Is a Delta 46-463 a good tool?

[SpiritRider]

I came across a sale for a 46-463 and all the tool and a bunch of hard woods bur I haven't found anything about the lathe.

Does anyone know anything about the lathe? It's listed at $800

 

[MPVic]

You might find the attached helpful - I own the 46-460 and love it.

 

[monophoto]

A 46-463 is the bed extension accessory alone for a 46-460 lathe. $800 for a bed extension alone for a midi-lathe would be a rather spendy.

I suspect what you are looking at is a 46-460 with the 46-463 bed extension accessory.

For the combination, $800 might be a reasonable price for a new machine, but it would be a bit high for used equipment.

The Delta 46-460 is a fundamentally a good lathe, but it has garnered a less than stellar reputation because the ownership of the Delta name has changed hands several times in recent year. Unfortunately, responsibility for spare and renewal parts for Delta tools has not always followed ownership of the new tool brand - and what this means is that it can be difficult to find replacement parts for older machines.

 

[SpiritRider]

Oops, that was the only model # posted. It is slightly used for pens

 

[SpiritRider]

It is the 46-460 with the extension and a lot of wood, he came down to $650.00

 

[monophoto]

It is the 46-460 with the extension and a lot of wood, he came down to $650.00

That price is more reasonable. Now the question is what condition is it in?

The 46-460 is a good lathe. Like any other used lathe, there could be issues that need to be addressed. The problem with the 46-460 is that finding replacement parts can be a challenge. Based only on anecdotal reports posted on forums such as this, one of the most common issues is with the power switch. Here's a link to a recent post about that specific problem: https://www.penturners.org/threads/46-460-type-i-vs-type-ii-switch.175217/

I've always thought that the 46-460 was possibly the best looking lathe in its class, and I know that when I was in the market for a new lathe, I found that it ticked all the boxes for me in terms of functionality and features except that its footprint was too large for my small shop. Its unfortunate that the many changes in ownership of Delta product line means that finding replacement parts is such as hassle.