, hold out for a bigger used machine. It will absolutely be worth it. Even something as basic as a Craftsman Commercial 12x36 is heads and shoulders above the tiny benchtop machines. You can run across decent heavier Taiwanese machines pretty regularly if you look, and they are often cheap and low mileage.

 

[IQRaceworks]

Are you more constrained by space or by cost?

jack vines

Mostly space. The area I have for the lathe isn't very big.....I could go a little bigger than one of those small bench top lathes, but not much. And honestly, 95% of the stuff I will machine is probably under 6" diameter.

 

[liliysdad]

Mostly space. The area I have for the lathe isn't very big.....I could go a little bigger than one of those small bench top lathes, but not much. And honestly, 95% of the stuff I will machine is probably under 6" diameter.

Doesn't matter if the stock is 6 inches or 6 feet, ten thousandths is ten thousandths. Those little machines just arent rigid enough for anything more than plastic and some light aluminum work.

 

[Maui]

A vintage 9” swing South Bend or Logan bench top lathe in good working condition would serve you well.

 

[ItsNemo]

Doesn't matter if the stock is 6 inches or 6 feet, ten thousandths is ten thousandths. Those little machines just arent rigid enough for anything more than plastic and some light aluminum work.

And don't have enough power either...

 

[marinusdees]

I'd love to get a small engine lathe for my shop. Something that would let me turn small bushings, wheel spacers, trim parts off, shafts....maybe something that will swing up to a 6" diameter part. Nothing crazy precision, but something that is rigid enough to make a nice surface finish and hold +/-0.001"...which should be pretty easy. This will mainly be for maintenance and automotive type stuff.

Any suggestions?

Grizzly has a few small ones, I know HF has a small one that looks like it's complete junk. Who else makes these bench top lathes?

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-7-x-14-variable-speed-benchtop-lathe/g0765

As the owner-user of a South Bend 9A (9" swing), this is all good advice.

 

[Cruzan80]

If you are looking at vintage benchtops, be aware most had the motor hanging off the back. If it doesnt need to be benchtop, then you could get an undermount option, and save "depth".

Are you looking for a project to tinker, or a machine to help solve current problems?

My understanding of why people are steering you slightly larger is that a lathe is "well equipped" to handle up to 80% of its work envelope. Can go to the max, but you start sacrificing something (accuracy, rigidity, etc). So a 6" is very good at 3-4" swing, a 10-12" good for up to 8-10" swing, etc.

 

[mogandave]

Anyone else miss Enco?

 

[gerlbaum]

Deleted

 

[larry_g]

Swing numbers are not meant to tell you that you can cut a part that is max swing. I made that mistake with my first lathe. Look at the swing over the carriage number, it is much more indicative of what you can do. If you intend to be turning 6" spacers then you probably should be looking at a 10" minimum swing and more likely 12-13".

The little 6" lathe I started with could not turn a 1" steel shaft. Bind, jump, and stall were the results. So in my opinion you are not going to be doing car parts on a 7x10 lathe. These days my 13" is the goto lathe for most things.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[dogdog]

The G0602 is popular among hobbyist, or the smaller G0768.

I was eyeing on the G0602 for a while couldn't decide between that and the G4003G then price went to 3x....

 

[Renegade1LI]

I would go new, either a grizzly or PM, both good value and great customer support. I like starting fresh with a warranty, but I'm not a machinist, just a hobbiest.

 

[gerlbaum]

Deleted

 

[zmotorsports]

For machine tools and welders, always over buy. If the welder isn't powerful enough to weld the material you want or the lathe is too small to turn that material - even if it just happens once - you mind as well have not have one.

I'd would be after a 12" to 15" lathe. Just yesterday I bored the center of a 10-1/4 circular saw blade to fit an old skilsaw arbor. Lathes always come in handy.

Agree with above. Buy a bit oversize of what you "think" you need now and you'll be much happier when you learn that it was warranted.

Also, be sure to plan on tooling as it can and usually does end up costing more than the machine. The machine is merely the cost of admission.

 

[gerlbaum]

Also, be sure to plan on tooling as it can and usually does end up costing more than the machine. The machine is merely the cost of admission.

YES! Absolutely. The bigger the lathe the cheaper the tooling, in my experience. A CXA tool post will have plenty of used industrial tool holders for cheap on eBay. A AXA won't. Same thing with R8 taper vs 50 taper for mills.

 

[GeoBruin]

For machine tools and welders, always over buy. If the welder isn't powerful enough to weld the material you want or the lathe is too small to turn that material - even if it just happens once - you mind as well have not have one.

I'd would be after a 12" to 15" lathe. Just yesterday I bored the center of a 10-1/4 circular saw blade to fit an old skilsaw arbor. Lathes always come in handy.

Even at the small end of your recommendation, a 12 x 36 "benchtop" lathe is 1,000 lbs. That's a very significant departure from the OP's intentions. It also ignores all the 10" lathes out there that are substantially more capable than the small lathe the OP posted while still being less than half the mass of a 12" lathe.

I totally get the go big or go home mentality but the reality is not everyone has space for (or the ability to move) a half ton + lathe. That's why 9-10" lathes exist and they can do good work. Blondihacks on YouTube has a PM 10x24 lathe which has a very small footprint and does all kinds of cool stuff.

 

[larry_g]

Even at the small end of your recommendation, a 12 x 36 "benchtop" lathe is 1,000 lbs. That's a very significant departure from the OP's intentions.

I'm not disagreeing with the rest of your post but what I quoted is one of the points I use in determining what a lathe will do. Mass is important in a machine tool and I will use it as as one of the major factors in determining which of a selection of lathes is the best one. Second the OP is just starting his quest for a lathe and really doesn't know what he needs. I went down his road over the last 20 plus years and have owned and used a bunch of lathes and cars and I'm relating what experience says.

lg
no neatsig line

 

[gerlbaum]

Deleted

 

[Maui]

And, as usual, when somebody says they are looking for a small bench top lathe the discussion eventually turns into “you really need a Monarch 10ee”.

