Harbor Freight 8x12" Lathe, It Ain't American Steel, But....
Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2017 8:06 pm
Although I purchased my brother's lathe, I have yet to pour a concrete pad in my shop to move that monster in.
In the meantime, on an impulse triggered by a Harbor Freight 25% Off coupon, I purchased a Harbor Freight 8X12" Lathe.
I had been using a Harbor Freight 7x10" which I found to be adequate for stem work up to about 4.5" and for the turning of small bits for military mounts and other simple tools, and expected the 8x12' to be more of the same only larger.
I was shocked when this new lathe finally (it was dropped and damaged on the first try) came in. It is a very impressive piece of machinery. It is in every way a larger, more solid and generally better piece of machinery for less than $200 more than the small lathe.
It weighs almost 3X as much 250+# vs <90#, it has 2 V ways, induction hardened ways, the tailstock has more than twice the travel, and the saddle and cross slide are massive. Two of us, both large men, struggled to get this baby on the bench, while I can carry the little one anywhere in my shop.
Below are photos of the lathe on the bench with the little lathe on a stool. (pardon the mess, but I was putting up walls at the same time)
At $750, this has got to be the best bang for the buck for a pipe maker who does not turn stummels.
My only two complaints are 1) it requires a belt change to change speeds, and 2) the tool post is one that requires shimming. I have since put a QC post on, this required some modification to the cross slide, but easy enough, and the belt changes are not difficult.
DocAitch
In the meantime, on an impulse triggered by a Harbor Freight 25% Off coupon, I purchased a Harbor Freight 8X12" Lathe.
I had been using a Harbor Freight 7x10" which I found to be adequate for stem work up to about 4.5" and for the turning of small bits for military mounts and other simple tools, and expected the 8x12' to be more of the same only larger.
I was shocked when this new lathe finally (it was dropped and damaged on the first try) came in. It is a very impressive piece of machinery. It is in every way a larger, more solid and generally better piece of machinery for less than $200 more than the small lathe.
It weighs almost 3X as much 250+# vs <90#, it has 2 V ways, induction hardened ways, the tailstock has more than twice the travel, and the saddle and cross slide are massive. Two of us, both large men, struggled to get this baby on the bench, while I can carry the little one anywhere in my shop.
Below are photos of the lathe on the bench with the little lathe on a stool. (pardon the mess, but I was putting up walls at the same time)
At $750, this has got to be the best bang for the buck for a pipe maker who does not turn stummels.
My only two complaints are 1) it requires a belt change to change speeds, and 2) the tool post is one that requires shimming. I have since put a QC post on, this required some modification to the cross slide, but easy enough, and the belt changes are not difficult.
DocAitch