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- #41
Well i have no idea about historic pricing. I'm just talking about people trying to sell their used lathe at current pricing.
Rikon 70-1516VSRK vs. Jet 1221VS?
- Thread starter Big Ry
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I would agree . Can’t imagine someone selling used lathe at current new price. I can see situation where someone sells at price they originally paid .
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- #43
There's so little inventory here, so it's hard to say anything definitively. But what i have seen so far has been ridiculous prices. I don't want to wait a decade to get a tool. I've been looking out for months with almost no change in offerings. It's the same lathes on marketplace month in and month out.
Take your example this jet 10". It was recently dropped to $400. It comes with the stand, with i could care less about. It has the manual but no extras beyond the stand. Seems like a decent deal until you look at the date stamp and realize it's 22 years old. Id much rather drop $600 on jets current 10" and have no wear and a 5yr warranty.
Or this Delta 46-460. It says it's brand new, but it's still used if it doesn't come from the store. Id much rather spend $47 more to buy it actually brand new.
Similar used offerings around here. Major brands used are listed at about $100 less than current new prices. I've seen lots of Harbor Freight lathes listed at new prices. Heck, people are listing Craftsman tube lathes at $400-500. Only "deals" around here are on 3 phase motor lathes with 6 ft beds that weigh in the thousands.
I have a 1972 Toyota FJ 40 I bought new in '72 for a total of $4016 in California at Toyota of Orange. Today, if it was cherry, I could get almost 100,000 for it in the East. My '79 Silverado I purchased in '86 is now worth about 29,000 all the way up to 50 thousand in the right location. Here in Tucson, I'd be lucky to get 2 thousand for So, some things will over ride manufacturers sale price. ............ Nubs
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- #46
Of course now that I'm complaining, i see 2 new lathes on marketplace. One grizzly was recalled due to laceration risk, so I'm probably gonna avoid that. This jet 1236 seems like a good deal, especially since it has swivel head and comes with tools. But Google tells me it's known for vibration issues and issues with the reeves drive. And the specs say it only goes to 550rpm, which is pretty high. So I'm unsure about whether or not this is a good deal, but it is relatively close to me.
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- #47
Yeah there is a TON of craftsman power tools around here and also a lot of HF. I also see lots of people trying to get list for used HF tools. That's universal, not just lathes.
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- #48
These aren't classic cars. They're basic lathes. They may hold value, but i doubt there's much of a collectors market. Just like anything with no collector market, used values should be a fair bit lower than new prices on comparable lathes.
Do you have a problem with speed on a lathe? 550 RPM is 500 rpm slower that I start with. I know speeds are an issue, but my experience tells me the faster you go, the less tear out you'll get. .............. Nubs
Just an fyi on the Delta 46/460. I have one of these, there were a couple ‘type’ and I’ve had mine for 17 yr and not a problem, though I don’t use often, preferring my PM. These were most popular midi in its day….till issues started creeping up with the on/off switch. It became discontinued by Delta and various parts houses. Reinforced my caution in having older tools with circuit boards anything potentially that couldn’t be fixed with a little know how. The lesson here is before you buy, look over parts list and available parts that may be needed.
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- #51
I don't have a problem, but everyone says slow speed is better for sanding and applying finish. It's always advised to get a lathe that gets pretty low. I managed just fine with 850rpm on my drill press, but I've only done it the one time. If 550 is too much for a weird shaped bowl blank then maybe i would have an issue with it then.
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- #52
Yeah i read up on that Delta and saw it had some issues. And i believe delta is no longer making lathes or no longer in business entirely? I certainly wouldn't want to be stuck without parts.
Been there, done that, get it entirely.
Having said that, it looks like membership is $35. I'd be willing to bet that joining and going to 1 meeting would be enough to get some folks sending options your way. I may be wrong, but you'd only be out $35 and a couple hours.
I'll echo what others have said about tools - they are the expensive part. You can definitely turn with cheaper tools, though you'll just spend more time sharpening. Having bought some "HSS" tools recently from Harbor Freight for testing at our Kids Making It workshop, I can say that just because they're labeled HSS doesn't mean they'll hold an edge. I'd rather have my old, starter Benjamins Best tools than the HSS crap I bought. Neither compare even slightly to the D-way tools I've started buying to replace old ones... but I'm in agreement with seeing whether you enjoy it before going that route.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #54
Yeah i thought about that. Maybe i could do that, but it's definitely too short of notice to go to tomorrow's meeting. I think the 10% off sale ends tonight or tomorrow too. I know these sales happen frequently, so not a huge deal. But it just means I'm waiting another month or so.
If you're ready to pull the trigger, just do it. I suspect you'll enjoy it and won't regret it... and if you really enjoy it, you're going to want to join that club to get some help and/or do a class or two, and you'll be ready in a couple years when someone is unloading a better lathe.
On the other hand, if you're on the fence, join the club and see if they have a starting turner class. If the timing works given your home schedule, do that before you buy a lathe. You'll know if you want to continue, and you'll have a much better view on what you want and need.
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Just to reiterate a couple points. Benjamin best are about the best quality for the money for beginner on a budget. I'm still using several I started with 8 years ago. Of course, I also have just as many D-Way and Thompson Tools.
Besides tools that you can probably pick up at a meeting for cheap, many times there will be a member(s) looking to upgrade lathes, or have older ones sitting around that they don't want to bother selling on the open market, but would be happy to sell a beginner.
When you get to the point of getting a lathe, even if you can't regularly attend meetings, many clubs have mentors that may be willing/able to meet with you on your schedule. Coming from someone who is self taught, a few hours with a mentor can shave months off the learning curve. Either way, reach out to the club, most have lots of resources and are happy to share books, videos, tools, and experience.
Besides tools that you can probably pick up at a meeting for cheap, many times there will be a member(s) looking to upgrade lathes, or have older ones sitting around that they don't want to bother selling on the open market, but would be happy to sell a beginner.
When you get to the point of getting a lathe, even if you can't regularly attend meetings, many clubs have mentors that may be willing/able to meet with you on your schedule. Coming from someone who is self taught, a few hours with a mentor can shave months off the learning curve. Either way, reach out to the club, most have lots of resources and are happy to share books, videos, tools, and experience.
Not everyone has the time available to go to club meetings - and my guess is that the local club officers understand that too. Find contact details for one of the club officers, pick up the phone and call them. Explain that you are looking to get started, would love to come to club meetings but looking after the kids doesn't allow it. Ask if they could ask club membership if anyone knows of a decent starter lathe at a fair price.
Also, the club I'm a member of is open to anyone to drop in for a couple of meetings with no pressure to join. I doubt you'd be asked to fork over money on a first visit.
Also, the club I'm a member of is open to anyone to drop in for a couple of meetings with no pressure to join. I doubt you'd be asked to fork over money on a first visit.
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- #58
Thanks. I actually did just do this, though I used the contact form on their website instead of calling. I don't see a phone number posted on the website anyway, so that would at least require some detective work to obtain. I explained my schedule issues and asked if there were other meeting times or if they did any virtual meetings. I also inquired about resources for procuring a lathe but did not ask about models or anything.