BadDog wrote:But from what I recall, not to be indelicate, but I believe your problems were largely of your own creation, stemmed mostly from a lack of due diligence, and further compounded by lack of follow through. The guy you were pointed to as a potential resource (I wasn't going to say it but changed my mind: Joe at Plaza is the resource) always had a very good reputation. But that seems to have started changing about the time you bought yours, at least that's when I started seeing several very unhappy customers. That's just bad luck/timing. Before that, it was just the opposite, and you can't know when a change like that is likely to happen. So you were given some unintentional bad advice on that one, possibly by me.
However, regardless of that, you did something I (and most of us I believe) would never have suggested or considered. You bought an old lathe sight unseen from many miles away. No way, no how, was that a good decision even if they guy did have a stellar reputation.
You are basically right. I don't want to get caught up in excuses. It was a bad idea to buy the lathe, and now I would be the first to tell anyone not to do what I did (pretty much what I'm catching heat for right now). On the other hand, I did work on the decision for a very long time, hoping to avoid exactly what happened. That was probably the most irritating part of it; trying hard to do it right and still getting bitten in the rear end.
The big mistake I made wasn't lack of research or refusing to take advice; it was trusting people (like the bitter old Asia-bashers) who gave me bad advice. So now I try to prevent other people from going down the same path. It annoys folks, but that says more about their issues and priorities than mine.
I had one friend (not on a forum) who gave me terrific advice. He is a tool expert who works in the industry, and he told me to buy a Grizzly G4003G. He said the Chinese were able to make things as well as they wanted to, and that a new Chinese job would work just as well as an American antique. I knew he was a true expert, and I should have listened, but I had all these voices in my other ear, telling me all Asian machines were junk, and that I would have terrible problems. That's not an exaggeration; people say stupid things like that, and they can sound credible to a person who has never run a machine tool.
But you accepted it, along with a series of problems (and lies?) with the motor if I recall correctly?
I am not going to say he lied, but I asked for one thing, and I received another. He made a substantial effort to make things right, but in my opinion, it fell far short of what I deserved.
For personal reasons, I decided to keep the lathe and make do. I worked with him, and I was courteous to the point of being ingratiating. Eventually I stopped receiving responses.
Now I don't care what he sells or what the price is; I am all done dealing with him. If I get involved with him again, the consequences are 100% my fault.
I don't understand why people get annoyed with me for talking about it. I thought one purpose of the forum was to help other hobbyists avoid problems.
Of course you are right; no one should ever buy a lathe he (or someone he really trusts) has not examined, or which isn't new, warrantied, backed by a reputable seller, AND paid for by credit card. Add "don't believe the ridiculous anti-Asian lies" to that list, and you have a recipe for happiness.
NOW I know these things. But that means I have an obligation to repeat them whenever someone new asks for advice, so I will continue saying this stuff until Chaski shuts down or I get the boot.
I feel like we should be able to be honest about these things without being accused of bad motives or bad manners. Call me crazy, but I think keeping quiet while other people drive into a ditch is worse.
The funny thing about this is that I also caught a little crap for buying two new machines. If you buy new, people will make fun of you for having more money than brains, and they'll tell you about the imaginary like-new $800 Bridgeports that pop up on Craigslist every day. They'll tell you about all their friends who got barely-used machines free or for almost nothing.
They say only death and taxes are certain, but I would add criticism to the list. I don't worry much about pleasing other people, partly because it's a worthless goal, and partly because it's impossible.
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.