Hi, I have been offered a clarke CL430 lathe for £350, has anyone got one of these and would you recommend? ill be using it for stainless cruchtubes, ali mushrooms etc.

thanks!

[Edited on 5/12/12 by dcg]

[Edited on 6/12/12 by dcg]

Yeh ive had one, it will do the job fine. These are made in china like most these days.
The best money you could spend though would be on an old english lathe.

Yes, save up a bit more and get yourself a Myford ML7 if the bits you are planning are not too big.

Looks Very much like my Warco WMT300 lathe

Very good value for the money.

Made many parts for my Dax rush (sadly gone)

More recently to make the hub adapters and to machine the sprockets for my toylander.

We bought one just so we could have a machine running a 4 jaw chuck all the time, not bad value for money if bought on the VAT free nights, we have a couple of other machines to compare it to and in fairness some bits are a bit flimsy compared to the "old skool stuff".
As ours will be used by students we extended the chuck guard - the one supplied with3 jaw chuck doesn't sufficiently guard the 4 jaw and we fitted an interlock switch to stop the machine if guard is lifted, wel worth £350 if not been abused .

we still have a Denford Viceroy lurking inthe corner- solid British machine with 3 phase motor that coud be swapped for single pahse if anyone inthe northis interested.
atb
Mike

I can't believe just how expensive lathes still are, you can't get cheap weedy ones for less than £250 like you can pillar drills. Considering they are made in china. I've always really wanted one!

Thanks for the reply's guys, i had heard that the Clarke tools were made in china so wasn't sure about them, also read today that the motor on this lathe doesn't have the standard. i think ill look for an old English lathe until Christmas and if i cant find one ill go with the Clarke if its still there.

So, anyone got an old English lathe, same sort of size for around £300?

I think I'd snap your hand off for a 430 for £350 right now! I need one right now!

Well after a lot of searching across forums & ebay i have found this ....




Just got to arrange pickup/ payment. New bearing, no pay in tool post, comes with tools & bar for the total of £150.