Which Myford do I buy??

[Mark FreemanParticipant @markfreeman39348]

I am looking to upgrade to a larger lathe, I currently have a Emco Compact 8 and a Emcomat 7 with V10 mill attachment.

I am looking to buy a Myford ML7 or Super 7. Can anyone help me decide which to go for, what are the pro and con’s of each model? I don’t want to be changing my lathe again for so need to get it right first time.

I want to start making scale model IC engines and a scale model of my real car. A year 2000 model Nissan Silvia S15.

It seems that only old models of cars are ever made in scale models and want to do something bang up to date. And having a real one to take information from hopefully will help. I am new to scale model making but have been a Mechanical engineer for 12 years. In 2007 I suffered a near fatal industrial accident having both legs crushed by a 1969 Ford Mustang, I’m walking again now but as a result have to slow down in life a little, hence the start of a life long ambition of getting into scale model making. I found this site just Googling for info and hope to learn a lot from you guy’s. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Mark.

[Mark FreemanParticipant @markfreeman39348]

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Hi Mark,

 

Welcome aboard, make sure you post some pictures to show us your progress!

 

Better let the Myford Club advise on this, though I understand the S7 is abit more up to date – 1950s design rather than 1940s – >ducks<

 

Neil

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Mark

I agree with Neil I would go for the Super Seven I think the bearings are better than the ML 7 It as a tapered cone on the headstock and a pair of ball races at the back And are adjustable .Mine is a Mk 1 Super 7 and still giving good service

Nobby

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Just my opinion – the best Myford is the one you don’t buy at all. Much better value for money with a used ex industry Colchester, Harrison, Boxford, South Bend etc. There are still lots around with lots of life. Check for wear of bed, slides and spindle before buying. A turning test of a bar’s diameter at same too setting over a few inches length is the best way to quickly rough-evaluate them. Don’t buy non-runners, they’re riskier. If you can find a Hardinge or Schaublin (they are rarer) they are an absolute pleasure to use.

 

OK I’m ready to be shot drawn and quartered by the Myford Club but the above is my honest opinion having used all makes mentioned at length in industry and in the hobby.

 

JD

[NobbyParticipant @nobby]

Hi Jeff

I may have misunderstood I thought the choice was between the S7 & ML7
Nobby

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

I’m with Jeff – more lathe per £ not buying Myford.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

No contest. Get the newest Super 7 you can afford. If you look away from Myford, Boxford are the undervalued gems in the same class. Bigger lathes are great but many are three phase and often a sledge hammer to crack a walnut. It really depends the class of work you’re intending.

[adyParticipant @ady]

An Emco Compact 8 is 4″x16″

An Emcomat 7 with V10 mill attachment is 3.5″ x 17.7″ or a long-bed 3.5″ x 23.7″

 

A standard ML7 is around 3.5″ x 20″

 

So you aren’t really going to be getting a “bigger” lathe.

 

Personally speaking, if I wanted a bigger lathe, I’d use the emcos for smaller work and upgrade to a bigger boxford for doing any heavy work, some of those boxfords can take over an inch through the spindle bore.

Edited By ady on 08/10/2011 07:58:57

[michael coleParticipant @michaelcole91146]

Go for a late super 7, you will want to make sure it has the power cross feed and gearbox. Even better go and have a look at the boxfords and Colchesters, etc. Lots of lathes out there, cheaper than Myford.

 

Mike

[Phil PParticipant @philp]

I am lucky in that I have a Myford S7B and a Harrison L5A along with a couple of small Pultra watch and clock makers lathes.

 

I inherited the Super 7 when my dad died, he bought it new in 1987 and it still looks like it left the factory yesterday.

Previously I used a well equipped ML7 for many years, and the difference is like chalk and cheese, the Super is a much nicer machine to use and has much better bearings etc.

These days the Myford is the “main” lathe, and the Harrison only gets used for the occasional bigger jobs.

 

It all really depends on the size and type of work you intend to do, some people will advise you to get a bigger lathe on the premise that it will cover all the sizes of work you do big or small.

But you will find the the bigger lathe does not have the same “feel” for doing small delicate work.

 

The Chinese import lathes might give you more lathe for your money in terms of size and specification, but from reading and talking to people about them, there “may” be some build quality issues.

A lot of these can be resolved I suppose if you want to rebuild and blueprint your new lathe once it arrives. However I have only heard good things about the Austrian imports.

 

So it all boils down to deciding what you are going to use it for, which will dictate the size you need, then buy the best quality your budget will allow.

Personally I would always look for something second hand that has been well looked after and comes with a good pedigree.

