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Anyone buy from Precision Mathews lately

My Precision Matthews PM-1340GT lathe, using a .0001" DTI, I don't detect any motion when checking runout on spindle taper.

Specs
• High Precision NSK Spindle Bearings, +/‐ .0001” Spindle Runout Max
 
hogpatrol said:
Advised a buddy to buy a new PM lathe. Poor quality control, multiple problems eventually rectified but wouldn't do it again. I'm with Alex. find an American made machine with good ways, buy the best bearings for the headstock and rebuild it. Having said that, if one is found, beware of machines with fresh paint jobs.
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I wanted american made machines all along but ended up with imports after my fiasco with a 56 made South Bend—got a PM and a grizz.
they have been adequate and i havent had many problems. One big reason i went with them was because parts were readily available. Not true anymore! Will it ever be true Again?
Who Knows. Same is true for many American made machines- many times Parts are not available at all- Or if they are are very expensive. whats a guy to do?? If i was buying a lathe now Id look at that very carefully. I dont think id buy an import now but they allowed me to get the experience without being a machinery rebuilder. I guess these imports now are like everything else is getting to be—-use it till it breaks then throw it away.
 
Ledd Slinger said:
My PM-25MV bench top mill is made in Taiwan but I just went to the PM web page and see they have changed the design and now it’s made in China :(
And the cost is also $1000 more than what I paid 6 years ago! Just another company selling out to China to increase profit margins I guess. So I stand corrected...

I also noticed the new design is about 60 lbs lighter than my original version so I don’t see how that’s any good. Expect they had the new Chinese factory make it cheaper. Cut corners and charge you more, that’s the new American way!
View attachment 1341398


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PM offers the ultra precision version made in Taiwan and the costs are going through the roof ! I’m an owner operator running in and out of ports delivering containers. The cost to get ocean freight across the ocean is now 8-10 time higher than a year any a half ago. Rail freight from a California port to the east coast is up by 7 times. Then the truck ride to the warehouse is up more than double. That’s the end I’m on. I don’t know what is happening with machine tool prices from the manufacturer but many food stuffs from Asia are up many multiples. I had dinner with the owner of a large Asian food importer a couple of weeks ago that really opened my eyes to how bad the food supply chain is. Basics like rice and coconut milk are up 7x-10x at the source in Asia then add the shipping costs. By fall there will be real food shortages around the world and here in the USA. In the third world people will starve and here the middle class will be crushed by inflation. If China continues with their draconian lockdowns many people here in the USA will die for lack of medicines. I’ve already had to change BP meds twice due to unavailability.
 
Shrek said:
PM offers the ultra precision version made in Taiwan and the costs are going through the roof ! I’m an owner operator running in and out of ports delivering containers. The cost to get ocean freight across the ocean is now 8-10 time higher than a year any a half ago. Rail freight from a California port to the east coast is up by 7 times. Then the truck ride to the warehouse is up more than double. That’s the end I’m on. I don’t know what is happening with machine tool prices from the manufacturer but many food stuffs from Asia are up many multiples. I had dinner with the owner of a large Asian food importer a couple of weeks ago that really opened my eyes to how bad the food supply chain is. Basics like rice and coconut milk are up 7x-10x at the source in Asia then add the shipping costs. By fall there will be real food shortages around the world and here in the USA. In the third world people will starve and here the middle class will be crushed by inflation. If China continues with their draconian lockdowns many people here in the USA will die for lack of medicines. I’ve already had to change BP meds twice due to unavailability.
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Yeah that’s been the agenda of the new administration since they took office. Crush the people with financial burden then offer them a handout so they become government dependent again.

But I’ve been ready for it. We have a big garden, canned goods, packed freezer, chickens, resident elk herd and deer, backup generator, and a little stash of emergency food in the mechanical room. I think every bucket is about 150 servings or something like that.

FJB!!!

85A7E877-57B0-40F3-A190-CBF3B7E8F7AC.jpeg
 
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Ledd Slinger said:
Yeah that’s been the agenda of the new administration since they took office. Crush the people with financial burden then offer them a handout so they become government dependent again.

But I’ve been ready for it. We have a big garden, canned goods, packed freezer, chickens, resident elk herd and deer, backup generator, and a little stash of emergency food in the mechanical room. I think every bucket is about 150 servings or something like that.

FJB!!!

View attachment 1341711
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wheres the TP:eek: lol
 
Ledd Slinger said:
Yeah that’s been the agenda of the new administration since they took office. Crush the people with financial burden then offer them a handout so they become government dependent again.

