Re: Different Prices - such a range!
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The generally accepted advice is to purchase the most expensive one you can afford, bearing in mind that about 50% of your budget will eventually go toward tooling and accessories. Most mini-lathes come from the same factory and in a wide variety of tolerances. The high end resellers insist on close specifications and better components, the low end sellers use the cheapest bits they can source. Therefore the reason for the great price disparity is quality. They look identical but the more expensive machines have better tolerances, higher quality bearings, properly aged castings and greater accuracy including spindle concentricity. You can buy a low price lathe but then spend many hours and money on improving it which is good if you want to learn about the lathe but not so good if you want to do actual work with it. If you have a choice get a 7x14 rather than a 7x12 as most stock purchased online comes in 12 inch lengths. Here in North America I run a Grizzly 8688 (7x12) and I am very happy with it, I think I paid around 600 USD and see they are now 950 USD. Hope this helps and remember there are many online reviews of the SIEG mini lathe in its many varieties.
On Monday, March 14, 2022, 05:53:39 AM PDT, MZ Rider <mztraveller@...> wrote:
I am thinking of buying a new mini lathe. The prices however seem to be in a ratio of 1 to 3 from lowest to highest. This is after making allowances for what is supplied, which for a basic model, which is all I want is the gears and a 3 jaw chuck plus a few tools. Currently cheapest on Amazon Prime in the UK is around ?400 for a 7x12 no DRO. OK for what I want. Yet similar machines seem to go up to nearer ?1200 from other suppliers.
As far as I can see they look identical. I can deal with the setting up etc.?
My experiences of cheap and cheerful Chinese products with a? few exceptions is that so long as one does not expect too much one will not be disappointed. However a 1:3 price difference for obviously the same product is not usual.
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