Bench lathe -opinions sought

[Neale]

I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!

[irving2008]

I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!

Its not hard to fit a couple of cheap digital calipers to a lathe for a poor mans DRO, and even get the readout on a big display with some jiggery-pokery... of course its easier but not cheaper to buy it pre-fitted...

[Stuart Winsor]

I've been very happy with my Myford - but I bought it as-new around 35 years ago when the market was very different and the current Chinese machines weren't around. My current frustration with it is that the spindle bore isn't anywhere near big enough to turn the ends of useful size ballscrews. I envy you the DRO on a lathe, though - I didn't realise just how useful they were until I bought a vertical mill with 3-axis DRO. Don't suppose that I've looked at a leadscrew dial more than a couple of times on that machine!

No DRO on my current lathe but I will be ordering them fitted on the new one. Can't find much information on the ones they fit though, maybe Hugh can supply more information when I see him tomorrow. I fitted cheap DRO scales on the mill and they work fine.