Import Lathe Buying Guide

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[PanamaSticks]

As an engineering technician with 40 years experience in manufacturing, 23 of them also machining prototypes, tooling, fixtures, etc. I have to say this is one of the best presentations I have ever seen on lathes. Thank you..

[JorgeStolfi]

If you are a real hobbyist, the rule is: check what your budget is, spend twice as much on the basic machine, then spend twice as much again on accessories and material.

[patrickhgeorge]

Blondi is exactly who American children need in these tough times. Some of us have to settle on cloned Asian lathes. It’s just a real shame we can’t get a few 100, 000 clones of Blondi. Then our children could build and sell high quality inexpensive lathes right here in America. 40+ yrs experience with equipment and my learning experience with Blondi was “AWSOME”. Never have been much of a gusher so I apologize for it.

[jwilsonmusic]

I am a machinist, researching machines for a hobby shop. I like to think I know what I'm doing, but you pointed out things that I honestly had not thought about. I am amazed with your knowledge, and skills. I am very glad I found your channel!

[agri-lifeorganicfarm]

I'm retired and watch a lot of educational videos and this is a Great video. No Bla Bla Bla. Blondi gets to the point with lots of good information. Good job Blondi!

[johnoconnor]

I had not run a machine lathe since a college class 45 years ago but wanted to acquire one to have fun with as my retirement approached. I spent 8 months trying to understand the features and pros and cons of everything from new import mini lathes to 80 year old American iron. Older small American made lathes (South Bend, Atlas, Logan) in the under $2000 price range were hard to find (at least here in Texas), were often times located 300 miles from my home, and if in decent condition and priced fairly, they usually sold within 24 hours. In addition, often times the footprint was quite large depending on the motor/belt setup, and you always run the risk that the lathe you just bought and hauled home is essentially worn out. I wish I had seen your video when I was researching before I bought my lathe, but I guess the fact that I ultimately bought a Precision Matthews 1022 like you own proves once again that “God takes care of little kids and idiots”(me). Your videos are very well done and are a great contribution to the community. Thank you

[christopherswainson]

BH you are a naturally brilliant teacher, with lovely clear and enlightening explanations. Thank you.

[okarakoo]

I said it already, but here it is again: you are a natural born educator

[JMMC]

I recently gained access to a small machine shop, but one where it's all 'self taught ' engineers using the tools for quick rework and jigs. I was looking for some good resources to get the basics of machining into my head, and your videos have been excellent. Clear and concise, yet detailed where it matters.

[nickrandol]

I’ve watched a TON of videos like this, and you, Madam, know a lot more than most. Very good, very informative vid. Keep it up!

[FranLab]

I love my 3rd-hand 80's era anonymous Asian made (probably Taiwan) benchtop lathe. Small, but overbuilt and well powered.

[tinkmarshino]

Damn! this was the best video I have ever seen on lathes.. I have always wanted one but never got around to gettin it.. now at 67 years of age I am about to jump in and play and need all the GOOD information I can find.. This was superlative! I have to go and watch more of your videos.. I am glad I stumbled onto your site.. not only are you very knowledgeable but are very good at teaching.. thanks very much.... carry on, be safe and have fun doing it..

[radardoug]

I bought a Precision Mathews PM-1236 and have been extremely happy with it. I went that large to get the features you just described (D1-4 cam lock spindle, separate power feed shaft, nice headstock gearbox, etc). I also upgraded to a quick change tool post and DRO. I didn't go for a model with a coolant pump and instead set up a Noga coolant mister using an empty Jack Daniels bottle as a coolant reservoir. I couldn't find an empty Jack Daniels bottle so I had to construct one from a full Jack Daniels bottle.

[richardoleson]

Wow! What a lucid, well thought out and presented exposition on a complicated and nuanced topic. Your expertise is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[bobridge]

Blondihacks, you are fantastic ! I really appreciate the discussion regarding metric versus imperial. The British still use imperial, so not just the US Americans. Ditto your brilliant discussion regarding AC versus DC motor, lead screw, etc. I learnt a lot in just half an hour. A big thumbs up and thank you from a Brit/Ozzie expat. in Japan (all metric).

[tomcook]

I just stumbled across your channel. I am autistic high function and have a shop full of nice old machines, but lately the world events have scared me into the house and I haven't been in the shop for a couple months. Today that changed with this video, it motivated me to get out to the shop. thank you!

[douglascampbell]

Between you, AvE, and Bigclive I actually understood all of this.
I was a celulose necromancer when I could work. (furniture maker)
The factory I was in was ground zero for the Metric vs Imperial war. Everything we did was in both from the blueprints in metric to the hardware in Imperial. Nothing was standardized.

[marcmckenzie]

Quinn, as I started machining in the past year, I have watched about every video I could find on what to look for in a lathe. This is easily the most comprehensive and easy to understand summary so far, and I learned a few things myself - like the different uses of lead screws in powering the carriage. It would be so useful if even one supplier or event had the whole spectrum lined up with all the important suppliers, so in person or via a video like this the newbie could actually see what the trade-offs are. The one thing you didn't touch on is that most of the North American importer/integrators of Chinese lathes have their own histories and biases - which unless you are fairly experienced, are difficult to decode. It is a thorny field to shop in!

[Peter]

A machinist that knows DC motor fundamentals!
That is very refreshing!

[EcoMouseChannel]

Took me a long, long time of self educating myself on the lathe features I wanted and how much I could realistically spend. I really, really wanted a Precision Matthews brand, for many of the reasons mentioned in the video. But there's a bit of a premium price they are tacking on, because they are shouldering the cost of import and specing the machines to their standards etc. So, I opted to buy my lathe directly from a high quality factory in China and import it myself. I got to pick the features and added accessories and was less than HALF the price, even with freight costs!! What I was looking for size wise, was larger than a 10x22 machine, but not quite the footprint of a 12x36. So I ended up going with the exact same lathe as the PM-1228VF-LB (but I only paid $1920 with all the bells and whistles, and a bunch of upgrade accessories)

HOWEVER... what they don't tell you is how much more you will spend at the port for taxes, fees, duties, transportation from the dock to a temporary storage facility, all before it gets on a truck to your door. When it was all said and done, I literally spent MORE on those costs than the actual lathe machine itself. If I were bringing over a container full of them, those costs would have still been about the same as they are for just one. Keep in mind, my lathe rode across the ocean in one container by itself. So, realistically I should have filled it up and sold them on eBay or whatever. (Which is what a lot of those machines you find for cheap are... but they aren't spec'd the way you want them exactly)

So lesson learned, I should have just saved up longer and bought from an established importer like a Precision Matthews in the first place.