Anyone Like This: LMS 7 X16 HiTorque Mini Lathe?

[TonyL]

I have been down this road several times, and drove myself nuts researching the most popular ones (incl. PM).

I think I may like to learn how to use one, make some threads, turn some pens, etc.

I have the tooling to make kitless pens on a wood lathe and I have done it several times. I was hoping a metal lathe would make it easier and more precise. I am not looking to start tinkering with anything to make it do the job that it designed to do. I am far from a machinist.

I am really just looking for opinions on this lathe: LMS 7 x 16

Thanks!

 

[magpens]

That lathe will certainly do what you want to do. . I have no experience with that specific lathe, but I do trust LMS based on other products I've bought.
It is good to maintain compatibility with your present lathes ...... namely tailstock taper ( probably MT2 ), and headstock ( probably MT3 ).
This is in order to be able to use existing accessories that you already have.

There are cheaper lathes which will do that also, but if you are OK with the price, I would go for it.

A PM lathe would be superior, in terms of accuracy and longevity.

You don't need to drive yourself crazy in the selection process because just about any 7 x 14 or 7 x 16 lathe will work for pens.
As long as you don't want to turn metals other than brass (not hard to turn if you are careful) and aluminum (which is a little harder but quite doable).
Where it becomes "critical" is if you want to turn steel and I don't think you will want to do that.

I see that this particular lathe comes with a 4-inch 3-jaw. . That is good. . 4-inch 4-jaw would be better but you won't get that out-of-the-box.
What I am getting at is the throat diameter ..... I like to be able to insert blanks up to 0.83" diameter .... or so .... but not less than 0.8".

I don't think you need to deliberate over this too hard ..... most lathes of this size will be able to accept all the accessories you want.
I have bought many accessories from LMS and they fit my 7 x 16 lathe just fine. . My lathe is of the Sieg type which Harbor Freight sells.
I paid about $400 for my lathe ..... 10 years ago here in Canada and it has served me well (just starting to show signs of old age).
It came with a 3-inch 3-jaw, but I quickly upped that to 4-inch 4-jaw, which I use routinely for pens.

If you can afford the price of this lathe, I would say that you will enjoy having it. . Expect to spend a few hundred for additional accessories.

 

[Carl Fisher]

I have owned several 7x lathes, a Weiss (same as PM) 10x30 and now a LMS HiTorque 7550.

I turned out plenty of perfectly good pens on the 7x but I had to do a lot of tweaking on it to make it repeatable quality and at the end of the day it burned up on me after probably a few hundred pens. I went through control boards, randomly blowing fuses and ultimately had to change to metal gears as the nylon ones weren't holding up before the motor finally kicked the bucket.

It'll get the job done if it's all you're willing to spend, but you'll quickly find shortcomings. You'll almost instantly wish you had more space on a 7x for drilling if you use a keyless drill chuck. You may find yourself looking for shorter machinist length drill bits to recover some usable space. You'll also have to work a lot of play out of the moving parts if you need repeatable precision. If you're okay with tolerances of +/- a few hundredths then you'll probably be okay. It will absolutely help a lot if you bolt it down to a solid heavy work station. The more rigid your work surface is, the better experience you'll get from that little machine.

You'll also end up spending a bunch on accessories if you don't have them already. Upgrading to a quick change tool post, various tooling (learn to grind HSS, you'll be better in the long run), carriage locks, etc... that may already come on a more expensive machine.

Hands down the Weiss is the best bang for the buck. It's smooth as butter and plenty powerful. Mine was the WBL250F version from DROPros. The HiTorque 8.5x20 I have now, which is really the Seig SC4 under the hood, isn't nearly as polished of a machine as the Weiss and it cost me more than the Weiss...but I had to go where there was product availability as the Weiss is backordered for like the next year from what I hear from the supplier I used previously. I find it overly tight even after spending hours adjusting gibs and tuning it up. I'm also waiting on a replacement tailstock as I think the one I have has a bent lead screw or something. It also doesn't have the quick speed and F/R feed capability of the Weiss without doing gear changes.

