Grizzly Industrial G4003-12" x 36" Gear-Head, Cam Lock Spindle, Lathe

I had difficulty ordering this lathe as an Amazon Prime item almost a year ago. After waiting 6 months, I cancelled the original order and re-ordered it through Amazon as sold-by and shipped-from Grizzly. That order only took about 3 - 4 weeks. I like the machine a lot. It's not quite perfect (but what is?). It's a great machine and a great value at $2800. My first lathe was a 14" Regal which I got at an auction in 1969. It was a good old machine, but the modern 'heavy-duty' motor and quick-change tool post and tool holders are a definite improvement. I agree with the two previous reviews. I chucked up a piece of 3/4" drill rod in the 3-jaw chuck and found that it centered at 0.0015" TIR right out of the box. I also ordered the G4026 collet closer for this lathe, although I haven't had time to use it yet. I have experienced some oil leakage from the carriage, but not severe. I recommend paying for the UPS freight lift-gate service ($34 as I remember)-- they off-loaded the lathe right into my shop. The reviews for the Grizzly G4005 lathe stand are accurate. I especially found the instructions from the Hillbilly Machinist for stand assembly to be helpful. (However, the 5/8" bolts for the adjustable 'feet' of the stand need to be 2" or 2.5" long instead of 1". Grizzly is a very helpful company to deal with. It is also helpful to be able to order many of the Grizzly tools and lathe accessories through Amazon, frequently listed as Prime items.

Looks to be of good quality for general purpose work. East to setup and works very well.

I've been running these machines for more than 50 years and decided to replace the old 'lantern tool post' lathe with something a bit more modern. I bought the 12X24 because of space limitations, but other than the additional 12" between centers, they seem identical. The lathe is certainly satisfactory for the price. You'll spend more time than you should getting the tailstock aligned with the spindle, as the adjustment is effected by set screws against as-cast surfaces, so getting the last half-thou out is time consuming. Further, the lube specs are such that you'll do some searching to find the proper stuff. And the owners' manual leaves much to be desired, like where are the drain plugs for the lube reservoirs? You'll have to call. So why the one-start rating? It's just a shame a tool this good is imported and sold by a company with such shoddy business practices. Mine was delivered with a faulty thermal protector in the control cabinet, and Grizzly refused to pay for an electrician to trouble shoot the issue or fix it; they expected their customer to turn a lump of cast iron into a working tool at the customers' expense. Further, this is NOT a machine where you and a couple of buddies install it. The riggers I hired had to leave and return after repair (WARNING! The control cabinet opens to the back, meaning if you mount it against the wall, you'll have to remove it to gain access); I was left to eat the cost of the return to do what should have been done the first day. So ignoring the costs I chose to incur (moving the control cabinet to the wall for access, and hiring the riggers to begin with), I'm left with nearly $1K additional costs for which Grizzly offers a $50 credit. If you check their catalogue, it is obvious the upper management is 'way more interested in making guitars than running a business and it shows; "unethical" is the kindest word I can use. Buy from them at your won risk.

Great machine at low cost. Greetings to Grizzly

In my opinion nothing can come anywhere close to this size and level of functionality for the cost of the lathe. It also comes with a lot of accessories that are not usually included in others I researched.

I have worked with metal cutting machines for most of my career. Although I now work as an engineer, I paid my way through college working as a machinist. I have worked with many different lathes, and was somewhat apprehensive about purchasing this machine. The price is so low and prior to getting this machine my only experience with such inexpensive machines was the horror of a smithy mill/lathe combo that plugs into a regular 110V outlet. That machine was torn skin waiting to happen. Anyway, I purchased this lathe (with the stand) from Grizzly and I have been very happy with the purchase. I am really quite impressed with the precision of this lathe, right out of the "box". The gibs are all well-adjusted, the lead screws all seem to have minimal backlash (about 1/30th turn max), and the chuck runs very true. I quickly took my Dremel tool and engraved numbers next to each of the camlocks (1, 2 and 3) so that I could ensure I always install a chuck using the same torque sequence. After numerous removals and re-insertions of the chuck, it still runs less than 0.002" TIR. Honestly, I have actually never had the luxury of using a lathe I can say this about, and I have used several Hardinge lathes in my experience. The repeatability of the dials is excellent, seemingly within 0.001". I like the satin, glass-beaded finish on the dials and levers. It looks nice and feels ergonomic (not so slippery when hands are oily). The surface finish of a cut is nice and uniform, and the set of carbide tools that come with the lathe are really nice, for the most part. The quick-change tool post is top-notch quality as I get excellent tool repeatability with it. My only gripes are really minor. One, the "threading" tool that comes with the lathe is really only good for very large threads - 16tpi or less. The corner radius on the tip is just too large. I don't use it for threading - but it can be used for other functions. My other gripe is that the steel used for the bottom pan and back splash guard makes a resonator and when running the machine it makes it louder. I think I will be making a spray-foam backer to stiffen and deaden the sound.

I have some experience in Maintenance machining, but never in (shiver-shiver) production shops. My home shop began with a SB9C during the 80s. When I first saw the G4003 in an ad in HSM, I thought the price was "too good to be true". Grizzly put me in contact with an owner and he told me he liked his machine but it leaked oil from the carriage gear box. Time passed and I bought a Lathemaster and a 12X36 Atlas. I saw an ad on Craig's List and purchased an unused, 3 yr. old G4003 last year. From the initial start it has been a great machine. Fit and finish beyond expectation, smooth running, a pleasure to run. Not an oil leak todate. The lever control switch was broken during setup and the faceplate was "lost in the shop somewhere". Grizzly had the parts in stock! I find that the 70 RPM bottom speed is a bit fast for me but soon it will be repowered with a VSDC motor. I think it is a great value for $2500.