I have been waiting for the right lathe at the right price to come up for sale used for months. Surprisingly not too many come up for sale. I always see lots of Unisaws and shapers in good shape but trying to find a good lathe is another story. Anyway recently I came across a General 160-2, 12” swing, 15” in the gap, variable speed (500-3000). This would be my first lathe.

I am looking for opinions on this lathe in general and would also like to know what a good price would be for this used machine in good condition. New this seems to cost about $2500 and up. Looking at the specs for this lathe vs some other popular models I can’t see why. It seems to have the same or fewer features than a less expensive Jet.

Thanks