8 best lathes: review, pros, cons, price

The first item in a repair shop has always been and remains lathes.Despite the dominance of combined models with CNC and milling attachments, the majority of amateurs - do-it-yourselfers and even craftsmen - prefer to use conventional screw-cutting lathes, built according to the classical design, sometimes made back in Soviet times.

What to look for when choosing?

This is not to say that old Soviet turning equipment was bad. Most of the machine park of that era were monsters like the 16K20 model. Huge, heavy, with powerful electric motors designed to connect to a three-phase power supply. At one time these were the best lathes. It was not difficult to work on such machines; their accuracy was low, but quite sufficient for mechanical engineering purposes.

There were also small lathes like TV320. They are more suitable for a home workshop, but their accuracy is low, so they are not suitable for more than amateur homemade products. The most accurate are table-type watchmaking machines. But these are specialized lathes for non-ferrous metals, and, as a rule, they are not used for amateur work.

Russian, American, German, Czech models are massively copied by Chinese companies. Therefore, if you wish, you can find both the old original and a new replica in the form of a Chinese lathe. If you need a good wood lathe, you can buy equipment made in the Baltic countries or Belarus.

The most important characteristics of a lathe:

• accuracy of vernier feed in the longitudinal and transverse direction of the caliper;
• frame and gearbox material;
• engine power;
• method of switching the rotation speed of the cartridge - belt, chain or gear;
• rotation speed, number of switching stages;
• chuck device for fastening the workpiece;
• material and design of the frame.

It is clear that when choosing a lathe for a garage or a small home workshop, first of all they pay attention to the size, weight, and the required number of phases for connecting to the electrical network. Therefore, for home creativity, they usually purchase lightweight desktop models with a welded frame body and a 220 V power supply.

The chuck for fastening the workpiece is three-jaw, with a maximum jaw opening of up to 90 mm. Rotation speed control is electronic or using a pulley system. Such equipment ensures turning accuracy up to 0.1 mm.

For repair work in a car repair shop, floor-standing units with a cast iron frame, 380 V power supply and a four-jaw chuck are used. Such models already have the functions of automatically feeding the caliper from the cutters in the longitudinal and transverse directions. The rotation speed is selected by switching pairs of gears on a manual transmission. The price of semi-professional lathes is approximately an order of magnitude higher than that of amateur-class models.

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The most important parameters of a lathe

If the equipment is for small turning work with low accuracy, then you can choose any desktop machine with an engine power of 800-1000 W and a speed of 250-2100 rpm. Chuck diameter is up to 50 mm, transverse and longitudinal feed is 80-120 mm.This is enough for making small crafts.

To obtain increased processing accuracy, the machine design must meet the minimum requirements for turning equipment:

1. The bed must be rigid and massive, mounted on a concrete floor, in order to effectively dampen vibrations that occur during turning.
2. The jaw chuck in which the workpiece is clamped must be mounted on a separate shaft with at least two bearings. The transmission of torque from an electric motor can be transmitted by a belt or gear drive. The cartridge is installed on the electric motor shaft only in the cheapest Chinese models.
3. The system for attaching the cutter to the moving part of the lathe (support) must provide the ability to accurately adjust the position of the tool in height and angle to the longitudinal axis.
4. Trapezoidal thrust thread screws must be used to move the caliper. Rotation can be from handwheels or an additional electric motor.

On high-quality turning equipment, there are verniers on the flywheels with graduations up to tenths and hundredths of a millimeter. Having made one revolution with the handwheel, you can see what distance in hundredths (tenths) of a millimeter the cutting edge of the cutter has traveled.

This will come in handy! Review of the best sharpening machines: characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, price.

Review of the best lathes

The choice of equipment must begin with the bed. If all other elements can somehow be adjusted or improved, then on a weak bed no, even the best lathe will provide the required accuracy.

As an example, consider the Corvette 70 wood lathe. The bed is made of cast iron with a ground surface for the headstock.The engine transmits torque to a washer mounted on a separate shaft. Overall the design is good and can be used for simple wood turning work.

The second option is a wood lathe BISON 3STD-350. Made from sheet metal.

Drive shaft directly from the electric motor. The quality is low; at best, handles for shovels can be made.

Advice! A good lathe is a very complex machine with a large number of parts and components. The quality of equipment largely depends on the technology and production culture. Therefore, it is advisable to choose lathes from manufacturing companies known for the high quality of precision mechanics.

Tabletop machine PROMA SM-300E

Produced in China and the Czech Republic. Today we are reviewing one of the best small tabletop machines. Equipment for turning - grooving and boring cylindrical surfaces, threading, drilling, facing and grooving. The functionality is quite simple. This is the level of a home device for small parts.

