On 18 Dec 2004 21:14:18 -0800, "Bogone" wrote:

Total snip

This is going in exactly the same way that I've seen far too many
other threads go, personal opinions from those that won't "lower"
themselves to even try the smaller machines, but dont' hesitate to
offer advice that might not be acceptable to the person making the
purchase.

The original poster specifically said "SMALL lathe", and didn't
indicate any excess of room. Asking if there was room hasn't come
into anyone's mind, the only thing that did is the ever present
willingness to think you know all the answers without asking.

He indicated a budget, he didn't say "unlimited budget". SB lathes go
at acutions and the great American rip called ebay for prices that are
above what he indicated. Budget means budget, not maybe he'd like to
spend much more.

I don't have the machine in question, and without having first hand
experience with it, I'm not qualified to judge it. Nor is anyone else
that doesn't own one. I bought a HF 9 X 20 to find out if there was
any fact in the badmouth the machine gets, and there isn't any. I
didn't pay for a Hardinge, didn't get one, and didn't expect one.

If I try to push the machine beyond it's capability, then I'd have to
say that the operator is the idiot. If I tried to use it without
setting the gibs and removing the burrs, then the one that set it up
is the moron. I didn't pay for a Hardinge, and I expected to have to
do some work to make it run properly. I don't find that unreasonable.