Recommendations on a lathe

[Roy Hill]

I mostly lurk in the background however, I do need a little help with this one. I have a wood shop and do a lot of hobby and freebie work. I don't have a wood lathe. I am not looking to get into turning but, I would like to have a lathe. I found a lathe on craigslist and wondered if you guys know if it is worth the asking price.

This is the listing http://knoxville.craigslist.org/tls/1484014147.html

Thanks in advance for the help.

Roy Hill

[David E Keller]

No first hand knowledge of that lathe but a couple of thoughts...

1. Craftsman and lathe are not two words I say together very often. Doesn't mean it is or isn't great, but I don't think craftsman is known for it's lathes

2. Pretty tough to find a variable speed lathe for that price. That make it a little appealing.

3. Looks like it's in good shape.

4. It's probably a good enough lathe to get you good and hooked on turning

[Roy Hill]

I believe the man said it was made by Emerson. I'm not familiar with that name in lathes. But then again I don't know a lot about wood lathes.

[Jeff Nicol]

I also know nothing about the lathe but it looks like a pretty well built machine, and with the acessories included, not a bad price to get you turning. I will have to do a little more looking into that model lathe.

Jeff

[Jeff Nicol]

The lathe that is comparable to that one is made by Palmgren, or should I say the new ones like it are made by Palmgren. A new one is $500 plus shipping or to buy one with the Craftsman name maybe more or less. But I did not see any real great feedback on it nor did I see any real bad feedback. But I think that one is at leat 5-10 years old so maybe no more than $400 maybe $350 is more like it.

Jeff

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Roy,

I am pretty sure Bernie Weishapl has or had one of those and had some bad experiences. I believe other Creekers had some problems too and Palgrem was replacing entire headstocks frequently.

If Bernie doesn't reply to this thread send him a PM and link to this thread. I'd value his opinion and experience.

[Richard Madison]

Agree with Jeff; would offer 350-375 after inspection. You have probably seen some threads here on what to check for on a used lathe. Maybe others familiar with that model will respond here.

[Greg Ketell]

If you want to buy one lathe and not get the upgraditus later, take advantage of the amazing deal on the PM3520b being offered by ToolNut. A lot more than what you are seeing in CL, both in cost and capabilities. But it is the "end lathe" for many of us turners.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

IF I could afford that PM, I'd buy one. That's my dream lathe too.

I'm on board with the Craftsman and lathe should not be in the same sentence, although I have to admit that my first was a Craftsman. (not that model, that looks like a pretty good lathe) I turned the heck out of it, until the motor went. Got a Jet mini, and I was AMAZED at how crappy the Craftsman was. BUT, I did do a lot of pens on it. For 400 bucks, I'd look for a used mini. Or a NEW Rikon mini. I recently turned on one and was pretty satisfied. It did get VERY hot though. My Jet stays pretty cool. Get you started into the Vortex. You'll need tools too....

[Harlan Coverdale]

The Craftsman/Palmgren lathe that has given some people problems is different from the one shown in the CL ad. The former has a Reeves drive and the latter has EVS. I had the Reeves drive version, but I have not seen the EVS version before. I did have some problems with the Reeves drive on mine sticking, but all in all it was a decent lathe to start with.

[Roy Hill]

I sure appreciate all the response to my question about the lathe. I don't want to invest a lot of money in a lathe right now but, I don't want something that will potentially give me trouble. I think I will pass on the Craftsman and wait for a more quality machine.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Roy I am not going to get into all the troubles I had with mine. All I will say is you are making a wise choice of waiting. There are to many good lathes out there to be had than to get one that will be a pain.

[Jeff Brockett]

Roy, if you are looking for a good lathe I have a Jet 1442 that I will be selling next week. If you are interested in details send me a pm.

Jeff