Does anyone know how many small lathes are sold a year??

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Bored and up early, (can't sleep, major surgery tomorrow ), looking at lathes on ebay, just got me wondering.

How many mini-lathes do you think are sold in the UK/world a year??

How many "home shop" lathes etc??

How many Myfords were made/sold in UK/world? (some one must know that one!

Thanks

I'll get back to twiddling my fingers

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Good morning, Jimmy

I don't know the answers, but I do understand your situation

… So I will just wish you well.

MichaelG.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Beware of the question – Its a survey before the government slap an extra tax on home workshops ??????

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

125,639

David

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

The Myford one is easier to handle as there is a list of dates serial numbers on the lathes.uk Web site

Mini lathes will be impossible as the title basically covers the C1, C2, and C3 and as well as Sieg making them there are other factories making the same or similar machines. Real Bull which is often mentioned actually went bump about 4/5 years ago but this spawned off 4 or 5 new suppliers, some of who use the real Bull name still.

Grizzly or Harbor Freight [ can’t remember which] has a standing order with Sieg for one 40 foot container per month. Never less but often more, depending on sales

Edited By John Stevenson on 13/06/2017 08:09:47

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

When I went to the (relatively small) Manchester show in 2016 (I think), I arrived mid-morning. Chester had a pile of boxed mini-lathes, perhaps ten or more? I think there were two there when I left.

Like them or loathe them, I honestly think that they have provided a route into the hobby for many thousands of people who might otherwise never have joined us.

Neil

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

I am genuinely curious as to how David Colwill was able to supply an answer of such an exact number, does he have supernatural powers or was that a spoof?
​

Please reveal your secret David

Regards
Brian

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by John Stevenson on 13/06/2017 08:09:08:

…

Grizzly or Harbor Freight [ can't remember which] has a standing order with Sieg for one 40 foot container per month. Never less but often more, depending on sales

…

Wild guesstimate:

Assuming a 40 foot container to capable of moving 25000kg and a mini-lathe to weigh 40kg, that's 625 mini-lathes per month, or 7500 per year.

Let's also assume that the other US importers bring in similar volumes, say a total of 15000 mini-lathes per year.

The population of the US is 320M, which suggests they are buying 15000/320M lathes per person per year, ie 0.000046875.

Assuming UK and USA interest in buying mini-lathes to be similar, that suggests the UK is importing about 0.000046875 x 60M, or 3000 mini-lathes per year.

Feel free to criticise! My gut feel is that the result is too low.

Dave

[richardandtracyParticipant @richardandtracy]

My gut feel is that the result is too HIGH.

Reason being that the US culture seems to be far more self reliant and mechanically aware than what I see in the UK. I work at an engineering company with (it varies) about 60 employees. Two of us have any machine tools at home. The last place I worked, it was none. That's in the engineering business where people are more mechanically aware than your average McDonalds assistant.

Regards,

Richard.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

SoD they may bring in a container load a month but JS did not say if it was all mini lates inside, they do large machines as well so you won't get many of those into a container..

 

Also volume is the usual deciding factor on what will fit into a container as a lathe crate takes up more room than just a metal weight. crates are about 16x16x30 which at a push would be 468 machines

Edited By JasonB on 14/06/2017 12:40:54

Edited By JasonB on 14/06/2017 12:43:53

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Your opinion of Yanks having machinery is kinda high, I have a small shop at home and know of only 2 other people with a shop. All of Us trying to stay afloat at home. Most people I know don't even know the basic names of any metal related activity.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Hope everything goes/has gone well for you Jimmy!

Neil

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by mark costello 1 on 14/06/2017 14:31:11:

Your opinion of Yanks having machinery is kinda high, I have a small shop at home and know of only 2 other people with a shop. All of Us trying to stay afloat at home. Most people I know don't even know the basic names of any metal related activity.

Ah well, I watch 'Forged in Fire' (on Freeview Blaze) and am therefore an expert in all aspects of American metalwork. Not.

For those in the UK who haven't seen it, 'Forged in Fire' is 'Great British Bake-off' with edged-weapons and violence. For Mary Berry's soggy-bottom, substitute 'Thees will keel…'

Judging by who's in it, most US citizens own forges, power hammers, gas welding equipment, industrial linishers and barn-sized workshops in the boondocks.

Seriously though, if my guess of 0.000046875 lathes per person per year is anything like correct, you would be very unlikely to meet another lathe owner at random. I don't know of anyone else in my locale. As it is, we use the Internet to reduce the odds by connecting a rather small number of like minded hobbyists in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Namibia, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. More power to our elbows even if there aren't millions of us: we must be an elite.

Dave

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by richardandtracy on 14/06/2017 12:32:48:

My gut feel is that the result is too HIGH.

Reason being that the US culture seems to be far more self reliant and mechanically aware than what I see in the UK. I work at an engineering company with (it varies) about 60 employees. Two of us have any machine tools at home. The last place I worked, it was none. That's in the engineering business where people are more mechanically aware than your average McDonalds assistant.

Regards,

Richard.

Could be, except you can do another guestimate based on how many mini-lathes a business would need to sell to avoid bankruptcy.

Say the firm has 5 employees costing £150,000 per year to employ. Accommodation and other overheads might add up to an operation costing £300,000 per year before they've sold anything.

Now, if a £600 mini-lathe costs £300 to buy and import from China, then the company would have to sell about 1000 mini-lathes per year to break even. So the existence of 3 or 4 sellers would suggest a UK market of at least 4000 mini-lathes per-year.

As Jason correctly points out, the container calculation could be seriously adrift. However, bearing in mind that this turn-over based estimate is also very crude, it's interesting that the results are in the same ball-park. (3000 and 4000 UK mini-lathes per year. )

I don't know how much it costs to bulk buy mini-lathes in China. I doubt the retailers would wish to make that public because it might seem they're profiteering. Actually I'm not horrified: their costs in the UK are significant, they have to cover the risks, and it's important to make a profit too.

Dave

[John FlackParticipant @johnflack59079]

Jimmy b ………the answer appears to be "NO"

My very best wishes for a speedy recovery. Give us a post when you are up and running

John f

[JonParticipant @jon]

Theres been a couple of price hikes the last 5 or so years but bought one brand new with metric lead screw and two of everything that normally comes with them inc tool holders £235 boxed.

Do know a certain high seller that imports and you can knock them down 75% on retail pricing for some products. ie £100 retail shop price easy on getting for £75 and squirming below £25. Of course depends on product and whether dead stock or a fast mover.

[Author]

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