USB is part of a $3000 option. I will deal with floppys for that much. I really never seen lathe programs that were very big anyway. As for the old manual lathe, the ways are trashed, you can grab the cross slide and compound and slide them around 0.200" in and out and there is nothing I can do about it, the power feed is shot, the clutch slips, the spindle bearings are badly worn, the tailstock ram is ready to fall out, the lead screws are VERY mushroomed over and somehow I have still been able to make money with it and keep my customers happy. I guess that I should not complain when I got it for $1000 from a highschool. This new machine should be an incomprehensible improvement.
PS. maybe the old machine will make a good cylindrical sander! |