I am a regular viewer of your channel so I more or less know how you approach projects. Then this one comes around, a final cut of one hour and a half. I just see a tremendous amount of work! I think you did a fantastic job in presenting the capabilities of those two machines. And the final word on the conditions made the video complete. Thanks for putting in this effort and yes, I really would like to see you putting in the electronic lead screw conversion as well. Cheers!
I would love to see the electronic lead screw conversion on the PM machine as well as turning dimensional parts from 3d printed parts. This is a very informative video. Thanks.
I'm not awfully surprised that one tool costing more than 4x what another costs also performs considerably better; but actually seeing the difference in build quality and machining capabilities was fascinating. Great video, thanks taking the time to make it, and for sharing your insights and explanations.
As youtube doesn't like long format video's I'm making sure to stay around UNTIL THE END. I've seen a couple of these "small lathe review" vids and this one is pretty cool.
TH-cam doesn't "not like long format videos" .. users have to ration their view-minutes to take in all the assorted content in their limited free time. "The algorithm" responds to viewer demands. As much as I love 3d printing and lathes, I don't have 1.5 hours to invest in getting the executive overview. Chapter marks would help, as would a condensed 20-minute summary video... with link to the longer "director's cut" if you will.
That's not even entirely true anymore. You haven't heard about the "sleep viewtime meta"? Super long formats like stream vods or recombined into 1 video episodic series are doing super good on the platform. This is long enough to start entering that realm. It is true that there's a few gaps in lengths that perform poorly. The prime real estate is shortd
TH-cam loves "watch time", so so many channels now are making >hour long videos that are full of fluff, they maybe have 15 minutes of actual content in them and the rest is filler, just to get their watch time numbers up - it's driving me nuts
@gorak9000 that's the completely wrong way of achieving that... If people click off because you made boring content you don't get watchtime at all. I'm not sure about what you are describing because none of the channels I watch seem to be doing that. I do know that you can manipulate the metric after the fact if you use the youtube editor to remove the boring parts of the video some time after the upload.
I believe the content of this video could help new hobbyist that are considering a lathe purchase. Actually seeing them function in testing was great. Thanks for sharing it!
Thanks! I have access to nice tools thru a MakerSpace but I am curious about these incredibly low cost machines. This was obviously a massive amount of work so here is a small expression of thanks. Love your channel.
Probably one of the best review videos for machinery I've seen. I loved the detail and the -practical- testing done, and showing all the details of both machines (good and bad).
Man, you really knocked it out of the park this time! I couldn't believe you'd review two lathes to settles that issue.🤯 I loved the review, as always it was very well thought out and performed. I have a MicroMark 7x14, and although a different brand, it looks identical. I recently replaced the spindle, spindle bearings (taper kind), motor (1hp servo), scraped every surface by hand (had a 0.005" bow in the bed), CNCd it, and 3D printed all new covers for it, and yes, the spindle and backplate are one single piece. Of course I would love more machining content, I think most metal machinists also dabble in 3D printing nowadays, and viceversa. If I were to be greedy, and be able to ask for even more goodness from your already excellent channel, I'd say try filming in 4K. I'm sure you have already evaluated that option, and you have your reasons. I'm just throwing out there as a wish list item to make your channel even more compelling. Good job as always. Ciao, Marco.
Appreciate the time and effort put in to answer questions I think a lot of hobbyist have. It definitely changed my opinion as far as the route to take. Thank you.
It's a great comparison for someone like me with a passing interest in buying a lathe, who might end up buying a cheaper one not knowing the limitations. Having said that. the vevor is still significantly cheaper and frees up funds for other things - if you are only doing very basic things with it. What I got out of this, is I should probably pony up for a proper unit if I end up doing it, otherwise the frustrations would turn me off the hobby. Cheap 3d printers turned me off 5 yrs ago, and its only now with relatively affordable reliable and easy to use ones from Bambu that i've come back in, and its reignited a love for the hobby.
So well Shown! I for one think you should start a secondary channel of lathe turning /machining! Well Done I bet your grandpa Would be proud! It really shows how these 2 machines are night and day apart.
I wake up in the middle of the night quite often, and have to get up early for work (construction) so I started watching at around 1:30 AM, but did finish the video at 5:20 (fell back asleep a few times), but I loved it! I am starting to learn more about CNC/metalwork, so this was awesome in addition to your 3D printing videos. Would definitely like to see that electronic lead screw update. Also good to know I can spend 3 grand and get a very capable lathe with a DRO!
When I saw this, I thought, no way I'm watching an hour-and-a-half video. Not only did I watch it, but I hung on every word. I learned a lot. Thanks for all your efforts.
I saw a really neat set of power tool projects, including a lathe that were 3D printed, but the infill was concrete. Basically he printed the parts and then filled them with concrete afterwards and went through several iterations of design and made the plans free. It's a neat idea for the types of functional prints he was making (e.g. drill press, lathe, etc.).
I want a lathe some day, not place to put one right now, looked at mini lathes and the like a few times now. This was great, showed the issues, how to fix them, and the capabilities of both machines. You earned a sub, especially as I am doing 3d printing.
In the realm of small lathes, you can actually go smaller and get really very nice lathes. You mentioned your grandfather's watchmaker lathe. There are two similar-size lathes currently available that are able to do serious work: the Taig and the Sherline. I have a Taig, and I think it would probably have stood up really well in this video. For about $900, you can get the 5C collet chuck version, which has a 1.125" spindle bore. I have an ER40 version (0.79" spindle bore) with a 1-horsepower brushless motor, and it never fails to impress me that the 15-long (overall!) lathe does such good work. A couple weeks ago, I turned down the head and most of the length of a 3/4" grade 8 bolt. With a carbide insert tool, the lathe made relatively easy work of the interrupted cut in hardened steel. When I was done, I picked the whole thing up and turned it upside-down over a trash can to clean out the metal chips. Thanks for going in to so much detail in your video. I think it will give a lot of would-be lathe owners some good perspective on what they're getting in to.
This is a very good point. There are also lathes like the Emco Compact 5 (Austrian made) and Hobbymat/Prazimat models (old communist East German made and probably being the 'inspiration' for the modern Chinese mini lathe) that are significantly higher quality and more rigid than Chinese mini lathes. In the cases where people absolutely need a small lathe and can't fit even a 9x22 lathe, these can be found on the used market and are generally a good buy.
Ha, I thought the title said building a lathe. Watched the whole thing before realizing. Super helpful video, I have considered buying a small lathe, or building that concrete filled 3d printed one I saw.
I saw a 7x10 mini lathe at harbor freight the other day, and was shocked at how small it looked in person vs in photos. It really drove home how much smaller the practically usable volume is compared to the "it will technically fit" dimensions.
I've been working with desktop sized lathes for small parts for ~25 years now. The harbor freight lathe is what is commonly referred to as the 7x lathe, it's imported from china and rebranded by a large number of companies. It's.. fine. If you don't need much precision, speed, or power, you can do a lot with it. It can be user upgraded and tuned to do decent small/light work. Very small lathes have great usefulness for a ton of people, and can be a dirt cheap way to get into the hobby and learn. If anyone happens to just need something very small for lighter work and doesn't want to spend much, check out Taig. They're extremely well made, basically bulletproof, and very cheap. Very much designed to be upgraded DIY style. I've had one in the shop for 20+ years and still love it for really small precision stuff.. but I've turned 2" titanium on it too, albeit with great difficulty. For anything "normal shop sized" this video is spot on, precision matthews is the way to go.
This is the best small lathe review I've ever seen. I bought a similar vevor lathe more than a year ago, as I didn't understand its limitations, and it's definitely a hassle to use. I still can't afford to purchase a bigger lathe, but at least I know what to look forward to when I do upgrade. Thanks!
As someone who is big on ambition but small on space, videos like this are extremely helpful in knowing what to look for. So many people just gloss over the small equipment and proceed to tell you how much they love whichever full-sized machine they have. If we all had the space for a full-sized metal working lathe, then I think we'd all have one we love already. Sadly, this is reality and there are constraints.
