Steve,
Can't comment on the Bantam belt drive as I stripped this machine to fit a DRO and give it a quick flash over with the spray gun as the delectable Deb's is very particular about things being nice and clean.
Yes I know I wonder the same ![wink wink](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==)
It has done one job which was to thread a big band saw shaft at 8 tpi and 10 tpi, respective ends and it did this OK.
But anyway both the TOS and the Chinese 14 x 30 are on belt drive as well. The Chinese machine doesn't see a lot of work, it's more a second string lathe if the TOS is set up.
However the TOS is in daily use and it works well, I seem to spend more time running at 1200 revs than I have before and it's made it very quiet.
I still have to swap from timing belt drive to gears for imperial threads and Module threads [ I do a fair bit of metric worms for gearboxes ] and it's only like swapping gears anyway.
This is one reason to get the Bantam in that it's an all Imperial machine so easier to swap machines than gears.
Hopefully the Bantam will get done later this month, just got to final fit the rear DRO, brackets are done but one is temporary. Then need to fit an iGauging scale to the tailstock, coat of paint and reassemble.