Folks,
I don't do bowls (at least not yet) and I don't use a lathe all that much anymore (lots of craftsman furniture), but I still do turnings now and then. I have done many turnings over the years that vary from
1/2 inch to 6 inches or so in diameter to over 3 ft in length. Sometimes I had to splice two together to get the length I needed. I have done all this with (ugh!) a 40 year old Sears Craftsman "tube" lathe that I bought NEW. I tried a friend's Delta 46-715 and liked it. I also know that Delta has a new midi 46-460 lathe that appears to be very nice. The 46-715 has been discontinued, so I would probably have to buy it used.
I don't want to spend over $600 or $700 (would prefer less) because I don't use the lathe a lot, but I would like the smoothness and chatter freedom that I can expect from a quality lathe. Although I know it would be nice, I don't want a used 400 lb. behemoth. I have read about the Grizzly and Shop Fox lathes, but I also heard the mixed results. The Sears has made a smooth cut hard to do (possible, but hard).
With these facts in mind, I would like to ask you-all what you would suggest.