Around 5 years ago I purchased the little cheapie lathe from harbor freight. When I worked as a tool maker I used hardringe lathes, brown and sharp grinders, and basically all the best equipment to make high precision progressive dies. I don't know if the quality of the harbor freight is the same today but the little lathe that I bought was pretty decent especially compared to that crappy one you have there. The first thing I did was buy a quick change tool post. I've made all kinds of precision parts and I purchased a little collet device that goes in the chuck that will hold my 3D printer nozzles so that I can drill them out with a point 4 mm carbide drill. For $550 I could not complain about this little lathe which does have some clearance where it shouldn't have etc. But if I got your $650 machine I would have returned it.
You make a very good point about electronic lead screws in these machines. The components for that have gotten so cheap, they might even be cheaper to manufacture than a gear-based system. I'm actually a bit surprised that someone like PM isn't already doing that.
I have next to no idea what I just watched, but I watched the entire video because I enjoy your channel. The message you present is very clear, you get what you pay for / buy once cry once.
I am shopping for a lathe and was originally leaning towards the Grizzly Units. However, your video changed my mind. The Precision lathe checked a lot of my boxes. Thank you for the review and introducing me to this company. Thanks.
This has to be the best demo of 'you get what you pay for' I have seen. I really appreciated the dual camera workpiece + controls shots (I do not recall seeing anyone else do that) and you showing the Vevor's lack of rigidity resulting in a cut that was changing diameters. Please do more on 3D print then get precision with a lathe or mill where needed!
The Grizzly G0602 is essentially the same lathe as the PM, for less money, with slightly different paint colors. If you're patient, they come up on CL or marketplace used for less than half of new cost regularly too
More of this. Really good video. I come from an engineering and machinist background first, and still relatively new to 3dp. I've noticed so much in the 3D world that seems to be 3D printed for the sake of 3D printing, even though a different material would do the job way better. The combination of additive and subtractive and plastic and metal where each are best is the real deal. Just a matter of right tool for the job. What both fields have in common, is that the lowest end machines can be made to perform fairly well, but are probably not worth the time, outside of just being good learning experiences. I have a mediocre 9x20 lathe, a nice 17x40, and a truly crappy little 7x14 (used in my mobile shop for trackside work) but which is still useful. Best thing I ever did to it was to axe the compound and thus greatly increase the rigidity (and a small STEEL qctp setup). Good luck with the little lathe. You'll need it as much as I do with 3DP right now. Cheers :) p.s. I look forward to seeing your 1022 lathe. I've been thinking about replacing my 920 with either it or the 1127.
Hi! I loved this video. Back when I first came across your channel, it was for one of the videos where you were printing way covers for your mill. As it turns out, I have the big brother to your mill (the PM-833TV), and a smaller brother to your lathe (the PM 12-28). I actually have lathe envy...I'd much rather have YOUR lathe, but my 12-28 runs on 110, weighs less than half as much, and accommodates all the jobs I've had for it so far. When I start feeling inadequate, I mill something on my mill. Seriously though...in the beginning, I started with a smaller lathe...my first lathe was a Lathemaster 9x30. And even that was a giant compared to the VEVOR. Like you, I get folks all the time asking about those mini lathes. And what I ultimately tell them is that if they're only ever going to turn brass or aluminum, and usually less than 3/4", they'll probably be able to live with the cheap mini-lathes...but any larger, and they'll be unhappy with that choice! I'm sure you've already seen Clough42's videos regarding his electronic leadscrew! I'm certain that could be adapted easily to the PM 10-22! There's certainly no need to re-invent the wheel, and he's refined that quite a bit at this point.
I really appreciated this video. I've been looking at these classes of small, and mini lathes for awhile, and your long-form review has convinced me to save up for the Precision Matthews or something of a similar class. I just don't want to fight with my tools. I want to work with my tools.
I don't know a darn thing about Lathes. I do 3D printing and somehow found this vid. I have to say... this was a great concept for presentation, and definitely increases my interest in subtractive manufacturing. I'll check out some more videos on TH-cam
Great review on both machines. I personally own the PM727 Mill and have enjoyed the convenances of its accuracies and size for my simple projects. Now I am looking at this PM's 1030v lathe as a space saver over my South Bend 10K x 48". I love my SB 10K, but it is a horizontal drive and being 48" just takes up too much space in my garage. I normally turn much shorter stock and therefore this 1022 will fit my needs much better. Thanks for the comparison although I personally would never have considered anything like the Vevor product, but your video gave me a great look at the PM lathe. I will be in contact with Matt soon and will let him know I watched your video. Thanks again, Bill from Colorado
A good example of "you get what you pay for" thanks for info and review. I've been looking at a PM and I now know that I'm spending the extra money in a good way. It would be nice to see print comparisons between the X1C a Plus4 when it comes to abs,nylon,pps ect.
Wow, the value of the accessories that come with the P- M lathe have got to be about what the entire Vevor lathe costs. That plus the issues with the Vevor make it a pretty easy choice to make.
They have come a long ways from 13 inch Southbend I learned on. It must of weighed at least 1200lbs or more. Nice looking machine! Looks like a challenging project to take on, the language barrier can be difficult. I still have South Bend we got for free with 38 " length and center holder set up in my father's business where he was using it to rechamber rifles. It seems a bit strange, I gave him his first lessons on using it back in the early 90's. He then learned the skills of precision rifle barrel making and rechamber work from a master machinist who taught him all the details he needed to learn over the next two years. He was quick to pick up the highly intricate work one needed to do to rechamber the rounds for new cartridges. He was quite accomplished at it, building some of the best long distance rifles one could buy. Wow, that machine no where near the power had on the South Bend, they do not make them like they used to!
Brilliant video, thank you 👍 I'm considering a small hobby lathe, and this has really helped me to hold on, save up some more money, make a bit more space, and get a "proper" lathe 😉 Keep up the great content 👍
I’ve been looking at getting a lathe, and this was the best comparison video I’ve seen. Watched the whole thing, and learned so much. For me, I’m just gonna keep saving and get a Precision Matthews with DRO.
An electronic lead screw would be a good reason to buy that PM, especially if the price could be around the same. I'd love to see a video of a conversion. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this video!
Cute is for babies not machine tools. What a great review, super detailed. Longest YT review video I've ever watched. I wasn't surprised about the Vevor, I was surprised how capable the PM machine was.
Great video. Have wanted to get into metal work, but this video showed I have a lot to learn before pulling the trigger. Any recommendations for how to learn would be appreciated.
I really appreciate your detailed video. I also bought a vevor 7x14 lathe and yes it's taking some time and in fact I'm still upgrading it just because I've enjoyed building it into a proper machine. I personally couldn't afford a $3,000 machine but I would love to have one. So for me the $500 7-in was the only option but thank you very much for this video. It's been very educational and I hope one day to be able to purchase my own precision Matthews 10-in machine.
Having been intimidated completely during an "intro to metalwork" course at a local makerspace, I went toward 3D printing instead and have had a blast. I still have hopes for learning lathes and mills "one day" and liked your presentation and affect so much, I'm going to stick around and see what you can show me to help up my 3-D printing game! And I'll still watch any future metal videos with interest. Thanks for a great video!
Good video. learned quite a bunch. When you turned on the lil lathe, Im a lil suprised that you felt a need to go all out on the retrofit. Most tool/mechanics types heard some gears binding and lil or no oil/lubrication. If I came across the same issue, I would have gone directly to the oil can and then if I heard the same issue thought to see what else it needed. You seemed to go directly to retrofit. We mechanic types know what we were hearing. Dry gears on a tool shipped from china. No problem.
Great long-for video with real world details a user would need to determine if one of these machines would work for them. I'm not even in the market for a lathe and sat through the entire video. Great work Rich!
I got myself an even cheaper Seig type mini lathe a while ago. Out of the box they are pretty bad, but there is a lot of tutorials and videos online to set them up and clean them up to produce good parts in soft metals and plastics. I couldn't afford nor fit a larger lathe, so a low quality mini lathe had to be the choice. For those that have the time and mind to finess and upgrade small things on the machine they end up working pretty well for a hobbiest working with Aluminium, Brass, Nylon and POM... and some very light steel work. I wish I could have a Precision Mathews lathe though, they seem to work well right out of the box.
