Little Machine Shop Lathes - Opinions

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TonyL

TonyL

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Joined
Mar 9, 2014
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8,986
Location
Georgia
I thinking about one of these for pens (metal, acrylic, wood materials), bushings, etc.

I would probably get rid of my Jet if I go this route.

What do you think about the LMS lathes? The seems like nice folks.

Thank you!
 
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Tony, I have the Little Machine Shop 8.5 x20 and I wouldn't say that I love it, but it is a very good machine and I have no complaints with it. I don't think you will have any problems with any lathe or purchases from Little Machine Shop. Do your homework as to size and lathe features of the lathe you purchase before you pull the trigger. With any lathe purchase the lathe is just the first step down another slippery slope (tooling, accessories). And I would not get rid of your wood lathe. Some operations are better done on one or the other.:)
 
Warranty

I was looking at their lathes also but now I am a little uneasy with them since they only give a six month warranty. I have read good things about them but I have a hard time paying a premium price for a machine that only has that kind of warranty.
I would like to hear from people that have or do own their machines and what kind of issues they have had after the warranty ran out.
 
Good point. Sticking with my Jet. I really don't need another lathe. I was intrigued by it being a metal lathe. Thank you both for a dose of reality.
 
Tony, I bought a used metal lathe (Atlas 12x32) and have used it for several projects. It is 60+ years old but a nice, accurate machine and can be adjusted to cut 1/1000th of an inch at a time. I'm finding more ways to use it all the time. I'll still keep my wood lathe, too.:)
 
Thank you. I need to learn more about lathes in general. I was under the impression that a metal lathe can do everything a wood lathe could do, just better and more accurately.

I see that I was wrong...I think :)
 
Come on Tony....review the reviews and offer an opinion. These have been talked about and reviewed until the cats come home. Again....what have you learned?
 
Tony, for what its worth, I started on a metal lathe, went through 2 of them, harbor freight brand, got rid of them and bought a Jet, I love my jet but I will buy another metal lathe in a few months, reason being, I like using the metal lathe to round jawbone blanks regardless if its pens or duck calls and bottle stoppers, the metal lathe gives me the option to make a nice angle cut whether its 4 degrees or more for contouring pens, I like both lathes, something you can do on one you can't do on the other and vice versa.
 
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