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Intensemonerider

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I want a benchtop metal lathe (10x18 or 10x22) preferably 300lbs and under so 2 guys can lift it. A decent quality machine that can thread and will last a long time. Any thoughts on Craftex? Seems like Craftex a King are all us Canadians can get…please let me know your thoughts. Or let me know if you want to sell one…
 
Where are you located?

canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

9 x 20 Standard Modern Utilathe with taper attachment

Hi Folks. I'm replacing my Utilathe It was bought here on the forum. It's been restored I guess you'd call it, I can't get it out of where it is (the basement of my Condo) till mid july ish. I can load it on a truck or trailer from my garage. It comes with: a 1/2 hp 1725 motor that I installed...
canadianhobbymetalworkers.com canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
 
I just bought a VM32 mill direct from Weiss. Based on my experience I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a lathe from them.
They also supply Busy Bee.
 
Intensemonerider said:
I want a benchtop metal lathe (10x18 or 10x22) preferably 300lbs and under so 2 guys can lift it. A decent quality machine that can thread and will last a long time. Any thoughts on Craftex? Seems like Craftex a King are all us Canadians can get…please let me know your thoughts. Or let me know if you want to sell one…
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I started a thread a bit over a year ago looking at options for a lathe in your size band:

canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

10-11 inch lathes -- Precision Matthews, Modern Tool

Hi: I'm edging toward upgrading from my tiny, beat-up Atlas 618 lathe and I thought I'd ask for input about new lathes. Whatever I choose has to go down the basement stairs, including a 90 degree corner, and into the available space which is ideally 51 inches or maximally about 60 inches...
canadianhobbymetalworkers.com canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

Originally I was trying to talk myself into a PrecisionMathews machine. However, the big price difference and highly uncertain delivery date caused me to go with a BusyBee CX706. That led to a fairly detailed thread about my new toy:

canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

Craig's Craftex CX706 Comes Clean

Some of you may remember that I started searching seriously for a new lathe in the 10-11" swing range a couple of months ago: https://canadianhobbymetalworkers.com/threads/10-11-inch-lathes-precision-matthews-modern-tool.4956/ I'm happy to report that my new Craftex CX706 10 X 22 lathe arrived...
canadianhobbymetalworkers.com canadianhobbymetalworkers.com

Fire away if you have questions!

Craig
 
I have an Craftex 10x22 lathe and really like it for what it is. It has not been without a few issues but nothing that couldn't be fixed. The small size is great for small spaces. I'd say all the brand names of the 10x22 are similar but they are NOT identical. They can have different important features that are worth considering. My lathe for example has variable speed motor and power cross feed which not all 10x22 lathes have.
 
Intensemonerider said:
Were you able to lift it into place with 2 guys or did you need an engine hoist? I don’t want to buy an engine hoist…
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Disassembly is your friend then I have moved similar sized machines up and downstairs a few times. I just keep removing items till I can carry it all. Yesterday I moved my craftex b2227l 10X22 upstairs the last and largest piece was the ways and the lead screw drive and I carried it myself it wasn't easy but I never struggled with anything. Drain the oil as well less weight. The disassembly and reassembly gets you more familiar with your new machine. I bought a used engine hoist and found it invaluable with moving machines around but I understand another thing to store.
 
How is the product support on the Craftex 10x22 lathe? Will I be able to get parts in 10 years? Are these a bread and butter tool that’s been around for a long time that’s rebranded by a dozen different companies that will be available into the foreseeable future?
 
How about a used Myford? It is about your desired size and there are hundreds of online sites, books and magazine articles to help with its use.
 
Intensemonerider said:
How is the product support on the Craftex 10x22 lathe? Will I be able to get parts in 10 years? Are these a bread and butter tool that’s been around for a long time that’s rebranded by a dozen different companies that will be available into the foreseeable future?
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Parts through Busy Bee has been a bit hit and miss. I was pleasantly surprised a couple of times that they had parts on hand. Other times I waited on a slow boat from China for the parts but I did eventually get them. There are many brand names and versions of these lathes and they do not all share the same parts even though they make look virtually the same but MANY parts would be interchangeably. I also suspect there has been alot of these lathes sold over the years and so used parts may become available.
 
