Greetings from India ,
For quite a while now I have been considering getting a lathe , and have done enough research to buy one and be happy with it , but it still seems a little half hearted to go about buying one without pestering the veterans here without a question . I apologise in advance in case my questions come off as juvenile . I note the questionable apsects as points and to the best reflection of my understanding .
1. "The best lathe is the biggest one that can fit one's workshop." I don't have dedicated workshop per se . After procuring a lathe ,my own room would have to double as a workshop , further I live in an apartment , and would continue to do so for a couple years more .
2. I intend to use the lathe primarily for model engines , I have a fair inclinations to Elmer's engine plans and small prototypes lying around the internet .
3. Chinese lathes and other machinery are to a large extent inaccessible not only because of the current covid situation but also because of border tensions which are unlikely to resolve within the current year . I have lost the Sieg lathes as such.
4. My budget is anywhere less than "£ 3000.00"
5. The lathes I have considered are : the Cowells 90 ME (heavily inclined to this one) , Myford Super 7 {refurbished} ( primary concerns are that it's going to be a big machine ), Warco WM 250 (some sites have expressed build quality as a possible concern, I wouldn't know any better ). My preference for lathes made in UK is because of voltage , and ease of import.
After thinking through all this I still am of the opinion that I am missing something . The Cowells is a small lathe , would that hamper me for the noted intentions? Also unlike the Myford and Warco the Cowells has a scarce but active userbase , lack of documentation is also a concern since I would surely need help .
Thank you if you've read through the whole thing and thank you for you time .