Used CNC lathes

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In this post, we shall define the term used cnc lathe. We have already defined what is a lathe and what is cnc and what is a cnc lathe and so it is only fair that we do not leave the term used cnc lathe wait any longer to be defined!

The term used itself is quite vague in its very existence. If you want to be very technical about it, the moment the electrical and pneumatic connections have been hooked up and the machine certified to be powered up, the moment you power on, the machine has become a used cnc lathe. Well, you could cut some slack and say that the first machining cut needs to be made before you can call it a used cnc lathe or that at least forty hours need to be logged on and so on and so forth. But then again, the same criteria apply to used cars, don’t they? They say the moment you drive a car away from a dealer’s lot, the car has become a used car. In my opinion, I am going to stay with the most stringent technical definition of a used cnc lathe and that is the moment it has been powered on, it is now a used cnc lathe.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have seen ten year old cnc lathes that look and function like they are brand new even though they have made millions of parts and I have seen one year old cnc lathes that look like they are ready to be retired even though they have operated only a few hours a day. It all comes down to how well the machine has been taken care of. It all depends on how many times the old cnc lathe has seen crashes and lack of hydraulic oil and guide way lubrication and such. If you can see marks of the shoe that belongs to the operator, then that is not a good sign. I would rather see the machine kick the operator in the knucles a few times during the year than the other way about! CNC lathes are by no means cheap nowadays and there is no reason for the operators to treat them with disrespect.

So to complete the definition of a used cnc lathe, I am going to vote for a cnc lathe which has been powered on in the end users factory for the first time after installation has been completed. If anyone wants to vote otherwise, comment away!