Toolmex or TOS?

Toolmex (based on bigger sizes)

Tim Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service

Peter hi, I can't really help with your either/or predicament as I have had both and found them excellent. I bought and used a 4" Toolmex on my Speed 10 for about 10 years and I thought it was first class. The only mistake I made was I let it go with the lathe when I sold it and retained a Pratt Bernerd that came with the new lathe, the Toolmex was better. I found it repeatable and accurate for a three jaw (none of this 2/10 of a gnats *ss stuff but very good). It might have been different model chucks of course but it appeared a little lighter build than my 4" TOS but didn't seem to suffer from that at all. I still have a 6" Bison which someone told me was an american market Toolmex and again that is a first class three jaw.

I had a 4" TOS on my 918 lathe for the same sort of period and it too was extremely good. Possibly not quite so accurate as the Toolmex but it was older and had more use. I found it repeatable and as accurate as any of my more expensive Pratt Bernerd chucks. Again I made the mistake of letting it go with the lathe when I should have kept it. I also have a TOS on my rapid indexer and it is an excellent chuck.

I would happily recommend either and will buy either again for myself when necessary. From a purely personal viewpoint if faced with both at a similar price I would go for the Toolmex as the one I had was superbly finished and was as good after 10 years when I sold it as it was when I bought it.

Best regards

Keith

I used a new TOS for some years. Very good given that it's a small 3 jaw used at home.

Peter, bad form replying to my own I know but I forgot to ask where you have found 4" Toolmex at that sort of price? I can find plenty of places that sell TOS but seem to have missed those offering Toolmex. I'm still looking for a birthday present and may well be tempted.

Regards

Keith

Thanks for all the replies. Not a lot between them but seems that the Toolmex may have a slight edge so have plumped for this one and now bought it.

Keith, the Toolmex was a lucky find from G & M tools of all places, =A365 for new old stock with IS/OS jaws. Suprising as they sell new stock 4" Toolmex for the Myford at =A3125. Detail here:

Needs a backplate for the Myford but I can sort this out.

Peter

Thanks Peter , I always enjoy hearing of someone getting a really good deal . Joking apart, well done I hope it is as good as mine was. When you look at backplates (if you are going to buy one) take a trusted pair of verniers with you. I found when buying several that the chuck register can be as much as .003" oversize. May have been a bad batch but worth checking if you have the opportunity. Interestingly the oversize one seems to work OK but you know what it's like when you know something is not just quite right!! Still looking for a birthday present to myself then.

Best regards

Keith

Peter

I've still got some changewheels for you

Charles

I could pick them up this weekend if you like? Or let me know which date/time would suit. I hadn't forgotten, just not been across to Sudbury in the past month or so

Peter

Oddly enough my experience is to the contrary.

I have used TOS chucks on several machines and found them to be excellent. I have a Toolmex on my Myford and although it is very nicely made affair it's run out is in excess of 3 thou. (far more than any of my TOS examples).

This may be because I bought one of the Toolmex items with the Myford thread already cut into it (bl***y expensive too!) rather than the more normal route of fitting a suitable back plate to the chuck. I have yet to attempt the necessary correction but it is a bit annoying for well over £100 compared with the £60 TOS equivalent.

The chuck itself is very nice though.

I have a 5" TOS that I bought to replace the 4" Burnerd that I got with my ML7. The Burnerd (tm) Had been used by gorillas in its previous lives and has an uneven scroll. I inherited my father's ML7 and never got round to mounting the TOS on the backplate that I had bought for it.

My plan was, and is, to do some work on the backplate so that I end up with about five thou of adjustment along the lines of the "Griptru" chucks.

My one comment on the TOS is that it is a very deep chuck compared with the Burnerd, even allowing for its larger size.

Mark Rand RTFM

I have a 10" TOS and a 10" Bison (Toolmex); the Bison is much deeper, and *much* heavier, than the TOS.

Tim Dutton Dry-Dock Traditional & Modern canal craft repairs Vintage diesel engine service