Delta 46-700 Lathe

[Rich Aldrich]

Does anyone have one of these lathes? Would it be a decent starter lathe?

[Greg Just]

Rich:

I have the 46-715 Delta lathe, which I believe is the newer version of the 46-700. Mine has a 14 inch swing. It was my first lathe and I have done a lot with it over the past 4 plus years. The only thing that needed replacing was the switch and now the v-belt needs to be changed. I wish it had an electronic speed control as I there are times I want it to go slower. For a first lathe is has been a good machine. Eventually I will upgrade.

[Bob Hamilton]

My first lathe was a 46-700. It seems to me I had it for about 12 years. It did have some nice features and I would have to say it served me well, but the drive mechanism was really not very good, IMO. I had to replace the Reeves drive assembly on the motor end 3 times while I owned it and it was shot again when I finally upgraded. The price of the parts to fix it went from about $30 the first time to about $90 the third time (for the same parts), and there was a 3 or 4 week delay in availability of the parts the third time, as well. That last time was almost 10 years ago, so I don't know what price and availability would be like now.

Good Luck!
Bob

P.S.: I don't know about the 715, but on the 46-700 a belt replacement requires pulling the main headstock spindle completely because the pulley is in between the inboard and outboard bearing mounts. Many of the newer Reeves drive lathes have moved the pulley to the outboard side of the outboard bearings so the belt can be replaced a lot more easily.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Yes, it's a very decent starter lathe. I started on the ...715 version and I like the swivel head stock and the speed control. Now the bad parts: The noise that the Reeves drives makes drives me nuts. I actually wear ear protection when using it. The whole lathe seems a little crude and if you believe the Amazon user reports, it is crude. But I've made many bowls and other things on it. Myself, I like lathes that are very smooth and quiet like the new Delta midi lathes or my Jet mini lathe. So nice to work on and so quiet.

[Dale Coons]

Also have the -715. Son in law changed tried to change the speed while it was turned off. Succeeded in wiping out the drive system--so if you're curious it ran about $280 :( last year for the kit installed (both pulleys, bearings etc--I don't think individual parts are available anymore). The real killer wasn't the repair cost--Delta had the parts on backorder for close to 3 months. Runs like a champ now. I'd agree its not a bad starter, but it's low speed is around 400-450 rpm, so turning anything close to the swing could be a challenging experience. I've turned peppermills, small bowls (largest about 6-7 inches in diameter), pens and other odds and ends on it without problem. The drive issue is common with all reeves drives--they need to be running when you change the speed.

[Rich Aldrich]

Thanks for the help. I have found one for sale for $400 with tools - not sure what, but I think I will pass. I would rather find a used Jet 1442 or something like it.