I think clearly they expected to get more, they don't offer a warranty on the run of the mill "as is" ebay stuff. Apparently the pictures don't do the lathe justice..... He does sell a lot of stuff with no reserve, and he doesn't pick everything up for nothing. They're in West Babylon, which is not far from where I work.
I know the feeling. A beautiful Pacemaker lathe in my area went for practically nothing, but I just missed it.
Agree with you about Marshall - nice folks. Bought a horizontal mill from them. They seem to start most of their auctions at low prices.
John Martin
Here's another nice machine although smaller and not necessarily cheap!:
Charles Morrill
I have a guy here that has been triing to sell a Monarch for $1500, its the
As a proud owner of a 10EE, I've watched and don't understand why the price on this wonderful machine dropped with the recession and never came back up. I think it may be the best buy in fine lathes today.
Karl
Wouldn't shipping be a killer to NY?
A fully-tooled, good condition HLVH for three grand? That's what the german machine went for - or were you talking a different number there?
Jim
Sorry, that was a case of mistaken identity. I read the first post, where the german lathe on ebay went for about 3K, then jumped to right to yours and didn't check the link for that machine.
I guess I was hoping that maybe I had done a rip van winkle and woken up in a new time where HLVHs went for 3K. Ah well. No hardinge for me for xmas then....
Jim
Speaking as one that spent over a year, full time, running an EE when it was a new machine, I can vouch that it is likely the finest engine lathe to have been produced. However, the problems that accompany the machine where the drive system is concerned is not to be taken lightly. It has to be very instrumental in keeping the resale value low on all EE's. The features that accompany an EE, coupled with the superior quality, leave it in a class all by itself. You are a fortunate man to own one, and even more fortunate it you have one that is not giving you trouble with the electrical system, assuming that be the case. Even the new one I used to run lost the occasional tube.
Harold
Speaking as one that spent over a year, full time, running an EE when it was a new machine, I can vouch that it is likely the finest engine lathe to have been produced. However, the problems that accompany the machine where the drive system is concerned is not to be taken lightly. It has to be very instrumental in keeping the resale value low on all EE's.
The reason it is called an "EE" is because you have to be an EE (electrical engineer) to keep one going.
Seriously, these are outstanding machines, from a mechanical perspective, and the electrical systems underwent a "continuous improvement program", so they were the very best that could be made ... when they were made.
Few EEs are identical, and Monarch Tool will sell you a manual for any EE in its "as built" state, meaning that you will be provided prints for the very electrical system and the very features your EE had when it left the Monarch plant. And, Monarch still maintains its files on every EE (and other models) it made. Hundreds of cabinets full.
You cannot do a decent job of electrically trouble shooting an EE without the right print.
An EE is perhaps one machine where many hours of "sweat equity" pay off. In spades.
The machine is so fundamentally strong in its mechanical systems that the weakpoints are confined to the electrical system, and working on the electrical system is having the right print, having a fundamental knowledge of electrical systems, patience, perseverance, and a little luck.
Joint the Practical Machinist forum, as this is where all the EE EE mavens (EE mavens who are EEs) hang out.
Sadly, the "quick fix" these days, for an EE with a troubled electrical system is ripping out the dc drive, and installing a VFD.
Bad choice, as nearly every dc drive machine is repairable.
Plus, the dc drive performance is almost always superior in every respect to an ac drive.
Now, the cost of the tubes is a whole 'nother matter, at $860 per C16J thyratron, and lesser costs for the other specialized tubes, which depend upon the specific drive type (WiaD, Modular).
The most trouble-free EEs are the Ward-Leonard (AKA, M-G) machines. But, these are also the oldest, having been made from the early 1940s to the early 1950s.
Any EE made after 1949 is most probably an electronic drive, and this means big bux if a thyratron is bad.
However, the lifetime of these tubes is an unknown, and there have been machines which have never lost a thyratron.
(For $860, the cost of one C16J thyratron, you can probably replace the entire dc drive with an ac drive).
Welll...you do know I got mine for $500 dont you? In labor.
Gunner
"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio
Gut the drive and put in a VFD. A no brainer and makes a very fine machine, finer.
Gunner
"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio
There's no way it would be finer. The genius of the engineers produced a lathe that developed almost full torque, even down at a crawl. Their circuitry, according to my understanding, is as good as it got, especially considering the time involved.
When an EE is running properly, I can't imagine anything that would be better. They are so cool that you can cut a thread to full depth right up to a dead stop, with no thread relief. . Every try it? It has to be in aluminum or free machining brass, it won't work in steel.
Harold
Ive run one. And Ive also spent 2 weeks troubleshooting a tube drive EE for a friend. For free. The second time the drive puked, he put in an over sized VFD with a good quality Wegg motor and hasnt looked back since. Shrug.
Indeed, they are a hell of a machine. And when new, they were probably in the top 10 world wide for Best in Class.
But they are now old, and the electronics are old, and tired. And if its an electronics hobby you want, go for it. If its a lathe you want..spend less than the price of one thyratron tube for a decent motor and a VFD, do the deed and start making chips.
Ymmv
Gunner
"Gunner, you are the same ridiculous liberal f--k you ever where." Scipio
A steal. Mine was being surplussed by my company, it was going to the knackers. I asked for it and they delivered it.
Well, it's not really mine, it belongs to that big blue company. But the upside on that deal is, they supply a place to put it! And I get to use it off-hours.
Still given the size of my shop at home, I don't think I'd make any changes for any machine other than one of those. *Maybe* a pratt and whitney 12" machine. :)
Jim
Don't misunderstand my statement. I fully agree with you about keeping one running. All I'm saying is if you have on that is in perfect running order, there is nothing that would make it any better. How many are?
I have worshipped an EE as long as I've been a machinist. I do *not* place it in a class with ten other machines. It may very well be in a class all its own, with others very near by.
I considered buying a new one when I started my business, but empty pockets have a way of forcing you to look at other options. That lead me to the Graziano I own. To this day I still dream of owning one, but the topic of discussion, the electronics, has kept me from doing so. I would rather own my Graziano, with its few limitations (as compared to the EE) than an EE that would be difficult to keep in operating condition. I also have little interest in VFD, considering I have three phase service.
Harold
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