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› Machine Tools › Lathes › MI-1237LMI-1237L Gear Drive Lathe
Smithy Gear Drive Lathe
MI-1237L Lathe, 2 HP (220 Volt)
12” x 37” Lathe. Versatile design with features like the bigger machine - but with the weight and footprint to match a garage or repair shop setting. Standard 220V power also makes this lathe easy to get set up and making chips. Built for real turning on a budget. And, still with Smithy level service and support.Smithy MI-1237L Lathe
Medium Duty 12” x 37” Gear Head Lathe
Built-in durability and accuracy with square column, dove-tail ways, hand scraping and well-designed adjustable gibs. Versatility comes with rotating mill head, industry standard cutting and clamping tools and gap bed. Ease of use because of powered feeds and speeds, quality dials and quality tool pack. Put this all together with Smithy level warranty and support and you have an industry best package.
Product Summary:
- 2 HP - 220 Volt
- Heavy - 860 lbs.
- D1-4 Chuck - Easy Changes
- Power Lead and Cross Screws
- Quick Change/Built-in Oil Bath
- Removable Gap - 17-1/4” Swing
- Steady Rest/Follow Rest
- Excellent FREE Tool Pack
- See Features and Specs Tabs for More Product Details
Warranty Coverage:
- 2 Years
Smithy MIDAS means:
- Rugged Design
- Quality Built In
- Inspected Twice
- Best Service Support
The best gear drive lathe value
- for over 25 years!
| Uses Standard 1/2” Tooling | Easy to find and less expensive to purchase. |
| Heavy Cast Bed with Hardened Ways | 800 lbs. of cast iron provides serious vibration damping. Induction hardened bed ways ensures resistance to wear. |
| Gear Drive Power Train | Heavy cast gears put power directly to the spindle for maximum torque - with black gear for left hand thread cutting. |
| EZ Operate Spindle Control | Neutral, forward and reverse are conveniently located on machine apron for operator convenience. |
| Power Feed on Lead Screw and Cross Feed | Automatic feed beats manual feed for precision and smooth, accurate finishes. |
| Norton Style Gear Box | 25 years of Smithy experience has shown the USA Standard Norton style gear box to be the most accurate gear box for inch machines. Proven to be superior for maintenance, durability, and ease of use. |
| Quick Change Gear Box | Allows for easy thread selection and better performance - cuts setup time in half. |
| Removable Gap Bed | Removing the gap plug allows you to turn work pieces up to 17-1/4” in diameter. |
| Steady Rest and Follow Rest | An important accessory for supporting long, flexible work pieces. |
| Large Spindle Bore | Allows up to 1.47” work pieces through the headstock. Great for gunsmiths and auto. |
| Offset Tailstock | Manual offset and lockdown allows for cutting angled tapers. |
| Threading Dial and Half Nut | Makes for easy, accurate thread cutting operations. |
| Cutting Threads | Right hand and left hand threads. Also inch and metric. Had change gears for metric thread cutting. |
| 6” 3-Jaw Chuck | Includes two sets of jaws - inside and outside. D1-4 black plate is installed on the chuck. |
| 8” 4-Jaw Chuck | Heavy and solid for working with interupted cuts. Reversible jaws able to grip work pieces in multiple configurations. D1-4 back plate is installed on the chuck. |
| 12” Face Plate | Plenty of room for mounting uniquework pieces - use with lathe dogs as a drive plate. |
| Chuck Guard | Includes OSHA required and approved lathe chuck guard. |
Electrical Specifications
| Model |
| Power Requirements |
| Prewired Voltage |
| Phase |
| Plug |
| Outlet |
| Connection Type |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 220V, Single Phase, 60 Hz | 220V, Single Phase, 60 Hz |
| 220V A/C | 220V A/C |
| Single | Single |
| 5-15P (Included) | 6-15P (Included) |
| 5-15R (Outlet Not Included) | 6-15R (Outlet Not Included) |
| Plug & Cord | Plug & Cord |
Spindle Motor Specifications
| Model |
| Horse Power |
| Motor Voltage |
| Motor Current |
| Motor Amperage |
| Motor Type |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 2 HP | 2 HP |
| 220V | 220V |
| A/C | A/C |
| 9 Amps | 9 Amps |
| A/C Constant Speed Induction | A/C Constant Speed Induction |
Product Dimensions
| Model |
| Weight |
| Length |
| Height |
| Width |
| Footprint |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 860 lbs. | 1340 lbs. |
| 63” | 70” |
| 24” | 24” |
| 24” | 26” |
| 8” x 53-1/2” | 9” x 69” |
Shipping Dimensions
| Model |
| Length |
| Width |
| Height |
| Content |
| Type |
| Shipping Weight |
| Must Ship Upright |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 70” | 75” |
| 30” | 30” |
| 30” | 40” |
| Machine | Machine |
| Wood Crate | Wood Crate |
