When choosing a used brake lathe, consider what it will trim and its physical condition. Look for a unit with interchangeable shafts and a good supply of parts. Different manufacturers have varying reputations for longevity and parts availability. Some lathes have specific defects to watch out for, such as worn-out cutting heads or drive nuts.
Choosing the best used brake lathe will largely depend on what you want to do with the unit and how much money you have on hand. The first item to consider may be what the unit will trim, as some will only work on the rotors while others may also resurface the drums and even the flywheels. Another factor that may be important is the physical condition of the unit. The engine should run well and drive both the shaft and the cutting tool correctly. Good models to buy used should also have a large supply of parts, unless you want to buy an additional unit to salvage from.
Brake lathes are devices that can be used to resurface brake drums and rotors. There are a wide variety of different designs, but they typically include a shaft onto which the drum or rotor can be mounted. This shaft is then rotated at a constant speed so that a cutting tool can be applied to the surface of the drum or disc. The cutting tool can usually be adjusted in precise, minute increments so that only a minimum of material is removed to flatten the surface of the disc or drum. Some of these lathes hold up better than others, so finding the best used one often means looking for the unit that’s in the best shape for the least cost.
One of the first tasks when looking for a used brake lathe is to consider how the unit will be used. Some brake lathes can only resurface rotors, although many can use a separate cutting tool to handle drums as well. It can also be helpful to get a brake lathe that has two or more shafts that can be interchanged, as the inside diameter of some discs and drums can be too narrow for standard lathes. You may also want to look at a unit that can resurface flywheels, as this is another feature that is sometimes offered.
There are many different manufacturers of brake lathes, each of which has a different reputation for longevity and parts scarcity. If it seems difficult to find parts for a unit, it might not be the best used brake lathe to buy. You may also find some useful information about particular defects that a manufacturer is known for. That kind of information can come in handy, since you’ll be able to search for those specific issues.
Some lathes use aluminum cutting heads, which tend to wear out from repeated use. When this happens, it can be difficult to get an accurate or even cut. If you are looking at one of these units, you may need to budget extra money to have those items repaired. Other lathes have problems with main drive nuts wearing out, cross-feed blocks not holding up well, or chain drives breaking frequently. Finding the best used brake lathe often involves finding a unit that doesn’t suffer from these types of problems.
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