I'm contemplating purchasing a Grizzly lathe. G0776 - 13" x 40" is the model. Primary interest is in doing occasional gunsmithing. Make a few other odd parts also, as they come up.

My situation is:

1) I'm not a machinist or gunsmith, I'm a guy that can run a lathe and mill and work on a few models of rifles I'm familiar with. I've threade and chambered a considerable number of barrels, that's the one easy skill that I've got down pretty well.

2) This has nothing to do with economics, I don't rely on this to feed myself.

3) I just retired, so hopefully have a few years to make constructive use of the machine.

4) Cost is irrelevant at the $6000 +- machine cost. It is relevant if I look at $25,000 machines.

5) I have 4 lathes at the moment:

a)10" logan long bed with quick change and flat belt drive. Pretty inadequate for anything except light work, but can chamber and thread barrels okay with some care.
b) 11" logan with big headstock hole, currently refitting it with 3 phase and VFD; this is quite a nice lathe for gunsmithing and it is fully tooled. Tooling includes all types of chucks, steady, collet sets, 4 way and dovetail tool holders, carbide tooling, etc. Very adequate lathe.
c) 14x40 Enco gear head lathe, essentially same as the Grizzly except older and no DRO's. It has some wear but is fully tooled except no collet closer.
d) 9" Model A South Bend long bed with quick change and flat belt drive. Fully tooled to include taper attachment, collet closer, all chucks, toolholders, steady and follower. Small tooling interchanges with Logan and other lathes, of course.

I dislike the flat belt lathes. They're an expedient, hobbyist type lathe, can do the work but not easily. I've been using a similar Atlas 10" for years, but sold it off a year or so ago to concentrate on the Logan. The other lathes have come to me since then, at the right price. I like the logan 11", it's a solid machine of decent capability. With my now executed retirement, I want to get my shop 100% functional, so need to figure out what to work on, keep, and use.

The 4 machines are worth about what a new Grizzly would cost. I can pick and choose tooling to keep, so I'll be fully tooled with it. The advantage of the Grizzly is it's nice and new, has an emergency brake, and has DRO on two axis. It's also ready to use now; no wait.

Okay, with that background, what are your thoughts on buying the new grizzly versus completing the VFD conversion on the 11" logan, adding a cathead/spider on the tailsctock for barrels, and rigging up an emergency brake system for it?
Alternatively, could work on the Enco. I could add an emergency brake, and even DRO, but if I go that way I'd rather spend the money and have a new identical but upgraded machine. It's a decent machine, but was used for some rough work by someone who didn't take excellent care of it, so it's workable but not excellent.

The G0776 lathe is a bench model. I would prefer the https://www.grizzly.com/produc...gearhead-lathe/g0709 model since its a solid frame model, heavier and should be more solid to work with.

I wouldn't mind the g0776, with DRO - spindle bore is over 1.5" and is already setup as a spider - and d1-4 is pretty common if you need other chucks, and the tail is a morse #3 - which is super common and handy

sure, the 709 is a bit heavier, with a bit more capacity --

I'd be alright with either, though i'd lean into the 776 with the DRO already done

I have the 14x40 Grizzly. I’ve built some rifles on it that really shoot but I struggled a great deal with vibration problems. I ultimately replaced the motor with a Brazilian made 3-phase and that helped tremendously.

I have a Hardinge HLV-H now so the Grizz rarely gets used. If I were in the market now, I would look at Precision Matthews.

quote:

Originally posted by Woodhits:
I have a Hardinge HLV-H now so the Grizz rarely gets used. If I were in the market now, I would look at Precision Matthews.

I'd love to have a Hardinge HLV-H. Maybe if I sold my Hardinge TM-UM with vert head and full spiral attachment. I just don't have any more room. I bet you have to fire up the Grizz when you have to cut a commie thread. I really like my Kent TRL-1340. Cutting metric is only a flip of the switch away, although you can't undo the halfnut.

As with many machine companies, some are made in Taiwan and some in china. Pete Grisel let me chamber a barrel on his Taiwan PMatthews lathe. It was a nice lathe but had the smaller leadscrew and smaller tailstock quill. My Kent has a monster 4TPI leadscrew and a big hog of a tailstock like the Clausings it copies.

