Old Craftsman Lathe

[JSUPreston]

Came into a little money lately and am thinking that I'd like to get a lathe. Found this one on eBay about 3 hours away from here, and was wondering what you guys think of it. Here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-CRAFTSMA...QQcmdZViewItem

[RayintheUK]

I'd pass. If you read the spec, it's contradictory. Loose headstock alone is enough to pass on, but add exposed belt pulleys and a flimsy stand ....

Ray.

[WoodButcher26]

I had a Craftsman lathe as my first toy, the bearings went out. Tried to have them replaced, only to find that it was going to cost more than the original cost of the lathe to do it. Took that money and a bit more and bought a Jet, and have never looked back. Craftsman model now serves as part of the weight in my current lathe stand--about all it's good for with bad bearings.


Kim

[JSUPreston]

Thanks for the advice. I figured it was probably too good to be true, but every now and then, I have found a deal on eBay. I'll keep an eye out for another deal.

I'd consider the mini lathe deal from Amazon, but I know just as soon as I got one, I'd need a bigger one. Guess I'll wait a while longer.

[gerti]

The Harbor Freight 34706 Lathe occasionally goes on sale for $170. Combine that with the HF HSS turning tool set and you get started for under $200. The lathe is full size and of reasonably good quality. Many here use it or have used it and are/were happy with it. I like mine.