But I’ve been ready for it. We have a big garden, canned goods, packed freezer, chickens, resident elk herd and deer, backup generator, and a little stash of emergency food in the mechanical room. I think every bucket is about 150 servings or something like that.

FJB!!!

View attachment 1341711
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That’s great ! Personally I don’t worry too much about stacking back supplies because I’m going to die from lack of perishable medication. When civilization dies so do I. Just the reality for me and many others.
 
Shrek said:
That’s great ! Personally I don’t worry too much about stacking back supplies because I’m going to die from lack of perishable medication. When civilization dies so do I. Just the reality for me and many others.
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Food might end up being the new currency along with gasoline and diesel. Could maybe trade a couple food buckets for a new PM Ultra Precision lathe ;)
 
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I got a 1440GT 3ph a couple years ago. Yes there were some delays. (I also have a Hercus lathe and ACRA mill). The first PM machine arrived damaged, dings in the ways. Matt replaced the machine with no hesitation. I'm sure he lost money after paying for that RT to Alaska. As far as the machine I'm satisfied with it. The "5-1/2 MT" spindle kinda sucks because there is really no such thing as 5-1/2 MT (order an extra adapter). They did that to get the 2" bore and not go to a bigger shaft. I don't have a collet chuck and pretty much gave up on getting one. Couple other little things that may or may not cause you a problem. The PM 4-jaw does not have a 2" bore and the steady rest will barely fit 2" material. The casting is a bit off center. One big selling point for me was the 5 year warranty. If I were buying today I'd probably get the TL
 
Yesterday in church a friend was lamenting that we as a country don't know how to make anything anymore. He used the example of mayonnaise, but the same is true for almost everything. When my dad was in high school (1930's), his shop project was building a bench lathe. With that lathe the next year's students built a mill from the castings on up. The only things purchased were bearings and tooling.
 
Just to make sure it's crystal clear, PM sells lathes and mills made BOTH in Taiwan and China. The "T" in the model is the indicator.

My own lathe is a PM 1340 GT and is Taiwan built. The one we just received for the shop is a PM 1440 GT and is Taiwan made. My mill is an PM 833T and is Taiwan made.

The Taiwan built machines are good quality. I have no idea about American made small lathes and milling machines because we don't make any anymore.

In case some have been living under a rock, we are experiencing high inflation, a manufacturing shortage, and transportation issues. This is primarily because of the $3 Trillion in money added to the economy before manufacturing could catch up from the COVID lockdowns. Add to that all the recent anti-energy regulations/policies and the war in Ukraine, and no none should should be surprised that it's hard to get stuff and stuff is getting more and more expensive.
 
Matt (PM) special ordered this. After over a couple of years of service, I ran a taper cut exercise. 10 inch unsupported it still yielded these numbers. Close enough for government work. Within measuring error in a non-controlled environment.

Lathe picture was on break time during installation.

PM1440TV is an Eisen 1440EV, just diffrenr badge.

20200224_152619.jpg20220419_232703.jpg20220419_232645.jpg

It did not cut this straight out of the box. I had to align the HS. What a pain, but it gave me the opportunity to replace the HS clampdown metric socket heads with ARP 12 point metric bolts. Much easier to work with.
 
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Dusty Stevens said:
Hardinge lathes are second to none. @Walt Krafft has a new one
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I don't see anything on the Hardinge website that is remotely like a small homeowner lathe, like PM offers.

www.hardinge.com

Turning Archives - Hardinge - The Americas

Hard turning is often considered a replacement for grinding operations or as a pre-grinding process.
www.hardinge.com www.hardinge.com

Also, while the Bridgeport is considered a light duty machine by commercial machining standards, it is definitely not a small mill for home use.

Many decades ago American companies like Southbend and others made small lathes appropriate for a hobbiest. I am not sure if anything smaller than the Bridgeport was American made.

American made equipment seems aimed at the commercial market, and they have given over small large and mill manufacturing to Asia.
 
Bamban said:
Matt (PM) special ordered this. After over a couple of years of service, I ran a taper cut exercise. 10 inch unsupported it still yielded these numbers. Close enough for government work. Within measuring error in a non-controlled environment.

Lathe picture was on break time during installation.

PM1440TV is an Eisen 1440EV, just diffrenr badge.

View attachment 1344118View attachment 1344119View attachment 1344120

It did not cut this straight out of the box. I had to align the HS. What a pain, but it gave me the opportunity to replace the HS clampdown metric socket heads with ARP 12 point metric bolts. Much easier to work with.
Click to expand...

You say it didn't cut straight out of the box, but the level you show doesn't look like a .0002" sensitivity level?
 
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