I've just begun learning metal turning with the help of a friend, and now
I'm in the market for a small to medium sized lathe. Though my preference is
to find something locally, I've been watching the auctions on ebay to get a
sense of the types and prices of lathes that are being traded. I've seen
quite a few of the Sears/Atlas 6 x 18 lathes, in a couple of variations. It
looks like the low-end model is the 109.XXXX, such as is shown in the
following auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=4427679846

What's the collective wisdom on these lathes? Are they worth having, or ???
As best as I can tell they do have the ability to autofeed in both
directions--is that correct?

Any information the group can provide will be most welcome! But be warned:
if you answer this question, I'll likely have some more as I continue to
assess what is available.

Andy