I take it from the way you are talking this lathe wasn't bought from Chester Machine Tools UK as they normally have an excellent after sales service. However it it is and they are having problems then raise the issue on their forum and this will assure that it is seen by the right people.

I have a small DB7V lathe from Chester and to date it has been problem free, I also have a small WM14 mill from Warco and this too has been problem free even though a couple of times I have had a mishap and stalled it under load, don't ask why . Normally modern electronics are pretty reliable but there will always be the odd one or two that fail prematurely. This is the nature of electronics and is known as the bathtub curve due to its shape where the failure rate is initially relatively high followed by a period of low failure rate/high reliability then the failure rate increases at end of life.

As I say if it is a Chester Machine Tools product then it may be better to raise the issue on their forum.

Martin

dup post deleted

Edited By pcb1962 on 20/09/2012 08:07:47

I too have a Warco lathe with a cloned version of an old-style KB board (leaded components, rather than the surface mount ones now favoured by KB). The clone was labelled (I think) "Best Controls" of Taiwan. For a 2HP motor on another machine, I bought a KBIC 240D board, and if the Warco one blows up and can't be repaired, I'll get another of those and fit it in the lathe. It is indeed a pin-for pin replacement, the spade connectors being in the same relative positions.

I put some ramblings about these boards on my website HERE . On the lower half of the page is a schematic for the KB,with a parts list and a labelled photo by way of a parts placement diagram.

Andy

Martin,

Looking at the chart on page 8 of the KBIC series manual , I would choose a KBIC 240 if you are on 230VAC mains, specifying the appropriate "horesepower resistor" to suit your motor from the list on page 11 – probably a 9838 or a 9839.

I bought a KBIC 240D to power a 2HP motor, and one of those would do equally as well. If the prices are similar it might be a better choice. Its higher rated components would stand more accidental abuse.

Andy

It's not only machine tools that cost a lot to repair. Some 20 years ago one of my friends owned a disributership for a well known European make of car, he worked out that the cheapest way to stock his spares department was to buy one of each model of car – new – and dismantle it back to the basic bits. The spares that that exercise would yield, would have cost him 3 times the cost of the new cars to buy them in as spares.

Seems like things don't change much.

Keith

Andy (f)

Thanks for the speedy reply with the link and other information – I'll take a look at the manual and also the "ramblings" on your website

Martin.

I've converted my mini lathe to run on a single phase 1/2HP motor. I get 12 speeds! If the PPI pays out, I may finally get an inverter drive

I'm converting my X2 to belt drive..

The basic construction of the chinese machines is good, as long as you don't get a real lemon. generally plenty of metal where its needed and fundamentally accurate. Choose a supplier by their reputation and you will get good service & support.

As has been said many times pay 1/20th of the cost of a Myford and you wn't get a myford, but if you are happy to carry out your own maintanance and upgrades why shouldn't you get decades of use from one?

Neil (12 years driving a mini lathe and still not bored)