Honestly, unless you got one from a really bad, Friday afternoon batch, you likely still got a better lathe than any Vevor lathe. Vevor sells some quite reasonable accessories at keen prices but the lathes they sell seems to be from the scrap bins of the likes of SEIG!😂
There is a filament called HTN CF25, (High Temp Nylon with a 25% carbon fiber mix) it's nickname is black aluminum. It is very hard and it IS machinable, I use it to test print the wrenches and sockets we design. The parts printed with this stuff even have a metal sounding ring to them if you tap two of printed parts together. The filament can be printed on any 3d printer with a hardened steal nozzle and a max temp of at least 300c, on my machine it prints at 285c (no heated chamber needed). It is kind of expensive but once you use it, it's hard to go back to PLA.
@@FunctionalPrintFriday I don't have a lathe or any metal working machines so I never got to try machining printed parts. I would like to buy a lathe like the one in your video someday though, after I make some room for it. As for the inserts holding up, I'm not sure, I just read a spec sheet a while back that said HTN-CF25 can be CNC'd, milled and/or lathed for more precise tolerances than 3d printing can create. I would think the cutting edges would be fine, it is a hard material but still softer than metal.
You're correct the back plate is part of the spindle. However it is an MT3 TAPER at least send my 7-in. I believe the 8-in uses the same spindle. Is that a 100 mm chuck?
I noticed from your coroplast yard sign in the previous video (484 area code) and the PA license plate that we're probably located relatively close to each other. I live in Pottstown. I'm frequently wondering about how I can use my CNC, 3d printers and other tools together to make functional items. I would love to see more videos about the confluence of all of these technologies. If you ever need access to a large cnc router let me know, I have a 5x10 avid in my garage!
I noticed Vevor didn't stamp the serial number or date on the plate. Good thing it's on a sticker on the back of the machine that will be hard to see if you ever need it.
My first machine tool was the little machine shop mini lathe. The motor is much stronger, will do .020 cuts in steel, though chatter can be an issue due to rigidity. Watching this video was great as it showed how small my problems are in comparison to the Vevor.
Those small lathes are sold with different names, mine, cost almost the double but had more accessories and better assemble and motor, after spending weeks working on it, I can turn titanium and get good results, but the most important thing that I didn’t knew is that for a underpower machine we need good tools so I end up spending 10x more the cost of the lathe on them. To turn steel on it it’s necessary to install a pc fan to help cool the motor and a thermistor on the shell or it will burn because it’s cooled by internal blades that depend on the speed, since the speed will be slow it will melt after a couple of hours.
Usually those edits are because i just kept rambling too long :). I don’t script anything, and it generally works out ok, but sometimes i just go on too long about something tangential
I have the PM-1030V, also a Southbend 9 from the 1940's (I'm restoring it). Having used rhe SB9, i wish now the PM-1030V had selectable gears instead of change-gears. When cutting threads, its kind of a hassle changing gears. All that said, i really like the PM. It's fairly ridge (not as much as the SB) and the variable speed is awfully nice! Regarding strength of 3D printed parts: Consider thinking of how woodgrain affects strength. So when designing a part, I'll include geometry to add a drywall screw to tie all those layers together. Omg! Thats the cutest lathe ever! I should get one of those for my granddaughter!
Great video. I'd like to see more 3d Print with engineering stuff. Looking forward to seeing how you "improve" the PM Lathe. Like a few others here I'd like to own a budget lathe and it's useful to see real-world unbiased comparisons.
Another great video! Should be very helpful for some. You got my attention and I've had a PM 1127-VF-LB for years (discontinued and replaced with PM-1130) and I recently just purchased a PM-1340GT. I've thought about the electronic leadscrew for some time for my 1127, but just keep putting it on the back burner. Would certainly be interested in seeing you outfit the PM-1022 with an ELS and it would certainly save time and effort from messing around with change gears on the occasions when you want to single point thread with it. Out of curiosity, will you be designing and making your own or using someone else's, like Clough42?
Hi, I've lathe more less the same as the PM one (different brand, I am in EU). The oil leak was there as well, so it seems to be feature, not bug :( That was pretty much what I could adfford space wise, I'd go for one step up otherwise (with regular gearbox and better guides). I've changed the 1HP async motor for 2HP 120Hz one with VFD to get reasonable power in low RPM and installed the ELS by clough42. I am still thinking about the DRO, but it's not that important on the lathe (I have one oin my mill). BTW there is a company selling the small (imported, of course) lathes with ELS here in Czech republic since last year. BTW2: the "hook" wrench is for the nut holding the belt pulley on the spindle.
Nice one man, thanks for taking the time. The Vevor performed pretty much as I expected to be honest (coming from someone who owns zero lathes and is not a machinist) but you always want to know for sure… Can it work? Surely they can’t make a lathe that cheap that works?! Hahah! The Precision looks like the way to go. New subscriber ✌🏻
I think i’d save up for the 1022. I know it doesn’t answer your question, but once you’re actually standing in front of it using it, you won’t want less. If you’re dead-set on a smaller machine, look at little machine shop.
The fact that you had so many out of the box issues with the Vevor did surprise me only because you really should not have to fix anything that is new. I think the amount that the Vevor chassis was flexing was telling and seems like it is a must to bolt down to a solid bench to have less the frame flexing and then it probably would run more accurately. In your cost comparison to make the Vevor closer in price I think you for got to add the DRO cost to the Vevor if it can even have one. Great video as always!
I picked up a Vevor MX-S716G recently as a first lathe. Looks like the same casting and cross slide as the one you tested, but different motor configuration. The motor seems a lot stronger and smoother than yours, but it's a brushless motor that's built into the spindle, so longevity is questionable. A lot of the issues that you ran into were definitely there: the whole thing was packed with oily grinding dust, the cross slide gibs can't be adjusted, and the tool post height issue is the same. I did swap the fixed tool post for a QC post already, so that's a big improvement. The biggest issue I'm having is that the carriage saddle has slop in it, and much like your cross slide, I can't find an adjustment point where it's snug without binding the whole thing up. That makes it chatter like crazy. Still, for the price, it's been a fun little project and I've learned a lot. For the $500 I paid I think it's worth it for the education before stepping up to something nicer.
20 years after i sold my colchster student, mainly due to lack of space, I decided to get a small lathe. I got a £550 one and after a year realised, it was a piece of garbage that I spent all my time trying to get working properly. So I got a Warco (UK) that is exactly the same as your recommended $2800 lathe. I have never looked back and it is a small "proper lathe". Definnitiely save up and get the £2800
Love your videos bud....no shouting and hype, just functional and factual. Thank you! Out of curiosity, are PM available in the UK - I suspect not 😢. I'd like to buy my first lathe at some point, but as a complete newbie am somewhat daunted by the learning curve.
Nope, I spoke to the owner on the Hobby Machinists forum (and if you're interested in machining,this is the forum to join, no silly elitist 'willy-waving' or put downs of beginners or hobbyists) and he said they don't. He said he'd be interested in finding a partner but suspected that the logistics and level of sales would probably make it economically infeasible. We do have Warco. These guys have been in the business since the late 1970s and are pretty well respected (especially compared to the other hobbyist machine tool importers in the UK). As always, though the more you spend, the better you'll get. I'd suggest considering Warco's WM180 the lowest model to look at. It's 8" swing and 12" between centres but the bed width (as in front to back of the slide ways) is 4", which compared with the usual 3" found on mini lathes make the lathe a fair bit more rigid. If you can afford it though, go as big as you can afford and fit in your workshop. 😉 The other alternative is used English 'old iron'. The advantage of this is (assuming the lathe has been well looked after), you often get a good amount of tooling in the deal, and so you can get a better manufactured, higher quality lathe, cheaper in the long run (despite sometimes the used prices approaching the cost of new). Models to look out for are Boxford, Harrison (and Myford but they're often overpriced, there's a hefty sentimental cachet associated with Myford in the UK for some reason, despite them arguably being less capable than equivalent Boxford or Harrison models).
I have been wanting a small hobby lathe forever. Was considering the Vevor or maybe trying my luck on Craigslist. This has definitely made me seriously consider that Precision Matthiews, a brand I hadn't even hear of before.
