I saw some posts by WQUILES on the candlepower forum in 2009 about his Precision Matthews lathe.
I talked to Matt at Precision Matthews in March 2009, and ordered a PM1236 with DRO in October 2009.
It arrived in Seattle from China via Penn [where the DRO was added] in Jan 2010.

[Linked Image]

The PM1236 is the 5th lathe I have paid for. I have used it most every day on my silly hobby stuff.
I made this handle from Cherry from my neighbor's yard in the lathe 2 days ago.

I was making something good today, until I snapped off a 10x1.5mm tap in a tool post I was making:(

I think you cannot go wrong with a Jet, Grizzly, or Precision Matthews lathe from China.... but for mills, I think used American mills are a better deal.

WQUILES got a precision matthews
Applied science got a Grizzly.
My brother got a 14x40 Jet.
All three of those guys are way better machinests than me.
https://www.youtube.com/c/AppliedScience/videos

There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. -Ernest Hemingway
The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.-- Edward John Phelps