CNC or Manual

Help/Advice sought.Which do you think would attract the best price?

i am considering sellig my ML7. its a 1973 machine in exceptional condition. no play on the saddle. the head is within 1/2 thou over 8 inches.

Can be supplied full CNC with C2 ground metric ballscrews or returned to original manual.

Has 3 Jaw & 4 jaw Pratt Burnard chucks, Dickson type (Bison) toolpost with 3x turning holders and 1x boring holder and 1x cutoff holder.

If manual also has a digital RPM gauge.

All answers/comments greatly appreciated.

Edited By Roy on 03/04/2012 18:07:29

Hi Roy,

Your 'best price' is going to be relative;

What are you going to do with all the electrical equipment if you convert it back?

If you are going to use it on another lathe then you could convert back to manual as the cost of replacement has to be added to the cost of the lathe that you are going to connect it to.

If the CNC stuff is going to sit in a box under your bench for ever more and become obsolete before you (or the grandchildren) use it, then leave it attached and sell the whole thing complete.

Are you considering putting it up for auction or are you going to sell it for a fixed price? As a complete CNC'd machine or course you can ask a better price, but, as I asked above, at what cost to you?

Your choice...

Andy

Just had delivery of my Standard Modern 1334 Lathe. needs a paint and some cleaning but so far seems to be OK.

So my ML7's days do seem numbered. Any interested parties are welcome to contact me.

Edited By Roy on 05/04/2012 17:09:22

I'd convert it back to manual and sell the CNC parts as a conversion kit.

Given the number of Myfords around there will always be a demand for decent quality used parts so there will be no great problem in getting a reasonable price for the parts you have removed to go CNC. However prices for good Myford lathes are, relatively speaking, high on a per size basis compared to other machines so its unlikely you will get a premium for the CNC converted machine. Indeed you might get less as most Myford buyers won't actually be looking for a CNC machine, or even want one. That said a proven, ready to go, CNC conversion kit would be quite valuable to any Myford owner considering going CNC and weighing the options of buying another machine, doing a roll your own job or hunting around for a kit.

Clive

ML7 gone to another home.