I was thinking about getting a lathe and I know there are some previous posts about it but just wondered if anyone had any personal recomendations as to which one to get.

I am really looking at paying up to about £500.

ta,
Rich.

you might find this link helpfulhttp://www.lathes.co.uk/
personally i love my old Harrison L5a its a nice size for making car bits, without taking up too much room. If you shop carefully £500 should get you a nice useable machine.
Al.

Try and look out for an ex School or college lathe, always good buys available from those sources, a search for stockists that specialise in such stock might reveal possibilities. A lot of colleges dont even try an sell em on they just scrapn em when they replace with modern gear! especially if they dont meet current HSE spec on brakes.
Shug.

Whatever you do, don't be tempted by one of the lathes or mill/lathe combos from places like Machine Mart. They're from PRC. All the shiny bits are chromed lead and the rest is made from sawdust mixed with iron filings and PVA glue.
Would agree with schools and colleges as good sources, or from large toolrooms where the lathe has sat in a corner and only been used for occasional small jobs.

I rang round my local secondary schools and got a pair of Colchester Bantams complete will tooling and manual still in wrappers (from 1964) for £0

They were going for scrap otherwise.

As educational lathes, they'd had very little use. The one I kept is superb. It was even single phase All I needed was a plug.


Neil.