Thread: Opinions on the Delta 1440

Looking at some photos on the net, it looks like it is basically the same as the various MC900 lathes around. If that is the case then the various pro's and con's of those lathes apply. The stand is light weight and needs more bracing and weighing down. There is some slop in the tail stock etc. In general decent value for money for a beginners lathe. CarbaTec currently sells the MC900 for about $530, so a second hand one should go for less than that, depending on condition.

Yep. I missed that. I tend to think of Delta as producing OK stuff.

Also, I think that it is actually more of a MC-1100 than MC-900 - but either way probably has the same kind of problems.

Cheers

Cam

An MC900 (or1100) isn't necessarily a bad lathe - but there are better ones out there. I started on an MC900, and it is still the only lathe I own, and probably will be for a while. It depends on what you need, and what you can afford to spend. If you can spend more then there are better lathes out there. Delta stuff does seem to command a premium price, but this particular lathe doesn't look to me to be any better than the standard MC ones, so I wouldn't pay more than for one of them. Having said that I have never used one, so someone may come along and say that there is more precise machining in parts of it than in a standard MC model or something.

Peter

Cam,
If possible, I would pass on it.
Gil

Yeah, I know that there are differences in the different makes - they might be small, but I know that Ledacraft has a name for good motors etc...

I think that some manufacturer's spend a bit more time cleaning the casting up than others too?

As for being a "good enough" lathe... It may well be, but then I don't want to get something that will be a limitation. I used to have an old Woodfast MC-900 (from when they were made in Australia). That was a nice machine and I don't really want to go backwards from there. However, it didn't have the range of speeds I would like...

Cheers

Cam

Thanks for that Gil.

It is certainly possible to pass on it. Actually, getting it would be a bit of a pain since it is not local...

Back to the waiting game. Now if only Rsser wanted to sell his Stubby for a stupidly low price...

Cam

Originally Posted by Gil Jones

Cam,
If possible, I would pass on it.
Gil

It is a stupidly low price.

Originally Posted by rsser

It is a stupidly low price.

Given. Any price to get rid of a Stubby is a stupidly low price... Unfortunately not one I can afford right now...

I started turning with a GMC piece it was crap but it got me interested (So I guess it served its purpose), then I bought a Delta 1440, I managed to turn some decent stuff with it. I used it for a few years. It was pretty reliable and I was happy with it. It certainly was a good starter lathe.

The down side with it was that the minimum speed was a bit fast. (about 500 rpm) and the max speed was somewhere in the 2000 to 2500 rpm range.

The biggest bowl I managed to turn on it was a large lump of Camphor the finished size is about 360mm X 200mm. This was not too difficult to do the only hard part was making sure that the blank was well balanced before turning because 500 rpm was really a bit fast to start out with.
I turned quite a few pens on it and had no trouble at all with them.

In the time i used it The only money that I had to spend on it was to replace the pressure plates that adjust the speed on the machine. (Sorry I don't know the correct terminology )
When I got mine I purchased it new from Carbatec so I was able to compare it side by side with the MC1100 and at the time I thought that the production quality of the Delta was slightly better. (Although I didnt really know what I was looking at, it just looked better finished.) It was slightly more expensive, I dont remember how much now though.

I still own the Delta, I have lent it to a friend so that he can try out turning. I will be selling it in the near future as I dont have room for two lathes.

G'day,
I own a Delta 1440 and am pretty pleased with it. I would second what Wayne has said.
The tolerances are better than alot of other MC style lathes, the tailstock comes in accurately and the rotating headstock comes in handy for larger pieces or alot of hollowing work without having to lean over to the bed all the time.
The stand can be a little lightweight if you are doing unbalanced lumps but is easy enough to brace up - I put in an MDF shelf and loaded it with a cement bag and braced the ends and that helped.
I have to qualify the statements by saying it is the only lathe I have used or owned but it has certainly been able to do everything i have asked of it - all the timber out here is HARD and I haven't had a problem.
Hope that helps.
Bruce.

Thanks Bruce but I have recently got a Leady Lathe and I am thrilled. The only problem is that it is for my birthday in a month's time so I officially don't know about it yet...

I will be sure to do a nice review once I get it set up.

Cheers

Cam