Intensemonerider said:
How is the product support on the Craftex 10x22 lathe? Will I be able to get parts in 10 years? Are these a bread and butter tool that’s been around for a long time that’s rebranded by a dozen different companies that will be available into the foreseeable future?
Click to expand...

I think the two most likely scenarios are: 1) a crash, or 2) the variable speed controller dies.

So, 1) don't crash the machine. ;) If you do have a crash, I wouldn't count on the supplier, any supplier, to be much help. Sorry, but that is just the ways things are for inexpensive machines from the far east. Besides, if you have a lathe, you're a metal worker. So just work some metal to fix the problem. (See, it is an opportunity--not a problem!)

When 2) the variable speed controller dies, that's going to be a pain. Note that I said "when" not "if". I don't think these control boards are all that robust. 5 to 10 years before the magic smoke gets out would not be surprising. If you search online, you can find reports of people sourcing new control boards to operate their otherwise good motor. Also reports of people replacing both the motor and pairing it with an appropriate controller. It seems to me that the first option kicks the problem 5 to 10 years down the road for small money. The second option may give you a system that will work for decades but I guess it would cost quite a bit more up front. Since I'm not an electronics guy, either one of these options will be challenging but some of the fine folks here will likely walk me through it.

Craig
 
I don’t know anything about Myfords, I saw a Myford 10 for 2500 seems really expensive for what you get. Is a small original Myford 7 or 10 as good or better than a Craftex 10x18 or 10x22? What should a reasonable price be?
 
Intensemonerider said:
I don’t know anything about Myfords, I saw a Myford 10 for 2500 seems really expensive for what you get. Is a small original Myford 7 or 10 as good or better than a Craftex 10x18 or 10x22? What should a reasonable price be?
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I've never ran a Myford before so take my advice accordingly. I believe the quality of a Myford would be much better than an Asian made machine however the capability and features are considerably lower. Resale value is likely to remain very good on a Myford, however I'm sure I could get more now for my 10x22 lathe than what I paid for it 10 years ago. I personally think Myfords are grossly overpriced for what they are.
 
DPittman said:
I've never ran a Myford before so take my advice accordingly. I believe the quality of a Myford would be much better than an Asian made machine however the capability and features are considerably lower. Resale value is likely to remain very good on a Myford, however I'm sure I could get more now for my 10x22 lathe than what I paid for it 10 years ago. I personally think Myfords are grossly overpriced for what they are.
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I’m curious what you mean about the capability and features of the Myford being considerably lower, is that because of the size compared to a BB 10 x 22? Not picking here, just curious. :)

D :cool:
 
Intensemonerider said:
How do you like your Craftex 10x22 DPitmann? I am curious what did they sell for 10 y/ago? Did you have any issues with the vfd speed controller?
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My 10x22 is like my minivan in alot of ways.
A minivan isn't what I wanted. A minivan was what I could afford. A minivan would accomplish all I needed to do. I used to poke fun at the poor family man that had to run a minivan (until I became a poor family man also, lol). I figured there must good reasons why so many other people chose minivans.

My 10x22 isn't really the lathe of my dreams either but it was what I could afford, both initially and for tooling. It also was one of the few bench lathes that could fit in my space.
Intensemonerider said:
How do you like your Craftex 10x22 DPitmann?
Click to expand...

DPittman said:
If someone stole my lathe off my bench today I'd purchase another brand new one to replace it.
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My lathe does not have a vfd per se but rather it is a variable speed dc motor drive. The controller board has given me no trouble and I understand that the brand name (KB Electronics) board in my Craftex lathe is very good and reliable.

I have replaced motor brushes a couple of times. I also had a bad fuse wiring connection that gave a whack of trouble in diagnosing and pin pointing the problem but once I did the fix was very simple and lasting.

I have also replaced the potentiometer but again that was a pretty easy and cheap fix.

The newer 10x22 lathes now have a larger spindle hole than my tiny 21mm spindle. I paid $1600 for my lathe and the newest Craftex 10x22 lathes now are at $3000.

FWIW.
My minivan now has 280000kms on it I hope and expect to get at least that many more out of it. I still love to hate the thing and hate to love it, but damn it, it just works!
 
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