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I want to get a small metal lathe that I can build parts with and teach myself some more metal work. I don't want to respond to a FB ad for something used, because I don't know enough to know what I'm buying so I want something new in a box. I was looking at a Vevor lathe, but it seems like that Chinese brand is bad news, so I found this one at Harbor Freight. Yeah, I know all about Harbor Freight and have never bought anything from them that wasn't in an emergency, but I've heard a lot about their drive to change their reputation.
Any thoughts? I don't want to spend more than 700ish and as stated don't want to source a used one. 7" x 12" Mini Metal Lathe
I cannot help.on those brands. But shop around and take a look at JET Tools also. They have been around a long time and I used to sell that brand through my distributorship with good results.
While Harbor Freight has/had a reputation for being on the lesser/cheap side of things, everything I have bought from them has done its job and is still working to this day.
I cannot help.on those brands. But shop around and take a look at JET Tools also. They have been around a long time and I used to sell that brand through my distributorship with good results.
Oooo, those are purty! Little out of my budget at $4k to start though. Maybe someday when I retire.
I have looked at that very one. With proper high speed tooling like Mo-Max properly ground, it will definitely do small work. May need a little tune up smoothing it in and making sure compound and cross slide are set correctly.
Now learning on it would be better off if you have an adult vocational trade school with machineshop that has manual machines. Getting those cutting tools right is the key when you lack rigidity.
Were i started in high school during my summers. Went on to finish an Apprenticeship in toolmaking and as an apprentice instructor for the first 15 years of my career. I still have those basic Mo-Max tools for turning, threading, grooving and cutting off small parts I ground by hand with basic clearances.
Technology has gone Numerical Control but one needs to have the basics down unless the production mass producing the same part.
Not mine but somewhat what probably work..
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Feb 25, 2026 at 03:21 PM.
I have looked at that very one. With proper high speed tooling like Mo-Max properly ground, it will definitely do small work. May need a little tune up smoothing it in and making sure compound and cross slide are set correctly.
Now learning on it would be better off if you have an adult vocational trade school with machineshop that has manual tools. Getting those cutting tools right is the key when you lack rigidity.
Were i started in high school during my summers. Went on to finish an Apprenticeship in toolmaking and as an apprentice instructor for the first 15 years of my career. I still have those basic Mo-Max tools for turning, threading, grooving and cutting off small parts I ground by hand with basic clearances.
Technology has gone Numerical Control but one needs to have the basics down unless the production mass producing the same part.
Not mine but somewhat what probably work..
Thanks for the info.
Unfortunately, Vo-tech is not an option for a handful of reasons (the only one I know of is in Muderapolis, I don't have the time/energy) and I really enjoy teaching myself. I am interested in a couple of things you said though, what do you mean by "manual tools" and "lack rigidity".
Last edited by snake_eyes; Feb 25, 2026 at 03:11 PM.
Unfortunately, Vo-tech is not an option for a handful of reasons (the only one I know of is in Muderapolis, I don't have the time/energy) and I really enjoy teaching myself. I am interested in a couple of things you said though, what do you mean by "manual tools" and "lack rigidity".
I corrected that manual tools to manual machines. (Like your Harbour Freight lathe only of course larger and better made)
The rigidity is a loose term.. Not sure how rigid the head stock bearing that supports the lathe chuck. And as long as the slides are precise, the gib that snug it can be set so there is little play thru out the movement.
Good sharp tools then would do a good job. Carbide tools cut with lot more force. Now they make some with good chip breaker but using tooling like that is quite expensive.
They are however ready to go out of the box. Not really intended to be resharpened. However, they can be touched up with a diamond grind wheel or a special carbide grinding wheel usually green in color.
Carbide also comes brazed on shanks
And that little lathe just may cut with them..
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I purchased these two machines, a three phase generator and their power hack saw in 2012 when I retired. Figured they would give me something and my oldest son to do.
Still running fine. I never found the time or desire to mess with them.
When I retired, I was given the opportunity to take over the retiring craft instructor at the votec machine shop. I interviewed and watched the class.
Came back a another day for the day and realized no one were running the machines. Ever one of the twelve were mostly failing out of high school and there for a free 3 hours.
I wanted no part of that...Told them I would do the adult night class starting up but they needed to get a NC lathe and mill for training people so they would at minimum get a head start for Newport News Shipbuilding.
Before that happened, they shutdown the machine shop down when the instructor retired. Didn't have any Numerical Control or the budget for it.
Last edited by Jackie Paper; Feb 25, 2026 at 04:44 PM.
My friend has that small HF lathe. He did quite a bit of work with it, but he did have an issue and I don't recall but it seems the switch went bad. He finally fixed it. He also bought a large old US brand lathe because he said the HF one just did not have the capacity he sometimes needed. But it was also around a 3500# lathe.
My old boss had a "Smithy" and did a lot of things on it. If I recall it was a multi type tool as in ; Lathe, end mill abilities.
I have heard the Jett was pretty good machines also. I kind of always wanted one, just never could justify the space it takes, or the money for a really nice one. But the sheer size and weight also stopped me.
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Harbor Freight/Central Machinery