| 970 lbs. | 1500 lbs. |
| Yes | Yes |
Main Specifications
| Model |
| Work Area Requirements |
| Powerfeed (Z Axis) |
| Powerfeed (X Axis) |
| X-Axis Travel |
| Z-Axis Travel (Tailstock Installed) |
| Threading Dial |
| Lathe Chuck Bore |
| Spindle Taper |
| Spindle Speeds |
| Distance Between Centers |
| Dial Calibration on Longfeed |
| Dial Calibration on Crossfeed |
| Dial Calibration on Tailstock |
| Dial Calibration on Tailpost |
| Powerfeed Z-Axis in/r |
| Powerfeed X-Axis in/r |
| Oiled Gear Boxes |
| Oil Type |
| Lathe Chuck Diameter |
| Lathe Chuck Min Diameter Workpiece |
| Lathe Chuck Max Diameter Workpiece |
| Lathe Chuck Type |
| Lathe Chuck Mount |
| Spindle Bore |
| Swing Over Worktable |
| Swing Over Bed |
| Swing w/Gap Removed |
| Spindle Accuracy TIR |
| Tailstock Barrel Travel |
| Tailstock Taper |
| Tailstock Offset |
| Threads (Inch) |
| Threads (Metric) |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 30” x 53 - 1/2” | 38” x 75 - 1/2” |
| Yes | Yes |
| Yes | Yes |
| 5-1/2” | 6-5/8” |
| 33” | 39” |
| Yes | Yes |
| 1-3/4” | 1-3/4” |
| MT5 | MT5 |
| 64, 130, 210, 460, 790, 1300, 1500 | 70, 120, 190, 300, 460, 1250, 2000 |
| 37” | 40” |
| .005” | .01” |
| .002” | .002” |
| .001” | .001” |
| .001” | .001” |
| .0047”-.132” | .002”-.055” |
| .0047”-.132” | .00055”-.015” |
| Yes | Yes |
| SAE 30 | SAE 30 |
| 6” | 6” |
| 1/8” | 1/8” |
| 6” | 6” |
| 3 Jaw & 4 Jaw | 3 Jaw & 4 Jaw |
| D1-4 | D1-4 |
| 1-1/2” | 1-1/2” |
| 6-1/2” | 7-1/2” |
| 12” | 13” |
| 17-3/16” | 18-3/4” |
| .0003” | .0003” |
| 4-1/2” | 4” |
| MT3 | MT3 |
| 3/8” | 3/8” |
| 4-56 TPI | 4-56 TPI |
| .4-7mm | .4-7mm |
Tool Holder
| Model |
| Toolpost |
| Number of Tool |
| Size of Tool Shank |
| MI-1237L | MI-1340L |
| 4 Position Toolpost | 4 Position Toolpost |
| 4 | 4 |
| 1/2” | 1/2” |
MI-1340/1237 Gear Drive Lathes - FAQ
Who buys these lathes from Smithy?
Schools purchase quite a few. Military organizations, R & D labs, and small machine shop/production shops are frequent buyers. The machines are designed and built to be good enuough to use in parts production settings - the reality is that, because the price is so reasonable, these lathes are popular for the home shop buyer.
Is the tool pack helpful?
The FREE tool pack is intended to give you a basic tool set-up to get you started when you get the machine. It’s a balanced set of tooling, but you will likely need more tooling once you figure out specific projects you want to do.
What do you mean by “Inspected Twice?”
Each lathe is inspected by trained company employees at the factory - PLUS, a second complete inspection is performed at our warehouse in Ann Arbor, MI before it is sent to the customer.
Why are these lathes better than others on the market?
For a machine tool to be truly great it must have attention paid to every step of its development - design, production, quality control, testing, and after sales support. No other bench top lathe on the market, at this price, has the level of quality committed to every step like these MIDAS lathes.
How long have you been selling these lathes?
Over 25 years.
Why do these lathes have Norton gear change boxes?
We have been selling these lathes for a long time and have found the traditional Norton gear box to be just as fast and easy to use as the newer “knob handle select” gear boxes. The big key is the Norton gear box is consistently more accurate on inch machines.
Do many lathe buyers also purchase milling machines?
Yes, the MI-1340 lathe matches well with the MI-409M milling machine - a machine shop combo that was built to last. Many customers buy this combination.
Are there machine tool sellers out there now that tool buyers should be aware of?
The biggest change in the market recently is the increase in Chinese sellers coming into the market. In China there are many websites that pick a market and put a bunch of items from that industry up on their site to see what sells. These sites are coming into the US now. They generally don’t know much about the industry and they tend to sell cheap and buy knock-off products that don’t have the quality of the traditional sellers.
These companies generally have poor service support on products that are poor quality from the start. Before buying, make sure the company uoi are talking to has the technical people that can help you in the future.
Keep in mind also, when companies sell a wide variety of different products they are less likely to have the knowledge or backup parts and support to take care of uou after you buy their cheap product. Detroit Machine Tools focuses on a few quality products and works to offer the very best product and service for these products.
