Question about Jet 1840EVS lathe

[Lane Johnson]

Hi everyone.
This is a question for anyone who might be familiar with tha Jet 1840EVS lathe.
I’m a 40+ year woodworker, but just starting to turn more seriously.
I have the opportunity to buy a new Jet 1840 EVS “scratch and dent” lathe for about $2000 below list price. The issue with the machine is that there is a broken casting on the motor that was the threaded attachment point for a tightening screw to lock down the belt tension for the high/low pulley. The tightening bolt lives on the bottom right front of the motor by the headstock.
My question is, is this any kind of dealbreaker? I haven’t seen it in person but I suspect one could either do without it, or jury rig a workaround. Any opinions would be most welcome!
Thanks!
Lane

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Lane, if there is a broken casting where the thread attachment point is I would be concerned about any other casting cracks that may or may not be seen. Since you're not far from Auburn it may be worth a drive to take a look at the lathe. I would want to make sure that the belt tightens securely so that it doesn't slip while you're turning, especially if you go to take larger cuts. If you go to look at it make sure you inspect it carefully to ensure there aren't any other cracks. If you're buying from the scratch and dent facility in Auburn you may want to ask about the warranty. The last time I visited them about an item I was told that their Jet and Powermatic units do not come with the five year factory warranty but rather an in house 90 day warranty. Double check because thing may have changed since I was last there ten months ago.

 

[Lane Johnson]

Lane, if there is a broken casting where the thread attachment point is I would be concerned about any other casting cracks that may or may not be seen. Since you're not far from Auburn it may be worth a drive to take a look at the lathe. I would want to make sure that the belt tightens securely so that it doesn't slip while you're turning, especially if you go to take larger cuts. If you go to look at it make sure you inspect it carefully to ensure there aren't any other cracks. If you're buying from the scratch and dent facility in Auburn you may want to ask about the warranty. The last time I visited them about an item I was told that their Jet and Powermatic units do not come with the five year factory warranty but rather an in house 90 day warranty. Double check because thing may have changed since I was last there ten months ago.

Thanks Damon. It is indeed the Auburn facility. I live about 130 miles away but I’m passing through in a couple of days and I’ll stop to look. The warranty is 90 days. My thoughts are that I could: a. do without the tighten screw, or, b. Clean up the broken lug and weld a nut to the case in place of the threads or c. Lock down the adjustment in another way.
Of course this all depends on whether it has other, less apparent damage to other parts of the casting. Thanks for the reminder to look at all the castings.
I have bought my share of used equipment over the years so I’m used to the odd repair. It’s the calculus of how bad the damage is vs. how tempting the price!
Lane

 

[Lane Johnson]

Here’s a pic of the damage.

 

[Bill Boehme]

If it were me, I think that I would pass on this one. I checked the illustrated parts breakdown in the owners manual and the broken part appears to be an integral part of the motor. I think that screw is the pivot point for the motor and, if so, it would be difficult to repair the motor faceplate and keep the hole position and angle accurate enough. From the looks of the photo it looks like the lathe is used ... paint chips, rust spots, and dent in fan shroud.

 

[john lucas]

That part could be ordered. It's not part of the motor I dont think. Call them in and price it.

 

[Dan Bevilacqua]

I looked at the online manual for the Jet 1840EVS. The parts list in the manual, just like for my 1640EVs, shows that the plate appears to be a integral part of the motor (unlike the 1840DVR model). I would call Jet to confirm.

On the other hand, the part that is broken off appears to be the handle used to raise and lower the motor to perform a belt change. It is not the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is the black handle just below the broken area in your photo. The broken area housed a silver colored metal handle, like my 1640evs.

Lane, you state that "I have the opportunity to buy a new Jet 1840 EVS “scratch and dent” lathe for about $2000 below list price.". If my calculations are correct and the "list price" is the same as the current regular price of $3159.99 ( Craft Supplies USA online catalog), that would bring the price to around $1150.00. If that is the only thing wrong with it, I would run to buy it for a that price.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Belzona makes several products that could easily repair the damaged area and allow you to re-drill and re-tap some threads. The broken part is most likely an OEM part made by the motor manufacturer specifically for the customer (Jet). If the component is not available as a repair part by the lathe manufacturer (Jet) the motor supplier may or may not offer this part as it is an OEM part for their customer (Jet). This motor is most likely made in China for (Jet) so you are at the mercy of the lathe manufacturer for replacement parts.

