Buying a lathe - What too look for.

You might be being a bit ambitious at 500quid but it can be done. One thing that always adds alot to the cost is moving the thing if you don't already have a vehicle /trailer that can do it and potentially somthing to lift it. Thats where the myford comes in handy I guess as you could manhandle one of those about. Any colchester is going to need forklifting or lifting in most cases.

You will find Colchesters command a bit of a premium. You might find it easier to find a cheap Harrison or Boxford. I bought a small Harrison lathe not long ago for about 400quid. Needed some tlc but worked fine.

As for checking what your buying the main consideration is probably that all the fees and speeds all work. It's not usually possible to check 100% unless the machine has power tho. I've had a few machines with missing gear teeth and things like that. Wear in the slideways can be an issue too but it hard to know what your checking for if you don't know what your checking for. Then again if you are just using it for odds and soda it's unlikely it will be bad enough to give you trouble.

Another big issue is tooling. Lathe is no good if there's no tooling and often the tooling is worth more than the machine so it's common to see machines forsale with nothing at all. China has reduced the cost of some tooling and bargains can be had but the quality still isnt as good as original kit in alot of cases.

I have owned a Myford for many years. It is very versatile and small enough to man handle. I have a selection of gears and can cut many thread pitches. The main shaft bearings are worn but the stuff I make it's not a problem as I work around it. Spares are readily available as well as many accessories, it's well made and tough. Personally I would buy another and not a Chinese one, they are a quality item. Try and find one from a retiring toolmaker, and it will probably come with cutting tools and spares. You should be able to find a good one for well under a £1k.Good luck in your search.

Thanks all!

I am in the lucky position of having 3phase to my garage - currently not used - so have been looking at all options. Have access to a large van and an engine crane so moving it should not be a problem.

Good point on the tooling, currently looking on homeworkshup and lathes.co.uk

Will keep you updated.

P.

I found out with an old Colchester years ago.....
In order to get a project lathe up and running, you invariably need access to a working lathe.

I've now got a Chinese 7x14 mini-lathe, not totally convinced....

Just spotted this on marketplace, nothing to do with me.
m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/628060654404565

Dependant upon where you are in the country you could try here:

www.warco.co.uk/

Now its not top end of the market but it is good / solid machinery - they have a open day once a year and its pretty soon 14/3/20 where they sell off all the part ex / used machines plus some very good deals on the new stuff too - a fellow Jowett owner fitted his workshop out with a decent used lathe plus a milling machine both of a decent size plus some decent tooling thrown into the deal and for a very fair price but I think you are being a little optimistic with your current budget

Pity. Had I known a couple of months back I could have got you a Colchester Master,with a DRO for £500. Tailstock needed attention,and a bit noisy,but still a lot of life left in it. 😕
You might be a bit optimistic price wise. You should be able to find something halfway  decent at around £7-800, but having said that there was a tidy Harrison for £400 a couple of weeks back. I would say leave the myford alone,it’s a toy when it comes to automotive kinda stuff. Too small. You will lose the will to live when taking little princess cuts.....The magic soon wears off.  Myford and Boxford also seem to attract a bit of a scene tax.

I would say look for a Colchester bantam or Student, even a small Harrison.  Try all the gears. Quite often they have lived in the same gear all their life,and can be noisy. Face ache Market place is a good place to look. 

Have had the opportunity to use a Warco. Not bad for the money,but fairly noisy gear train. Cheap Chinese,badge engineering at its best. 

Trouble with a chipmaster is they take up alot of space for such a small capacity machine.

Myfords are a good lathe, many engineering workshops keep one in the corner, the beds do wear, but as a starter machine they are a good choice, unlikely to be 3 phase, and IIRC the super 7 is a screw cutter, the other thing about the myford is the tooling and adaptions are limitless from milling attachments to gear hobbing and beyond