Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo Auction Link (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Discussion Forum

About to buy a new metal lathe

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Jerry B

02-06-2002 18:27:38




Report to Moderator

I am looking at a new Enco. Are they any good or are they just good looking junk?




[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Steven M

02-09-2002 17:48:29




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  

I have a Enco drill press,it's ok but i had to get a part for it,and it took forever to get it.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Butch OH

02-07-2002 15:15:21




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
I have been using a 12x 36 ENCO gear head for six years now in my gunsmithing-machine work business, I suppose that it has 3-400 hours on it total with "0" problems. Once we got it leveled up on my home-made HD stand we found it to be in perfect alignment too. Don't buy the stand unless your are pressed for time, talent or money to build one yourself. When I was looking six years ago I saw the same question asked over and over on different forums and the answers are pretty standard. A few satisfied users, a few "dang China junk" hate messages, along with a smattering of old salt machinists who tell you to by a old SB and rebuild it yourself.
Here are the facts as I see them.
1. The Chinese (that aint spelled right!, is it?) lathes as like you are considering will provide good service to a learning machinist. They are capible of doing fine work when you tweek them once you learn how to operate a lathe.
2. If you don't have an experienced friend to take along, STAY AWAY FROM USED MACHINE TOOL DEALERS. They are lower forms of humanity than any used car salesman.
3. A worn out "good old American lathe" is a tool an experienced machinist can turn out real nice parts on because he understands the nature of such things. A rookie will turn out fancy looking scrap if he has to meet any kind of tolorances with a worn lathe. He will turn out decent parts with a China built lathe if he knows how to operate a lathe to begin with.

My 2 cents Butch

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
John in Pa.

02-07-2002 17:06:06




Report to Moderator
 Re: Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Butch OH, 02-07-2002 15:15:21  
Love your comment--- "A worn out "good old American lathe" is a tool an experienced machinist can turn out real nice parts on because he understands the nature of such things." I have been in the machinists trade for 40 years now. I have my own saying about the older machinery. "All machines are pretty much alike. It`s only a matter of making friends with them."

John--Still lovin the sound of an old flat belt machine.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Butch OH

02-07-2002 18:50:10




Report to Moderator
 Re: Re: Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to John in Pa., 02-07-2002 17:06:06  
Yessir John, Making friends with the lathe is a good way to put it. The fellow that broke me in has an old Monarch that he ran for years at at factory. He bought it just before he retired when they upgraded. That thing is worn times 2 but he can run spec parts on the thing. He has crashed my new Summit 18x60 twice because the half nut lever is in a different place than the old Monarch. He looks like a new machine school grauate when he runs it and I get a kick out of watching him fume.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
trusty

02-07-2002 13:20:12




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
The Turn-Pro from Enco is a copy of the Hardinge toolroom lathe and is a very good one according to a machinery salesman I know. He knows of several in use without any troubles. They are good for light to medium work and very good for precision work, especially with the 5C collet setup. Threading is a breeze with them too. If I had the $$$ I would buy one without hesitation for our shop to replace the old South Bend.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Al

02-07-2002 09:42:15




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
I don't know enco,but if you mean emco such as the maximat(sweadish),this is a very good precision lathe but limited in hp and capacity.Would love to have one at home.
Al



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
John in MA

02-07-2002 22:39:36




Report to Moderator
 Re: Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Al, 02-07-2002 09:42:15  
Enco is a catalog company that sells mainly Asian import machines tools. Some great, some crap.

Emco was completely different. I have an old Unimat SL mini lathe from them. Nice quality machine.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Al

02-08-2002 04:20:29




Report to Moderator
 Re: Re: Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to John in MA, 02-07-2002 22:39:36  
sorry John,I have the emco maximat super 11 at work,sweet little machine,made in austria,not sweaden,deffinatly quality europian engineering,just like my vw.
Al



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Tom-Pa

02-07-2002 07:53:39




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
Jerry, One thing to look at is the spindle bore diameter. Make sure the one you get has a large enough bore to handle anything that may have to go in it while machining. My South Bend model A has a bore too small for my son's Gunsmithing. (he turns barrel blanks down for rifles) and we are looking a a larger Grizzly for him. Mine will remain the small parts lathe,,
Good luck
Tom-Pa



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Rod MI

02-06-2002 22:54:24




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
Enco machines look lick good machines but I don’t now how they feel (never used one) I would compare the price of Jet with Enco and go from there I think you will probable be ahead if you by new the used ones around hear seam to be all junk but I got lucky and bout a clausing used that cutes on a taper but it is sum thing I can work with the shipping will be high probable in the high hundreds that mite be sum thing you would wont to consider and post this at the sight below good luck Rod MI

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
John in MA

02-06-2002 21:45:22




Report to Moderator
 Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to Jerry B, 02-06-2002 18:27:38  
The Enco lathes (esp. the 7x10 and 9x20) are your basic Chinese machine tools. Good enough to do most jobs, but not very high quality. There's a lot of info out there for people who own them and need to improve them.

Why not get a nice used South Bend, Monarch, Hardinge, Colchester, or Atlas? Much better tools and probably cheaper.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Jerry B

02-07-2002 06:02:23




Report to Moderator
 Re: Re: About to buy a new metal lathe in reply to John in MA, 02-06-2002 21:45:22  
John,
I would love to have a Clausing or South Bend gear head lathe BUT I can't find any at a decent price. I have been burning up Ebay and watching lathes I would like to have go for about what I can afford. When I ask about shipping I get things like : "we can load it on a truck at a small fee and then the shipping will be about $600-$1000 to get it to your door step." Take a $2000 lathe, add a $150 "crating fee" plus, lets say $800 shipping, we end up with nearly 3 grand in a 2 grand lathe. I can not justify that.

I wouldn't mind going and getting the lathe but time constraints prevent that until June or July. And dragging a 16 foot trailer half way across the country and back isn't my idea of a fun vacation.

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy