7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I had a small clisby lathe many years ago that I bought for small hobby projects but it wasn't up for the job. This harbor freight 7x10 mini lathe is the lathe I always wanted and has blown my old micro lathe out of the water. Ever since I got this set up a few days ago I've been lathing through just about anything I can fit in the chick with no problems. Has pretty good power for its size! Was surprised the amount of use I can get out of this lathe and will be using it for years. A valuable addition to my tool Arsenal. I used a %20 off coupon and got the lathe in-store for $440 out the door. Saved $110 right there. Was able to buy a set of indelible cutters and a chuck for the tail stock with the money I saved.
The tail stock seems to need some slight alignment out of the box and the lathe was covered in grease from shipping just like my old harbor freight micro mill/drill was when I bought that. So far so good with harbor freight tools. When I buy them, I don't expect much, but they usually meet or exceed my expectations. Haven't had any problems yet. There's a website out there selling all the replacement parts for this 7x10 lathe so if anything ever did happen to it outside warranty, I'd probably just go get the replacement parts through them and be just fine :)
Very happy I purchased this lathe. No regrets. It will have paid for itself by he time my first project is done.
Enjoy your lathe!

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I went to trade school years ago to be a machinist and worked in industry for a while. I ran much larger machines. Therefore, I was skeptical about buying such a little machine. However, it works great. The gibbs on my machine were tight from the factory and ran true. I am able to take a full .040 on the tool while turning aluminum and .020 on steel. The dial is very accurate. I can hold a .001-.002 tolerance without trying too hard. The tail stock did need some shimmining in order to achieve alignment. I added a small gear motor with a PWM controller to the lead screw in order to achieve slower feed rates. This helped in achieving a better finish on all materials. I have threaded a few times on the machine and it cut accurate threads. I also ordered a milling attachment for my machine. I can do limited milling with decent accuracy. My only complaint is the tool post isn't adjustable for height. I have been shimming the holder with large washers for now. I plan on ordering a quick change tool post soon to solve this problem.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I have found numerous uses for my lathe. I am currently finishing a steam engine, FROM SCRATCH! I never thought i would ever get bitten by the Machine Shop BUG.... But thanks to HF, I have! I love this lathe, and now its getting close to being time for the HF Milling machine. Dont underestimate the value one gets with this lathe. If like me, YOU WONT REGRET THIS PURCHASE! And dont forget your 20% off offers!! A tremendous value.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

This is a precision machine capable of a great deal. and well worth the money. Are you kidding? About 5600.00 gives you an incredible amount of versatility. HOWEVER-- because it is a variable speed unit, its electronics are its fuse able link. Without the motor speed controller- you have NOTHING.
And. I believe that harbor freight has actually accomplished a very high level of customer service regarding replacement parts. They have actually hired a VERY FRIENDLY robot to engage you in conversation during waiting on hold before they disconnect you. So, in the event the motor controller fails, you may as well order yourself a pup-tent, a reliable food supply, an automatic re-dialer, because it will be a cold day down under before you will get anything better than "Sorry" from customer service. Otherwise, a GREAT MACHINE!

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I needed a small metal lathe for different projects and making replacement parts. At first I was skeptical that this machine was not accurate or powerfull enough but I am pleased with this machine.
The only problem I had was in using carbide cutters instead of hhs, but after designing an offset holder the carbide works great.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I have several of these units and they hold up to years of use. Search on 7 x mini-lathe to find set up tips and how to perform typical operations with this wonderful mini-lathe. I use these units to to demo a dual-pivot radial compound. Its a bolt-on accessory that in effect converts the lathes machining versatility from an Etch-a-Sketch into a Spirograph tool control approach. The attached videos shows how I used Harbor Freight metal lathes to create and test the product.

This Central Machinery 7-x mini-metal lathe with a 7" swing over bed is is a quality machine from the world's largest manufacturer of mini machine tool equipment. Harbor Freight imports thousands of these model which are packed with the same features and quality as the competition at a better price. The 7-x-12 mini-lathe is a versatile unit that can machine nearly all metals and synthetic polymers easily. This type of mini-lathe has the widest selection of accessories and is compatible with a broad range of mini-lathe tooling from 1/4 to 3/8 in size.

However there are some inconveniences with the tool to overcome should you want to perform taper or cut radially across the axis. For instance, to change the angle of the compound, you must fully retract compound lead-screw the and expose bolts to change angle, making it cumbersome to measure and adjust. In addition because the tool-post will not hold tools on center, so you cannot turn convex or concave radius. If you need to frequently perform operations like this, search for a Dream Cutter radial compound or tool-post ball cutter.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

Awesome machine, requires teardown and some tweaking but worth the effort.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I have had this for close to 7 years now and it has done countless jobs for me. I use it for repairs and making small parts from aluminum and steel. I have bored, drilled, faced, and cut off parts. It has saved my butt many times by allowing me to make a repair in-house or allowing me to produce small specialty items for projects. I just wish I had gone for the 7x12" for a little extra money. That extra 2" of bed can really come in handy. You may have to buy tooling elsewhere because HF really doesn't have that much. The Lathe however is one of the best HF tool investments I've made.

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

Great little machine!!!! i use this machine mainly for prototyping but it has countless uses! the setup of this machine is really clean. the dials are easy to use and the automatic feed works great. everything from the chuck to the tailstock is sraight and true. everything on the machine works great!

Comments about Central-Machinery 7 in. x 10 in. Precision Benchtop Mini Lathe:

I had a need to machine a number of large dowels for display pieces and this machine fit my needs. I hated to spend this much money (even on sale) but so be it. I am very pleased with this lathe, no regrets. My only issue is the speed control which will stall the motor if the speed is too low while under load when drilling. It's easy enough to speed up to where it runs fine and it certainly would not be a deal breaker if I knew this before purchasing. I have not used any machine tools since college in the 70's and it was easy to use. I have ordered cutting tools and accessories from another source. Because I am not allowed to mention their name, I will say it was a 'bear' of a deal. They have a much better selection for accessories.