What type of quality can be expected form this lathe?
How reliable is it? How well do you like it?

Thanks Mike

Mike
I have had this model for about 11 months. All is well. But there were
a few bumps.

You will have to clean away a lot of cosmoline and lube everywhere. Get
some big towels to help clean. It is messy. The QC gears had no lube at
all. I bought 6 small oil cans and oils etc to fill them. I washed all
the cosmoline off with mineral spirits. I had to clean off the motor
switch housing to get it to work smoothly. I still have not been able
to get the gap filler out. Will have to get after "billstoolcrib.com"
about this. The three jaw chuck jaws were stuck. Took two replacements
to get a good one.

I have great lighting and a strong shelf over the lathe for the tools.
The oil ca ns hang under the shelf. The furnished tools are all but
worthless. I had all I needed so tossed most of them. Remember
everything is Metric. I was not sure of the bolts that attached the
lathe to the stands so put in all new SS o0nes. Ordered them from
McMaster-Carr.
The good thing is I seem to have it working reasonably well. Be ready
to move a heavy item when it comes unless you are able to get it
delivered to your shop and inside the shop. You will need an engine
hoist to lift it up to put the stands under it. I had a helper for
this. And 220 to run it on. The price was an incentive since many other
lathes are very expensive in a 13 X 40. I have spent about $500.00 to
get things like I want them. I am slowly recovering the total costs
doing work for others.
I do like the lathe but was disappointed to have to lube and clean it
before use.
Write back if you wish.
Bob AZ

According to Bob AZ :
Mike
I have had this model for about 11 months. All is well. But there were
a few bumps.

You will have to clean away a lot of cosmoline and lube everywhere. Get
some big towels to help clean. It is messy. The QC gears had no lube at
all. I bought 6 small oil cans and oils etc to fill them. I washed all
the cosmoline off with mineral spirits. I had to clean off the motor
switch housing to get it to work smoothly. I still have not been able
to get the gap filler out. Will have to get after "billstoolcrib.com"
about this. The three jaw chuck jaws were stuck. Took two replacements
to get a good one.

I would suggest that you *not* remove the gap section of the bed
unless you *really* need to. The gap section is mounted and then the
ways are ground the full length of the bed. Once you remove the gap
section, you will never get it back as precisely as it was before you
removed it. (This is advice from a professional machinist who gave this
comment on seeing the gap-bed 13x40" Jet which we had acquired.)

I guess that a really good one could be sufficiently precisely
fitted before the grinding so it would not introduce problems, but he
never trusted it on the Jet.

I suspect that the Birmingham is from the same casting source,
and perhaps even from the same factory as the Jet.

I have great lighting and a strong shelf over the lathe for the tools.
The oil ca ns hang under the shelf. The furnished tools are all but
worthless. I had all I needed so tossed most of them. Remember
everything is Metric. I was not sure of the bolts that attached the
lathe to the stands so put in all new SS o0nes. Ordered them from
McMaster-Carr.

Replacing all threaded fasteners is generally considered to be a
good idea on the Chinese import lathes.

The good thing is I seem to have it working reasonably well. Be ready
to move a heavy item when it comes unless you are able to get it
delivered to your shop and inside the shop. You will need an engine
hoist to lift it up to put the stands under it. I had a helper for
this.

The Jet was shipped mounted on the stand, so this was not a
problem.

And 220 to run it on.

And the Jet needed 220 three phase -- which at work was readily
available.

The price was an incentive since many other
lathes are very expensive in a 13 X 40. I have spent about $500.00 to
get things like I want them. I am slowly recovering the total costs
doing work for others.
I do like the lathe but was disappointed to have to lube and clean it
before use.

*Any* new machine will need to be cleaned of the Cosmoline used
to protect it until it reaches the eventual owner's shop. And for
something which has to be shipped by ocean, the Cosmoline is even more
important.

The apron and the gearhead were already filled with the proper
lubricants.

Enjoy,
DoN.
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