Screw cutting: matter if lead screw is imperial or metric ?

I am about to purchase a lathe. Most have the an imperial lead screw. If most of my work is going to involve metric sizing does it matter what the lead screw is ?
Thanks in advance
Tom

The gearing attached to the lead screw will determine how easy it will be to cut metric threads. Most quick change gearboxes are setup to make both English and metric threads.
-- John Sullivan Jamlab Enterprises http://jamlab.home.att.net
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You are best off purchasing a machine that is designed for metric threading then - it should have a metric leadscrew and a quick change gearbox tagged in metric pitches.
That way the threading dial on the carriage will function.
Jim
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TR wrote:
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When cutting metric threads with an imperial leadscrew, you cannot disengage the half nuts, but must wind the lathe backwards to get the tool back to the starting point. Once in a while, it is not too bad, but for a lot of cutting of threads in metric, you REALLY want a metric leadscrew.
Jon

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They are outside the US, where they actually use the metric system. Certainly our local Emporium has (mainly Chinese) lathes fully metric with metric threading dials. Geoff (New Zealand)