On Sun, Jan 14, 2024 at 11:25 AM, mike allen wrote:
Craftsman sold 2 different lathes that would fall into the class as these 7" lathes . I have had a couple , ( though missing a tailstock for one ) for several years now & so far they only occupy shelf space , Though they appear to be quit nice lathes talkin to other folks that have one they are a lesson in frustration . One guy told me that if a guy can good parts on one of these 109 series lathes they he could make fantastic parts on a real lathe . These lathe were made in the late 30's & up .
People often lump the Craftsman 6 inch "109" lathes and Atlas made 6 inch "101" lathes together as though they are the same lathe. They are not remotely related beyond both being sold by Sears and using the Craftsman name (the 109s were also sold by Sears using the Dunlap name). The Atlas made "101" lathes cost 4x as much and are a much more serious lathe.
The 6x18" Atlas / Craftsman 101.7301 (1939-57), 101.21400 (1958-72) and 101.21200 (1973-77) are very nice small lathes, with all the features you would expect to find on a small lathe. They compare well to the 7" mini lathes in capability, a little smaller swing and spindle bore, a little greater bed length, and a back gear giving good low speed torque.
The 109 lathes on the other hand are more of a high end toy for technically minded teenagers. Fully functional but very light duty, perhaps comparable to something like the Sieg C1 Micro lathe (5.5x9.8") just bigger. These were sold as both a Dunlap 6x18" and after WW2 as a Craftsman 6x12". They actually are not terrible, just misunderstood and people expect more from them, than they were ever intended to provide. If treated as a small wood lathe with some metal cutting capability they are not a terrible hobbyist lathe, just not a particularly good hobbyist metal cutting lathe.
The confusion caused by both being branded Craftsman and having the same swing is unfortunate because it seems that many people have bought 109s thinking they were the same as an Atlas, and likewise many turn their noses up and dismiss the far superior Atlas made lathes having seen the comments made about the 109 lathes and not understanding they are not the same lathe.
