Enco Metal Lathes

[DISCONNECTED]

Looking At Enco 13x40 Metal Lathe With Dro Installed.any Comments On Their Lathes?they Have Sales Sometimes And The Price Seems Pretty Good.

[Dugg]

A few years back while attending the helicopter convention in Anaheim, I went down to Enco in Costa Mesa. It was worth the cost of the trip just be be able to see their mills and lathes first hand.

My opinion, junk.... which is also my opinion of Harbor Fright stuff.

They had a rather large lathe at a reduced price with a sign saying; missing parts. Hey, they're the dealer and if they can't get parts how would anyone else?

There was a mill with a tag indicating it had been in a show at the Convention Center five years prior to this date and they still hadn't sold it.

I asked if they shipped much to Colorado - thinking I might be able to get a reference. They said no, most of their items go to Mexico.

I consider the majority of main-land Chinese machine tools to be about the same... not worthy of my consideration. Maybe that's why I don't have a lathe and a mill. To me most of the lathes and mills look about the same... sold under fifteen different names, but pretty much the same stuff.

Have you ever seen a lathe ad where they talk about accuracy? I haven't.
Jet says theirs comes with a Certificate of Tolerence. Shouldn't that be available to review before the sale?

[gmatov]

Happy New Year to all.

That said, first post here. Header when I logged on said I haven't posted yet, why not come join the fun. So, here I am.

That said....
I don't know about Enco. I HAVE bought HF stuff (too much of it, can't leave the store without too much in my basket), including a display multi-function machine, marked way down, missing most of the accessories, drill chuck, lathe chuck, TS center, HS center, wrenches, etc. Bought it cheap, took it home, e-mailed HF and said it was lacking all that, asked if I could get them supplied at, hopefully, a reduced price.

Reply was to let them know what I needed, they would send me the items, no charge. They e-mailed me the "manual", with list of accessories, I circled the lathe chuck mounting plate as the item I DID get with it, said I need the rest.

Took about a month, packages coming in at different times. Not only got all the stuff, for some reason they threw in a MT2 collet holder and 8 collets in a case. That was not part of the original package at retail, but I have it here.
Whether they wanted to keep my good will and send a little extra, or whether someone made a mistake, I am happy with that.

So, mebbe Enco or Grizzly, or Sieg, or whoever can't supply parts. HF can and, in my case, did.

I have 2 SB9s already, I was a Machine Repairman for a good while, then a Millwright Overhead Crane Repairman for the last of my working days.

I appreciate SOME of the "old iron" built in the USA. Worked on many, many of them, most every maker there was. Some items were flat out junk from Day 1. Constantly breaking down. Other stuff, larger, from late 30's, wartime prep machines, manual control, would work forever.

I don't make a living at this, as some of you do. Hobby, to me. You need the utmost accuracy and dependability. I don't, and the stuff I do for myself, an HF machine will suit. Hell, I don't know if I have the time left to wear one out.

Cheers,

Geoge

[Aksess]

I just bought an Enco 13x40 a few weeks back. A friend had ordered it new and in shipping something fell against it on the truck. it broke the 2 speed switch and broke the lead screw engagement arm, Bent the chip tray a little. He refused shipment and they sent him a new one. They sold him the damaged one at a greatly reduced price. He kept it setting in his shop for a few years and never turned it on. Anyway he sold me the machine for $1,500 I ordered all the parts to fix it from Enco for around $85 I actually love the machine it is 3 phase 3 Hp. I turned a piece of bronze to check the accuracy in a 3' turn I am getting 2-4 thousands off from one end to the other. I can live with this. Anyway I liked it so much I bought a Rong Fu RF 30 to compliment the lathe.

[jackson]

well i have used one severial times and like it quite well its like anything else, "you get what you pay for" it seems to be very sterdy and reliable machine a friend of mine has it in his gaurage and i thikk he has had it for about 9 years or so and has never had a problem and he uses it everyday