 

Just as an example, a friend of mine recently bought a Swiss Mikron lathe and a van load of accessories and tooling for £150, it doesn’t happen every day but you never know.

 

Phil

[The Merry MillerParticipant @themerrymiller]

Two Myfords just gone on E-bay, a Super 7 for £600 and a ML7 for £800.25

 

Len. P.

 

 

 

[Mark FreemanParticipant @markfreeman39348]

Wow thanks for the reply’s I am going to look at some other makes as a few of you have suggested. One reason I thought of the Myford’s is there seems to be a vast array of spares and accessories available, unlike the Emco’s I have.

I think I need to go and see some lathes in the flesh before I make a decision. I do want to go bigger as I hope to do some work to earn a few quid with it, as my accident has rendered me unemployed and it’s impossible to get even a basic job with the restrictions I have now. So help myself I will..

I have a lot to learn and am trying to find an experienced person in my area who would be willing to show me the ropes with lathes and maybe some milling. I have my head in books every spare second at the mo, I’m building my new shed next week 6.5m x 3.5m so should be big enough to make a good workshop.

Thanks again for your advice, if there is anyone in the Torbay area of Devon willing to help me please let me know.

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

I maintain the best way to learn is by doing. The books will give you the theory and the neccesary lists of cutting speeds etc. but there’s no substitute for firing the machine up.

 

There’s a show in Warwick this weekend if you want to see a large number of lathes and mills in one place although probably a good run from Devon.

 

[adyParticipant @ady]

Don’t buy too much gear until you have a couple of years of hacking under your belt.

 

It all looks great (and it costs a bomb)…but you’d be surprised how much experience can be gained if you limit your purchases and focus on cutting the metal.

 

If you don’t have something, don’t buy it, make it yourself.

Edited By ady on 09/10/2011 00:43:48

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Mark

Before doing anything sell your first item.

Without sales, you have no business.

No point in wasting all your capital on something you don’t need.

regards David

 

 

[Chris TriceParticipant @christrice43267]

Posted by Robin Woodward on 09/10/2011 11:06:12:

Hi Mark,

 

As someone who has been there done that and got the tee shirt, a few cautionary words.

 

Try and make do with the equipment that you have until such times as you have built up a regular business, then buy where your capacity lets you down, do not buy on a whim.

 

Be sure to sound out the local Planning Office and consult the neighbours, the last thing you want is grief from either of these sources.

 

Lastly getting paid is the biggest drawback to working for yourself, I did a job for one firm delivered it in September and was paid after much chasing the following February, and whilst you are chasing you are not earning.

 

Best of Luck,

 

Rob,

Robin, add terms to your invoice next time offering a 5% discount for payment within 30 days and/or reserve the right to charge interest at 1% above the bank base rate for invoices unpaid after 90 days.

[JohnFParticipant @johnf59703]

Hello Mark, my heartiest congratulations on your philosophy — “so help
myself I will”– many people just don’t—I wish you every success in your
endeavours. Unfortunately I am up north but if you do want to contact my by
email etc I will be more than happy to advise as I am sure many others in this
“club” will–I’ve been cutting metal for 50+ years now so have a fair
bit of knowhow I think. Everything from turning, milling, jig boring and
precision hand fitting. [Retired now]

Regarding a lathe, most advice has already been said but here’s my 5 bits
anyway.

Myford is in my opinion probably the best small machine bar none for small
precision work–has its limitations but there is so much equipment to make the
machine more versatile than for any other lathe on the market. The Super 7 is defiantly
the model to go for but make sure you view the lathe before purchase–Ebay is
good but if its cheap it is probably for a reason–most times and the photos do
not really give a true story.

As Jeff says there are a lot of small industrial machines to be had and
there are advantages particularly if you start your own business to machine
parts for third parties–they are tougher and will remove material much faster
but you also need to consider they weigh a great deal more than the hobby
lathes. I would not worry about the 3 phase these days its easy to
convert–nice article in MEW a few issues back.

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Chris.

I can’t see that you would gain very much by going for a Myford, given that you already have two pretty decent lathes of similar size already, one of which is equipped with a better arrangement for milling (in my opinion) than the vertical slide setup that would be needed for the Myford.

 

If you have the room, my view is that it would be more useful for you get a milling machine now – preferably with a quill so it can double up as a precision drilling machine – and then buy a larger lathe later.

 

There are plenty of good lathes to be had, but it might be worth looking at something about the size of a Boxford (nice british lathes), or maybe a Warco WM280V-F (chinese manufacture), both of which have a greater through-spindle bar capacity than a Myford 7 series machine.

 

A personal preference of mine would be to have a variable speed lathe that doesn’t have a screw-on chuck.

 

 

 

Martin.

[Author]

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