Time for a bigger lathe

[Bruce Platt]

I am getting frustrated by the size of my turning projects that I can do on my Jet mini lathe. Starting to look for a lathe to move up to and ran across the new grizzly 0462 . Has anybody tried this lathe, or what else should I consider?

[kwgeorge]

That looks very much like the Grizzly I had that served me very well. I was unable to look it up on the Grizzly site as there appears to be some issues with that site at the moment. One thing it looks like the spindle is a bit higher so I am wondering if it has a bigger capacity than the 12” I had. I also notice a box on top which I first thought maybe a variable speed control but then I noticed the same speed handle so I don’t know. The legs are much more substantial looking than the steel ones I had.

Ah, found it;

Motor: 2 HP, 110V, single-phase
Swing over bed: 16"
Distance between centers: 43"
Heavy-duty, precision ground cast iron bed and cast iron legs ensures stability and minimal vibration
1" x 8 TPI RH headstock spindle
Spindle tachometer with digital read out
MT #2 spindle & tailstock tapers
Spindle bore: 3/8"
Outboard turning is easy with standard tool rest extension
10 speeds: 600 - 2400 RPM
Quick lock/release levers for tailstock and headstock
0 deg., 60 deg., 90 deg., 120 deg., and 180 deg. headstock rotation
Overall dimension: 76 1/2"L x 19"W x 48 3/4"H
Approximate shipping weight: 304 lbs.

Looks like quite a feature list and the price is not bad at $395 but its that shipping that adds on bringing it to 484.25 but that is still not to bad. I guess you would have to compare against the larger Jet and Delta but last I looked they were several hundred more.

[Bruce Platt]

My local store has the delta at $599, and I have $200 worth of gift certificates there. I am leaning heavily in that direction. I tried it in the store and it seems quite nice.

My other option is a used Powermatic 90. I am going to go take a look at it this weekend. It is from the 70's, should be real solid. Anyone have a guess as to what a fair price for it would be?

tia

[Crash2510]

just wish I had the time an the money to devote to buying a first lathe

[Bruce Platt]

just wish I had the time an the money to devote to buying a first lathe

Once that happens, you will quickly lust after the next lathe

[Kurt in NW GA]

If PM 90 is in good running condition and all of the basic parts are there (banjo, tailstock, etc.). $600 or less is a no brainer. $1000 or less is reasonable if in good condition. If you check Redmond Machinery, they are asking $2000 for PM 90's that look like crap!
If you really plan to focus on bowls you need to determine the minimum RPM (they had quite a variety - I lucked up and got one that runs 240RPM) as many would not go slow enough to start a large, out of balance blank. Also PM 90 has 12" swing, though you can turn larger outboard.
Also check if it requires 3-phase.
If things work out, it is 600+ pounds of solid machine and you will probably die well before it does.
If you are a project kind of guy, many people have converted these to electronic variable speed.

PS - Note that the Grizzly turns at 600 minimum rpm and has 16" swing. IMHO that is way too fast for starting 16" blanks. I would discourage anyone from buying this machine with the notion that you can really do 16" blanks and definitely don't consider using it for larger blanks (with rotating head). The Grizzly may be a fine machine, but be very careful with anything over 12". 16" swing looks good on paper, but not in use.

Lastly, check Amazon for the Delta. I've seen it for as low as $450 delivered to your door (after rebate, etc), though they don't seem to have it in stock very often.