PM 3520A

[Dale Brugger]

Hi,

I'm new to the forum so forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong place. I have a Jet 1236 and now that I'm retired I'm turning more bowls and platters. The Jet is underpowered for my needs. I found a Powermatic 3520A about 3 hours away. It's at a commercial machine dealer. They acquired it from a local high school which it appears turned their focus to training for the trades. These days I can't imagine anything commercially produced on a machine like this. What should I look for in this machine? It's looks like it's been very well taken care of. How do I value it?

 

[Richard Coers]

Personally I wouldn't pay over $2,000. I've never seen anything come out of a school shop in great condition. I'd price it like that expecting to replace the head bearings, belt, and even maybe the arbor lock. More than once I'd imagine someone held in the arbor lock and pushed the go button. Kids will be kids you know. Should probably expect a VFD situation as well. That lathe could be pretty old, maybe over 20 years old. I've seen very good pricing on 1 1/2hp Jet 1642 used lathes. I paid $1,000 for one. That would be a nice upgrade from what you have, the 2hp even better.

 

[Daniel Warren]

I had an opportunity to purchase a 3520A for about $1700 or $1800 with some accessories a while back. Some will mention the pressure plate on the headstock as a failure point. I see the 3520B listed around $2800

Here's an example https://wausau.craigslist.org/tls/d/rothschild-used-powermatic-352oa-lathe/7010326500.html

As far as checking the lathe, if you can power it up listen to the spindle bearings for noise. Even if they are bad not really a big deal. Aside from any of the castings being cracked most parts can be replaced.

 

[john lucas]

I love my 3520A. I bought it for $2000 new. That was 15 years ago. If it runs good I'd offer a little less.if you can.

 

[Ricc Havens]

I just bought a 3yr old 3520 Model B for $2500. And I had seen that one Daniel mentioned above before I bought mine. Over the course of past year looking for a larger lathe I had seen a couple 3520A models for around $1800-$2000 and one was around $2500 but it came with a lot of tools. I sold my 8yr old 2HP Jet 1642 last month for $1200 top a friend but probably could have gotten $1500 selling to someone else. Hope that helps a little with ideas on value.

 

[robo hippy]

I had one of the very early A models. Interesting comment about the pressure plate on the bottom of the headstock. First ones were cast iron. I broke mine coring some black locust. PM wined about sending me a new one cost free, and I told them, 'look, you changed to steel plate stock for a reason, send me then new one now'. The new plate was a bit thick, and the one a neighbor made for me, plate stock with 2 spacers on each end to fit in the ways is still in use. I did production bowl turning on it for about 8 years, and it is still going today. I did have to replace the headstock bearings at about 5 years, and replaced the of/on switch and the variable speed knob. I consider it to be a very good lathe.

robo hippy

 

[Dale Brugger]

the one I was interested in was sold.

 

[Dean Center]

It may be late for Dale's purchase, but our experience with Powermatics in the high school shop is that the students are also very hard on the quill lock on the tailstock. They commonly forget to loosen it and just reef on the handwheel. Between the high school's >10 year old 3520B, their 3520A, one of our club member's 3520 B, and my 3520A, we have over 50 years of use out of them, and only one B model has required a VFD replacement, which cost about $200. The belts and bearings are all original, too. They're just darn tough.