I started with an old Boxford 10” VSL from Craigslist. Told myself i could live with the wear and missing parts since it was cheap. I was rebuilding it for ~2 yrs before i accepted the fact that i wanted to be using a lathe for projects, not having a “lathe project”. It went back on Craigslist half-rebuilt.
What was the expected benefit of comparing a $600 lathe to one 5x the cost? Great vid, but was the point just to show a more expensive lathe is better?
Because the cheap one is where everyone starts when they’re looking, and the 3k one is realistically about as cheap as you’re going to get for a fully-functional machine with no significant compromises.
I have a Grizzly 7 x 12 and really like it. I also have 2 larger lathes. I would say that the Grizzly is a much superior machine compared to the Vevor. The Grizzly does have its limitations but is great for the smaller projects that i usually find myself doing.
I've been trying to talk myself into getting a small metal lathe and had been considering to 8x14. This video showed me the false economy (needing to basically double the initial $$ outlay) to have similar functionality with weaker results requiring additional effort.
Nice video! I have no reason to ever get one of these but still very interesting. Also thank you for using a sensible knife to open the boxes rather than the typical TH-camr Crocodile Dundee knife.
You forgot to include the fact that the Precision Mathews comes with an installed DRO. I don't know if that was included in the $3k package or not but if it was by the time you add that plus the time and effort involved to install on the Vevor it would be very close to the same price. I also have a PM lathe, 12-28 and it does everything I have needed to do. Great comparison. Thanks.
I really have no interest in lathes and will never buy one, but enjoy watching your content and reviews, whatever your content is. Some people just have a knack of being interesting, informative and educational all at the same time, and you have that covered.
Holy crap. There’s no way someone buying the Vevor will have the skills you have to fix that Wow that would be gut wrenching to still of dropped over 700 bucks and hear that for the 1st start 😢 So for me I would of been dead in the water with the Vevor having no prior experience with metal lathe. I’m glad you made this video for the world to see. I would love to hear your thoughts about this company Littlemachineshop they are in Pasadena Ca. And seen to be more on top of their quality. I wonder if they would work with you so you could put one of their lathes up against the PM 10-22.
LMS are well respected and do seem to offer much better quality lathes than Vevor (not hard, Vevor's lathes are infamous for their dreadful quality). Not all Chinese small lathes are equal and Vevor are the bottom of the pile. The PM 9x22 is Chinese of course, so it goes to show that China can make decent machine tools. 😉
Also I feel like you might already know this, but you should be taking your measurements on cold parts. Working them on the lathe heats them up, and distorts the measurements. If you want to measure hot, create the female part first, because the hole will get slightly bigger as the parts cool (because cold contracts and heat expands).
I recently bought a Vevor electric winch because I needed a really cheap simple one to mount on some kind of swiveling arm mounted to a wall. And Vevor had one that was supposed to fit an arm they had too. I didn't expect much from it and it was still worse than I expected. It was possible to put together and make work but none of it went together really well. I have lifted about 40% of its stated weight limit with it, it worked, but I will not be doing anything heavier than that. So after that experience all the issues this cheap Vevor lathe had are not that surprising. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially after seeing the loose mains voltage parts inside the metal cover. I used to have a small lathe that was a Sieg C2 (with different local branding on it), bought in 2008 I think. It was very similar in quality and size to this vevor. I kept using it until I got a much bigger one some years later (built in 1952, weighs one ton). I even managed to make bicycle wheel hubs on the small lathe out of 70mm aluminum. The biggest depth of cut it could do at that diameter was maybe 0.2mm so it took hours 🙂. So for someone extremely limited on space and money (like a student living in an appartment) such small table lathe can be usefull. It is that one or no lathe. It can be used if you have enough patience to work around its flaws. But it is a coin toss whether or not the particular unit you get will have issues that make it non-functional or not. And you better be an electrical engineering student just to judge if it is safe to plug it in...
The video was very informative. I didn't expect much from the Vevor and if didn't do anything to change my mind. I have a Grizzly 12X36 gunsmith lathe that I really like but I want to get a smaller lathe to convert to CNC. I know now that the Vevor won't be that lathe. Thanks for saving me the disappointment.
Im a trained machinist, someone gave me a Vevor 8.5x24. Shipping cost more than the machine is worth. I got it running well, including making new tailstock (was 50thou low). Is decent now, in my friend’s garage.
Thank you. Yes, it influenced my opinion. I knew Vevor was crudely made but I didn't realize how much they skimped on basic functionality. I figured they may be good enough but not great. I'd been considering a small lathe to play with and they were on the list but unless they have something significantly better than this model, they're not worth considering. I know there's a big price difference but you've shown that value seems to be in spending more to get more.
As a guy with a mid-size and a large lathe, my expectations of my little vevor I picked up on craigslist (essentially brand new, the o.p. thought he could make things instantly and easily, and so lost interested instantly and sold it to me cheaply) was pretty low. But not low enough. One step above junk. That having been said, I just got it for my mobile work (trackside race support) to make/mod little widgets and it has been OK (just) AFTER I replaced the compound with a block of steel to get rid of the flex. I don't badly need tapers, and it made it radically more useful. If you can possibly swing the budget, buy a bit better, like a PM or similar. Or at least a grizzly where there are parts and community to help you. Good luck.
Just a tip for the hardened rod on your 1440. Try some ceramic inserts for the hardened layer. Expensive. But you won't tear up your cnmg's. Nice review. I have a vevor 8x16. And mine came in far better condition than yours. However it's not a steel cutting lathe. Plastic. Brass and light aluminum work only. Also works great for pool cues, and trimming cases for reloading. Everything else goes on my PM 1440sm2v. Nice video again Sir.
@@FunctionalPrintFriday I believe I have watched videos from, practical machining, this old tony, and cutting edge engineering on insert types, selection, and brand reviews....your choice of creator depending on your mood....and if I have learned anything from CEE it is you have to use ceramic for those chrome moly pistons.
I am a regular viewer of your channel so I more or less know how you approach projects. Then this one comes around, a final cut of one hour and a half. I just see a tremendous amount of work! I think you did a fantastic job in presenting the capabilities of those two machines. And the final word on the conditions made the video complete. Thanks for putting in this effort and yes, I really would like to see you putting in the electronic lead screw conversion as well. Cheers!
I would love to see the electronic lead screw conversion on the PM machine as well as turning dimensional parts from 3d printed parts. This is a very informative video. Thanks.
I'm not awfully surprised that one tool costing more than 4x what another costs also performs considerably better; but actually seeing the difference in build quality and machining capabilities was fascinating. Great video, thanks taking the time to make it, and for sharing your insights and explanations.
As youtube doesn't like long format video's I'm making sure to stay around UNTIL THE END. I've seen a couple of these "small lathe review" vids and this one is pretty cool.
Thanks!
TH-cam doesn't "not like long format videos" .. users have to ration their view-minutes to take in all the assorted content in their limited free time. "The algorithm" responds to viewer demands. As much as I love 3d printing and lathes, I don't have 1.5 hours to invest in getting the executive overview. Chapter marks would help, as would a condensed 20-minute summary video... with link to the longer "director's cut" if you will.
That's not even entirely true anymore. You haven't heard about the "sleep viewtime meta"?
Super long formats like stream vods or recombined into 1 video episodic series are doing super good on the platform.
This is long enough to start entering that realm.
It is true that there's a few gaps in lengths that perform poorly. The prime real estate is shortd
TH-cam loves "watch time", so so many channels now are making >hour long videos that are full of fluff, they maybe have 15 minutes of actual content in them and the rest is filler, just to get their watch time numbers up - it's driving me nuts
@gorak9000 that's the completely wrong way of achieving that... If people click off because you made boring content you don't get watchtime at all.
I'm not sure about what you are describing because none of the channels I watch seem to be doing that.
I do know that you can manipulate the metric after the fact if you use the youtube editor to remove the boring parts of the video some time after the upload.
I believe the content of this video could help new hobbyist that are considering a lathe purchase. Actually seeing them function in testing was great. Thanks for sharing it!
