Thread: GMC woodlathe, anything like it?

Carba Tec has the MC1000, I think that is similar, only better!

Originally Posted by ElizaLeahy

Carba Tec has the MC1000, I think that is similar, only better!

NOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD THE mc1000 IS WAY BETTER THAN A GMC WOOD LATHE ok ill tell you now the GMC wood lathes were very bad lathes you can use them but they are better made into disc sanders if i were you i would i would look in the paper for a lathe but dont settle for a pressed steel one get made of cast iron oh and look out for ones using steel tube for the bed, most of the time just walk away and find a better one. last weekend there were 4 or so lathes in the papper for $200 and below. one thing to remember is the first one you get will show you what you will want to use the lathe for just get one that will be easy to use trust me stay away from tubes and pressed steel!!!!! they are the very bottom of the pile!!!!!!

ok hope i convinced you not to get a GMC wood lathe

Patrick

ebay has that many GMC lathes for sale Too many for that matter which would be a good reason not to by one

Maybe he wants it to make a boat anchor?

Just about any cast iron bed lathe will be better than one made from steel pipes (Oneway is the exception, but the price $$$$$$!!).

There are a number of 'clone' cast iron bed lathes - the MC900/MC1100 series are sold under a great variety of names, colours & numbers. Carbatec, Hare & Forbes aka Machinery House, Timbecon all sell them.

Jet has a greater range of lathes in this style, the difference is that Jet expend a lot more effort on quality control - which you pay for I suppose. The Jets range from pen turners micro lathes thru' 'Midi' models up to full sized units with full priced price tags too. Gary Pye Woodturning, Gregory Machinery & Major Woodworking Equipment are all Jet dealers.

If you buy a new lathe, you may also want to consider after sales support & the cost of shipping a dud lathe or parts back to the dealer.

I was thinking of buying a GMC lathe a few months ago. On this site I found out that a lot of people buy a gmc lathe only to buy a better lathe in a few months time. So what I did was skipped that step and bought a $300 second hand MC900 to start with, which I think was a good decision. If you want to buy something new that’s fairly good, prices start at about $319 from Carba Tec.

jet lathes are good. I have a 1220. Problem is they've gone up a lot in price and i wonder whether they're good value for money now. I got my lathe for about $450 new from gregory's 2 years ago but rrp is closer to 700 now i believe.

Originally Posted by Cub

What a shame GMC going out of business, anyway are there any lathes that are like it ,that are around the same length and for around the same price.
Many thanks Cub

In answer to your question, No there isn't any lathe similar to the GMC for around the same price. My son in law actually bought one of these about 10 years ago to learn to do turning and he became quite a good turner and turned out some really good pieces on the cheap GMC.
He eventually upgraded to a much better lathe but for around $99 which is about its price if you can find one still in stock somewhere, it will start you off on the road to turning.
If you end up making something nice on the GMC then when you upgrade to a better machine, it will be a breeze to turn something really nice.
Depends on what you want to do. You cannot expect a $100 machine to be like a $500 machine and the $500 machine wont be as good as a $1000 machine but if you want to just get into turning then the GMC will give you an insight into what you might be able to do on a better lathe.
Also depends on your budget. For a hundred bucks, what can you lose? and like mentioned above, if you decide to get a better one later on you can turn it into a disc sander.
You can't really compare the Carba-Tec lathe with the GMC. There is a huge difference in the price. If you keep your eyes open you may be able to find a reasonable priced lathe that may suit you better. Good luck with your search.

Anything like a GMC lathe?? NO! thank God!

hare and forbes wl-18 and wl-20 have cast iron bed, 2 year warratny and spares readily available once the warranty runs out.
they also have some electronic variable speed models available, bit more $$$ but worth a look, if you get a chance drop by their store, usually have most things on display with helpful staff to show you the machines etc.
no affiliation and all that, just heard it from a mates father who has one.

Cub, That was suposed to be an April fools joke wasn't it?

china

Originally Posted by China

Cub, That was suposed to be an April fools joke wasn't it?

china

I thought it was too,but wasnt going to say

I am serrious, here guys i'll give you all a heads up though if i am going to be funny

tehre were a few the same.

the ryobi one was teh same buno if its still made.

and a few other types. normaly a few on ebay.

Is there anything like the Leyland P76......................

GC