sampaio

Hi all,

I run Sotck and 19T motors and I want to buy a comm lathe. Can anyone tell me something about this lathes:
- Trinity Tru-Lathe 3
- Integy Team Auto-Super Lathe
- Integy X-MOD Super Lathe
- Team Cobra Lathes
- Orion Quick Set Motor Lathe
- Hudy Advanced and Tech.

Thanks

Carlos

drx

I have a HUDY Advanced and it works just fine. Can be a little tricky setting up for different arms, but otherwise it's a great product. One downside to the HUDY is that it doesn't come with a bit - you have to order that seperately. HUDY doesn't make a carbide bit and their diamond will set you back $100 on top of the lathe. You can get inexpensive carbide and diamond bits on EBay.

I have some friends with Cobras and they seem to work fine as well.

One lathe you didn't mention, but I will, is the Fantom "Factory" Lathe. The guy who sets up next to me just got one and it's awesome. Comes with motor, diamond bit, and a battery pack. Also included is a very nice suitcase-type plastic carrying case. I've been letting him cut my coms with his lathe, even though I always bring my HUDY to the track. It cuts SO nice. Stormer lists this baby for $300 and it's worth every penny.

Roberto Falcon

iTrader: (18)

I have a Pro Cobra and I think it cuts better than my friends hudy.

Kropy

iTrader: (12)

I have the Fantom lathe & it just rocks, I switched from the Hudy lathe to the fantom lathe. Well worth the money.

sampaio

Thanks drx,
I have a question about the hudy, I see a stock optional to them. Is It necessary to cut stock or 19T motors?

[ ]s

Sampaio

sampaio

Hi all,
Anybody can add some informations?

[]s

Sampaio

rayhuang

iTrader: (5)

Most new lathes if not factory defective or dropped will cut "good". But every once in awhile you'll see one that cuts so well that dyno numbers will actually go UP after cutting on them. For example-when i send a motor back to Eric Anderson it comes back stupid fast. IT can be a Cobra or a hudy-just depends.

I hear great things about the Orion quicket. I just bought a friends lathe and it cuts awesome. he also said its the best jes ever used and its a Trnity Tru lathe III

So theres some luck involved. YOu can also get your lathe proffesionally aligned which is a really good thing to do.

Ray

jag88

iTrader: (1)

I just ordered a Cobra from Tower. $150.00, diamond bit, V blocks. That includes shipping. Use promotional offer 011LB ($15.00 off).
I have a Cobra motor builders lathe and it's outstanding !

PlainOleDave

iTrader: (14)

I don't know if there;s a 'BAD' lathe out there. I would expect, if there was, surely someone would have mentioned it. So just stick with your pocket limit an' buy wutchu kin afford.
If U see one on Ebay or elsewhere and it says "Stock" lathe, beware. Older models were made before rebuildable motors and they work way differently than the standard of today. U have to remove one brush hood from the motor an' cut the comm through the endbell.

Lowrance

iTrader: (30)

Regardless of what lathe you buy, spend the extra money and buy a purpose built lathe drive motor. They operate with far less vibration than using a regular stock motor as a drive. Integy makes a 55T drive motor for less than $20.

Nova F1 Racer

iTrader: (3)

Not the lathe, it's the cutting bit.... You can have the best lathe but if the bit is dull.....

TEM

I got a hudy advance, cuts no differently than a friend with a cobra which was much cheaper. By design, the fantom is the BEST by far. Like said above, it's the bit and not the lathe. NOTHING cuts like diamond. Learn with carbide and then go diamond once you get the hang of it. If you don't do nothing stupid to break it, they last forever...

komkit

iTrader: (6)

For our purpose carbine bit is fine. You will not see the different in finished surface between synthetic diamond and carbine cutting tool until you are cutting some harder materiel other than copper.

Synthetic diamond comes to play when the cutting surface is rotate at the high RPM and harder than copper. For the copper and the rotating speed we use with our comm lathe carbine bit is enough.

For light cut like what we do for our comm combined with low to mid RPM it barely generate enough heat at the tip of the cutting tool.

As far as the lathe is concern I am using a good old Twister. Its come with synthetic diamond bit. If I were to replace the bit I’d buy a carbine bit.

Save your money for tires, motor, battery packs and practice fees.

Only a few things you need to watch out regardless which lathe you decide to buy. Just make sure the comm stay true while turning no vibration, make sure the comm is lock down pretty good. Make sure the cutting doesn’t hang out too far out from clamp that hold the cutting tool, leave it out far enough for the job this will reduce the vibration at the cutting tool tip.

TEM

"Carbide" not "Carbine"! A SHARP carbide does an "okay" job but still not nearly as good as diamond. Sometimes they use ceramic cutting tools in a machine shop but still not as good as diamond ones! Heat is not the issue here. The diamond bit is SHARP and stays sharp. Copper is a very abrasive metal and dulls a carbide bit really fast. You will get a few cuts out of a newly sharpened carbide bit on a comm lathe before it starts to give really hazy looking cuts. My diamond bit is a few years old, still cuts to a mirror finish!

mcsquish

iTrader: (1)

I too switched from a Hudy to a Fantom, but I don't think you can get them anymore. I would just suggest like others have, I like the "V" grove over bearings because my bearings would get dirty or junk on them and cleaning them became a pain. Also get a 12 volt motor, it works better in the long run. I liked my Hudy, it was just time for a new one.