Glad you found it useful!
Thanks! I have access to nice tools thru a MakerSpace but I am curious about these incredibly low cost machines. This was obviously a massive amount of work so here is a small expression of thanks. Love your channel.
Thank you!
Probably one of the best review videos for machinery I've seen. I loved the detail and the -practical- testing done, and showing all the details of both machines (good and bad).
Man, you really knocked it out of the park this time! I couldn't believe you'd review two lathes to settles that issue.🤯 I loved the review, as always it was very well thought out and performed. I have a MicroMark 7x14, and although a different brand, it looks identical. I recently replaced the spindle, spindle bearings (taper kind), motor (1hp servo), scraped every surface by hand (had a 0.005" bow in the bed), CNCd it, and 3D printed all new covers for it, and yes, the spindle and backplate are one single piece. Of course I would love more machining content, I think most metal machinists also dabble in 3D printing nowadays, and viceversa. If I were to be greedy, and be able to ask for even more goodness from your already excellent channel, I'd say try filming in 4K. I'm sure you have already evaluated that option, and you have your reasons. I'm just throwing out there as a wish list item to make your channel even more compelling. Good job as always. Ciao, Marco.
Thx!
Appreciate the time and effort put in to answer questions I think a lot of hobbyist have. It definitely changed my opinion as far as the route to take. Thank you.
It's a great comparison for someone like me with a passing interest in buying a lathe, who might end up buying a cheaper one not knowing the limitations. Having said that. the vevor is still significantly cheaper and frees up funds for other things - if you are only doing very basic things with it. What I got out of this, is I should probably pony up for a proper unit if I end up doing it, otherwise the frustrations would turn me off the hobby. Cheap 3d printers turned me off 5 yrs ago, and its only now with relatively affordable reliable and easy to use ones from Bambu that i've come back in, and its reignited a love for the hobby.
So well Shown! I for one think you should start a secondary channel of lathe turning /machining! Well Done I bet your grandpa Would be proud! It really shows how these 2 machines are night and day apart.
I wake up in the middle of the night quite often, and have to get up early for work (construction) so I started watching at around 1:30 AM, but did finish the video at 5:20 (fell back asleep a few times), but I loved it! I am starting to learn more about CNC/metalwork, so this was awesome in addition to your 3D printing videos. Would definitely like to see that electronic lead screw update. Also good to know I can spend 3 grand and get a very capable lathe with a DRO!
When I saw this, I thought, no way I'm watching an hour-and-a-half video. Not only did I watch it, but I hung on every word. I learned a lot. Thanks for all your efforts.
Thx for watching
I saw a really neat set of power tool projects, including a lathe that were 3D printed, but the infill was concrete. Basically he printed the parts and then filled them with concrete afterwards and went through several iterations of design and made the plans free. It's a neat idea for the types of functional prints he was making (e.g. drill press, lathe, etc.).
I saw that too. I thought it was interesting even if the lathe didn't turn out to be that useful.
I saw that as well
I want a lathe some day, not place to put one right now, looked at mini lathes and the like a few times now. This was great, showed the issues, how to fix them, and the capabilities of both machines. You earned a sub, especially as I am doing 3d printing.
I learnt so much about lathes today. I knew nothing before and now I know there's a lot more detail to these machines than I ever realized.
In the realm of small lathes, you can actually go smaller and get really very nice lathes. You mentioned your grandfather's watchmaker lathe. There are two similar-size lathes currently available that are able to do serious work: the Taig and the Sherline. I have a Taig, and I think it would probably have stood up really well in this video. For about $900, you can get the 5C collet chuck version, which has a 1.125" spindle bore. I have an ER40 version (0.79" spindle bore) with a 1-horsepower brushless motor, and it never fails to impress me that the 15-long (overall!) lathe does such good work. A couple weeks ago, I turned down the head and most of the length of a 3/4" grade 8 bolt. With a carbide insert tool, the lathe made relatively easy work of the interrupted cut in hardened steel. When I was done, I picked the whole thing up and turned it upside-down over a trash can to clean out the metal chips.
Thanks for going in to so much detail in your video. I think it will give a lot of would-be lathe owners some good perspective on what they're getting in to.
This is a very good point. There are also lathes like the Emco Compact 5 (Austrian made) and Hobbymat/Prazimat models (old communist East German made and probably being the 'inspiration' for the modern Chinese mini lathe) that are significantly higher quality and more rigid than Chinese mini lathes. In the cases where people absolutely need a small lathe and can't fit even a 9x22 lathe, these can be found on the used market and are generally a good buy.
The older small emco’s really are nice. Really hard to find though. I don’t think they made very many.
Ha, I thought the title said building a lathe. Watched the whole thing before realizing. Super helpful video, I have considered buying a small lathe, or building that concrete filled 3d printed one I saw.
I saw a 7x10 mini lathe at harbor freight the other day, and was shocked at how small it looked in person vs in photos. It really drove home how much smaller the practically usable volume is compared to the "it will technically fit" dimensions.
I've been working with desktop sized lathes for small parts for ~25 years now. The harbor freight lathe is what is commonly referred to as the 7x lathe, it's imported from china and rebranded by a large number of companies. It's.. fine. If you don't need much precision, speed, or power, you can do a lot with it. It can be user upgraded and tuned to do decent small/light work.
Very small lathes have great usefulness for a ton of people, and can be a dirt cheap way to get into the hobby and learn.
If anyone happens to just need something very small for lighter work and doesn't want to spend much, check out Taig. They're extremely well made, basically bulletproof, and very cheap. Very much designed to be upgraded DIY style. I've had one in the shop for 20+ years and still love it for really small precision stuff.. but I've turned 2" titanium on it too, albeit with great difficulty.
For anything "normal shop sized" this video is spot on, precision matthews is the way to go.
1:03 I think the spindle unscrews?
If it does, mine doesn’t seem to want to budge. I think it might actually be one piece.
This is the best small lathe review I've ever seen. I bought a similar vevor lathe more than a year ago, as I didn't understand its limitations, and it's definitely a hassle to use. I still can't afford to purchase a bigger lathe, but at least I know what to look forward to when I do upgrade. Thanks!
As someone who is big on ambition but small on space, videos like this are extremely helpful in knowing what to look for. So many people just gloss over the small equipment and proceed to tell you how much they love whichever full-sized machine they have. If we all had the space for a full-sized metal working lathe, then I think we'd all have one we love already. Sadly, this is reality and there are constraints.
Around 5 years ago I purchased the little cheapie lathe from harbor freight. When I worked as a tool maker I used hardringe lathes, brown and sharp grinders, and basically all the best equipment to make high precision progressive dies. I don't know if the quality of the harbor freight is the same today but the little lathe that I bought was pretty decent especially compared to that crappy one you have there. The first thing I did was buy a quick change tool post. I've made all kinds of precision parts and I purchased a little collet device that goes in the chuck that will hold my 3D printer nozzles so that I can drill them out with a point 4 mm carbide drill. For $550 I could not complain about this little lathe which does have some clearance where it shouldn't have etc. But if I got your $650 machine I would have returned it.
You make a very good point about electronic lead screws in these machines. The components for that have gotten so cheap, they might even be cheaper to manufacture than a gear-based system. I'm actually a bit surprised that someone like PM isn't already doing that.
My guess is that liability is the issue.
I have next to no idea what I just watched, but I watched the entire video because I enjoy your channel. The message you present is very clear, you get what you pay for / buy once cry once.
Thx!
Yes on the electronic lead screw video. Clough42 version would be great
I am shopping for a lathe and was originally leaning towards the Grizzly Units. However, your video changed my mind. The Precision lathe checked a lot of my boxes. Thank you for the review and introducing me to this company. Thanks.
This has to be the best demo of 'you get what you pay for' I have seen. I really appreciated the dual camera workpiece + controls shots (I do not recall seeing anyone else do that) and you showing the Vevor's lack of rigidity resulting in a cut that was changing diameters. Please do more on 3D print then get precision with a lathe or mill where needed!
There are very few VS vids with the tiny vs small lathes out there. This has solidified my decision to buy a PM lathe.
