Warco BH600 or Myford Super 7 lathe?

[brightspark]

What’s a big lathe?

harrison or colchester not as big as a dsg but i dont need bigger and if i did i have access to one biggest i needed was parting car wheels for banding. you dont need a sledge hammer to crack a nut

 

[Trevanion]

What’s a big lathe?

This is what you’d probably consider a moderately sized lathe.

 

[Other Daniel]

This is what you’d probably consider a moderately sized lathe.

View attachment 393919

Should really have a coffee mug, for scale.

 

[pressbrake1]

This is what you’d probably consider a moderately sized lathe.

View attachment 393919

Maintenance shop job

 

[pressbrake1]

harrison or colchester not as big as a dsg but i dont need bigger and if i did i have access to one biggest i needed was parting car wheels for banding. you dont need a sledge hammer to crack a nut

I think any Harrison or Colchester as tool room capable of small stuff , they have the right user dynamic and speeds
I have a Lang the size of a mastiff and it’s hopeless on stuff under 4” and controls are so heavy

 

[arther dailey]

they had a nice one in vospers ship yard woolston, guy sat on the saddle which as a 16 year old apprentice was a eye opener

 

[not done it yet]

I remember a school selling all their good stuff to home and workshop machinery to buy shiny new chinesium.
Six months later h and w were giving them part ex on the chinesium to buy back their British machines.
Fords did the same at their apprentice training facility. A milling machine head actually broke off doing a modest cut.
A pal have a gear head warco that a college actually threw away. He told me it looks pretty and ok on soft stuff but junk compared to his fifty year old Colchester master

I would expect to win a bet on whether any myfords were installed in educational establishments - other than the later model 254. I suppose there may have been a few, a verrry looong time ago.

Guarding older lathes can be cheaper/better than buying new carp with the modern requirements of HSE already fitted. Cheap chinese lathes had cheap guarding as well.

 

[Hopefuldave]

better still keep it and get a bigger one as well its sh.ite making small parts on a big lathe

I dunno, mine's pretty good! Though it is a bit posh... I think the micrometer stops and feed trips are a real bonus compared to anything else I've used, and the silky-smooth fingertip Holbrook experience is ver pleasant - though I did have to mess about a bit to get 2500 RPM for the ickle stuff in collets (no, not spinning the 10" 4-jaw at that speed!)
Even the 1930s? "British" Challenger (actually a pretty basic Sheldon!) I had before was better than no lathe, though!
Dave H. (the other one)

 

[addjunkie]

I would expect to win a bet on whether any myfords were installed in educational establishments - other than the later model 254. I suppose there may have been a few, a verrry looong time ago.

Guarding older lathes can be cheaper/better than buying new carp with the modern requirements of HSE already fitted. Cheap chinese lathes had cheap guarding as well.

About 13 years ago my Mrs worked in a senior school, on her guided tour she observed both a myford lathe and mill. A decision was made get rid, when the school was moving to a new building. It was sealed bids in an envelope….I didnt win. Neither had ever been used by a kid, they were like new, as no one in the school knew how to use them since Mr xyz had retired.

 

[daxliniere]

Thanks everyone. I'll see how things progress and report back after I hear back from the guy.
Cheers!!

 

[Smouser]

I have got a Warco 350. It is a 'generic' lathe that was produced in Taiwan.

Taiwanese Lathes by Brazier's Lantaine, Romac, Enco, Wey II Corp, Warco, Peerless, Kin Shin, Carolina with Models: 1122, 1124, 1224, 1236, 1340 & 1327 Lathes

AB, Brazier's TY110, Busy-Bee, Carolina, Grizzly DF-1224G, Elpha DF-1224G, Enco, Everest, Forbes Glen, Hafco AL350A, Honden Visa, Himount, Husky PC-36, Huvema HU23, JET-1024, Kin Shin, KS-3.5, Lantaine, Leopard, Lin Huan, Lux-Cut, Manhattan, Mascot SS-2

www.lathes.co.uk

I believe the Warco 350 was before the BH600 (which was made in China).

A member on another forum said "The earlier lathe (Warco 350) had the same looking castings and components as the first of their Chinese BH600 lathe, but the much earlier version was produced in Taiwan and built to a higher standard. It also had a lathe bed formed with three vee guidways, with two vee ways being used to guide the saddle."

This is mine (expertly fixed by @RobCox twice!)

The three vee guideways

I like it and it can do everything that I need. That being said, I am still beginner and don't really have any other experiences of metal lathes.

I say go for the Warco because the Myford has only got a leadscrew for powerfeed (which will wear the leadscrew/nut out faster ) .

 

[addjunkie]

This is a warco 1327, made in 86, Taiwan too I think. Was a decent machine, did most of what i needed, still making swarf to make bits for a pink Triumph on the wirral with its new owner!

 

[Smouser]

View attachment 394221
This is a warco 1327, made in 86, Taiwan too I think. Was a decent machine, did most of what i needed, still making swarf to make bits for a pink Triumph on the wirral with its new owner!

Mine was made in 1980.

 

[Colin Barron]

View attachment 394221
This is a warco 1327, made in 86, Taiwan too I think. Was a decent machine, did most of what i needed, still making swarf to make bits for a pink Triumph on the wirral with its new owner!

For anyone happy with this size and weight of machine there is the old standard school option Boxford. Decent build quality and if you can find a school one it has probably done zero hours work in the past 20 years. There are two on Ebay with bids around £500.

 

[Keith 66]

^^^^ Most school lathes never get used 20 years of getting dry & covered in dust is usual. But they may have been used by klutzes before that!
Myfords were sometimes put in schools, i have seen three & know of two ex college myfords one of which i owned.
I suspect they were too fragile to last long in a school environment!