New User: Sharp vs. Jet. vs. Ganesh vs. Birmingham

[JRP]

As you can see, I've narrowed the list down... *S*

I'm in the market for a lathe (13x40 or 14x40) and a 3-axis, "CNC retro-fittable" mill (9x49 plus a few bells and whistles). My budget is in the $15K range, and although I'd definitely consider quality, used equipment that would save a few $$$ for accessories, I'm leaning towards buying new.

In reviewing the 'Zone and other forums, the only machine I haven't found considerable discussion on is Ganesh (www.ganeshmachinery.com). I was seriously considering going Birmingham all the way, but SouthernTools.com ranks the B'ham lathe as "Good" - fourth out of four. (They don't rank the mills the same way.) And at the moment, Southern is offering free shipping.

Your thoughts, please, and thanks.

-Jim (Thornton, CO)

[Zumba]

Since your budget is sufficient, go with Taiwanese machines, which rules out Birmingham.

I have a Jet JTM-2, made in Taiwan with Meehanite castings. It's a very good machine, but the paint seems to chip easily. I got it on sale for $3700 new with free shipping and no tax, so I can't complain. If I had to pay full price ($5200), I'd probably go with the Sharp instead. Take a look at this guy's Sharp LMV retrofit... http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18284

The Ganesh machines are way too expensive. They're playing off marketing tactics... making consumers believe that their machines are better just because they're more expensive. Plus, I've read negative reviews of their CNC machines. So my vote... Sharp.

As for the lathe, again, go with a Taiwanese machine. This rules out all the Birminghams and Jets (Chinese). I used to have a Jet 13x40. Didn't like it. The Ganesh is, again, a ripoff. The Sharps seem to be decent, but the surprising front runner, IMO, is the "Toolroom" series lathes from Grizzly. I bought the flagship Grizzly G9733, 15x50 for $12,250. It's a Colchester clone and the quality is outstanding. I had a chance to pop open the lid when installing my DRO and got a peek of the internal gearbox... amazingly high quality. Hardened gears in an oil bath with superb surface finish. They'll last for a long time.

The other two Grizzly lathes to consider are the 13x40 and 14x40 toolroom lathes, also made in Taiwan. The rest of the Grizzly line is made in China.

[Zumba]

The gears....

[JRP]

Zumba,

Thanks for the excellent reviews and photos. The Birminghams, Jets, and Ganeshes ('Ganeshi'? *S*) are no longer on the list.

I like the looks and price of the Grizzly 13x40 and 14x40 lathes and just need to decide if I need the capacity of the 14".

-Jim