The Grizzly G0602 is essentially the same lathe as the PM, for less money, with slightly different paint colors. If you're patient, they come up on CL or marketplace used for less than half of new cost regularly too
The grizzly has the dreaded threaded spindle though :(
More of this. Really good video. I come from an engineering and machinist background first, and still relatively new to 3dp. I've noticed so much in the 3D world that seems to be 3D printed for the sake of 3D printing, even though a different material would do the job way better. The combination of additive and subtractive and plastic and metal where each are best is the real deal. Just a matter of right tool for the job. What both fields have in common, is that the lowest end machines can be made to perform fairly well, but are probably not worth the time, outside of just being good learning experiences. I have a mediocre 9x20 lathe, a nice 17x40, and a truly crappy little 7x14 (used in my mobile shop for trackside work) but which is still useful. Best thing I ever did to it was to axe the compound and thus greatly increase the rigidity (and a small STEEL qctp setup). Good luck with the little lathe. You'll need it as much as I do with 3DP right now. Cheers :) p.s. I look forward to seeing your 1022 lathe. I've been thinking about replacing my 920 with either it or the 1127.
Hi! I loved this video. Back when I first came across your channel, it was for one of the videos where you were printing way covers for your mill. As it turns out, I have the big brother to your mill (the PM-833TV), and a smaller brother to your lathe (the PM 12-28). I actually have lathe envy...I'd much rather have YOUR lathe, but my 12-28 runs on 110, weighs less than half as much, and accommodates all the jobs I've had for it so far. When I start feeling inadequate, I mill something on my mill. Seriously though...in the beginning, I started with a smaller lathe...my first lathe was a Lathemaster 9x30. And even that was a giant compared to the VEVOR. Like you, I get folks all the time asking about those mini lathes. And what I ultimately tell them is that if they're only ever going to turn brass or aluminum, and usually less than 3/4", they'll probably be able to live with the cheap mini-lathes...but any larger, and they'll be unhappy with that choice!
I'm sure you've already seen Clough42's videos regarding his electronic leadscrew! I'm certain that could be adapted easily to the PM 10-22! There's certainly no need to re-invent the wheel, and he's refined that quite a bit at this point.
Im considering getting a larger mill :)
I really appreciated this video. I've been looking at these classes of small, and mini lathes for awhile, and your long-form review has convinced me to save up for the Precision Matthews or something of a similar class. I just don't want to fight with my tools. I want to work with my tools.
I don't know a darn thing about Lathes. I do 3D printing and somehow found this vid. I have to say... this was a great concept for presentation, and definitely increases my interest in subtractive manufacturing. I'll check out some more videos on TH-cam
Thx!
Great review on both machines. I personally own the PM727 Mill and have enjoyed the convenances of its accuracies and size for my simple projects. Now I am looking at this PM's 1030v lathe as a space saver over my South Bend 10K x 48". I love my SB 10K, but it is a horizontal drive and being 48" just takes up too much space in my garage. I normally turn much shorter stock and therefore this 1022 will fit my needs much better. Thanks for the comparison although I personally would never have considered anything like the Vevor product, but your video gave me a great look at the PM lathe. I will be in contact with Matt soon and will let him know I watched your video. Thanks again, Bill from Colorado
Wow what an ambitious video! Thanks for doing it!
A good example of "you get what you pay for" thanks for info and review. I've been looking at a PM and I now know that I'm spending the extra money in a good way. It would be nice to see print comparisons between the X1C a Plus4 when it comes to abs,nylon,pps ect.
Wow, the value of the accessories that come with the P- M lathe have got to be about what the entire Vevor lathe costs.
That plus the issues with the Vevor make it a pretty easy choice to make.
Great show. Well thought out. Machines were like night & day, the machining 3D prints items would be an interesting show, not occurred to me before.
They have come a long ways from 13 inch Southbend I learned on. It must of weighed at least 1200lbs or more. Nice looking machine! Looks like a challenging project to take on, the language barrier can be difficult. I still have South Bend we got for free with 38 " length and center holder set up in my father's business where he was using it to rechamber rifles. It seems a bit strange, I gave him his first lessons on using it back in the early 90's. He then learned the skills of precision rifle barrel making and rechamber work from a master machinist who taught him all the details he needed to learn over the next two years. He was quick to pick up the highly intricate work one needed to do to rechamber the rounds for new cartridges. He was quite accomplished at it, building some of the best long distance rifles one could buy. Wow, that machine no where near the power had on the South Bend, they do not make them like they used to!
Brilliant video, thank you 👍
I'm considering a small hobby lathe, and this has really helped me to hold on, save up some more money, make a bit more space, and get a "proper" lathe 😉
Keep up the great content 👍
Thx! Saving sucks, but the rewards pay off forever.
I’ve been looking at getting a lathe, and this was the best comparison video I’ve seen. Watched the whole thing, and learned so much. For me, I’m just gonna keep saving and get a Precision Matthews with DRO.
An electronic lead screw would be a good reason to buy that PM, especially if the price could be around the same. I'd love to see a video of a conversion. Thanks for the time and effort you put into this video!
Cute is for babies not machine tools. What a great review, super detailed. Longest YT review video I've ever watched. I wasn't surprised about the Vevor, I was surprised how capable the PM machine was.
1h31m video! Let's Gooooo!
Great video. Have wanted to get into metal work, but this video showed I have a lot to learn before pulling the trigger. Any recommendations for how to learn would be appreciated.
There’s so many good machining channels. Start with vanover machine and repair, swan valley machine shop, cutting edge engineering, and blondihacks.
I really appreciate your detailed video. I also bought a vevor 7x14 lathe and yes it's taking some time and in fact I'm still upgrading it just because I've enjoyed building it into a proper machine. I personally couldn't afford a $3,000 machine but I would love to have one. So for me the $500 7-in was the only option but thank you very much for this video. It's been very educational and I hope one day to be able to purchase my own precision Matthews 10-in machine.
Excellent video! Thanks for doing this comparison. I will be saving up a bit longer if I buy a lathe and steer clear of the cheap mini lathes.
I would love to see you keep that precision machine and perhaps do the upgrade you talked about!
14:35 caught me so off guard 😂😂
Having been intimidated completely during an "intro to metalwork" course at a local makerspace, I went toward 3D printing instead and have had a blast. I still have hopes for learning lathes and mills "one day" and liked your presentation and affect so much, I'm going to stick around and see what you can show me to help up my 3-D printing game! And I'll still watch any future metal videos with interest. Thanks for a great video!
Good video. learned quite a bunch. When you turned on the lil lathe, Im a lil suprised that you felt a need to go all out on the retrofit. Most tool/mechanics types heard some gears binding and lil or no oil/lubrication. If I came across the same issue, I would have gone directly to the oil can and then if I heard the same issue thought to see what else it needed. You seemed to go directly to retrofit. We mechanic types know what we were hearing. Dry gears on a tool shipped from china. No problem.
Those small gearboxed lathes leaking from the drain plug is kind of a meme since the late 80s I think...
Unfortunately no shipping to Europe for the Precision Matthews.
Maybe some other folks will chime in with a good importer than serves Europe.
Warco in the UK are very similar machines.
Great long-for video with real world details a user would need to determine if one of these machines would work for them. I'm not even in the market for a lathe and sat through the entire video. Great work Rich!
Thx!
I got myself an even cheaper Seig type mini lathe a while ago. Out of the box they are pretty bad, but there is a lot of tutorials and videos online to set them up and clean them up to produce good parts in soft metals and plastics. I couldn't afford nor fit a larger lathe, so a low quality mini lathe had to be the choice. For those that have the time and mind to finess and upgrade small things on the machine they end up working pretty well for a hobbiest working with Aluminium, Brass, Nylon and POM... and some very light steel work. I wish I could have a Precision Mathews lathe though, they seem to work well right out of the box.
Honestly, unless you got one from a really bad, Friday afternoon batch, you likely still got a better lathe than any Vevor lathe. Vevor sells some quite reasonable accessories at keen prices but the lathes they sell seems to be from the scrap bins of the likes of SEIG!😂
The Vivor strikes as something done by Fisher-Price that you give a toddler to play with.
