The only issues with toolmakers suggestion about buying an older used US machine, is the fact that MOST(not all) of the people looking for a machine in this budget have little to no experience using a lathe let alone experience rebuilding them and maintaining them, that would help them make a properly informed decision on a used lathe purchase. See unfortunately in most shops thew employees that run the lathes and such are also in charge of its upkeep, so oilers never get oil and gibbs are not adjusted tell there is severe slop, and both of these things will wear the ways unnaturally fast. It is just the way it goes, a guy is worried about getting the job done not worrying about if the part can be made on the machine in 2 years, I have been in countless shops doing machine repairs and maintenance duties where the people running the machines didn't even know they needed oil. Wow that moves nice now, after clean up adjustments and a little lube is applied. LOL. So what you end up with is lathes that move butter smooth right around the chuck but almost impossible to move it 6 inches away cause the ways have been wore so much in the area of the chuck, or the saddle moves fine on the whole machine and is then sloppy and chattery around the head. either way symptoms of the same thing.

I sold my perfect enco 14x40, it was just too big for most of anything I'll ever need, then sold the atlas also. This little 7x12 does just fine. That brings me to the second point. Unless that machine gets used 5 or 6 times a day there is no way I'm putting a huge beast like that back in the shop, nope way too much real estate taken up for me, and prolly by 90% of the people wanting to get into hoby type machining. Otherwise we would all have 4000lb monarch lathes and big bridgeports.

So having sung the virtues of the 7x12, i would still spend the money on the 8x14, even at twice the price, it really is twice the machine. and if your worried about quality control, lathmaster seems excellent.

I think the nxt machines have a less than a sec chip to chip time, seems like rapids are on 10% over ride.