 

[gerlbaum]

And, as usual, when somebody says they are looking for a small bench top lathe the discussion eventually turns into “you really need a Monarch 10ee”.

Someone did other than you? That's weird. Actually, never mind. You've help out a lot in this discussion.

 

[GeoBruin]

Not quite sure I am suggesting go big or go home. Lathe work takes mass. You cannot get around that. Like it or not, a 1,000 lb machine IS a small lathe.

You literally said that if your lathe isn't big enough to turn your material, even once, you might as well not have one.

 

[gerlbaum]

deleted

 

[dutchgray]

If you want to swing a 6" diameter part and actually do any work on it then you will need to go up to a 12" or 13" class hobby type machine, the Taiwanese ones in that size can still be considered bench top and can be moved easily enough by one person so long as you have an engine crane or similar.

 

[jfleisher]

I’ve been happy with my LMS 7”x16”. I have turned aluminum, brass, steel, and titanium parts. Can’t take .1” cuts of course, but it gets me there eventually.

 

[oldmachinenut]

Sorry, I had to

25'' Swing 144'' Centers LeBlond Regal ENGINE LATHE (Ref No: 158993) - Machinery Values

25'' Swing 144'' Centers LeBlond Regal ENGINE LATHE

www.machineryvalues.com

On a serious note I have a 9”X 48” model A South Bend lathe, if you can find one it will serve you well.

 

[ricleh]

I personally don't have room for a big machine so I bought a small lathe that could do most of what I want it to. The lathe is on a roll around table so I can move it out of the way when it is not in use. Here's a picture of my small lathe and a few of the things I have made with it.

 

[kyrbz]

I personally don't have room for a big machine so I bought a small lathe that could do most of what I want it to. The lathe is on a roll around table so I can move it out of the way when it is not in use. Here's a picture of my small lathe and a few of the things I have made with it.

Wow, that's a nice lathe!

 

[BillK]

I'd love to get a small engine lathe for my shop. Something that would let me turn small bushings, wheel spacers, trim parts off, shafts....maybe something that will swing up to a 6" diameter part.

Everyone else is giving you pretty good advice. If you are serious about doing 6" parts then you need a much larger lathe. Not sure if something "bench top" is going to do it.

I have an old Atlas / Craftsman 12 x 36 here at my business. 6" is about the max I would want to do on it and feel comfortable with it.

One thing that a lot of people forget to look at is the through hole size on the head stock. Even my 12 x 36 only has a 3/4" through hole.

If you are serious about it spend about an hour watching You Tube videos on lathe operation. That will give you a much better idea of the capabilities of various size machines.

 

[kyrbz]

I've have a Grizzly G0602 10x22 lathe. It's no Wabeco, but it has served me well on a variety of projects over the years.


I made an idler gear for it so I can cut left-hand threads


A few things made on it

 

[Aaron_W]

If you need something light enough that one person can lift and move it, those 7" lathes are a good option. If it is just space, the 9x19" lathes (Grizzly G4000 is one example), offer a lot more capability but don't take up a great deal more space. They do weigh about 250lbs though, so definitely a 2 person job unless you are the Hulk.

If used is an option, the South Bend 9A is in my opinion one of the best small lathes options. They offered between center lengths from 16" to 34", the short versions compare well to the size of many mini-lathes and they include more features than modern small lathes. Downside is finding one that isn't worn out since most will be 50-70 years old.

Comparison of foot print for a couple of current popular small lathes

7x14" (Grizzly G0675) 12x32"
8x16" (Grizzly G0768) 16x36"
9x19" (Grizzly G4000) 20x37"

As Cruzen80 mentioned above the vintage lathes often suggested usually require a much deeper space since they usually mount the motor and a counter shaft behind the lathe. Most of the modern lathes are taller and mount the motor below the lathe bed.

The South Bend 9 I mentioned as desirable is probably a foot deeper than the Grizzly 9x19" so requires a bench about 3 feet deep.

 

[csp]

Even at the small end of your recommendation, a 12 x 36 "benchtop" lathe is 1,000 lbs.

My cabinet mount Craftsman/Atlas had a shipping weight of 505 pounds listed, not including the motor. Granted this is definitely not the heaviest of the 12x36s.

 

[tool_scrounge]

My cabinet mount Craftsman/Atlas had a shipping weight of 505 pounds listed, not including the motor. Granted this is definitely not the heaviest of the 12x36s.

One nice thing on this lathe is the motor is below the headstock, not behind it. So if lathe depth is an issue this one might work for you.

 

[WisJim]

I have a late model Craftsman/Atlas 12 x 24 with the underdrive cabinet that does well for me. Also found a 9" South Bend C model (no quick change gear box) that I found at a garage sale and haven't gotten set up yet. Both came with lots of tooling and were each $200 so it was a no brainer to buy them immediately. I can do what I need (so far) on the Craftsman machine. My suggestion is to learn as much as possible about lathes so that when you find a great deal you will recognize it and not waste time and opportunity overthinking it and missing the chance--but learn enough so you aren't fooled by some junk with new paint. I missed a nice South Bend 9A with bench and tons of accessories and tooling because I didn't know what a deal it was.

 

[My Old Tools]

A vintage 9” swing South Bend or Logan bench top lathe in good working condition would serve you well.

Add Sheldon to that list.

 

[imagineer]

Probably late to the party, but I just ordered a Shop Fox M1049 (same thing as a Grizzly G4000).
Based on available shop space, budget and features, the M1049 seemed to check off most of the boxes.