Ez-bake lathe
Great video. Useful food for thought. My current tools are at work to the micron. The PM looks good.
There is a filament called HTN CF25, (High Temp Nylon with a 25% carbon fiber mix) it's nickname is black aluminum. It is very hard and it IS machinable, I use it to test print the wrenches and sockets we design. The parts printed with this stuff even have a metal sounding ring to them if you tap two of printed parts together. The filament can be printed on any 3d printer with a hardened steal nozzle and a max temp of at least 300c, on my machine it prints at 285c (no heated chamber needed). It is kind of expensive but once you use it, it's hard to go back to PLA.
Thx, i’ll check it out. How is the carbon fiber on tooling? Do the ground carbide inserts hold up?
@@FunctionalPrintFriday I don't have a lathe or any metal working machines so I never got to try machining printed parts. I would like to buy a lathe like the one in your video someday though, after I make some room for it. As for the inserts holding up, I'm not sure, I just read a spec sheet a while back that said HTN-CF25 can be CNC'd, milled and/or lathed for more precise tolerances than 3d printing can create. I would think the cutting edges would be fine, it is a hard material but still softer than metal.
You're correct the back plate is part of the spindle. However it is an MT3 TAPER at least send my 7-in. I believe the 8-in uses the same spindle. Is that a 100 mm chuck?
I noticed from your coroplast yard sign in the previous video (484 area code) and the PA license plate that we're probably located relatively close to each other. I live in Pottstown. I'm frequently wondering about how I can use my CNC, 3d printers and other tools together to make functional items. I would love to see more videos about the confluence of all of these technologies. If you ever need access to a large cnc router let me know, I have a 5x10 avid in my garage!
Thx.
I noticed Vevor didn't stamp the serial number or date on the plate. Good thing it's on a sticker on the back of the machine that will be hard to see if you ever need it.
My first machine tool was the little machine shop mini lathe. The motor is much stronger, will do .020 cuts in steel, though chatter can be an issue due to rigidity. Watching this video was great as it showed how small my problems are in comparison to the Vevor.
The casting may have better rigidity on their machine. The Vevor is very thin.
Those small lathes are sold with different names, mine, cost almost the double but had more accessories and better assemble and motor, after spending weeks working on it, I can turn titanium and get good results, but the most important thing that I didn’t knew is that for a underpower machine we need good tools so I end up spending 10x more the cost of the lathe on them. To turn steel on it it’s necessary to install a pc fan to help cool the motor and a thermistor on the shell or it will burn because it’s cooled by internal blades that depend on the speed, since the speed will be slow it will melt after a couple of hours.
Impressed you’re turning titanium! At least with the tooling purchases you can spread it out over time.
please tell us if that lead screw actually arrived
I think it’ll be a few weeks still
0:39 I’d love to see the outtake of the shot that didn’t make it! 😂
Usually those edits are because i just kept rambling too long :). I don’t script anything, and it generally works out ok, but sometimes i just go on too long about something tangential
@ Honestly, I’d like to have more of that included … I suspect many of us would find it equally as interesting.
I have the PM-1030V, also a Southbend 9 from the 1940's (I'm restoring it). Having used rhe SB9, i wish now the PM-1030V had selectable gears instead of change-gears. When cutting threads, its kind of a hassle changing gears.
All that said, i really like the PM. It's fairly ridge (not as much as the SB) and the variable speed is awfully nice!
Regarding strength of 3D printed parts: Consider thinking of how woodgrain affects strength. So when designing a part, I'll include geometry to add a drywall screw to tie all those layers together.
Omg! Thats the cutest lathe ever! I should get one of those for my granddaughter!
Really fantastic work comparing these out of the box, real world experience. How about PM vs Sherline now and Taig brackets now?
Great video and great videography. Thank you for this breakdown and comparison.
Great video. I'd like to see more 3d Print with engineering stuff. Looking forward to seeing how you "improve" the PM Lathe. Like a few others here I'd like to own a budget lathe and it's useful to see real-world unbiased comparisons.
I have a Old Craftsman 101-214 lathe that even though it is small has worked great for my needs.
Yeh, they’re much better machines than the Vevor. It’s just tough to find one that’s not worn out.
Another great video! Should be very helpful for some. You got my attention and I've had a PM 1127-VF-LB for years (discontinued and replaced with PM-1130) and I recently just purchased a PM-1340GT. I've thought about the electronic leadscrew for some time for my 1127, but just keep putting it on the back burner. Would certainly be interested in seeing you outfit the PM-1022 with an ELS and it would certainly save time and effort from messing around with change gears on the occasions when you want to single point thread with it. Out of curiosity, will you be designing and making your own or using someone else's, like Clough42?
Not sure yet on the ELS
Thank you for the great comparison! I thought about the smaller, cheaper lathe, but not anymore. For this, I thank you!
You're welcome! Glad it was helpful.
Hi,
I've lathe more less the same as the PM one (different brand, I am in EU). The oil leak was there as well, so it seems to be feature, not bug :(
That was pretty much what I could adfford space wise, I'd go for one step up otherwise (with regular gearbox and better guides).
I've changed the 1HP async motor for 2HP 120Hz one with VFD to get reasonable power in low RPM and installed the ELS by clough42. I am still thinking about the DRO, but it's not that important on the lathe (I have one oin my mill).
BTW there is a company selling the small (imported, of course) lathes with ELS here in Czech republic since last year.
BTW2: the "hook" wrench is for the nut holding the belt pulley on the spindle.
Thx
Nice one man, thanks for taking the time. The Vevor performed pretty much as I expected to be honest (coming from someone who owns zero lathes and is not a machinist) but you always want to know for sure… Can it work? Surely they can’t make a lathe that cheap that works?! Hahah! The Precision looks like the way to go. New subscriber ✌🏻
1:23:45 okay so now what can we buy for that amount?
I think i’d save up for the 1022. I know it doesn’t answer your question, but once you’re actually standing in front of it using it, you won’t want less. If you’re dead-set on a smaller machine, look at little machine shop.
Please do an electronic lead screw conversion video!
Good chance this will happen
The fact that you had so many out of the box issues with the Vevor did surprise me only because you really should not have to fix anything that is new. I think the amount that the Vevor chassis was flexing was telling and seems like it is a must to bolt down to a solid bench to have less the frame flexing and then it probably would run more accurately. In your cost comparison to make the Vevor closer in price I think you for got to add the DRO cost to the Vevor if it can even have one. Great video as always!
I picked up a Vevor MX-S716G recently as a first lathe. Looks like the same casting and cross slide as the one you tested, but different motor configuration. The motor seems a lot stronger and smoother than yours, but it's a brushless motor that's built into the spindle, so longevity is questionable. A lot of the issues that you ran into were definitely there: the whole thing was packed with oily grinding dust, the cross slide gibs can't be adjusted, and the tool post height issue is the same. I did swap the fixed tool post for a QC post already, so that's a big improvement. The biggest issue I'm having is that the carriage saddle has slop in it, and much like your cross slide, I can't find an adjustment point where it's snug without binding the whole thing up. That makes it chatter like crazy. Still, for the price, it's been a fun little project and I've learned a lot. For the $500 I paid I think it's worth it for the education before stepping up to something nicer.
If i do keep the little vevor as a “portable lathe”, i’ll probably just axe the compound altogether.
Great and informative Video! Thank you.
20 years after i sold my colchster student, mainly due to lack of space, I decided to get a small lathe. I got a £550 one and after a year realised, it was a piece of garbage that I spent all my time trying to get working properly. So I got a Warco (UK) that is exactly the same as your recommended $2800 lathe. I have never looked back and it is a small "proper lathe". Definnitiely save up and get the £2800
So the Vevor would be able to handle plastics and smaller aluminium parts?
If you had the skills to get it going in the first place. I think the Vevor is a 89 pound paper weight.
I think it did ok for aluminum other than not liking the tool pressure for boring
Love your videos bud....no shouting and hype, just functional and factual. Thank you!
Out of curiosity, are PM available in the UK - I suspect not 😢. I'd like to buy my first lathe at some point, but as a complete newbie am somewhat daunted by the learning curve.
