Is bigger much better?

[Joe S.]

Sorry if I'm posting too many threads about my upcoming lathe purchase, hopefully this is the last one. So far, everyone here has advised me to get the biggest metal lathe I can afford. I am thinking, however, that getting a smaller lathe AND a mini mill might be a better idea. This will probably be the last large tool purchase for several years, so it's what I get now, or not for a long time...

 

[Joe S.]

I should also add that I'm not planning on straying too far from pens or other small projects.

 

[skiprat]

Yes, bigger IS better. However, it should be added that one of the reasons that bigger is better, is because bigger generally means LONGER too.

I do have a mill as well now, but for years a vertical slide for my lathe was more than adequate to do 90% of any milling I needed. :wink:

 

[Joe S.]

I keep leaning that way... Thanks!

 

[Dalecamino]

Steve is dead on. It has also been stated many times that, you can turn small things on a big lathe but, you can't turn big things on a small lathe. IF, you decide on a small lathe, I recommend you consider the longest bed length you can find. I have the 7 x 16" Reason being, when you put a chuck and a 1/2" bit in your tail stock and, your blank in your head stock, you've taken up most of your bed length. IF, you choose the 9 x 20", one thing you will want to do is, change the tail stock hold down to, a cam style. Tightening and, loosening the hold down bolt is a PITA.