[cashflyer]

Probably 90% of the metal that we cut at the old shop was aluminum.
We used mostly Kennemetal tooling. Some carbide insert tools, some steel tools.
There is a local dealer for Cubic and Chevalier, which is why we had those brands.

As Tim warns, I worry about getting worn out junk if I buy used. Some of those big brands have not been made in over 20 years, and some of the machines on the internet are much older than that. If a machine is already on a skid, ready to ship, it is hard to tell if it is worn out or not.

This is why I was considering the Import path - but OJU makes a very good point about getting parts. Even on the Cubic brand lathe it may be a problem, as I no longer see manual lathes on their website. I can't imagine what it would take to get parts for a Taiwanese made Enco machine.

Perhaps I will ask my friend, who owns a machine shop, to help me source some QUALITY used American machines.