Nope, I spoke to the owner on the Hobby Machinists forum (and if you're interested in machining,this is the forum to join, no silly elitist 'willy-waving' or put downs of beginners or hobbyists) and he said they don't. He said he'd be interested in finding a partner but suspected that the logistics and level of sales would probably make it economically infeasible.
We do have Warco. These guys have been in the business since the late 1970s and are pretty well respected (especially compared to the other hobbyist machine tool importers in the UK).
As always, though the more you spend, the better you'll get. I'd suggest considering Warco's WM180 the lowest model to look at. It's 8" swing and 12" between centres but the bed width (as in front to back of the slide ways) is 4", which compared with the usual 3" found on mini lathes make the lathe a fair bit more rigid. If you can afford it though, go as big as you can afford and fit in your workshop. 😉
The other alternative is used English 'old iron'. The advantage of this is (assuming the lathe has been well looked after), you often get a good amount of tooling in the deal, and so you can get a better manufactured, higher quality lathe, cheaper in the long run (despite sometimes the used prices approaching the cost of new).
Models to look out for are Boxford, Harrison (and Myford but they're often overpriced, there's a hefty sentimental cachet associated with Myford in the UK for some reason, despite them arguably being less capable than equivalent Boxford or Harrison models).
@stevedavey1343 some great info here, much appreciated 😊
I have been wanting a small hobby lathe forever. Was considering the Vevor or maybe trying my luck on Craigslist. This has definitely made me seriously consider that Precision Matthiews, a brand I hadn't even hear of before.
I started with an old Boxford 10” VSL from Craigslist. Told myself i could live with the wear and missing parts since it was cheap. I was rebuilding it for ~2 yrs before i accepted the fact that i wanted to be using a lathe for projects, not having a “lathe project”. It went back on Craigslist half-rebuilt.
Are they coated in Cosmoline? Looks a lot like it.
Came off too easy. Maybe diluted.
What was the expected benefit of comparing a $600 lathe to one 5x the cost? Great vid, but was the point just to show a more expensive lathe is better?
Because the cheap one is where everyone starts when they’re looking, and the 3k one is realistically about as cheap as you’re going to get for a fully-functional machine with no significant compromises.
I have a Grizzly 7 x 12 and really like it. I also have 2 larger lathes. I would say that the Grizzly is a much superior machine compared to the Vevor. The Grizzly does have its limitations but is great for the smaller projects that i usually find myself doing.
Forget about the Vevor lathe. I have the linger one 8.9 x 24 and I had to remachine even the long ways, it was so bad.
I've been trying to talk myself into getting a small metal lathe and had been considering to 8x14. This video showed me the false economy (needing to basically double the initial $$ outlay) to have similar functionality with weaker results requiring additional effort.
Nice video! I have no reason to ever get one of these but still very interesting. Also thank you for using a sensible knife to open the boxes rather than the typical TH-camr Crocodile Dundee knife.
Few weeks ago turned a 3dPrint (100% infill) into a xmass three....pure artwork :D
Good video!
Waiting for the (affordable) desktop cnc lathe's
You forgot to include the fact that the Precision Mathews comes with an installed DRO. I don't know if that was included in the $3k package or not but if it was by the time you add that plus the time and effort involved to install on the Vevor it would be very close to the same price. I also have a PM lathe, 12-28 and it does everything I have needed to do. Great comparison. Thanks.
The DRO is optional but worth it, and having it factory installed was nice.
I really have no interest in lathes and will never buy one, but enjoy watching your content and reviews, whatever your content is. Some people just have a knack of being interesting, informative and educational all at the same time, and you have that covered.
Thank you so much!
Holy crap. There’s no way someone buying the Vevor will have the skills you have to fix that Wow that would be gut wrenching to still of dropped over 700 bucks and hear that for the 1st start 😢
So for me I would of been dead in the water with the Vevor having no prior experience with metal lathe. I’m glad you made this video for the world to see.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this company Littlemachineshop they are in Pasadena Ca. And seen to be more on top of their quality. I wonder if they would work with you so you could put one of their lathes up against the PM 10-22.
LMS are well respected and do seem to offer much better quality lathes than Vevor (not hard, Vevor's lathes are infamous for their dreadful quality).
Not all Chinese small lathes are equal and Vevor are the bottom of the pile.
The PM 9x22 is Chinese of course, so it goes to show that China can make decent machine tools. 😉
Also I feel like you might already know this, but you should be taking your measurements on cold parts. Working them on the lathe heats them up, and distorts the measurements.
If you want to measure hot, create the female part first, because the hole will get slightly bigger as the parts cool (because cold contracts and heat expands).
No, the holes will get larger as the part warms and smaller as it cools.
Agreed in general, but with ground inserts on aluminum, almost all the heat comes off with the chips. The parts were still cool to the touch.
I recently bought a Vevor electric winch because I needed a really cheap simple one to mount on some kind of swiveling arm mounted to a wall. And Vevor had one that was supposed to fit an arm they had too.
I didn't expect much from it and it was still worse than I expected. It was possible to put together and make work but none of it went together really well. I have lifted about 40% of its stated weight limit with it, it worked, but I will not be doing anything heavier than that.
So after that experience all the issues this cheap Vevor lathe had are not that surprising. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, especially after seeing the loose mains voltage parts inside the metal cover.
I used to have a small lathe that was a Sieg C2 (with different local branding on it), bought in 2008 I think. It was very similar in quality and size to this vevor. I kept using it until I got a much bigger one some years later (built in 1952, weighs one ton). I even managed to make bicycle wheel hubs on the small lathe out of 70mm aluminum. The biggest depth of cut it could do at that diameter was maybe 0.2mm so it took hours 🙂. So for someone extremely limited on space and money (like a student living in an appartment) such small table lathe can be usefull. It is that one or no lathe. It can be used if you have enough patience to work around its flaws. But it is a coin toss whether or not the particular unit you get will have issues that make it non-functional or not. And you better be an electrical engineering student just to judge if it is safe to plug it in...
The video was very informative. I didn't expect much from the Vevor and if didn't do anything to change my mind. I have a Grizzly 12X36 gunsmith lathe that I really like but I want to get a smaller lathe to convert to CNC. I know now that the Vevor won't be that lathe. Thanks for saving me the disappointment.
the PM conversion will be cool
Im a trained machinist, someone gave me a Vevor 8.5x24. Shipping cost more than the machine is worth. I got it running well, including making new tailstock (was 50thou low). Is decent now, in my friend’s garage.
50 thou! Geez
Thank you. Yes, it influenced my opinion. I knew Vevor was crudely made but I didn't realize how much they skimped on basic functionality. I figured they may be good enough but not great. I'd been considering a small lathe to play with and they were on the list but unless they have something significantly better than this model, they're not worth considering. I know there's a big price difference but you've shown that value seems to be in spending more to get more.
As a guy with a mid-size and a large lathe, my expectations of my little vevor I picked up on craigslist (essentially brand new, the o.p. thought he could make things instantly and easily, and so lost interested instantly and sold it to me cheaply) was pretty low. But not low enough. One step above junk. That having been said, I just got it for my mobile work (trackside race support) to make/mod little widgets and it has been OK (just) AFTER I replaced the compound with a block of steel to get rid of the flex. I don't badly need tapers, and it made it radically more useful. If you can possibly swing the budget, buy a bit better, like a PM or similar. Or at least a grizzly where there are parts and community to help you. Good luck.
Just a tip for the hardened rod on your 1440. Try some ceramic inserts for the hardened layer. Expensive. But you won't tear up your cnmg's. Nice review. I have a vevor 8x16. And mine came in far better condition than yours. However it's not a steel cutting lathe. Plastic. Brass and light aluminum work only. Also works great for pool cues, and trimming cases for reloading. Everything else goes on my PM 1440sm2v. Nice video again Sir.
Thx. I’ve never run ceramic tooling. I’ll have to check it out. Any insert brand you recommend?
@@FunctionalPrintFriday I believe I have watched videos from, practical machining, this old tony, and cutting edge engineering on insert types, selection, and brand reviews....your choice of creator depending on your mood....and if I have learned anything from CEE it is you have to use ceramic for those chrome moly pistons.