[bcross13]

I have been checking out this forum for sometime now and I was wanting to get some advice on the patriot 3 in 1 machine. I am metal fabricator by trade and I need a machine that will be easy to operate but will be a good machine that will be able to handle what i throw at it. I will mostly be macining parts for motorcycles and motorcyle engines. I would greatly appreciate any info or advice you could give me on the patriot or any other machine that would be better suited for my needs. Thanks again.

[Roadster]

I have a new one arriving this coming Thursday. Hopefully I can get it set up in a week or so and I'll let you know what kind of tolerances it cuts. At least one of the posters on here does work on automotive cylinder heads. I don't know if Shoptask has anything in stock right now. I sent my payment on March 31.

I have used larger dedicated lathes and mills, so this is going to be different. The location of the X and Y axis handles are different than on larger machines.

You might find someone on here close enough to drive to and see their machine. If possible, you might also look at dedicated machines in use at a school or shop and see if you can turn something.

Right now, the main problem is the dealers of all makes getting their machines from China. Parts suppliers are going under everywhere, so the manufacturers are having problems getting the parts to assemble. Most, if not all of the smaller home size machines are made in China now.

Shoptask has a discount for advance payment. I think another 200 off for cash. Grizzly has a buy now pay later plan which delays payment for 90 days. If you pay it off in 90 days, there is no finance charge. It will probably take several months to get a machine from most sources. If you are in a hurry, Enco has some of their lathes in stock. You can go to their web site and check availability.

In this economy, you need to consider whether or not your nerves can take sending off several thousand dollars and waiting. If you can get a 0% credit card for purchases and/or balance transfers, you will be safe. The card company will deal with the seller for you.

[flatheadford49]

I don't have a patriot,sorry can't help you there I picked up my machine, the yellow one, off craigslist. And a friend gave me a harbor freight 3in1. I still have both machines and learned a lot using them.
Made a lot of parts and tooling over the three years I used them,but needed something bigger. but I have the room for them.
I now have a 19x78 leblond regal gearhead $850, a 13x42 lebond regal.
$400
a van norman #12 $250 and a Gorton I22 milling machine.$1400, ok not everybody can find used machinery in good shape cheap
There is no comparison using a real lathe with quick change gearbox for threading and feed, lots of swing and center distance, power crossfeeds, you get the picture. Or a manual mill with a 40 taper spindle and a 10x 48 table with power feeds 3 axis.
but if all the space you have is a closet and just making small parts a 3in1 might work for you.
I say that any lathe or mill is better than none at all.
I'm sure that some patriot owners here will give you some better answers.
Good Luck

Flathead

[bcross13]

Thanks for the info let me know how th emacine works out for you.

[Roadster]

If you're just into for a hobby, the 3 in 1 might be all that you need. If you're in it in hopes of making money sometime in the future, dedicated units would probably work best.

If your projects involve switching between turning and milling while fabricating a part, the dedicated units would be quicker due to less set up time. I don't have a Grizzly mill or lathe, but an old gunsmithing instructor I know had one for his home shop and he liked it.

I'll let you know in a week or so how mine works. Meanwhile, check out Enco and Grizzly on the web. Enco is also a good supplier for lathe and milling tools. Get on their mailing list and they will keep you up to date on some good sale prices.

What parts are you going to be fabricating?

[bcross13]

thanks for all the info. Most of the parts i will be fabricating will be stuff for motorcyles such as axle plates, steering necks,trans mounts,engine mounts, handle bar risers,and i might even do some machine work on the engine of my drag bike if i get the nerve for it. thanks again for all your help.

[Roadster]

I'm in Raleigh, NC if you are close enough to drive here and check out the machine. You might get John Taylor at Shoptask to contact someone in your area and see if they would show you their machine. I doubt that he would give out anyone's phone number without their permission, but he might contact them for you.

I saw one site where a guy had done a lot of custom fabrication for his bikes with the Shoptask. Looked like good work.

