rsxse240 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I really want to turn some parts on a lathe and am considering getting a cheap Chinese lathe from Amazon. These little kits are multi purpose and can be changed to a mill/drill, a table saw, a table router, and several other configurations. I was curious if any of you might have one and would kindly share your opinion of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) "Cheap" and "Chinese" pretty much says it all. More here: Edited November 12, 2016 by Ace-Garageguy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Maybe get your feet wet with it, then step up to a quality piece and resell this one to someone else wanting to try it. One problem with the Chinese stuff is you won't be able to find replacement parts if you have the need. Next year, the units they'll be selling will be different, made in a different factory, and nothing will interchange. Kind of like Sears weed whackers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddyfink Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 For a learning curve piece, they are not bad. And most of their stuff is now being made next to the big store names stuff. Get it, learn it and then decide if you want to move up to a more expensive piece, like a Sheline Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaronw Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) Which one are you looking at? There are "cheap" $600 Chinese lathes and cheap $150 Chinese lathes.What I found after asking for a lot of advice and reading lots of stuff anywhere I could find info on mini lathes. I have been a lathe owner for less than a week, so this is all based on a couple years of research to make sure I didn't waste my money, not any hands on experience.The Chinese lathes are not as inexpensive as they initially seem to be. Many need significant work (literally a tear down and reassembly) to get them ready to use, and are often are bare bones meaning you have to spend much more than the "low advertised price" to really do anything with them. It has been suggested that the Chinese lathes are really better suited for people who already have machining experience. The more expensive cheap Chinese lathes are (mostly) not junk once you put in the needed work and in some regards they are better than the Sherline posted above as they are heavier duty with more clearance allowing you to turn larger work. For 1/25 model cars you probably don't need that extra capacity.The Sherline lathes come highly recommended unless you have the need to turn hard steel on a regular basis, or stuff greater than about 2" diameter. The $150 combination lathe / mills are mostly thought to be junk from everything I've found on them, although I have seen a few positive comments from people who were very aware of their limitations and ok with that. Edited November 12, 2016 by Aaronw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LDO Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I'm not a fan of the "starter" machine tool. A poor-quality tool with sloppy tolerances will result in sloppy parts. It will teach you bad habits that you will need to "unlearn" when you get a better machine. Start with the better machine. Make better parts. Don't waste time and money on a tool that you plan to outgrow. When it's time to sell, you will lose money on it. Losing proposition all the way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 I agree that investing in cheap tools isn't smart in the long run. You'll wind up outgrowing it, breaking it, getting frustrated by it, or all of the above... and then you'll have to buy a quality tool anyway! Better to save yourself the aggravation and buy the good stuff right off the bat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) Buy things based on how well they are made, not where. This definitely applies to machines which will be spinning small pieces of metal within millimeters of your fingers and face. Buy a Sherline, and save up and wait if you must. Edited November 12, 2016 by Casey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louie Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 Bye far the best answer is the one from Ace - Garageguy. I have been through this same thing with many, many different types of tools and I would go with a Sherline, no hassle, no problems and you will save yourself quite a bit of money in the long run while you're making quality parts day after day. Just my opinion. Jeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Wann Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 (edited) I too agree with just going ahead and buy the lathe and accessories that you really want. Learn how to use the machine and become successful. You will be much happier down the road. Perhaps there is a place around you that is like the Tech Shop that is in Chandler here in the valley. It is a really cool place to learn to use all kinds of shop tools. Gangplank might be another place of interest if you live in the Chandler area.http://www.techshop.ws/index.htmlhttp://gangplankhq.com/ Edited November 12, 2016 by Greg Wann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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