Lathe questions??

[Bill G]

South Bend did that to themselves

South Bend Lathe: What Can We Learn from an ESOP “Failure”? | Center for Economic & Social Justice

by Norman G. Kurland South Bend Lathe, the bête noire of the ESOP movement, may forever hold the dubious distinction as the company where "owners went on strike against themselves." While this popular characterization has long diverted attention from the hidden issues involved, the South Bend...

www.cesj.org

Although problems 50 years ago lead to the demise of the company it has zero to do with what Grizzly is doing with the name now. Just like Jet and Powermatic. Hell look at Oliver also.

 

[thedude74]

You can’t buy a new lathe for home or small shop use that is not made in China. Sad but it’s where we are now.

Grizzly has a lot to offer, spare parts are readily available and their customer service/warranty support is outstanding. They also own South Bend, basically the rights to use that brand name on the asian lathes they spec and sell

Grizzly’s owner Shiraz knows how to use a lathe and has created a fine company from scratch

Im guessing Grizzly has better quality control than say like a Vevor clone? Or Would I just be paying 100% markup for the green paint?

 

[thedude74]

Like I've said many times it's all where ever you live on what you might find .In Ohio it's not really a problem but in Montana or Alaska it certainly could be . In my example the Monarch 10" EE cost me $800 and the Bridge Port Model M milling machine was also $800 but that was 25-30 years ago . Now I had to do some work on those and at the moment the Monarch is awaiting me to installing a new solid state controller because the old electron type DC controller is made with nearly obsolete parts and thus nearly impossible to find .However the model M Bridgeort is nearly perfect in spite of being made in the 40's .I did a lot of work on that thing to get it that way .

I've heard of folks in the rust belt purchasing old, working industrial lathes for scrap metal prices. It's usually the opposite up here in AK...top dollar wanted for what appears to be scrap metal. Shipping from the lower 48 usually runs about $0.60 a lb for freight.

 

[Paul Fithian]

Grizzly’s advantage is their technical support, warranty, customer service, and US spare parts inventory. Their buying power is huge, so their vendors risk losing future sales if they supply poor quality items.

I believe they import more lathes into the US/Canada than any other company.

I can attest their customer service and after sale support is superb.

 

[blades]

Asian machine tools come in a good better best ( well maybe a less that adequate category first). Are priced as such . To that end things have changed some now with the Korea and Vietnam in the picture. Generally there will be about 3 lathes that look the same almost if not identical, price will depend on amount finial finishing( not cosmetic but that has a play also) but internally. straight from china bottom, better motor cosmetics and accuracy mostly done in Tiwian. best full assembly and tuning from Tiwian. Add K and V which seem to produce better castings than the C castings. But having not researched those offerings or followed the history I am unsure. I have 14 x 40 mid price unit from mid 2000's its not too bad it ,has its limits. it replaced a aging Sheldon apx 9 x 36 from Gov war dept refurb. Plate on unit indicated 1945 and a big very old Sebastian ( apx 24 x 84)that had its issues also. Biggest issue I have with the 14" unit is that i really wish the top cross feed assembly was a lot more robust . It is about 15years old. I have had one repair which was a micro switch that went south internally, electrically not mechanically. Start stop circuit. Got switch from OEM of the switch stateside. Less than $10. About an hour to diagnose and replace same. ( l like simple fixes, got lucky I guess).

 

[blades]

I am in Milwaukee Wi, another of the areas where heavy manufacturing took place for eons by all the big names Allis Chalmers , AO Smith, Laddish, Rex Chain Belt, Oil Gear, Fair Banks Morse, Nordberg and more, + various foundries. 90 % of that is all gone now.

I have good experience with Griz also, I have a 17" bandsaw and a Dust collection unit from them.