Don't get me wrong, I like the machine but I have had better at the price point.

Don't overlook the used market either. Something like a restored Atlas/Craftsman or a nice Southbend can often be found for around the same price point as a new 7x or 8x often with lot of accessories included.

 

[Carl Fisher]

oh, and don't overlook the center bore. Most pre-rounded pen blanks are anywhere from .75-1" and if you your center bore isn't large enough, you won't be able to feed the stock in deeper than the back of the chuck without doing some pre-turning.

 

[Dehn0045]

I haven't used a LMS lathe, but recently got a metal lathe so figured I could offer my thoughts based on my considerations. Ultimately I went with the PM-1228 - my decision was to get basically the best, heaviest and strongest lathe I could get with 110V motor (I don't have 220 in my garage and am not interested in getting it installed). That said, its weight and size is both a "pro" and a "con". FWIW the LMS 7500 was second on my list. I also considered the Weiss lathes sold by DROpros ( https://www.dropros.com/DRO_PROS_Weiss_Lathes.htm ).

Motor: Mine has a 1500W brushless motor and the low speed torque is excellent, I would definitely go with the brushless motor in any future lathe/mill. The LMS says it has a 500W brushless, which will probably be plenty for pens in softer materials (brass/aluminum etc). I think this definitely puts the LMS above others in this class.

DRO: I went without the DRO, opting to add it later if I want to. While it might be a "nice to have", I haven't regretted not getting it. Maybe I will get it someday, but there are other tools that I'd rather spend my money on.

Quick Change Tool Post: You'll probably want one. The 7350 that you linked it comes included, whereas the 5100 (from what I can tell is the same machine) it is not. So you can get the 5100 for $250 less if you add the QCTP, but you would lose the DRO (is the DRO worth $250? I could go either way on that)

I like having the power feed and power crossfeed, but this would be a step up from the 7x16 class.

One final consideration is compatibility with tooling, which I am sure you already looked at. Mine is MT5/D1-4 headstock and MT3 tailstock, so I basically couldn't use anything from my wood lathe setup. I do really like the D1-4 headstock as it allows me to buy and use standard chucks without modification or customization.

 

[TonyL]

Awesome advice! Thank you.

 

[bmachin]

If you're not locked in on a 7x lathe, take a look at this YouTube video from Quinn Dunke (Blondiehacks). Lotta god info

Bill

 

[TonyL]

Thank you!

 

[Carl Fisher]

That 10x22 Quinn has is the baby brother of my 10x30. It's an amazing lathe for the money but you probably won't be able to get one for perhaps up to a year or more right now. Or so I've been told.

 

[PatrickR]

Ive been running a Sieg style 7x14 for 5 years now. No problems with it and it fit my budget at the time. I wouldn't say its the best thing in the world, lots of slop and rough parts but it will get the job done. Recently I've gotten the urge to upgrade and really like what I see and read about the Proxxon lathe. Not cheap, made in Germany and appears to be very well made.


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[bmachin]

That 10x22 Quinn has is the baby brother of my 10x30. It's an amazing lathe for the money but you probably won't be able to get one for perhaps up to a year or more right now. Or so I've been told.

Just checked PM's site. They are saying 1022's available in May, 1030's in April.

Probably needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I ordered a 1228 a couple of years ago (pre tariff whenever that was) and kept getting pushed back a month at a time for about 6 months. Finally got a 1230-T since they were available. Lot heavier and more capable machine for not a whole lot more money, but it was a painful process. Not blaming PM--just something to be aware of.

Bill

 

[More4dan]

Tony, a 7 x 16 is more than adequate for pen turning. I'm guessing you've been looking at options, upgrading to bigger and better until you can't afford it or justify it. Been there and still doing it for a mill. Guess what? I still don't have a mill. Think about what you will be using it to turn. The 7" lathes will turn just about any material you throw at it with the right cutter and light passes for the steels. PM me if you want to give me a call to discuss my experience with mine over the years or recommendations on tooling or mods.

Danny


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[magpens]

@TonyL

Did you proceed with this possible purchase, Tony ? . . Keep us posted.