Old American or European lathes are a wise choice. Bed length that short will be a issue. Especially so if the spindle is
threaded, as the center hole is small. Pricing of older lathes are inversely proportionate to their size. Small lathes suffer
power and stiffness issues, as well as being expensive. The ideal size for a home lathe is a balance between affordability, price
performance and physical size. Older small lathes often use the motor behind configuration and although very nice, consumes a lot
of floor space, more than many much larger machines. Although not popular with many, I find taper attachments indispensable. I own
3 lathes and every one of them has a taper attachment. The value of any machine is proportional to the amount of tooling that goes
with it. Buying from a machine dealer will result in less tooling than buying private. Do not buy a lathe that cuts less than 40
different threads or does not have spindle speeds less than 90 RPM. Do not buy a machine that does not use common spindle
configurations, including the spindle taper. (just talk to Iggy). In my humble opinion, the best compromise is a 12 speed, 13x 40
lathe with a D1-4 spindle and a MT 5 taper. The consumed floor space is close to the same as a smaller machine without the price
premium of a small machine. Be prepared to spend $2500 to $4,000 for a fully equipped and tooled used machine in good condition.
You will find less expensive deals, but they will rarely meet all the parameters above and meeting these parameters up front is
infinitely less expensive than tooling after the fact.
Steve

"G Martin" wrote in message ...
I'm in the market for an older american made metal lathe Logan South
Bend Atlas
Any info on pricing?
9" or 10" X 24"