Characteristics:

• 300 W commutator type motor. It is possible to smoothly and stepwise adjust the spindle rotation speed from 100 to 2500 rpm;
• the electric motor is located in the lower part of a very rigid steel frame, the transmission of torque is carried out using pulleys and a belt;
• three-jaw chuck, self-centering, maximum diameter of the cylindrical surface to be turned is 120 mm;
• caliper feed in the transverse direction - 65 mm, in the longitudinal direction - 300 mm;
• distance between centers - 250 mm;
• power supply - 220V;
• weight - 40 kg.

The design turned out to be quite low-power, but its capabilities are sufficient for processing parts with a diameter of up to 40 mm. The main thing is the processing accuracy of 0.01 mm for Czech models and 0.1 for Chinese ones. If possible, then you need to choose analogues of PROMA SM-300E, made in the Czech Republic. They are in high demand due to the very high quality assembly and fitting of mechanical parts. There are no backlashes, so the accuracy is much higher than that of competitors.

Price - 110 thousand rubles. Warranty - 12 months.

Triod LAMP-500P/400 machine

Universal turning equipment from a famous Russian brand. But the machine is produced in China. This model can be installed in a garage or a small repair shop. Despite the fact that the equipment belongs to the amateur desktop class, it has a very heavy and massive cast iron frame. Weight is 130 kg, so you will need a bench to work with. Suitable for garage.

The design uses a conventional 500 W asynchronous motor. The transmission of torque from the engine to the spindle shaft is carried out using a manual gearbox with 6 speeds, from 170 rpm to 1950 rpm. Rotary knobs are used for adjustment and adjustment. To cut threads, you have to change the gears manually. This is the traditional practice of setting up for rolling or cutting inch and pipe threads.

The three-jaw chuck can hold parts with a diameter of up to 100 mm. The distance between centers is 550 mm. The caliper stroke is 500 mm and 130 mm. Processing accuracy - 0.04 mm.

Triod LAMP-500P/400 can perform almost all turning operations. The machine turned out to be at the level of semi-industrial equipment.Based on the technical solutions incorporated into the design, Triod looks more advanced, but the build quality varies greatly even within the same batch of equipment.

Price - 150-160 thousand rubles, warranty - 12 months.

VISPROM SPV-300

One of the simplest benchtop lathes. VISPROM brand equipment is developed in Russia and manufactured in China. The lathe is positioned as equipment for amateur aircraft and ship modeling. At the same time, the price is quite high for such equipment - 90-91 thousand rubles. The main purpose is turning parts made of bronze, brass, aluminum alloys.

Characteristics:

• engine power - 550 W, the machine has an asynchronous motor with continuously variable shaft speed control;
• torque transmission - gear;
• longitudinal stroke of the caliper - 65 mm, transverse stroke - 35 mm;
• three-jaw chuck - 100 mm.

A special feature is the high quality of all components, careful fit without play. Turning equipment is durable, but when processing parts made of structural steel, the accuracy and surface quality are reduced by an order of magnitude.

Warranty period - 12 months.

ANKOR CORVETTE 401

Russian brand, the machine itself is manufactured in China. This is a desktop type of equipment for simple turning operations, such as turning, boring holes, cutting cylindrical grooves, threading. Suitable for home.

According to the design and technical capabilities, the CORVET 401 was supposed to become a competitor to the Czech-Chinese PROMA SM-300E. These are lathes of approximately the same class, but they differ in quality and price. CORVETTE is at least two times cheaper, the quality is appropriate.

Characteristics:

• weight - 36 kg, can be installed on a workbench or on a special table-stand;
• the speed is set by smoothly adjusting the revolutions of the 400 W commutator motor within the range of 0-1100 rpm or 1100-2500 rpm;
• operating voltage - 220 V;
• the rotational moment from the motor to the shaft with the cartridge is transmitted by a system of belts and pulleys;
• To cut threads, a gear-gear pair is installed on the caliper drive. You can cut any profile in increments of 0.5-2.5 mm.

The three-jaw chuck can accommodate parts up to 50 mm in diameter. The caliper stroke is 35 mm and 65 mm. If you grind the workpiece in the centers, then its length should not be more than 300 mm. Overall the lathe is a good experience, but the new CORVET 401 requires a little extra setup before parts can be turned to 0.1mm accuracy. The price of the lathe is 62,000 rubles, the warranty is 36 months from the date of sale.

Ferrox ML 110x125 VS

A desktop model of a lathe for processing small parts made of any steels and alloys, except titanium and manganese stainless steel. Used primarily for minor repairs of household appliances. In addition to turning, cylindrical grinding operations can be performed.

Characteristics:

• weight - 13 kg, the machine can be stored in the garage or even in the apartment's closet;
• 250 W commutator motor, smooth speed control, from 400 to 3600 rpm;
• the caliper stroke in the transverse direction is 45 mm, in the longitudinal direction - 125 mm;
• The lathe chuck is 50 mm, so the maximum diameter of the workpiece is limited to 30 mm.

