One additional consideration when choosing between PM and Oneway lathes is that the lathe itself will not be the only thing you need to buy. Chucks, turning tools, faceplates, live centers...... perhaps later on, bowl or spindle steadies, vacuum pumps etc. Depending on what you want, the total cost of these can far supersede the cost of the lathe itself. The 2436 is substantially more expensive than the PM and those whom I know that have it generally love it. Furthermore, Oneway tech support is absolutely great. I'm not very skilled so I happen to really, really like my PM. I also rely greatly on my local woodworking store which stocks PM and can order optional equipment for me easily.
I would add, as have others in this thread, that the price difference is comparable to Mercedes vs. Chevy, but the quality difference is more comparable to Lexus vs. Camry.
Luck, Hilel