[bcross13]

I actually live about 45 min. to an hour from the nc state line.I had seen where people had contacted john about seeing a machine setup and some of the work people had done.I have seen some work people have done with the patriot and it did look like good work. Did you order your patriot with cnc or dro.Thanks for theall the info and offer to come by and check out your machine i may take you up on it.thanks again.

[Roadster]

I just ordered the machine with the DRO. I may get the CNC in the future, but right now I have too many other projects going to mess with it. Besides, my idea of working on computers is to use a five pound breaker hammer on them.

[smallblock]

thanks for all the info. Most of the parts i will be fabricating will be stuff for motorcyles such as axle plates, steering necks,trans mounts,engine mounts, handle bar risers,and i might even do some machine work on the engine of my drag bike if i get the nerve for it. thanks again for all your help.

Bcross,
I have had 2 shoptask/shopmaster machines. Some of my stuff is on the website. Just a bit of advice-
1. Take some time to understand the machine before you try to build parts for other people. Its funny how the pressure suddenly builds when a guy hands you some money for something.
2. Toughen up on your buddies- if you start doing a lot of stuff for free at the beginning, you will be surprised at how fast these freebies pile up- then when you ask to get paid, the guys will act like your being an a**hole. Most of them have no clue how much machines, materials, cutting tools etc. cost.
3. Do your own jobs first, then when you are satisfied with the results, figure up the time and materials and if someone wants a similar part tell them the price and stick to it. If its reasonable, they will pay you or someone else, but they won't get it for free.
I could go on , but if you approach this whole thing with some common sense, you can do your own stuff and also make some bucks on the side.

[bcross13]

I appreciate all the info most of the stuff im gonna be doing will be for myself.

[bcross13]

smallblock I was wondering on what your input would be on the patriot. I saw some pictures on here of where you did a jockey style shifter for a motorcycle. Do you think it is possible the patriot has enough of a capcatity to do some machining on motorcycle engines and trannys.Thanks the help.

[instructor37]

smallblock I was wondering on what your input would be on the patriot. I saw some pictures on here of where you did a jockey style shifter for a motorcycle. Do you think it is possible the patriot has enough of a capcatity to do some machining on motorcycle engines and trannys.Thanks the help.

Bcross-
If you are talking about the ubiquitous V-twin motors, it will be a stretch. We've had some as student projects, and it takes some clever setup to do most of the work. I would say that if you have other work that fits the Shopmaster size better and only want occasional use for the engine/tranny stuff, go ahead. But if you are thinking of setting yourself up as an engine re build shop- you will need more specialized equipment.

[Ntpro]

Does anyone have anything new to say on the patroit, looking to buy. Looking for current comments

[instructor37]

Does anyone have anything new to say on the patroit, looking to buy. Looking for current comments

I can give you some indirect comments on the new Patriot model. We purchased the earlier patriots with the AC motors and gear diven power feeds. In general thay are rugged units- heavy castings, big handles etc. Good for a student environment. Be prepared to do some of your own tune-up, even though Shoptask does a fairly thorough inspection before shipping. Once in place you will need to get it levelled and probably re-trammed, depending on the type of accuracy you are looking for. The early models were pretty complex, with 3 seperate power feed gearboxes, a hi-lo shifter and spindle brake combination and multi-sheave speed selections. When they brought out the new VFD model last year, I got to thinking about them and we did a conversion on one of our units. After stripping away all the gearboxes, belts sheaves etc. we had a huge pile of parts. The VFD system works nice and has good power through its speed ranges. The entire process is simplified, but retains all the original functions. If the factory ones work this well, then you won't be disappointed.
The Mach III software , Gecko drive CNC and Jenix DRO are flawless. If small parts production is in your plan, then go for the ball screw option- it will increase your speeds by a factor of 2.

[wormwood]

I'd agree with instructor37, I have a 2008 & 2010 patriot, they both require work to get them setup right. The 2010 is really limited unless you have some sort of CNC installed on it.

Wormwood