Victor Lathes

No, but I did notice the base was one piece cast which must weigh more than that lathe for it to add up to nearly 2800 lbs.
Are you SURE it is Taiwanese?
 
I have a Lux-Matter that I bought new. It was told to me when I bought it that it was the same lathe as the Victor, Turn-Pro and a few others. They were all built in Taiwan and just labeled for whoever placed the order.

Mine came with a motor that was out of balance and as a consequence I rarely used it. When turning on it there would be a pattern in the work that was obviously caused by harmonics.

When Chris started working with me in the shop he started checking it and found the out of balance motor. We, well, OK, HE corrected that and turned it into a fine lathe. Jackie and Gene Bukys saw it and liked it but that was before the motor was fixed. No telling what they'd say about it now.
 
I have a 1970's era Victor 1630 which was made in Taiwan. Great machine, not for gunsmithing. Headstock way to long. My machine in no way has the same appearance of the one you are interested in. I suspect the newer machine is made in China. My machine weighs 3000lbs plus and is 3 phase 5HP.

Hkcarbine
 
We've also got a 70's vintage Victor at work, ours with 6 or so feet between centers. Same lathe as I've seen photos of here on brc before, just longer. Given a choice of that or any of 100 other lathes I've seen on here, I'd take the Victor any day. Anyone who says heavier doesn't mean much can keep their 600# lathes. I bet the chip pan for ours weighs as much as a small Hardinge.

The lathe you linked looks to have a shorter headstock, which for smith work is not a bad thing. It's not as heavy either, but, at 2700#+, I'd say that's a nice stout machine from what I can see in the pics.
 
Victor has been around for a long time, they were originolly made in Tiawan, but I suspect they are a product of Mainland China now. It is probably not much different than the multitude of others......jackie
 
PEI Rob said:
No, but I did notice the base was one piece cast which must weigh more than that lathe for it to add up to nearly 2800 lbs.
Are you SURE it is Taiwanese?
Click to expand...

Looks like a fabricated steel base to me. Not cast.

The specifications on that lathe look very good for gunsmith work assuming it isn't too far through the headstock, which it probably isn't. I'd get data on that before parting with money. The spindle bore and speeds look very good.

Victor lathes I've seen look good to me. The price on that one is in the vicinity of $10K which takes it out of the CCJ (Cheap Chinese Junk) category into medium priced lathes. I suspect the price represents a step up in quality, but I've never run one so I can't say for sure.

Fitch
 
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The description says "High-speed precision lathe combines with rigid one-piece cast iron base design and Meehanite casting bed to provide outstanding machining performance." If its priced at $10K, that puts it well past the larger Grizzly gunsmith lathe and that is a good machine.

Joe
 
Joe Duke said:
The description says "High-speed precision lathe combines with rigid one-piece cast iron base design and Meehanite casting bed to provide outstanding machining performance." If its priced at $10K, that puts it well past the larger Grizzly gunsmith lathe and that is a good machine.

Joe
Click to expand...

I was wrong - if they say it's cast, it's cast.

I agree they are very good lathes.

Fitch
 
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