I discovered Harbor Freight Tool today. Wow, that place is basically a grown man's candy store. I picked up a few small sale items for my new shop and noticed they had a cast iron lathe (12"x36") with 10 speeds and a rotating head for $279. That included a stand, it wasn't cast iron but it was sturdy. The lathe, including the color, looked almost identical to the Grizzly I've been eyeing without the cast iron legs only cheaper.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34706
I turned a few bowls in high school woodshop and loved it. At that price, I can see myself having a blast. My question is, are the power tools at Harbor Freight complete junk? Or, is this a wise choice for a guy who is trying to put a shop together starting with nothing (okay, it does have a drill press :-) ? I like saving money but I don't want to be disappointed.