what lathes do y'all like

[pipeguy]

Hello gents, this I feel may become a spirited debate. What lathe do you like for pipe making???? I have a 1935 power king wood lathe that can do most everything. Now its time to step up I cant see buying new with all the great used equipment out there at great prices. Im lookig at a post WWII South Bend that's cherry what do you gent's think???
Thanx Bob Clark

[ToddJohnson]

Buy a Precision Matthews 1127VF and you will never need (or want) another lathe again.

Todd

[sethile]

Buy a Precision Matthews 1127VF and you will never need (or want) another lathe again.

It's on my short list. The 1127VF is not that much more than a good 9x20 (if you do look at 9x20s get the JET, not one of the cheaper ones!). The PM 1127VF a ton more machine, and is still under $2K including shipping and a quick change tool post! http://www.machinetoolonline.com/PM-1127-VF.html

I've got a Harbor Fright 9x20 (the cheapest of the 9x20s) and it's a constant source of aggravation, especially after seeing Todd's PM in action! I've got mine set up working pretty well but it took a lot of extra cleaning, tweaking, and set up work, and I'm still looking to upgrade to the PM 1127VF ASAP!

I've heard a nice older lathe is great, and I've been drawn to that as a project before, but if you want to make pipes instead of playing with the lathe, one of these makes a lot more sense. After seeing Todd's in action, as well as hearing from Lathe enthusiasts about the time they've invested in restoring their fine old machines, this just makes more sense to me....

[KurtHuhn]

IF that South Bend is truly cherry, and depending on price, it will be a good lathe for stem work and a whole lot of other work. However....

If it's not perfect, you will need to spend a lot of time on it, which if that's your thing is fine. I have a SB9c, and I love it, but it took a lot of work to get it where it is. But, that's kinda my thing.

Anyway, that's a great deal on that Matthews. It's got a gigantic spindle bore, and the QC toolpost is a great addition. You can also look at the Jet BD920, which is also a good machine. Stay away from anything Harbor Freight sells. Some of the larger Grizzly lathes are decent, and their customer service is excellent.

But that Matthews is one sexy beast.

Assuming you're looking at metal lathes, that is....

If you're looking at Wood lathes for whatever reason, I'm sure the group could come up with a bunch of suggestions.

[baweaverpipes]

Mr. Johnson is correct. The PM1127VF is one heck of a machine. Talk about quiet and smooth, this is the one.
There's only one problem, it doesn't drone out Todds incessant chatter.