Oliver 2018 lathe

[Kevin Jenness]

I am currently using a General 260-20 with Reeves drive and riser blocks, my first real lathe, and have been thinking about upgrading to one with a modern electronic variable speed system. I want to spend under $3k. Not much has come up on the used market in this area of late. I was about to order a Laguna REVO 1836 when this machine (vermont.craigslist.org/tls/d/2-hp-18-inch-oliver-wood-lathe/6624181990.html) came up on Craigslist, but I can't find out a great deal about it on the web aside from the manufacturer's specs (https://www.elitemetaltools.com/tool-shop/products/oliver-classic-18-lathe-2018#product-details). Do any of you have hands-on experience with this machine? Pluses are the speed control, the same spindle size and drive tapers as my existing lathe, an extra 150 lbs of mass and the tooling that comes with it including a vacuum setup. Minuses are 2" less swing (not a big deal for me) and lack of a track record. Any thoughts?

[Don Jarvie]

Others may chime in but I thinks it’s worth a look. It would be similar to the Laguna based on swing. The vacuum and DC are a nice bonus. I would look at it.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Looked at them on line when I was looking around and dreaming of a new lathe. Old Oliver's bring more now than when new. The 2018 is a brand new model re-entry into turning lathes by Oliver. I could not tell if it is a clone of any other lathes. It did not appear to be.

[John Keeton]

No personal experience with the Oliver, but the 19” width of the legs seems unusually narrow for stability and the placement of the motor and VFD below the bed, while lowering the center of gravity, greatly restrict the possibility of storage below the bed. That placement would also seem to increase exposure to dust and debris for both the motor and VFD.

Just a couple of onservations.

[Kevin Jenness]

Thanks for the replies. The lathe was sold before I had a chance to look at it. I'll keep looking for a used PM 3520 or similar.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Add a VFD to your General, you know that is a good quality lathe, there are turners that have done this, also one of the last models of the General could be had with a VFD on it.

[Kevin Jenness]

Leo, I considered that but it means replacing the single phase motor with three phase plus a vfd. Do you think that my current lathe with a vfd would be the equivalent of , say, a Powermatic 3520 in terms of overall solidity? I don't have any experience on other heavy duty lathes, and the major problem I have at this point is roughing out unbalanced bowl blanks over 12"" diameter at the minimum 400 rpm. Otherwise the General has performed well for me.

[William C Rogers]

i was basically in the same situation with my Powermatic 90. I bought it 10 years ago before VFD's were affordable and put a single phase motor on it. I also raised to get a 18" swing. This meant new tool rest. Due to the banjo I was limited to utilizing about 15" swing. Then there is the speed issue for out of balance blanks. The PM 90 although well built, robust, old iron is really a spindle lathe. I sold mine to someone who wanted a spindle lathe. I bought a Laguna Revo 18-36 and very happy. I use the reverse for almost all my sanding. I use low rpm for applying wipe on finishes. I just really enjoy this lathe. The PM 90 had a bigger tail stock, headstock, but lacked in the stand (cabinet). For me it was a good decision, you will have to decide for yourself.

[Larry Copas]

I have a General 260-20 with the factory VFD. One of the last made in Canada. I filled the hollow tail stock leg with sand and added a sand filled box on the head stock end. Its a great lathe and easily handles out of balance bowl blanks. Doesn't give up a thing to the 3520 other than the head stock doesn't slide. I'm not fond of the banjo and someday will retro-fit a Oneway, which is the best on the market.

I have a lot of experience with VFD's and have converted one lathe with a reeves drive. If one looks in the right places a used 3 phase motor can be found cheaply. If you can wire a light switch you can wire up a VFD. My only concern is the reeves drive. If in good condition I would leave it. If its shows any signs of wear I would replace with step pulleys. That can be problematic and could require help from a machinist. My factory General has 4 step pulleys which is a big advantage over the two step on the 3520's.

[Kevin Jenness]

Thanks again for the responses. After some thought about the lathe I have, its resale value and my cashflow I decided to put $500 into a new three phase motor and a vfd. The Reeves drive is in good shape so repowering will be a simple matter.