Best quality engine lathes

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

We are looking to replace two of our manual engine lathes. The machines to be replaced are 22" X 80"  Whacheon, Taiwanese copies of Mori Seiki. They are pretty good lathes other than being made in Taiwan. I wish there were American made options, but the best I could come up with are Standard-Modern, made in Canada, and American Turnmaster EVS (Colchester copy?) which comes from Taiwan but is assembled and wired at Lagun in Cali. Neither of these machines look as heavy as our current Whacheons, and sometimes we turn 2500# ingots in them, so they need some beef. Any suggestions, or machines to avoid?

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

Check out Weiler.

German quality.

 

http://www.weiler.de/en/start/precision-lathes/cycle-controlled.html

 

The E70 is about the right size.

[Del.]

Check out Weiler.

 

http://www.weiler.de/en/start/precision-lathes/cycle-controlled.html

Are they made by Monarch?

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

Are they made by Monarch?

 

No.

 

They're made in Germany by WEILER Werkzeugmaschinen GmbH

[Oppiz]

We've been looking for a quality lathe. The Weilers look nice. Are they pricey?

[Sticky]

I don't know if Standard Modern lathes are any good or not, but I did hear they were planning on moving manufacturing to the US so that they could better take advantage of US Defense related sales. Might be worth making a call.

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

We've been looking for a quality lathe. The Weilers look nice. Are they pricey?

 

 

They aren't cheap but they're worth every dime.

 

Exceptionally rigid and precise.

Very popular in Oil&Gas/Energy Mfg.

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

Back in my Navy days, we had Standard-Modern on the ship. They were very good, at least to an 18 year old squid! My only complaint is they have an electric brake instead of a foot brake, and for the materials we machine, a foot brake is really important. I'm considering adding my own foot switch to trigger the electric brake.

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

Does the Weiler come in "inch" version, or only metric?

[Sticky]

Back in my Navy days, we had Standard-Modern on the ship. They were very good, at least to an 18 year old squid! My only complaint is they have an electric brake instead of a foot brake, and for the materials we machine, a foot brake is really important. I'm considering adding my own foot switch to trigger the electric brake.

 

That would be really easy to add.

 

I don't think you are going to have a lot of luck sourcing an American made lathe, even in your size range.

 

Most of the Japanese or German manufacturers will still make you one like they did 30-60 years ago. Their North American based headquarters will tell you its not possible but most of the native factories will still build one to order. Sit down before you check the price...

[Guest MTB Technical Services]

Does the Weiler come in "inch" version, or only metric?

 

Not sure what you mean.

 

The specs are listed in Metric but the machine comes with standard inch handle dials.

Like any import, they bring it in set up for the market it's in.

You can order them with your choice of chuck, tooling post, etc.

 

It can also be programmed conversationally for slightly more complicated work.

 

Best lathe I have ever used for re-cutting or chasing threads.

http://www.mtbtech.net/blog/2013/10/07/Thread-Re-Cutting-Made-Simple-by-Weiler.aspx

[Pilot Plant Supervisor]

Not sure what you mean.

 

The specs are listed in Metric but the machine comes with standard inch handle dials.

Like any import, they bring it in set up for the market it's in.

 

That's what I needed to know. Just making sure dials, feeds, and threads are in inch.

[tancuda]

We have the E50 in the shop (canada), and yes it's rigid and precise, very good in manual mode, best lathe so far for re-cutting thread (easy),

even better than my okuma LB4000ex (just comparing re-threading here...) yes dials, feeds and threads are in inch.

If you have fency shape to turn, and not too much of the same parts , I would ask to see difference with the stock control and with Shopturn installed.

[#Rekd™]

Standard Modern back in the 60's and 70's were a decent machine. I was in the Standard Modern plant in Mississauga Ontario Canada about 3 years ago. They moved to Ohio after that and have since moved back to Canada. The plant I was in was 2 industrial units with really old equipment....very dirty and they were making lathes for the US Navy. I had a repair guy come in to work on one of our milling machines this past winter and he told me of a horror story of a new Standard Modern that took over $6,000.00 to fix the head stock bearing alignment.

 

The most accurate lathe I have ever used is a Schaublin (we have one in our shop) made in Switzerland, the Rolls-Royce of lathes, after that a dovetail Hardinge (we have 2 of these in our shop). We have a Favorite (Swiss made) watchmakers lathe as well.

 

Harrison's were great, Colchesters were great and Monarch's were great. TOS was making some solid machines as well.

[Sticky]

Standard Modern back in the 60's and 70's were a decent machine. I was in the Standard Modern plant in Mississauga Ontario Canada about 3 years ago. They moved to Ohio after that and have since moved back to Canada. The plant I was in was 2 industrial units with really old equipment....very dirty and they were making lathes for the US Navy. I had a repair guy come in to work on one of our milling machines this past winter and he told me of a horror story of a new Standard Modern that took over $6,000.00 to fix the head stock bearing alignment.

 

The most accurate lathe I have ever used is a Schaublin (we have one in our shop) made in Switzerland, the Rolls-Royce of lathes, after that a dovetail Hardinge (we have 2 of these in our shop). We have a Favorite (Swiss made) watchmakers lathe as well.

 

Harrison's were great, Colchesters were great and Monarch's were great. TOS was making some solid machines as well.

 

 

That is interesting they moved back to Canada, do you know why?

[Machineguy]

^{Look at Toolmex.com}

^{Just came across them looking at 30 taper tooling}

 

^Machineguy