A lathe in that price range may not have the best quality gears, possibly
leading to noise and vibration. I would rather go belt driven and most
likely have a smooth, quiet machine. Of course, if you can witness the
machine under power, it might not be an issue.

It is a little more trouble to change speeds on a belt drive, but you could
eventually install a VFD which will eliminate that problem and enhance the
low noise performance even more due to the 3-phase motor required for VFD
operation.

Randy

"ted harris" wrote in message
...
Hello,
Any suggestions on what is best to buy if buying new belt driven or geared
head metal lathes in the $2,000-$4,000 range?

Thanks,
--
Ted Harris
http://www.tedharris.com