ADVICE ON MYFORD SUPER 7 PLUS LATHE

Hi, I've just acquired this lathe, I'm after some advice on it. I know its a late one, (serial number SK170,...). I'd like to know how much its worth. I've got loads of tooling, any thoughts?

Some pictures would help including tooling.

David

And your location would help. Price in London is one thing, Florida another. In Australia, you might be looking at $5,000 if it's late and pristine with lots of tooling.

phots Hi , i couldn’t post photos ! If I could l would of !

I live in the uk , just some ideas would help , I’ll try later to post photos

Ideas would be pointless without photos.

One man's 'as new' is another man's boat anchor, as eBay will testify.

As others have pointed out, condition and extras are crucial.

If you want to see some dealer prices for top-end machines take a look at www.myford-lathes.co.uk.

£500 to £5000 depending on spec and condition. Myfords have the most extensive list of options and accessories of any lathe in its class. Many people will look for a stand, gearbox, quick change Toolpost, 3 and 4 jaw chucks etc. The better equipped a machine the easier it is to sell and the better the price. It will often realise more money if the machine is given a minimum spec and the extras sold separately.

Mike

this is it

Well, plus points are it is a big bore, and has a gearbox.

Minus points are it isn't a long bed, and has had a LOT of work, and it doesn't look like it has been particularly sympathetically looked after.

Certain big bore parts and accessories are hard to come by/expensive. You still haven't said what accessories are with it, but I would want to see at very least the correct three/four jaw chucks with it, plus the drive and face plates.

Given that you have just bought it, I am not sure why you are asking for a value - surely you were happy to pay what you did for it, and that is what it is worth - to you?

Myford value is all about condition. I had an almost identical S7 Plus, except it was a long bed, and as new.

If yours went on eBay today, I would be surprised if it made, in that condition, more than £3,000.

That may not be what you wanted to hear, but you did ask...........

EG this local Gumtree example "in good working condition". Really.

Apologies for the thread hijack but I think that your S7 looks like a good useable bit of kit. Obviously from the worn paint on the tray and the cross slide bracket it has had a fair bit of use over the years. But that kind of paint loss can happen through using neat cutting oil brushed on in the time-honored manner too. The sulfur or something in the cutting oil is rough on paint. Looking at the bed ways and general condition it looks to have done some work but has not been flogged to death by a long chalk. If you are planning on keeping it, it should do a good job for you, as far as one can tell from the pics.

A quick test is to measure the bed. Measure the thickness of the front of the front way, first at the tailstock end then at the high wear area about six to nine inches from the left hand end. More than .005" variation and it's clapped. Then measure the width of the rear shear from front to back in the horizontal plane in the same manner. More than .003" variation and its clapped. These figures are from Myford's reconditioning literature.

If on the other hand you are planning to flip it, a quick paint job, keeping the stickers intact, would make it look like a million bucks, well quite a few thousand anyway.

Edited By Hopper on 28/01/2018 23:19:22

It looks in an honest condition so you know what you are looking at, a paintbrush refurb tries to disguise the true condition of a machine. It looks as though it has done some work but could have been well maintained, a smart paint job does not mean a machine is in good mechanical condition. I would want to establish the amount of wear on the bed and screws. If the machine still has plenty of useful life before the bed regrind and screws and nuts need replacing then it could be good for a lot more work. The closer you get to a proper rebuild should reflect in the price. In good condition it would be a desireable machine but if if has been worked to death then the cost of a proper rebuild should be considered in its value.

Mike

Thanks for that , the guy that had it from new was a watch maker , I have chucks , face plates , collets , coolant pump I’m thinking of selling as I have an old lathe , thanks again !

If it was a watchmaker's lathe, then wear is probably not great. You might want to think about which lathe too keep. This one is a pretty nice one.

Thanks for the advice I’ve put the machine in the classifieds open to offers

If its of any relevance I sold nice Super 7 last year for £2600, so the big bore version must be worth another £1000.