Craftsman 15" Lathe on order

[Bernie Weishapl]

Peter a Rikon with a bed extension will give you 38 1/2" or the Jet 1220 will give you almost 50".

[Dean Thomas]

...somehow I have purchased tons of their equipment over the years. I guess it all has to do with pricing and availability of parts, if necessary.

Yeah? I bought a LOT of stuff from them back when. Especially when the Craftsman name was respected and the guarantee was lifetime and instant nationwide. Not any more, Peter!

Parts? One word response on that one. Sorry to be harsh again, but the response is, "HAH!!!" Sears no longer supports their goods as they once did. A year or two max. By that time, they have changed the model number twice and no longer carry replacement parts for a particular model. I've got a number of friends who use their Sears machines for boat anchors because there are no longer parts available or because the customer service people (not the local folks) don't know anything any more. You can't get anything but replacement filters and the occasional nut or washer at your local store, and even then, not always.

If you are looking to purchase throw-away power tools, Sears is a good place to go. If you're just kicking the tires of this turning thing as a hobby, heck, you're better off (note sticking of words in my throat as I speak them) a Harbor Freight or Grizzly than you are with a Sears. HF & Griz will at least try to come to your rescue with parts or a new machine!

[Gordon Seto]

If you are looking to purchase throw-away power tools, Sears is a good place to go. If you're just kicking the tires of this turning thing as a hobby, heck, you're better off (note sticking of words in my throat as I speak them) a Harbor Freight or Grizzly than you are with a Sears. HF & Griz will at least try to come to your rescue with parts or a new machine!

I have more respect for Harbor Freight. They never pretend to give customers false expectation. Their price is cheap enough we know it is unrealistic to expect something of the best quality. We always know what we are getting into.

Peter, if you bother to search the archives, you will find posts posting the phone numbers of the superior for the service department of Palmgren. The parts and service department are not taking or responding calls. That is the company that makes this lathe.

[Ronald Fox]

I picked up the Cast Iron Harbor Freights Lathe for $200 on sale (normally sells for $280). This is my first lathe so I don't have any experience with any others, but it seems to work fine for me. I am having fun, and that is all that really matters

[Jim Jakosh]

Don't buy it. I have two of them and they are junk. The first one I bought used and had to keep putting in start capacitors and freeing up the Reeves drive. I had it apart 4 time in 2 years. Then it would not start and kept blowing the breaker. I had a lot of special tooling made for that 15" lathe as well as a nice steel lathe station so I found a new one in Illinois and bought it and it bolted right in place . It was new in this guys basement and he never used it. It sounded real good and ran for 5 days okay. Then it made the God awful screeching noise off and on --drove me nuts. I told the guy about it and he was a Craftsman club member but Sears would not do anything for me. The reeves drive pulley froze on the shaft and I had to use a puller to get it off. Then it would not rev up to high speed. In the mean time I tore the other one down to the motor and the armature had .004 clearance all around and it was .005 out of center and rubbing on the field. In fact the armature was marked with bluing in the out of round area and they shipped it like that. I turned down the armature.012 and it ran fine. Now it will not start even with a new capacitor. Just a PIECE OF JUNK! Might make a good anchor!! I'm looking for a good 15" electronic speed controlled head to mount on that bed so I can still use all my tooling. I may gut this Craftsman lathe and run a belt from an outboard motor to this one. It won't even start any more.

[Jim Jakosh]

Don't buy it . they are junk!

[Dwight Rutherford]

Jim,
this thread is from 2008

[Bill Bulloch]

Thanks to all who responded. I
I am getting the lathe for about $404 after sale and discount. It seems to have some decent features for the money. Hopefully it will last for awhile.
Regards, Pete

You got solid advise here and none of it favored making this purchase. It seems you had already made you mind up, so I am wondering why you even bothered to ask for advise.

[Bill Bulloch]

I didn't notice the 2008 date. There's nothing new we can tell him; I am sure he knows all about it by now.

[David C. Roseman]

I didn't notice the 2008 date. There's nothing new we can tell him; I am sure he knows all about it by now.

It would be interesting to get an update!

[Barry McFadden]

I had a Craftsman 12" lathe years ago...never had a problem with it other than I wanted to do bigger and heavier stuff...so I upgraded to a larger lathe. I have a Craftsman 12" radial saw and a Craftsman 12" bandsaw which I have had for over 30 years and never had a problem with either one of them...I also have a Craftsman 28" snowblower which I have also had for 30 years...anytime I need a bearing or belt for it they have it in stock in the city I live in...can't beat that!!