Harbor Freight mini lathe

[bandit12]

Does anyone here have or did have one of these lathes. I thought about getting one for tinkering with some small projects but was looking for some real person input and not from someone's feedback on their site that may be made up tales.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-x-10-inch-precision-mini-lathe-93212.html

[chevysoldier]

Seems like the majority of the reviews on that site mention the motor fails...

[bandit12]

I had only seen two reports of bad motors and one of those were operator error. While this is a hobby type tool and the space needed for it is right it is a costly purchase that needs plenty of research. Maybe I'll just wait for something else to pop up.

[flounder]

What are you looking to make with it? That will help to answer your question.

[serpentracer]

jesus I can only imagine what the big mofo we have at work costs if harbor freight wants $500 for that thing.

it must be $30k.

[Gixxus Christ!]

Chinese junk. I'll guarantee that the ways and lead screws aren't properly hardened, the knobs probably fall off and the motor is Junk. I won't even buy harbor freight ratchets because they fall apart after less than a season of use, can't see them building a decent machine tool ever.

[redkow97]

Chinese junk. I'll guarantee that the ways and lead screws aren't properly hardened, the knobs probably fall off and the motor is Junk. I won't even buy harbor freight ratchets because they fall apart after less than a season of use, can't see them building a decent machine tool ever.

^ i agree with all of this, but most of their stuff has a lifetime warranty.

for stuff I use once, or rarely, I will buy from harbor freight. I went through 2 of their $4.99 rivet guns to get my exhaust fixed, but it saved me from buying a new $400 exhaust can, and the minor inconvenience of driving back to the store to replace the rivet gun that broke after 2 uses (it had been opened before I bought it, but i didn't notice) was still worth it.

I also like HF for 'dumb' tools like hammers. Torque wrenches, drills, or anything else I use a lot or want to be accurate, no thanks.

the lathe would be worth a try for something simple, that doesn't require a lot of use.

[imprez55]

What are you trying to do and what are your restrictions (space, $$, etc)? The 7x10 is a small machine, the only way I would recommend it is for space issues (and you can do better than $500). If I were to get one from hf, it would be the 8x12.

[FZRMatt]

Does anyone here have or did have one of these lathes. I thought about getting one for tinkering with some small projects but was looking for some real person input and not from someone's feedback on their site that may be made up tales.

http://www.harborfreight.com/7-inch-x-10-inch-precision-mini-lathe-93212.html

I was wondering about this myself.

[20thGix]

Forget the lathe and find someone on the forum close to you thats a machinist or has access to the machinery. Throw them $20 everytime you need something that small and you will be money ahead. Even if you have to pay for material anyone that works in a machine shop should be able to find drops or scrap. The shop i work in most all the scrap, drops and unused steel can be had for free if you ask. Aluminum or other metals that have a higher scrap price i will call get the latest price per pound and pay them for it.

[Gixxus Christ!]

There happens to be a south bend lathe in my dad's basement and he and I are both machinists. Akron area. We usually work for good beer or top shelf scotch.

[bandit12]

What are you looking to make with it? That will help to answer your question.

Just looking to do small items like cast bullet sizers, push pins and misc. little stuff that adds up over a while. Some of the sizers aren't but $10-15 but add $10-12 in shipping it adds up. I needed a bushing a while back that was like $3 but a $5 minimum order and $10 in shipping made it not worth ordering.

I used to have access to very good mills and lathes to use myself but they sold out and I hate bothering another friend of mine with these things that I'm sure are trivial to him, he does them and refuses to take a dime but I don't want to turn into a pain in the ass.

This is still in idea stage and I seen one still in the box for $400 and one that has been set up, trued and ready to use for $400, that was replaced with the 8x12 model.

Edited November 29, 2011 by bandit12

[bandit12]

There happens to be a south bend lathe in my dad's basement and he and I are both machinists. Akron area. We usually work for good beer or top shelf scotch.

My dad used to have South Bend that I'm guessing was a 12x48, the guy that bought it loaded it on a rollback with the help of a backhoe and hauled it to Texas. He also had an Atlas that was just right, it was like an 8x36, he had to nurse it along because a local factory scrapped it and handled it as such. He got it for scrap iron price but they busted all the levers off and kept the motor.

[flounder]

There happens to be a south bend lathe in my dad's basement and he and I are both machinists. Akron area. We usually work for good beer or top shelf scotch.

If you ever come across a good deal on a quality SB or another similar, please let me know. Im looking to get a quality lathe and mill at some point.

[serpentracer]

^ i agree with all of this, but most of their stuff has a lifetime warranty.

for stuff I use once, or rarely, I will buy from harbor freight. I went through 2 of their $4.99 rivet guns to get my exhaust fixed, but it saved me from buying a new $400 exhaust can, and the minor inconvenience of driving back to the store to replace the rivet gun that broke after 2 uses (it had been opened before I bought it, but i didn't notice) was still worth it.

I also like HF for 'dumb' tools like hammers. Torque wrenches, drills, or anything else I use a lot or want to be accurate, no thanks.

the lathe would be worth a try for something simple, that doesn't require a lot of use.

here's the bitch of doing that. a good rivet gun is only $15. so you paid $10 and took the time to go to the store not once but TWICE. gas both ways, time both ways, etc.