Jobby John
2 min readOct 20, 2014

Tips on Making the Mini Lathe Buying Decision

The tools of a skilled worker have a strong impact on the quality of work that they discharge. Having the right tools goes a long way in establishing you in your niche by ensuring that the work you do is up to scratch and you gain an edge over your competition. If you operate a small workshop engaged in the fabrication of precision parts, general metal work, model making, and churning out inventions, it is important to have a mini lathe for your requirements.

What Is A Mini Lathe? A mini lathe is a miniature version of the industrial version of the same machine which is rather huge and meant for metalworking. This piece of equipment is a great investment and can be used for wood shaping and working on plastics as well. Maybe the greatest distinguishing trait of the lathe machine is its ability to give you precise dimensions in your work a quality which gives it much of its value.

The Buying Decision
There are a lot of tasks that can be executed using a lathe. When making the buying decision, it is important to remember that these machines are not invincible or made equally which gives them different attributes form brand to brand and also unique shortcomings. There are a number of factors that you must consider before making the purchase and some of them include:

The Need
What you need to use the lathe for will obviously dictate your preferences with respect to the available options in the market. You can get some hints by looking at your competition to check out what they are using. You can then adjust your requirements taking into account what separates you from your competition.

Sizes
There is a number of sizes when it comes to lathe machines whether regular or mini. Find the right size for your requirements that enables you to perform your tasks well and also enables you to be future-proof. The models that are coming onto the market now are 4 inches longer than their predecessors which mean they can perform a great many tasks. There are approximately 4 sizes available with the diameter remaining constant at 7 while the lengths are 8, 12, 14, and 16.