American gator lathe - litton model f - fischer scientific

[Swim]

It looks like I am gonna be approved for financing on an american gator lathe, and everyone is telling me they are pieces of shit........ but none of these people actually have one. Of course being that its brand new, and it wieghs three hundred pounds with 75 mm chucks, as well as the financing option, the gator is very appealing to me. I would like to hear some opinions from people that have the experience to back up what they are saying. Naturally, i would prefer to buy a litton model f because it is super small and it is an ultra heavy duty build, but I would have to find one for sale, and then hope its in good condition with no surprises. Really any info for a lathe newb would be very helpful. I do know that I want something that fits in the back of my truck with the tailgate closed, and also hopefully moveable with just two guys. Thanx in advance if your helpful:puzzled:

[Dan Kooper]

I can say I HATE moving this lathe. It sucks. But 2 guys can do it. Just don't expect to do it easily and often. My back hurts thinking about it.

[somewhere]

It's not that hard to find a F lathe.

These aluminum built machines have been discussed many times. I'm sure you will be happy with it for some time but don't expect a glass lathe built out of aluminum to last forever. I have looked at these machines and even with those little steel rails the aluminum itself will anneal over time and all it's strength will be lost. I have been using glass lathes for a long time and can tell you the cost of a good machine is well worth the money. That said many people are happy with hobby tools and get by just fine.

I do machine, weld, forge and sculpt aluminum. I'm in love with the material only second to glass. I can say without a doubt it may be easy to machine and very cost friendly but not a long term choice for a glass lathe.

[Swim]

^ word, thats alot of what i am hearing. It would be easier if I lived somewhere that i could check out some other peoples set up

[Dan Kooper]

you can check out mine anytime. right by the airport.

[jr23]

And many guys use the az lathes

I did see that one company has a aluminuim model and a steel versions

Red star.

I just remeber seeing the ad for the upgrade version but don't know cost or specs .

First of the new company's to advertise both .

If you search up a picture of the upgrade models I would like to check them out .

[Swim]

I will post it when i come across it Jay, I was told I should check out the red star also. The gator is looking good to me because I can finance it and get it in a package that comes with tools, and a bunsen and a few other options that will save me money. I have talked to several guys that actually own them now, and apparently the company give fabulous service, and they have even done recalls on parts and did the up grade for free and what not. But aparently they just are not made of as good of material and will not last forever. Also i realize that a giant cast metal behemoth is gonna last longer, but thats exactly what i am trying to avoid. I want to be somewhat mobile. JR23, where do you live, and also Dan where do you live?

[jr23]

Souther il . But I am in Chicago 3 times a year at least .


I think red star is within driving distance if I was a buyer a 4-10 hour drive to actually see what your getting is worth it to me .

I though the az marketing lathe with gtt torches was a good idea .

I think a few guys bought it then sold the lathe .

Or bought and sold gtt .

[STROKER]

I agree with sky.
I own and work on a couple Litton ee which in my opinion is about the perc size for pipers.
I recently helped my buddy siren apparatus set up his new AZ lathe and honestly I was shocked at how easily the machine could be off axis if the table has any un level parts.
The owner has you basically lower a leg insert on one side until you get it straight.
It was a bitch to get it level up so it worked at all parts of the bed.
I could easily grab the head or tails stock and twist the whole machine completely out of whack.
Now once it was dialed in the machine did a good job of building some very complex builds. And the one thing I did like was the chucks. They are very smooth.
All that said with the heat I make doing huge vacstacks I can't see this machine not twisted and flexed.
And one thing that really sucker was the drag on the machine when you rotate the machine towards you, which is all the time. They use a gear motor that has serious drag when going backwards.
As for an f lathe. I love Litton and while I would like an f myself , it is a very impractical size if it's your only machine.

[Dan Kooper]

I'm in flint Michigan.

[Swim]

I have never had or been around a lathe. l;ike lamp working I plan to teach myself. i am torn about what to do, but I will think about it more if I secure the financing tomorrow. Another friend of mine has a fischer scientific for 5k that is in great running condition. What do you think of those stroker. and could you post a video or picture of your lathe. How much does it wiegh and how much does a decent one cost used? I have heard of alot of people using these. I planned to learn to make onies on it and then complex dry straws, so that I can pay it off doing production. I wanna be able to make tube and complex builds, but I dont see myself doing alot of larger work. So that is why i am looking at smaller ones

[hammer]

I'd look for the crappiest Litton U You can find and then send it to Litton to have it rebuilt. You'll still be under 12K and the Lathe will out live you.


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[jr23]

There is a guy selling a Litton hsj rebuilt to spec by Litton with a flame paint job for 22 or 24 k .

So if you look at the reviews a az lathe is the compact car of lathes .

It will get you going cheap and do its job .

Now that you have reviews you can buy one .

Although if you want to pay for it with One hitters .

