What is the quality of the older lathes from Sears and Roebuck (pre-Craftsman)?
And would they be an Atlas rebranded?
That's right! The old Atlas. These older '30s-'50s lathes, Atlas, Southbend, Logan, etc., are in a class of their own. Beautiful castings, chromed knobs, ...etc. They were built and accurized with oldschool craftmanship, meticulous hand scraping, an almost lost art.
There's a variety of interest/support websites and vendors out there keeping them alive, kinda like vintage motorcycles, another cult. Imagine being a kid peeking thru the candystore window, but the candystore is a 40 acre wonkaland.
Quality, however, can be all over the map. So, just like our beloved XS' s, you've got to do your homework and do close inspections. Many older worn-out machines that would be candidates for scrapping are being meticulously restored. Turcite is often used to restore ways, and many basements of a dying generation are yielding hidden treasures, supplying parts for this hobby.
Yes, hobby. In a serious business environment, these old machines can't compete with modern tooling. But, it is a fantastic hobby, or black hole....