Lathe Suggestions

[Jrizo]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Good finds! Thanks. Now to convince the team we need one

I am sure you will convince them. We use our Jet quite a bit for making axles and spacers it works great.

[RoboChair]

Originally Posted by Ryan Dognaux

Has anyone purchased the insanely cheap small ones from Harbor Freight? I know you get what you pay for, but will it work for turning down 1/2" hex shafts, creating spacers, and other minor operations? The downside seems the small travel length & chuck size.

We've gotten by for years without a lathe or a mill but I could see where a small one could come in handy for some operations that we simply can't do today. With a 20% off coupon you could probably snag this for under $500.

Those lathes are worth buying if you have limited need and budget. They can work fine but do take a lot to maintain. We had one donated for the 2014 build season and made all our shafts with it. I would do it again if I had to but I had to repair it at least 3 times during the season. If I had no lathe I would buy a 7x12 from Harbor Freight on sale, mod it with dials or cheap scales and be able to make parts.