In article , Barney-Killer
wrote:

On 20 Aug 2005 07:33:55 -0700, "JonJonJon"
wrote:

(Sorry for the repost, my news server never carried the original
message)

Hello all,

I'm looking into purchasing a small metal working lathe for hobby
use. Something around 8 to 10" swing over bed by 15 to 20" between
centres (seems like a good size for a small machine).

I can easily get my hands on a Craftex brand lathe distributed by
BusyBee tools (anybody have an opinion on them?), but I'm having a hard
time finding other retailers that offer similar sized and priced
machines in Canada.


Thanks very much!
Jon


Jon,

I bought the Craftex 10x18 lathe a couple years ago as my first
lathe. It is not a bad machine but could do with some minor
improvments in the change gear area. Also the documentation is not
translated into English very well.
They could also have been a bit more detailed in the documentation.
Other than that, I'd sure recommend it as a first lathe, but if you've
got lots of money... go with an American made lathe, ie: South Bend or
equiv.
In my humble opinion, there is just nothing better than South Bend

...... if you want an antique. Otherwise, there are lots of better
machines available. A Colchester for example.

PDW