I've got the itch to get a lathe - something big by hobby standards but small by industrial standards. Usage will be occasional hobby level. Spacers for times a shim or two aren't enough for a mount. Baffles for an F1 can. Some aluminum, but I can see a decent amount of steel being cut too.

I've started reading up on them, and with some help I've started focusing on something in the South Bend Heavy 10 category. A decent spindle bore, quality parts, and size sufficient for some F1 can & barrel work, plus a few recommendations, have me thinking this is a good starting place. A few people have suggested a Grizzly G0602. A few others want to push me into 10-14" territory. I'd love a new PM 1022/1030, but the $4k delivered price for one with a few accessories & tools is /a bit/ higher than I can easily swing... I'm open to options.

I'm looking for leads on a good condition unit that I'm not going to have to perform major surgery on for it to be functional, yet still compatible with a new hobbyist budget. As I understand so far, a lot of the value is in the condition of the bed and how rigid it is. This criteria has already been used to talk me out of smaller (7x16 & similar) desktop lathes. Craigslist & FB Marketplace look like a complete crapshoot, and ebay & machinery places have prices aligned with business use.

I'm in the West Atlanta area, but am not allergic to renting a trailer and buying a cheap engine hoist to drag one home from somewhere else.

The other side of this... I'm also looking for guided hands-on experience. I've started looking on my own, but the Friend Network, Beer/Ammo trade folks don't show up on Google much.

Thanks,
AB

edit - I've become so reliant on autocorrect I didn't even notice I had adviSe in the title instead of adviCe. Argh...

A Heavy 10 would be a great start, assuming you can find one that isn't clapped out or $3k+.  That being said, it all depends on what is included.  As far as the Grizzly G0602, I'm not sure I'd put it in the same class as the South Bend...they are two completely different machines.  Of course, it still depends on the price.  I absolutely wouldn't buy one new for $2k, that puts you in the price range for a lot of much bigger machines.  Once again, though, the devil is in the details.  First and foremost, how much room do you have?  Are you prepared to deal with 3ph power, or plan on using a phase converter?  Lathes are a lot like air compressors and welders, buy bigger than you think you will ever need.

Somehow, I've ended up with five different lathes, all the way from an ancient South Bend 9" to a couple Atlas/Craftsmans, a Sheldon, and a WWII vintage South bend 16" with 6' bed.  All were picked up reasonably cheap, although the Sheldon cost as much as the other four combined.  Here's the thing with buying cheap, though, all need a little bit of work...but that's going to be the case with just about any old piece of equipment.  I'm not sure any of mine are newer than the 60's or 70's, but age is less relevant than how they were used and maintained.

TinSpinner can give you some really good information, I don't think he is too far from you.  There is also a guy that refurbs some of these old machines in Macon, Bibb Machinery Sales off Hwy 247, that is a pretty good resource.  I haven't been there in about a year, but he usually has a few machines available (although I've never seen a benchtop sized lathe there).

I've got a 220 line in an in-house garage where a dryer used to be. I've been led to understand that a VFD for a three-phase isn't that much of a stretch. (Is that the same as Phase Converter?) As for space, there's a lot of old random stuff I'd like to pitch. A 2x6 foot chunk of floor space should be easy to come up with. Possibly more if I need it.

@Tinspinner you say? Lets see if he can feel his ears burning.

Right now my upper budget boundary is around the $4k a new PM1030 with a stack of extras would cost for delivery to my door. I have no desire to go that far, but the closer I get to it, the more the allure of a virgin, unmolested tool with warranty and support calls to me.

Bibb Machinery?
Interesting - their website appears to be suspended by their host.

I've never tried his website, I've either simply stopped by or called on the phone.

You rang?

I’ve seen some great machines sell really cheap lately at auctions. If I were shopping that’s where you would find me. Look at bidspotter.com, you can search through a lot of auctions on that one site very easy.

I checked GovPlanet and was mightily disappointed.

I'll check BidSpotter... dang... Jet 18x80 nearby...way too big though...

There are a lot in Fort Payne Alabama. Maybe a Jet 14x40 gear head engine lathe?
Dang - it's still on the huge side for a hobby garage. I'm curious what it will go for. + 18% buyer's fee, + 9% sales tac, + undisclosed load/rig fee...

