Here is a picture of a Bayer lathe I might buy. It is a model 1430. Does anyone know any thing about these lathes? Who the actual maker may be? What their value is?

So, on a bayer (unless you can find the othe rnames it is sold under) I don't know a THING about this specific lathe..

but I do know a thing or three about buying lathe based off price, and some general specs.

a 1430 lathe will be able to turn a piece 14" in diameter, 30" long, between centers.
at least that is the standard nominclature.


i odn't know the name,.. which doens't slight the lathe, but it makes finding parts problematic. Seriously... you will need to fgind who imports this and if they parts are still available. it LOOKS like the "heavy duty" smallish chinese import lathes. Ask if it is made in china or taiwan, or where? I found nothing on a specific search of "bayer lathe".

You will need to know power requirements. If you are lucky, this is 2 or 3 HP, either single or three phase. if three phase, and if you don't have three phase, you can get a VFD (don't bother with an RFD) for about $250 for up to 12 amps 3 phase from www.drivewarehouse.com. I have used these for the last 5 years with no complaints.

what is the spindle through hole? should be around 1.5, larger is better

what is the tailstock taper? mt3 is the easist, though you can get "anything" you like, it just costs money.

I don't see a steady rest in this picture, is one included? If not, and if i couldn't find one, this might very well be a deal breaker for me, as it may very well be a no-name import... then again, it may be available from harbour frieght under a different model name

Only now will you get down to how well does it work.

do ALL the gears work, in all positions? Are there any chipped/broken gears.. .does it SOUND like it's going to vibrate apart? DO they have a tool holder available for you to make test cuts with? can it be seen running under power, and can you make test cuts with it?

do the powerfeed(s) work? are all the threading gears available? can it cut inch and metric, and what is it set for NOW if only "that is there" is what you get, as SOME of these import lathes, even with the nice gear selection and transmission, sometimes required a gear change.

Is it possible that this is a good gunsmithing lathe? Sure, lots of guys are running on import lathes, doing fine work. But, is THIS one a gunsmithing lathe? it will depend on your skill at evaluating the lathe, the ability to get parts (if this is your first lathe, parts will be important, trust me) and how well the lathe runs today...

I have seen a jet lathe reworked that is just amazing on how well it cuts... but I also saw it as delivered, and it was "amazing" as to how UNwell it didn't cut, entirely due to setup and replacing bearings.

for me, I would have to run it, under power, to know what it is worth to me... sitting here, guessing, without a name and withouth a steadyrest, I would just have to leave it or offer VERY cheap on it, as a broken gear can reduce a no-name lathe to scrap metal quickly

It is for sale through auction from the US Army. It is not available for inspection. The site lists all the specs but does not go into it's running condition. It is 2 HP single Phase. I did contact Bayer Engineering (Canada)for parts information and they are willing to sell me parts but for the same highly inflated price as they would the US. Govt. ($250 for a manual replacement thread gears $400 ea. etc.). The last one of these I saw on the site went in excess of $3700.
I believe it is probably a high end Chinese or Tiawanese lathe as it appears very similar in appearance and control arrangement to the Grizzly model 9705 High Precision Tool Room Lathe that sells for $9705 through Grizzly. Does anyone know what make the Grizzly lathe is?

I would try for the Tiawan models before the Chinese.

Jet and grizzly carry both.

I bought a Sharp 13x40 a few years ago for 5000.00. Only It came with 2500.00 worth of tooling and DRO.
They run 6000.00 for a new evs model.
wheight is 1700 lbs

It does have its quirks, but have adapted to them or fixed them.

I will keep it till I come across American iron that is not wore out and has a good price. And if it never happens, then thats alright to.

I suspect Grizzlies tool room lathes are made buy the same firm, as is Jets.

I suspect you are correct about it being Tiawan made. I could always use Grizzly for parts. I believe they stock parts.

if its chinese or tiawan i'd stay away from it. we've had a couple 3 of them and got rid of them quick. i know we run them in a different way than the home hobby guy does, but tolerance is tolerance & we found that they just don't have the tolerance spec. much better finding a good used american made machine.