OK, let's be clear.? ?These 7x lathes have a very wide price spread, with no discernible difference in quality except to a lucky few that received a really good one, or alternatively meets their particular accuracy requirements.? ? Even the brushless motor, initially only seen on LMS and MM lathes, is available from lower priced vendors on amazon and ebay.? ?Any price variation is only at the discretion and desired profit of vendors.
And what is the point of the paragraph above?? ? That there is substantial room in the prices of the "premium" vendors to require better factory setup, not just luck of the draw like every lower price vendor's machines.
And even for all vendors, the factory could do better.
There is one specific improvement that would not make for a large price increase and would be easily accomplished at the factory level.? ?And that is headstock alignment which is the most critical parameter for accuracy of many operations.? ?Extra time at this point when the lathe bed and headstock (with spindle installed) are mated would made a big difference in the performance and accuracy of the machine.? ? This is the single point that requires more QC, notwithstanding my experiences with mechanically seizures on run-in or DOA electronics.
All other deficiencies are secondary and much easier to correct or live with.
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Lone Tree, Colorado? ?USA
