Craftsman 12-inch Lathe good or junk?

[kendall yates]

I have found a used craftsman lathe for sale locally. Is this a good lathe to start with? Is $225 with 8 craftsman high speed steel chisels a fair price? Its in good shape. What do yall think?
http://www.owwm.com/pubs/222/1985.pdf

Thank you

[Bob Bergstrom]

I seen a lot of Craftman lathes for $100. The Chisels are a good beginners set, but they can be found for $50 or so. For maybe $200 to $300 you'll be able to move into older cast iron deltas. I sold my old delta 46-450 (top of the line in the 60s) for $500 and it was in great running condition. I would say keep looking or think about the new mini lathes available today.

[Doug W Swanson]

I had a identical lathe made by Ridgid.

I really can't say anything bad about it other than the spindle and tapers are not very common. I don't remember the spindle size but the tapers are both MT1 where most lathes are MT2.

Also, it's kind of tricky to get the head stock and tail stock to line up correctly. There are 2 adjustments you to make to get them to line up.

I used the Ridgid for a year before I found a great deal on a brand new Jet Mini ($150 w/ stand and tools).

As far as price goes, I would expect to pay about $150 for that lathe (maybe $175 with decent tools).

Offer $150 and see what happens.....

JMO,
Doug

[steven carter]

Kendall,

You can definietly make stuff with this lathe, but once you get sucked into this vortex, you will probably wish you had started out with something a little better for your money. One thing a beginner needs IMO is a lathe which will let them spin the wood slowly and you might find the lowest rpm on this machine a little fast. A friend of mine had one and sold it for $75 and was glad to get that much for it (no tools though).

Steve

[Eric Kosanovich]

This is the same lathe i'm using now and it was given to me but after using it i would look for some thing a little better for the money you are saying 225.00 is alot for that lathe IMO. if you could pick it up for 50.00 to start on yeah maybe. Good luck!!

[Bill Wilcox]

I'm currently using this lathe. I have found that it will work for doing spindles and small items. The thing I found was that for large turnings the speed does not go under 580 RPM's which is pretty fast for an unbalanced object. The head and tail stock adjustment is really simple. You loosen the nut in the tube at the end and there is a set screw at the tube on the headstock. Once they are loose you can make your adjustment.
I bought mine for $50.00 in the Fall and also got the copy duplicator and 11 tools.
Like others have said, once you get sucked in the VORTEX there is no turning back. I am upgrading to a Jet 1642 for doing the turnings I want to do.
I guess the main question is: "What kind of turning you want to do?" Then you should know the type of lather to get.
Enjoy your journey.

[Mike Campbell KS]

I bought one of these from the estate sale after a friends father passed away. Actually I received 2 of them, and 12 tools to with them, for a grand total of $125. They came with a chuck and several other pieces. I still use one of them for pens and small turnings, but I picked up a Jet 1014, which I use more often. My plan for the future is to turn the Craftsman into a permanent buffing station.

[Wally Dickerman]

I had a Craftsman round tube lathe way back in the 50's. It wasn't until I replaced it with a better lathe that I realized what a piece of crap the Sears lathe was. (IMO)

You can do much better with one of the mini lathes that are available for not much more money.

Wally

[Bruce Lundgren]

I have had this lathe for quite a few years and admitedly used it very little. It was OK for simple spindle turning and a couple of years ago made a couple of pens with it. Then as I got more serious about turning I took a pen making class at Woodcraft and discovered the Jet 1220VS. It was a world of difference having the variable speed and greater flexibility. You'll also find that the spindle size on the old craftsman is different and it takes a MT1. Chances are if you have to buy accessories such as a pen mandrell, etc. you probably cannot use them when you upgrade since most newer lathes use MT2 and different spindle size.
IMHO, I'd suggest saving-up for a more modern machine. You can also find some good buys on used ones or on older and larger machines as others have suggested. You won't regret it IMHO.

[Steve Schlumpf]

I started out with on a Craftsman Mono-Tube lathe and it was given to me because the owner was throwing it out! So, for me the price was right and after learning how to turn on it and busting my knuckles on it for 2 years - I finally upgraded.

Based on my experience - I highly suggest you save your money and pickup a newer lathe. There have been a lot of advancements in lathes since the 50s - take advantage of it!

[Bernie Weishapl]

Kendall I would look at say the Rikon Midi, Jet 1220, Jet 1014, Delta 46-460 and the new PSI Commander or Turncrafter Pro. IMHO I wouldn't waste my money on the Sears lathe unless it was free.

[Ryan Baker]

Definitely on the junk end of the scale. I still have my old Craftsman lathe and it is a complete POS. That price is WAY too high. If it were no more than $50, it might be worth considering. But you would be way better off to save up a few hundred and get something like the Jet mini or Rikon.

[kendall yates]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I have passed on that lathe and after reading my new hot rod magazine I am going to Harbor Freight. I have a 20% off flyer and the HF 34706 looks like my best bet for $240. All of the reading I have done on here it seems like its a good starting point with out breaking the bank.

Thank you for all of your help and hopefully i'm turning wood soon.

[Robert Arrowood]

Got 2 of the sears lathe's paid $50 for the first one and the other was give to me.Didn't really need it but got it for parts.Had the HF 34706 bought it new.Had to exchange it had BAD runout.Got the next one home and D^%$m gad to turn around and take it back too. Got a refund and went to woodcraft and got me the Rikon Midi.

Nuf Said!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bruce Lundgren]

I don't have any experience with HF lathes but from the posts I've read HF tools can be a hit-or-miss as to quality. Maybe others can chime in.
As I'm becoming a more avid turner and have been a long-time woodworker, I've finally learned ( the hard way) that buying poorer quality tools/machines may be OK to start but quickly turns out to be a disappointment. Just my $.02.
Perhaps think about taking a basic turning lesson at Woodcraft or from a turning club in your area or from a more experienced turner. I did and it gave me a different perspective when it came time to purchasing a lathe. Whatever you decide, welcome to the vortex!