That's absolutely identical to my old Portass "S", just a different name. As you say, very basic. It was OK for me when I was a teenager and I did a lot with it. But if you plan to invest a lot of time (and inevitably money) in it, you may as well buy a better quality machine. In terms of value, it can't be worth more than £100-150 on a good day. You'll spend that and more on basic tooling etc.

Murray

There is a Drummond  M Type on Fleabay UK right now at 49 quid, with a good pile of tooling and bits and pieces. Far better lathe and more useful. Ditto the later models sold as Myford M Types. Quite comparable with a modern lathe, or better, if you get one in good condition. Another one was on there a few days ago for 150 quid or so. They do sometimes sell stupid cheap for as good a machine as they are. (Sometimes not.) Depends too if the location suits you, and it is best to inspect before purchase, if you know what you are looking at. I would not go for any of the earlier Drummond round beds or type A or B etc as they are much more in the same league as the Maximus. (Sure I'll get pilloried by early Drummond owners for that! Such is life.) That said, any lathe is better than no lathe to get started so sometimes you have to go with what you can find locally, such as your Maximus.

Edited By Hopper on 05/05/2017 08:59:32

Edited By Hopper on 05/05/2017 09:01:09

…and keep my eyes out….

… and how will you see when a bargain pops up

George.