Old Sears lathe.

[Bill Jobe]

12" half horse. Think it's worth $80?

[John K Jordan]

It might be worth $80 to someone who didn't have a lathe and not much money and wanted to play. It would be better than having no lathe. I, like many others, got started on one.

However, it wouldn't be worth $80 to me. I gave mine away when I got a better lathe and if I had one now I'd give it away too. There are other far better small lathes that can sometimes be found used at good prices. I bought a spare Jet mini for $125 (I think), used.

JKJ

[Marvin Hasenak]

What is the model number?

[Steve Drinkut]

Same experience as John, if it's the one with the 2 in tube that the tool rest and tail stock slide on. I spent a lot of time adjusting and re-adjusting the tail stock as it kept getting out of alignment. Sears has the manual online that has the directions for all the adjustments. I see a lot of these lathes on craigslist, some for as much as $ 400. I paid $75 for the one I gave away when I decided (the wife would let me) to buy a much better one.

[dan petroski]

If it has a cast iron bed it would be a good buy if it runs.
i have 2 with variable speed and I've been able to keep them doing for about 20 yrs.
as mentioned I would stay away from a single tube lathe. They are a lot of frustration. Dan

[Bill Jobe]

Well, I couldn't figure out how to post pics of it, I only had a one hour hold on it (resale store), time was running out and there were 2 others waiting for my hold to end.
Wish I had not bought it after reading your responses, but it does have what appears to be a new motor still in it's box. If nothing else I can use it to rough turn pieces prior to sealing. And it has a 12" swing which is quite a difference from my 10" HF mini.

[John K Jordan]

I biggest problem I and others had with it is keeping the tailstock aligned with the headstock. Also some models don't have a live center. You can avoid the tailstock problem if turning things like bowls and boxes that don't need the tailstock. It should have come with a faceplate.

JKJ

[Bill Jobe]

I biggest problem I and others had with it is keeping the tailstock aligned with the headstock. Also some models don't have a live center. You can avoid the tailstock problem if turning things like bowls and boxes that don't need the tailstock. It should have come with a faceplate.

JKJ

I did notice that the tailstock lock didn't seem to want to tighten down very well as I was situating it in my truck Perhaps the result of someone loosing their temper with it and grabbing the vice grips?

[Brice Rogers]

For 80 bucks, you don't have a whole lot invested. I'm sure that you can turn a bunch of things on it and will enjoy doing so. I have a little Craftsman 9" (circa 1950 with the cast iron bed) and I've enjoyed it. I upgraded but still use the sanding disk that I mounted to a face plate. Also, I've used it for turning dove-tail disks that I wanted to glue to something already chucked up on the bigger lathe, without needing to unchuck and re-chuck.

Also, if I understood your post correctly, I think that you said that you got a second motor in a box in addition to the other motor? That is probably worth $50 right there.

Enjoy. No need for buyer's remorse.

[Don Jarvie]

We all need to start somewhere. I started in a Craftsman similar to that and have a Jet VS1014 now and looking at a 766 next. 80 bucks isn't a big investment to see if you enjoy turning.

Even if your not a turning fan you can use it to make feet or draw pulls so it's worth the money. It looks in good shape.

[Blair Swing]

Ahh lots of fond memories on that lathe, where I cut my teeth so to speak when we got it for my dad in the mid 70's. And at least it was still made in the US of A back then. I made all of the attached segmented pieces on that lathe, turning the lamp in 1980 and had to keep putting wax on the useless point as I didn't know about or possibly live centers didn't exist at that time!

Couple things that helped tremendously, download the instructions and set up as the stated on a real solid top and make sure the tube is tight as can be to start with, and screwed in tight.

Then go out and get a segmented belt! Th vibration on those things used to drive me crazy, and used all kinds of things to try to hold the tail stock on. When I got the lathe back in 2006 from my dad I put one on and it was like a new lathe, returned one of my lamps to the lathe and refinished it 26 years later and had it up at speeds I never dreamed of in the 70's.

Remember, the greatest tool in the world in the hands of someone with no skills would be no match for someone with skills and that lathe tuned!

Enjoy it, learn, and upgrade when you can, (the tall segmented vessel I did on that lathe nearly paid for my NOVA DVR!)