Ferrox ML 110x125 VS is used primarily for turning in centers, so the turning accuracy, depending on the feed, is 0.05-0.1 mm.

Price - 49 thousand.rub., warranty - 1 year from the date of registration of purchase.

H3 JET BD-8VS

Popular model of the famous Swiss brand “JET”. Information about it can be found in any review of the top best lathes. If previous models of machine tools were designed and built according to traditional Soviet designs, then the JET BD-8VS lathe is made according to European standards. This means that, in addition to high technical characteristics and quality, the scheme includes technical solutions that ensure worker safety.

Characteristics:

• commutator motor with a power of 600 W or 1000 W. Rotation speed is 50-2500 rpm, can be adjusted smoothly using an electronic board. The instantaneous value is displayed on a digital indicator;
• welded frame with a cast central beam made of cast iron, the supporting surface of which is polished to class III. Lathe weight - 58 kg;
• transverse stroke of the caliper - 75 mm, longitudinal - 100 mm;
• center distance - 400 mm;
• torque is transmitted using gears. There is a possibility of reverse.

The machine can perform all types of turning work, including thread rolling. In addition, in the three-jaw chuck, the engine starting system has a special safety system (contact and reed switch). It blocks the engine while the key for clamping the part is in the chuck. In a conventional machine, switching on with the key inserted, if the turner forgot to remove it from its socket in the chuck, leads to serious injuries.

In terms of operating comfort, the JET BD-8VS lathe is clearly superior to most Chinese and Russian models.

The accuracy of the machine is 0.01 mm in the transverse direction and 0.1 mm in the longitudinal direction.The build quality is high, there are some gaps, but not critical. The price of a lathe is 130 thousand rubles, warranty is 1 year.

STALEX SBL-250/550

One of the most powerful lathes considered in the ranking of the best. The model was developed in the Russian Federation and is assembled in China partially using Russian parts and components.

The lathe is assembled on a full cast iron bed, so the weight is more than 120 kg. The equipment can be installed on a workbench, but it is best to make a podium from reinforced concrete. The operation of an asynchronous motor with a power of 1100 W creates noticeable vibrations. Therefore, if you plan to perform fairly precise finishing operations on a lathe, then you cannot do without a concrete floor.

Characteristics:

• three-jaw chuck speed - 50-2000 rpm, six turning modes;
• The caliper stroke is 70 mm in the transverse direction to the axis and 120 mm in the longitudinal direction. There is an automatic feed;
• The tool holder accommodates holders with a cross-section of up to 12 mm; in addition to the cutter, you can attach a die for cutting threads. The threaded surface can be rolled, but for this you will have to install synchronizing gears;
• There is a safety group that blocks the engine when the limit switches are triggered.

The machining accuracy of a lathe is low - 0.1 mm, so it is necessary to sharpen mainly in the centers. The slide on the caliper can be unfastened and unscrewed at an angle. This allows you to sharpen cones of any size.

The advantage of STALEX SBL-250/550 is the use of thrust cone bearings on the shafts. That is, the rigidity of the lathe bed and drive allows parts to be processed with greater precision. But only after manual tuning and correct settings.

The price of the lathe is 180 thousand rubles, the warranty is 12 months from the date of purchase.

MetalMaster MML 1830V

The lathe model was developed in the Russian Federation, but the equipment is manufactured in China. The MetalMaster MML 1830V is interesting because at a price of 99 thousand rubles, the quality of mechanics and the number of functions are noticeably greater than those of its competitors.

The machine, weighing 60 kg and having a motor power of 600 W, can be classified as a tabletop machine. This is semi-professional turning equipment that can be used to manufacture repair kits and parts for washing machines and automotive equipment.

The frame is welded with a central cast iron beam. The drive from the engine to the chuck is carried out via a pulley and a built-in variator. There is an automatic longitudinal feed of the caliper, which significantly increases the accuracy of turning the workpiece. To fasten workpieces, a three-jaw self-centering chuck with a maximum diameter of 50 mm is used.

The only drawback of the lathe is the protective telescopic cover, which is supposed to protect the threads on the drive shaft from chips and debris. In fact, the device only collects all the dirt and interferes with the movement of the caliper.

In general, the lathe can be considered as the main competitor of the Swiss-Chinese JET, but with a lower machining accuracy of 0.05 mm.

Price - 99 thousand rubles, warranty - 12 months.

A good lathe has high build quality. There are no backlashes in the associated components, and under load at maximum engine speeds the structure does not vibrate or sag. The degree of suitability of equipment for work can only be determined after a practical test of its operation.

Have you used lathes? If so, which ones exactly? Tell us about your experience in the comments. Also bookmark the article and share it on social networks.