Jet 9*20 Lathe

[G1K]

I have a friend who is selling a Jet 9*20 bench lathe. Has the optional stand, QCTP, 3 jaw, 4 jaw, steady rest. Not sure about anything else. He says it hasn't been used much. I'll be taking a look in person later this week. Asking $600. Assuming little wear, and no other tooling or accessories other than what I mentioned, is this a good deal?

I currently have a HF mini lathe, and a 12" atlas. Looking to upgrade from the atlas.

R

[rantbot]

I currently have a HF mini lathe, and a 12" atlas. Looking to upgrade from the atlas.

I'm not sure I'd call a 9" Jet an upgrade over a 12" Atlas.

In fact, personally, I'd take the Atlas assuming it's not totally clapped out.

[JCHannum]

If the 12" Atlas lathe is an Atlas, not a 12" Craftsman, it is much more of a machine than the Jet. You would be losing many advantages.

If the Atlas is in need of repair, you would be much better off investing some of that $600 in getting it into shape.

[rantbot]

Even if it's the earlier 12" Craftsman, I think I'd prefer it over the Jet 9".

[Bill Pace]

Well, I'll go against the majority here and say to the change-over --- maybe?

I kinda got a suspicion that your Atlas is the change-gear version, and it may be in need of some work also .. hence the reason for considering this, and in that case I can see some justification in this... a gear box and clutched power feed, plus a tight feeling apron, crossfeed, tail stock, etc could be a pretty big draw to me.

Cost-wise, that is no steal price, but is certainly reasonable, if it is really low use -- I think HF's is the cheapest and it $750 ish (I think!) ENCO's is $850, and Jet's is even more.

[G1K]

I should have clarified, my atlas is rebadged as a craftsman, and it's 1936-37 vintage. I have a qctp and twist link belts. Otherwise it's stock. Not terribly worn, but not in new condition either.

So far the consensus is the Jet is not a super deal...


R

[doctor demo]

If You offer him 650 he might take the h.f. in the deal if you can do it quick enough that he doesn't realize what happened till its to late. .Seriously though, it doesn't sound too bad if it is in good shape. I would do the deal and then try to sell the h.f. machine and keep the atlas and restore it.
Steve

[kendall]

Last I looked the HF is $699 on the website.

I sold a 2 year old HF 9x20 for $400 last week because I needed the room. The asian 9x20 is not a bad lathe, much better than I'd expected from reading all the 'reviews' and opinions of them. But having owned an atlas 10" at the same time I would much rather keep the atlas if I were in your position.

Had 4 lathes in the garage, Atlas 10 change gear, HF 9x20, logan 200, and logan 820, sold all but the 820 because I needed room, but first thing I did is start looking at lathes.....

Ken.

[JCHannum]

The reason I differentiate the 12" Atlas is that it is a distinct lathe, different from the earlier 10" Atlas lathes and the 12" Craftsman lathes. Atlas did not make a 12" lathe in the series manufactured through the 40's & 50's. The last model Atlas 12" lathe, introduced in the late 50's or early 60's, was redesigned from the earlier machines and is a much sturdier machine.

The 12" Craftsman lathe is not a rebadged Atlas, but a distinct machine made by Atlas for Sears. While it is not a bad machine, it is not equivalent to the 12" Atlas. The Craftsman could have babbit bearings and lack the QC gearbox, making it less than optimum if worn.

[winchman]

I think a lot may depend on when the Jet was built. Early Jets were made in Taiwan, and I think they're a lot better than the more recent ones.

I've got a 10x24 from the late '70s early '80s. It was fully equipped and showed very little use when I got it in the late '80s. It's been a good machine. I wouldn't trade it for all three of the professionally rebuilt 13" LeBlond Regals at the school, if I had to use them to make something. Selling them would be a different matter, of course.

Roger