Do I need to be a machinist to use the machine?
NO, many buyers of these machines don’t have the experience - what they have is the need to make parts. Usually they already have something in mind they need to make. What is needed is a commitment to learn and curiosity. It will take time, but you will figure it out. We have a set of machining training videos on our website - you can usually find classes at a local community college or vo-tech school. Get a machine and get going! You won’t be disappointed.
Shipping
SHIPPING INFORMATION
DELIVERY PACKAGES
Basic Delivery – (Pick up from terminal)
This delivery method will bring the machine to the Estes terminal nearest you for pick up. Once the machine arrives at the terminal, they'll call you to let you know it's ready for pick up. They will load the machine into an open bed pickup, cargo van or trailer. You will need to bring with you an ID and proof of purchase which will be sent to you during the sales transaction. To find the terminal nearest you click the following link. http://estes-express.com/WebApp/PointsInquiry/
This delivery method will bring the machine to the Estes terminal nearest you for pick up. Once the machine arrives at the terminal, they'll call you to let you know it's ready for pick up. They will load the machine into an open bed pickup, cargo van or trailer. You will need to bring with you an ID and proof of purchase which will be sent to you during the sales transaction. To find the terminal nearest you click the following link. http://estes-express.com/WebApp/PointsInquiry/
Business Delivery – (Forklift)
Estes will bring the machine directly to your business for easy offloading. For this delivery method you must have a forklift and your business must be semi-trailer accessible. If you are unsure about semi-trailer accessibility please contact the terminal to discuss options.
Estes will bring the machine directly to your business for easy offloading. For this delivery method you must have a forklift and your business must be semi-trailer accessible. If you are unsure about semi-trailer accessibility please contact the terminal to discuss options.
Deluxe Delivery – (Residential)
Curbside delivery! Estes will drop the machine onto the ground, curbside, at the end of your driveway. Estes will generally use a box truck with a lift gate. That is not 100% guaranteed, so if your residence doesn't have semi-trailer accessibility please contact your local terminal to discuss options. http://www.estes-express.com/WebApp/TerminalList/ Also, there must be someone home to sign for delivery.
Curbside delivery! Estes will drop the machine onto the ground, curbside, at the end of your driveway. Estes will generally use a box truck with a lift gate. That is not 100% guaranteed, so if your residence doesn't have semi-trailer accessibility please contact your local terminal to discuss options. http://www.estes-express.com/WebApp/TerminalList/ Also, there must be someone home to sign for delivery.
****The driver will not help you move or setup the machine. Please note that this delivery method will be an additional $70 charge on top of standard shipping rate.****
SHIPMENT TRACKING
PRICING
- $229 - MI-1220 XL/LTD
- $269 - MI-1230 LTD
- $269 - All Granite 1324 Machines (Classic, Max, IMX, ELX)
- $329 - All Granite 1340 Machines (Classic, Max, IMX, ELX)
- $329 - Stand Alone Mills and Lathes (MI-329M, MI-409M, MI-1237L, MI-1340L)
- ***All stands - $60 to ship with machine, $100 without machine.***
- ***Lift-gate delivery – Additional $70 to pricing above.***
(Pricing is for the lower 48 states only, please call 800-476-4849 for pricing to any other locations or rate quotes on any machines not listed above.)
TRANSIT TIMES
PARTS AND ACCESSORIES
Accessories and parts are shipped with UPS and USPS. Machine Stands, Super Indexers, and Rotary tables are all shipped with Estes Express due to the size and weight. All Accessories and parts are shipped standard ground unless specified otherwise.
SHIPPING TO CANADA
Basic Delivery –(Pick up from terminal)
This delivery method will bring the machine to the Estes terminal nearest you for pick up. Once the machine arrives at the terminal, they'll call you to let you know it's ready for pick up. They will load the machine into an open bed pickup, cargo van or trailer. You will need to bring with you an ID and proof of purchase which will be sent to you during the sales transaction. To find the terminal nearest you click the following link. http://estes-express.com/WebApp/PointsInquiry/
This delivery method will bring the machine to the Estes terminal nearest you for pick up. Once the machine arrives at the terminal, they'll call you to let you know it's ready for pick up. They will load the machine into an open bed pickup, cargo van or trailer. You will need to bring with you an ID and proof of purchase which will be sent to you during the sales transaction. To find the terminal nearest you click the following link. http://estes-express.com/WebApp/PointsInquiry/
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
RECEIVING YOUR SHIPMENT
When you receive your merchandise, please inspect the packaging very carefully. Read the delivery receipt carefully to ensure that you are receiving all packages listed on the receipt. If you see any damage or suspect concealed damage, please note this on the delivery receipt. Be sure to also retain all original packaging. Call us at 1-800-476-4849 and we will do our best to resolve the matter. Smithy Industries cannot take responsibility for damage incurred to merchandise after you've signed for it as complete and in good condition.