I really miss my little 9" SBend, but I can do everything on the Kent for now.

Another thing that may smooth out a big 3 phase is using an inverter instead of a static/rotary phase converter. I've got 3phase here in my shop, but back in Wisconsin when I made 3phase out of single phase the surface grinder made a much better finish with an inverter than with the rotary converter. I still run my Mitsui Surface grinder with the inverter even though I could hard wire it 3phase.

It's easy to get into decision paralysis when you start comparing alternatives. I've looked at precision matthews. To be in the same cost class, it would be a 12x36, but can order with cast iron base. It doesn't have a quick change toolpost, but has a 4 way. I have a couple of Phase II's, so that's not a disadvantage. But, it's not in stock until end of the year, and it ends up about $700 more than the Grizzly when similarly configured. The grizzly also has flood coolant, but could rig that up without a lot of cost on the PM.

Bottom line is I could do all of the same things with either one or two of the lathes I currently have, would just take some more work to get them configured. Sometimes paying money instead of spending time is the best approach.

I have the G4003, its 20+ years old and still is working fine. Had to replace the motor and drive belts, oil change other than that has given out standing service. I don't know about the one you have listed but I would not hesitate to buy another Grizzly lathe

No experience with Grizzly lathes. When upgrading recently, I looked real hard at the PM 1440GT from Taiwan owned by a friend. Wound up with an Acer Dynamic 1440. Same money as the PM, Taiwanese Mfg, 500 lbs heavier, 3" wider bed width. Slightly longer head stock, slightly smaller spindle bore, D1-4 mount. None of that has been a hindrance.
It does exactly what I tell it to. Don't need to sneak up on a size like the old, worn Clausing 6300 it replaced.
A few glitches. The sight glasses leaked like a sieve, the carriage lock is on the far side of the bed, and the main gear and speed selections dont have positive detents. Permatex solved the leaks, I can live with the stop location and the gear shifters.

Another view point... The world does not suffer from a shortage of retirees who lust to become part time wannabe gunsmiths!

Given thought to just the licenses that are required?...and the reuired periodical reports?

How a home business can affect your property insurance?

Security requirements?

I'd use that new lathe to make some innovative motrocyce parts, tennis rackets parts, fishing reels undergound weather baloons...well...you get the idea.

Once saw on the side of a Kaiser cement truck "Find a need and fill it".

I have a Grizzly G4003G lathe as well. It's OK for the money, and does have some nice modern conveniences. Since this is gun plumbing and not tool making, the Grizzly is often just fine for the task.

If I was in your situation, I'd probably just look at getting that Emco machine set up in a little better position. I dont think a new Grizzly will produce results significantly better than a little time and money into your Emco.

Have no intent of gunsmith for hire. Have much better business already. But there is serious shortage of gunsmith as evidenced by years of backlogged work. So I do my own work, too old to wait. Also do other non gun work for myself.

Looking more at the PM lathes. Point well taken on upgrading my own machine but this is easy way out and cost doesn't matter since not competing with the gunsmiths and selling current machines covers most of cost. Time saved in working on the machine does matter to me.

I've had my g0709 for about five years now. No complaints.

SSDAVE,

I bought the 12x36 Grizzly lathe 15 years ago. I didn't have the other lathes laying around, but I had the same thoughts as you otherwise. I thought Grizzly would stand behind it if something was wrong (no problems, though). It came with a ton of accessories, that I know fit/worked with the lathe. More parts and accessories are available. Folks suggested getting a good older American lathe, but I didn't know how to tell if they were good or not. And I couldn't find any close. So I bought the Grizzly, and it's been great.

I've been thinking about adding DRO. If I do it again, I'd likely buy a 14x40. Last several years folks do seem to be choosing Precision Matthews over Grizzly, but I like Grizzly and would go back to them if the 12x36 ever needs to be replaced.

quote:

Originally posted by Rolland:
I have the G4003, its 20+ years old and still is working fine. Had to replace the motor and drive belts, oil change other than that has given out standing service. I don't know about the one you have listed but I would not hesitate to buy another Grizzly lathe

And if your son overfills the oil don't get mad at him, even though it makes a mess for months at a time.