Pick up any cheep single head lathe and make 20,000 hitters .

Selling 20,000 hitters all at once will be your only hurdles

[Deez]

someone selling a 5k woodland on here and facebook. i would buy that before an AZ. I cant stand there package deals with gtt's and crucible add ons, why do they feel the need to sweeten the deal? the machine should speak for itself without having to add on that other stuff to make you feel like you are saving money.

[Swim]

I shopped for months for stationary one armed lathes, and they all sucked balls to the point that I was just gonna buy a grizzly metal lathe for 400 and make them on it, because i could sell 500 onies a month no problem, my deal with distribution actually requires me to make hundreds of them a month. After seeing what was available and how much it cost in the one armed lathe market, i decided it was best just to bite the bullet and get a lathe that I can really make anything on. No risk, no reward. I work hard all day everyday. I like the compact car description, and I feel the same way about it. The trouble is the financing.... I could probably come out of pocket 5-6, but that is gonna be a used lathes with possible problems that I dont have the experience to foresee, and i need a bunsen, plumbing , regulators, more tools, a few more national torches, some more throttles and footswitches....... (addressing the next comment now) that is why i love the financing and the package deal, I get a brand new lathe with no problems (albeit not the chevy truck of lathes) and I get a bunsen with plumbing and regs, tools, and a fuckin mirage..... and that is only 1000$ more. I already have a mirage, so I would sell that immediatly and make my lathe 1000 dollars cheaper. The package deals are super attractive

[Super Phunk]

I don't understand why you would need a lathe for making Onies ????

[Swim]

because I dont like making hundred of onies a month by hand, and you can turn out 50-60 and hour on a lathe as opposed to 15 or so. If you think its a bad idea, then you should not do it.

[LooseSeal Baller]

good advice skuzz...i wont do it...:o:

[Swim]

I would not use my mirage on the lathe. I am probably gonna sell my mirage that i already have. i work on a tiny little herbert arnold 23 mm and I can get pretty big with it. and Probably would use it or a 40 mm herbert arnold on the lathe. I am just saying that they offer you a shit load of extras for 1000$ and one of those extras is a mirage or a cricible kiln....... can anyone do math??? I would buy 5 mirages at a 1000$ a piece right now.

[Swim]

Read the whole thread, its not about making onies. Its just one of the things I would do if I had a lathe to make my life easier. if you had a lthe, then why the fuck would you make them by hand unless you just like making onies, and I do not enjoy spending three or four days straight making onies. Everyone is a critic, glad I work alone and do just fine.

[Swim]

Litton model f for sale right now. That is the lathe I would like to have, but I dont think I am gonna be able to get it. i have the money, but I would be broke afterward, and I dont think the wife is gonna go for it. Generation 6 gator lathe is looking more and more like the machine i will have to fux wit

[Dan Kooper]

Seems like to hit those numbers you would need an auto lathe.

[LooseSeal Baller]

how many onie's have you made skuzz?

[Jimi The Don]

I'll point out that you can finance damn near anything if you have credit and you ask a finance company
I asked the company who az lathes uses if I could finance a red star and he said "yeah, no problem"
I've wurked on a bunch of different lathes and personally (though az lathes are not on that list) I wouldn't buy one
Get a line of credit from a credit union and be patient, find the right deal and pounce.

[hammer]

I'll point out that you can finance damn near anything if you have credit and you ask a finance company
I asked the company who az lathes uses if I could finance a red star and he said "yeah, no problem"
I've wurked on a bunch of different lathes and personally (though az lathes are not on that list) I wouldn't buy one
Get a line of credit from a credit union and be patient, find the right deal and pounce.

But it sounds like you'd buy a Red Star. Why is this?

I'm interested because Red Star told me they will have planetary chucks soon.


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[Jimi The Don]

When az changed their design to the aluminum rails from the all steel bed I lost interest. I would rather have a steel bed than an aluminum bed with little steel rails on it, I can't even fathom how out of alignment these newer az lathes will be in a few years or so. So I looked into the red star lathes but when I talked to them they were way too vague when answering my questions. So I bought an old Bethlehem instead, third of the price I was looking to spend on either of the other two and its old and beat up, just lyke me, but it still gets the job done.

[Jimi The Don]

Though I'm still kinda interested in the red star, I'll give it a few years and if they're going strong then I'll probably get one, unless I find a decent litton in my price range at that thyme. Red stars just appear to be a more solidly built machine than the az lathes. To my eyes and mind anyway.

[misticglass]

lathes are much easier to find now than 4 years ago when I was looking. A lot of people are selling there larger littons and heathways to buy Az lathes and the other new machines. If you are patient you will find a good deal on a lathe you like, just Have $ ready when it comes up for sale. Financing is a good option, never used one but im sure the gator spins glass straight and can be serviced easily if there are any problems.

[loydb]

I second the suggestion that you arrange financing outside of the lathe company, and get something you're happy with.