Who Is Afraid of Asian Machine Tools?

Anyone setting up a hobby (or professional for that matter) machine shop is faced with the question of whether to equip it with Asian tools. The prices for these machines are so much lower than their Western counterparts that it's hard not to consider them very seriously indeed. Here, I want to discuss my conclusions on this question, my reasoning, and a little bit how to live with this choice.

Before continuing on with this topic, let's spell out the alternatives. First, if cost is no object (hah!) it would be hard to make a good case for the Asian machines. Enough money enables us to completely overcome the compromises and shortcomings of these machines. "Enough money" means being able to happily spend $10,000 to $20,000 per manual machine (and that without any tooling or CNC) and never look back. As they say, "if you have to ask the price you probably can't afford it!" Those of you who are in this category, who want to spend that kind of money, please move on--this is not the discussion you're looking for!

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, we know what we are after. Low cost, or more precisely, the best possible value that fits within our means. This leaves us two avenues. We can either purchase new Asian tools or used Western tools. We might also consider used Asian tools, perhaps from eBay, but I am ruling that one out. First, the disadvantages I will describe with used Western tools are there to an even greater degree with Asian tools, which weren't as well made to start. Second, machine tools are heavy, and they are expensive to ship around the country. The Asian tools start out cheap, and frequently the new ones include deals on shipping. After perusing the used scene for some time on eBay, the shipping situation looks fit to overwhelm most of the savings that can be had buying used. So let's go for new machines if we're going Asian!

Let's begin our analysis by asking, "Why not buy used Western machines?" A nice Hardinge lathe and a Bridgeport mill would surely look great in my garage. Imagine the bragging rights that come of owning those truly professional tools. "Why I could build anything!" you must be thinking. And all at the envy of your fellow amateur machinists. These machines must therefore have tremendous potential, and I'm afraid potential is the operative word.

Businesses do not discharge working machine tools lightly. You can be assured that if they are parting with a machine, there is a reason, and that reason may be something you need to pay attention to as well. At the least, the machine was no longer productive for them if they're getting rid of it. These machines are often terribly worn out and incapable of holding tolerances. Rarely, you may find a great macine being disposed of at a great price. "We need the floor space," "bankruptcy sale", and "My father-in-law barely used this machine he bought new," are the refrains we read in advertisements for the used machines. Each promises to be a bargain, but let the buyer beware! Be prepared to search long and make sure you know how to evaluate your prospective machine's condition before choosing this path.

The need to evaluate a machine's condition will almost certainly require you to be able to visit the machine and make measurements such as runout, see the machine running, and perhaps test its features. If you're unable to do those things you are running a great deal of risk that you'll acquire someone's broken down, worn out, and generally unusable headache.

I read several accounts (for example on this site) on the web written by professional machinists and shop owners who had finally given up on used Western machines and were wholeheartedly endorsing the purchase of new Asian machines. In one case, the individual was even an employee of a Western machine tool company! These folks were tired of trying to make worn out Western machines perform. They needed results now and the way they were able to get them was through purchase of new Asian machinery.

I must admit that these stories really got my attention. One of the hot rod magazines I read also ran an article about one of their editors moving his shop. Rather than move the machinery, he sold his Bridgeport mill and Hardinge lathe and bought brand new imported machinery. That's telling you something you should pay attention to. These are people who have the skills to properly evaluate the results, who have tried both paths, and who wound up choosing new Asian machine tools.

Is there no hope for a used Western machine? Surely there is hope! If you've set yourself firmly to this path it can be done and done well. With enough determination, skill, patience, and money, you will undoubtedly even come out ahead. Just be aware, your hobby will have become refurbishing machine tools, not using those tools, which is a subtle difference. It is no small task in terms of time, skills, or money (spare parts for those machines are costly!) to refurbish a machine like a Bridgeport mill.

For me this all boiled down to a question of whether I wanted to make chips sooner, or own the best possible machines. As attractive as the latter may sound, I knew that since I didn't start out as a trained machinist or toolmaker that I had better get on with making some chips sooner in order to learn the trade. At that time, I was not ready to evaluate old machines and rebuild them. Maybe some day later!

In Praise of Asian Machines

Thus far I seem to have damned these machines with faint praise, having painted them as the lesser of evils, but certainly not as the most desired objects of covetous worhship! Let me turn to their priases now and hopefully we can then all feel good about our decision to embrace them.

One thing I always enjoy is reasearching my interests on the Internet. This machine tool area is no exception. I have to say that the quality of work being done by hobbyists on their Asian machines is nothing short of astounding! Whatever your area of interest--model engines, telescopes, gunsmithing, hand crafted tooling, or even full CNC conversion--someone on the web is doing work that will make your jaw drop. I've gathered some of the Links that I liked best to share with you. In addition, I have assembled a small gallery of exemplary home workshops. Yes, there is the odd refurbished Western machine to be found (mostly lathes) but there is no shortage of fine work being done on the Asian machines. Go through these entries to get a sense of what is possible. In fact, I challenge you to find a project on the web that can only be completed with the Western machines. You'll learn a lot reviewing other's work and I hope you will conclude, as I have, that these machines can be great fun and have tremendous potential!

Adding on to this theme of what other's have done with their Asian machines, I'd like to add another great virtue: community. Whether it's information, help, comradery, or a wide selection of off-the-shelf accessories and tooling, the Asian machine tool community makes it all possible. Join the relevant Yahoo Groups. Check out the dealers, user groups, and enthusiast's web sites. Read the books and magazines devoted to this audience. The amount of knowledge and inspiration you can gain is priceless, yet most of it is free and gladly given.

Learning to Love Asian Machine Tools...