The smallest I see inside of 250 miles is an Enco 110-135 13x40 gearhead - - from an estate - will watch this one. It might even been small enough for an engine hoist to load on a rented trailer...

I get the feeling this is a site to check about once a week?

They update daily as new auctions are added, those aren't all the active auctions either. Many of the top auction houses are part of the Bidspotter network but a lot aren't. Every now and then one will pop up on Craigslist, this one is worth considering if it isn't clapped out - https://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/grd/d/jasper-engine-lathe-rockwell-14x40/7768713112.html It includes a phase converter too.

I've seen that one on CL too. It looks nice, but that's an uneducated estimate.

Outside of generally rusty and obviously bent, what would a novice look at to evaluate Clapped Out status?
- Smooth running of the apron & cross slide?
- easy move, lock & unlock on the tailstock?
- smooth turning head/chuck?
- easy operation of the gearbox?
- missing or chipped teeth on the headstock gearing, if visible?
- any amateur friendly way to check flatness of the ways other than look/feel for grooving in the middle?

I check backlash in the headstock, just rock the chuck back and forth while it is in low gear. If the gears are worn there will be a lot of slack movement. Listen to the gear noise too while under power, loud roars and excessive whines are red flags. Functioning quick change gearbox and lead screw, smooth power feeds, and easy engagement of feed controls.

As long as the ways aren’t scarred up you can get it flat with proper leveling. At your level of experience don’t get too hung up on the minute details, only after you learn how to operate a lathe proficiently will some of those details matter. Just remember the damn thing is trying to kill you any moment you aren’t paying attention, I always preach safety first with machine tools, especially lathes.

Tinspinner - that Rockwell in Jasper was $2k when I found it on FB Marketplace. I'm not sure if it was the same on CL, but it's now $1.5k there. I'm asking about checking it out in person Wed. I hope it's still there after Dragoncon... I can check it out on the way to or from Nashville to pick up my GF, but I can't find a trailer to drag it back till after I take her home the next week. :-/

... off to print the inspection checklist. :-)

Hmmm... I wonder if an engine hoist will be enough to get it on and off a trailer? Does Sunbelt rent trailers with attached low profile hoists?

That lathe will probably weigh close to 2K pounds. I've never seen a rental trailer with a hoist attached that could be used to offload a machine. An engine hoist sounds like it would be dangerous to me. Lathes are inherently top heavy and easy to flip if not rigged right. I've moved a few machines on a flat bed car hauler, machines were on skids so we winched them on the bed then used the winch to control gravity to off load them.

I looked at the pictures closer - I see what looks like feet with integrated wheels. I'm also hoping the top will unbolt from the base.

A buddy works for Sunbelt. He's helping me with trailer options. He has one drop-bed that might be a roll-on with a comealong if the wheels work well.  He also suggested their 3 ton roll a lift (link)  but I'm not sure where or how the sides could safely press on the lathe.

Any guesses what a pro move would cost on a beast like this? Places to call about it?

Edit... skids you say? Like some 2x4/2x6/2x8 under the cabinet at each end front to back (wider than the base, sticking out 6-10 inches each side), and some long 2x6/2x8 between them to act as skis? I've rigged a big portable AC unit onto a pallet for shipment before - this could be interesting, yet do-able.

One message in via Craigslist email and one via FB Marketplace on the Rockwell. I hope to hear back soon.

Fallback position - either an SB Heavy 10 of currently sight-unseen from a member here or an Enco 13x40 with a current auction price of $10.  (I'm a little afraid of how high it might go)

I didn't even notice the wheels until you mentioned them. You have the right idea for a skid, take off the wheels and secure the machine to the skid with lag bolts or similar. Use 4 x 4's or 4 x 6's for the runners with a lead in chamfer on the bottom of each end.

A rigger would probably cost more than the machine, especially if they hauled it. I just sold a big grinder, not comparable really to what you're looking at since it was about 40K pounds, but the pick and haul from Atlanta to Birmingham was about $12K. Most riggers won't be interested in 1 small piece unless they have something else going on in the area.

"Damn" on those rigger & transport fees.
I just saw on another audit that their rigging fee for a similar one is $650.
That's making a local F-F buy even more attractive - even if I have to buy some lumber to build a skid.