 

[Lane Johnson]

I looked at the online manual for the Jet 1840EVS. The parts list in the manual, just like for my 1640EVs, shows that the plate appears to be a integral part of the motor (unlike the 1840DVR model). I would call Jet to confirm.

On the other hand, the part that is broken off appears to be the handle used to raise and lower the motor to perform a belt change. It is not the locking mechanism. The locking mechanism is the black handle just below the broken area in your photo. The broken area housed a silver colored metal handle, like my 1640evs.

Lane, you state that "I have the opportunity to buy a new Jet 1840 EVS “scratch and dent” lathe for about $2000 below list price.". If my calculations are correct and the "list price" is the same as the current regular price of $3159.99 ( Craft Supplies USA online catalog), that would bring the price to around $1150.00. If that is the only thing wrong with it, I would run to buy it for a that price.

Actually I was quoting Jet factory list-about $3900. Price tag on the lathe is $1895. Still *might* be a killer deal...

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Lane,

My thought is that the damage could have been caused by lathe being dropped at some point. Whatever force caused that to break along with the dent may have caused other damage. I really would be concerned about a hairline crack(s) or other unseen damage elsewhere. If the normal selling price is $3160 and Auburn's total price is $2085 ($1895 plus 10% sales tax) then the savings is only $1075. If you catch Jet's 15% off sale and being in Portland where you don't have sales tax you could buy a new one with a warranty for $2686. For me, I would rather spend the extra $601 for a new 1840evs that has a five year warranty and no damage to fix.

 

[Rob Fridenberg]

Plus - recent 15% Jet sales have included free shipping right to your house.

 

[Richard Coers]

Looks to me like that motor took a hit on the fan shroud as well. I'd also check the lathe bed and head sliding mechanism. That thing fell over or was dropped. I picked up a used 1640, 1 1/2hp, for $1,000. Buying a newer version and just slightly more capacity would not be worth nearly twice what I paid.

 

[Lane Johnson]

Thank you all for input.
To follow up and close the circle I wanted you to know that I checked out the lathe in person and did a through check. All shafts and spindles spec’d out at <.001” runout, the bed was true and all parts were free of damage other than what was originally discussed. The electronics were fine as well.
I ended up buying the lathe.
I have not been disappointed. The action is smooth and it is a big improvement over my old lathe.
Speaking of my old lathe; it was a Rockwell 46-450 (new style) built it 1976 in Ohio. 500lbs of American heavy metal. The Reeves drive worked well but made it noisy and the gap bed limited the size of my turnings. The biggest issue was that it’s lived in my basement shop for 25 years and I was was a heck of a lot younger when I got it down those steps. Who ever bought it was going to have to move it.
I put it on CL and had an immediate reply from a guy down state 280 miles away. He showed up 2 days later with 4 people to help and they had it loaded and gone in an hour.
Again, thank you everyone for sharing your expertise and good advice.

 

[Dan Bevilacqua]

Thanks for the follow-up, Lane. Enjoy your new lathe.

 

[Paul Lajoie]

Lane glad you got the lathe. Wish I had scratch and dent near me! This is actually the lathe I’m hoping to upgrade to eventually. If you could do a review after you have more time on it under your belt it’d be appreciated. Good luck!

Paul

 

[Bill Blasic]

I think you hit a home run!

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Currios what you did/will do to address the broken casting?

 

[Lane Johnson]

The broken casting is a blind hole used to thread in a handle for lifting the motor for changing the belt. At first I was just going to just lift the motor by grabbing the motor case. It worked, but I had to step around to the side of the lathe to do it. I ended up turning a maple knob and epoxying a m10 bolt into it. There was still over an inch of threaded hole left, so plenty of purchase for the new knob.
Maybe at some point I’ll build up the missing portion with JB Weld, but for now it works well and I’d rather be turning!

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

View attachment 27523
Here’s a pic of the damage.

From the picture it looks like it is just the handle for applying tension is missing but the locking clamp appears to be intact. Sorry I didn't look at all of the posts but it looks like you got a good price because of a small problem.