advice for a newbie buyer

[brenski]

Hi I'd like to ask for some general advice.

lathe cutting is something i'd like to get into - but on a hobbyist/own use level only - ie not with any view to making money.

The spec i'd ideally like would be:
■ cuts 12" & 7"
■ cuts 33 & 45rpm
■ cuts to regular blank vinyl/polycarb discs
■ cuts stereo (if poss)
■ as reasonably priced as possible (less than £2,000)
■ reasonable sound recording quality - via line-in/aux

here's some models I've found but can find little detailed spec on each
► Hara Disk Recorder M-180
► Vanrock 101 / Atom vanrock 101
► Presto Model 75
► Presto K8
► Pye Record maker
► Radiotone Hollywood Recording Lathe
► Wilcox Gay Recordette SR-IJ10

i understand a few may be mono-only and a couple may be 7" only
do any of these come close to what I need? but any clarity/recommendations at all is really appreciated

[piaptk]

You will never even come close to a stereo machine for £2000.

You might find a k8 or A 75a (there is a 75a on eBay right now), for about that.

However, have a lot of mechanical skills if you buy an “as-is, as found in grandpas basement” machine. You may have to repair the coils in the cutter head, replace the rubber platter tire, it may have a bent platter spindle.

And then, once you have a machine that works, you’ve got to spend a lot of time and money on materials (needles and blanks) for the very steep learning curve.

Two cents worth of advice:
$.01 - forget stereo. You won’t find it.
$.01 - better up that budget.

[brenski]

thanks, that's really good advice.
so if I exclude stereo as an option - which units will do 33/45 and 7/12" ?

7" only?
► Hara Disk Recorder M-180
► Vanrock 101 / Atom vanrock 101

dedicated/proprietary media only?
► Pye Record maker
► Wilcox Gay Recordette SR-IJ10

that leaves...
► Presto Model 75
► Presto K8
► Radiotone Hollywood Recording Lathe
do these do 7/12 and 33/45? or polycarb/blank vinyls?


thanks

[piaptk]

Very few record lathes came stock with 45, especially the cheap ones. By the time 45rpm was an option, the radio industry was beginning to move to tape, so new record lathes weren't being built as much as before. Some of the companies offered aftermarket adapters for 45, but most of them don't come with 45 speed as an option. Rek-O-Kut lathes are more likely to have 45, but the downside of those is that your feedscrew options are super limited.