I got my dad's Craftsman lathe when he died a few years back. It's a Reeves drive variable speed, so more convenient than changing belts. Goes from 400 to 2000rpm, which does everything I've tried on it. I've done bowls, platters and pens on it with no issues. I'm still jonesing for a Powermatic 3520B, but it's not in the cards (or bank account) yet. :frown: Meanwhile, the Craftsman spins on.
I've never used it "side saddle" (rotating the headstock) to turn larger pieces, but it should come with the parts to do that (make sure you get all of the seller's extra parts).
There's some play between the ways that allow the tailstock to shift front-to-back about 1/8" when unlocked, which can cause some alignment issues. I've learned to push the tailstock away from me when I lock it down, and all is well.
I do have to pull the Reeves pulleys off maybe twice a year to clean and lubricate, but it's a small cost of doing business.
You can PM me if you have any other specific questions.
