There's a Reed lathe for sale that's tempting me. It's labeled "Reed
18 inch" if I remember right (I only saw it briefly and don't remember
precisely). On the phone with the seller later on I was told it's
thought to be from around 1930, and at a guess around 2000 pounds.
The dimensions were given as either 18 or 20 inches swing, 36 inches
between centers. It looked reasonably clean and is supposedly in
working condition.

I'm going to go back to look at it more closely and see it run, move
the handles, etc. It's a change gear machine. Some tooling, I don't
have the details on how much; a substantial 4-jaw chuck. Asking price
$500, which seems very reasonable. (If anything it seems low -- maybe
machines that large are harder to sell because few hobbyists can find
room for it?) It has a 1 hp single phase motor, that's probably
marginal but it's an external motor so that's fixable.

The owner said he moved it on a trailer, lifting the head and tail
stock with a chain hoist and moving the bed (four-legged) with planks
and rollers. He even offered to help do that again for me. Nice old
gentleman from what I could tell on the phone...

I just returned to this list after several years' absence, and did
some reading. It sounds like a decent engine hoist may be a better
way to move this beast. I can rent that and a trailer.

So... any comments about the machine? Things to watch out for (other
than the obvious "does it really run")? Any other hints about moving
it?

Thanks,
paul