05-25-03: First things first... this is not an I hate JET equipment page. These pages just detail my experience with one of JET's products the GH-1440W-1 metal lathe. I received this machine on May 9, 2003 and have not yet contacted JET about the problems I have found. JET has a great track record of giving the best after sale support of any company, and that support is the main reason I decided to purchase this lathe. I have faith that JET will take care of my lathes problems and I will post updates accordingly.
The leveling pads from ENCO arrived Friday of last week and over the weekend I managed to level the lathe to my satisfaction. Note: Leveling a lathe can be very very hard on the lower body... I think I squatted well over 200 times before I was satisfied, and today I can hardly walk. The Phase II quick change tool post from ENCO will arrive Tuesday (05-28-03), after which I will do some real testing.
05-06-04:I am back in the shop working on projects and I'm in the process of working with JET on getting warranty items taken care of. I will make updates as we progress. I have also done quite a bit of work on the lathe and mill recently and will be posting what I've been up to under new topic names (time to retire this topic soon). For example, I am currently in the process of adding DIY ShumaTech DROs to both the GH-1440 lathe and BPV-3949 mill. Just keep an eye on the metal working sections for new additions.
I hope you find these photos and information informative and helpful.
C O N T E N T S
Cosmetics
Things Needing Repair
Oil Leaks
The Paint Booth
Cosmetics
If I didn't know better I would swear this lathe to be used. I have a few guesses. Guess one, this lathe sat too long in inventory and had to be uncrated and cleaned up. Guess two, the Chinese manufacturer contracted to build these lathes for JET is so lax that they allow parts to be stockpiled in unprotected areas and then need total rust and stain removal during assembly. Guess three, it is actually a referb or demo machine. Anyway, whatever the case it makes me sad to see a company like JET allow quality control problems of this sort to slip through.
The entire cross slide assembly was haphazardly hand sanded at the factory, I guess in an effort to remove surface staining and rust. It drives me nuts
Stain in the bed ways
Stain on cross slide and one of the worst Chinese paint jobs I have seen.
More bad paint
More bad paint.
More bad paint
