Here's a video review of a Harbor Freight Mini-Lathe with some interesting insights...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIEb-pzfwjQ
Hey @
halliwax ! Did you have any of these problems with yours? Is yours the same model as this one?
same exact lathe, except his is a 10" and mine is a 12" just little longer
ok so, when i first got mine i had to remove all the yellow gunk off it. if you look at my picture i posted you can see i still had it covered in gunk near the tail shaft.
he keeps complaining about the guard... 2 bolts and the plastic safety guard comes off, you can move the lever it is attached to by hand to activate the safety switch and have the machine run normal..
his problem with turning the large wheel and it getting stuck, and then him grinding away the guard. i had the same exact issue... BUT i didnt grind anything, i simply sprayed wd-40 inside the bearing on the big black wheel... turns like butter...
his drill chuck that doesnt fit. i ordered mine about 2 years ago. it didnt come with the drill chuck bit, i had to order that separate. i dont remember if his drill chuck came in the crate or if he bought it separate, if he did he ordered the wrong one
he also complains about having to use a big lathe to make a center hole, for the dead centering quill ( i am not a machinist so i dont know the correct name for everything), if he ordered the correct drill chuck, or it came with the correct chuck he wouldn't need to make such a fuss over it...
he also keeps complaining about the finish... but each material has a different RPM for cutting. this lathe doesnt have a RPM gauge, but as for finish you can ask tom what i did on this little machine... and see the finish for proof
again more complaining about the knobs... simple wd-40 fixed this issue....
i for one have never spun this motor at its max, (ive never jammed/stalled it either) hes cutting rolled steel and this thing is maxed out.... i only use this machine for aluminum, copper and brass. i dont take anymore then 20 thou at a time. if i need to cut steel, ill bring it to the big shop and use the dinosaur.
the alignment issue he complains about, um... before i set up any piece i always center everything? i always thought that was a must and normal procedure? again im not a machinist but played with the dinosaur since high school, and even that thing is out of whack and needs everything checked before operation. that thing dates back to WWII...
all in all, i cant honesty give my opinion on this review because i unsubscribed to chucky a long time ago... he rather you buy a $5000, 4 ton machine... which is far superior to this little machine... but who in all honesty has the room for a machine like that... he also mentions 3 phase electrical service... who's gonna have that run to their house to power a machine to build "toy" lightsabers...
500-600 bucks, you get a "toy" that can help you make more "toys". im very happy with my purchase, if i were to do it again, id probably got with this
https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5200&category=1271799306
and the reasoning is because it already has the quick change post, and DRO read outs. for what i am going to put into the HF lathe, i could have just started with this..
also the billet wheels, i didnt like the plastic wheels either... i havent found it yet but need to find replacement steel/billet wheels. i dont like the idea of plastic gears, but then again, im dont cutting deep, and the strongest aluminum i cut is 6061...
you got me looking up wheels now lol