want to buy, medium size shop lathe

[SSGT Mustang]

Originally Posted by Matt S

Larry, I have been very happy with my Clausing 14x48 manual lathe from the 1970's. Once you get it, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. I NEVER thought I'd use it as much as I do, and I'm just a hobbyist. I think it's a good size for most things automotive. As was said, I would look for something with included tooling, because that adds up REALLY fast. I would shy away from anything that was used in a production facility, as the wear and lack of maintenance on them is usually pretty severe relative to something that comes out of a school or a guy's home shop. Given the choice, I would (and did) select machinery that is 30-40+ years old vs. a new Chinese machine.

Couldn't agree more with your post, great advice. That Clausing is a really nice machine. I've always wanted one.