Lathe ?

I know this is off topic but I enjoy building parts for my pullers and I was wondering what make of lathe would be a good choice because I been messing with engines,hubs,spindles and ect.

A good ole southbend!!

I have a large southbend gear head that works well for me. I also have a old 18 inch american that is real good condition i would like to find a new home for.

If you are learning an old south bend belt drive lathe is hard to beat. In most cases it will slip the flat belt before it wrecks your parts!!. A gearhead lathe shows no mercy. I love the the "Tic, Tic, Tic" of my 16" southbend. I have a LeBlond gearhead lathe at the machine shop but alot of times I take stuff to my farm shop and put it in my Southbend... just my preference.

just about any of the older lathes will be fine for what you are doing. i started with an old axelson. big ugly and heavy, but worked just fine for what i did with it. last year i got a more modern lathe and like it alot more so far.
if you go to look at one. take a dial indicator and a pry bar. put the indicator on the chuck and pry up on the chuck to see if the spindle bearings are wore out.

Ok thanks guys what size would you recommend 12,14,16in swing and how long of bed?

I am a machinist and if I was going to buy a lathe I would go a little bigger because if u want to turn a bigger part u will have room to do that.

I have a south bend for sale

Mine is a 16" southbend built in 1944!! Has a 4ft bed on it. I have a 10" 4 jaw chuck and can surface an 88 oliver flywheel in it. You can put small parts in a big lathe, but ya can't put big parts in a small one.....

(quoted from post at 03:46:30 10/07/12) I know this is off topic but I enjoy building parts for my pullers and I was wondering what make of lathe would be a good choice because I been messing with engines,hubs,spindles and ect.

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The make or brand that you find that isn't whooped and comes tooled up...! The lathe is one thing... and the tooling is completely another thing. You can easily put as much $$ into your tooling as the lathe itself.

If you have three phase power... I'd go with a good old Warner Swasey. I'd go with a saddle type turret lathe with as big of a through hole as you can get in the size machine you're after. This type will take care of most any turning operation you can come up with whereas some other style lathes won't. Parts and toolholders etc. can still be had all over the place for these sturdy old beasts.

Look at the bed ways and see how badly worn they look. (Almost always more wear close to the chuck...) You can compensate for wear in your cuts on a bed with worn ways but it's nicer if the ways are still decent. Check out the chuck too. When they wear they won't repeat well. Check that it'll run in and out the entire amount. Getting a little tight isn't necessarily a sign it's shot but might have been used in the same size range all its life and just need pulled apart and cleaned and greased. You want to pay special attention to the saddle and rear turret feeds and make sure they're functioning as those repairs get very expensive. Also make sure you get as many tools and holders as possible in your deal.

All brands are good for small amounts of work. Some brands are junk and if used in a commercial or industrial environment they won't hold up very long at all. Since it sounds like you're just gonna tinker around with it I'd look for the machine with the most tool feeding options and that comes equipped with the most holders and any cutters etc.

Good luck!
Bob

I bought a Jet 13x40 a fews years back, other than i wish I got the 13x60 it was the best thing I bought new. Tooled up and working, I have $4100.00 in it. I figure it paid for itself in 11 months.