Haas TL-3
Key Specifications
X Travel
Z Travel
Max Spindle
Spindle Power
swing diameter over front apron
swing diameter over cross slide
Overview
The Haas TL-3 is the largest machine in the toolroom lathe family, built around a 737 mm (29 in) swing and 1,600 mm (63 in) of Z-travel. It's designed to be run like a manual lathe when you want to and programmed when you don't, which is what separates the TL series from the ST production turning centres.
The spindle is the interesting part. 30 hp producing 407 Nm (300 ft-lbf) at 500 RPM, with a 2,000 RPM ceiling, is a low-speed high-torque arrangement. That suits big-diameter work in steel, which is precisely what a 29-inch swing implies. A 102 mm (4 in) bar capacity lets you feed stock through for shaft work as well.
At US$59,995, the TL-3 sits in a gap that's genuinely hard to fill. Manual engine lathes of this size are cheap used but slow and operator-intensive. Production turning centres with this swing start much higher and assume you're running quantities. Repair shops, maintenance departments and job shops doing one-off large turned parts are the buyers here.
Be realistic about what it isn't. 2,000 RPM is low for small-diameter or aluminium work, and the 8-station bolt-on turret is slower to change than a servo turret. This is a machine for large, slow, heavy cuts and for making one part properly rather than a hundred parts quickly.
Specs sourced from Haas published data.
Full Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Swing Diameter Over Front Apron | 737 mm (29.0 in) |
| Swing Diameter Over Cross Slide | 356 mm (14.0 in) |
| Chuck Optional | 406 mm (16.0 in) |
| Max Part Swing | 737 mm (29.0 in) |
| Max Cutting Diameter | 737 mm (29.00 in) |
| Max Cutting Diameter With Bot Turret | 533 mm (21.00 in) |
| Max Cutting Diameter With Tool Post | 737 mm (29.0 in) |
| Max Cutting Length With Tool Post | 62.0 in |
| Max Cutting Length With 8 Station Turret | 1,575.0 mm (62.00 in) |
| Bar Capacity | 102 mm (4.00 in) |
| Between Centers Max | 1600 mm (63.0 in) |
| X-Axis Travel | 16.00 in |
| Z-Axis Travel | 1600 mm (63.00 in) |
| Max Thrust X | 24910 N (5600 lbf) |
| Max Thrust Z | 22686 N (5100 lbf) |
| Spindle Motor Power | 22.4 kW (30.0 hp) |
| Max Spindle Speed | 2000 rpm |
| Spindle Torque Max | 407.0 Nm @ 500 rpm (300.0 ft-lbf @ 500 rpm) |
| Spindle Bore | 117.3 mm (4.62 in) |
| Manual Quill Travel | 178 mm (7.0 in) |
| Turret Tool Count | 8 BOT |
| Index Time One Tool | 1 s |
| Boring Bar Rear Clearance | 41.8 mm (1.65 in) |
| Boring Bar Rear Clearance From Turret Face | 133.9 mm (5.27 in) |
| Air Pressure Min | 5.5 bar (80 psi) |
| Electrical Low | 220 VAC 3-phase, 70 A |
| Electrical High | 440 VAC 3-phase, 35 A |
| CNC Control | Haas Next Generation Control (NGC) |
Specifications sourced from haascnc.com — verified 2026-08-31
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- 737 mm (29 in) swing takes large-diameter repair and one-off work that smaller CNC lathes can't accept
- 407 Nm (300 ft-lbf) at 500 RPM gives real cutting torque where big diameters need it
- 1,600 mm (63 in) of Z-travel handles long shafts and rolls between centres
- Manual-style jog handles let a machinist run it like an engine lathe without writing a program
- US$59,995 undercuts production turning centres of comparable swing by a wide margin
- 102 mm (4 in) bar capacity supports through-spindle shaft work
Limitations
- 2,000 RPM maximum is limiting for small diameters and aluminium finishing
- 8-station bolt-on turret indexes more slowly than the servo turrets on ST-series machines
- Not built for production volume; cycle times trail a comparable ST lathe considerably
- No sub-spindle or live tooling, so second operations need a separate setup
- Haas lists a 6 mm figure for X-travel against 16.00 in on its own spec page, an error in their published metric column
Best For
Frequently Asked Questions
01
Haas lists US$59,995 as of August 2026, which makes it one of the least expensive routes to a 29-inch CNC swing. Tooling, a chip conveyor and a steady rest push a working setup toward US$70,000.
02
The TL-3P is the production variant. It spins to 2,400 RPM instead of 2,000 and adds faster rapids, aimed at repeat work rather than one-offs. It costs about US$10,000 more.
03
It can, but that isn't what it's for. The bolt-on turret and modest spindle speed mean cycle times lag a proper turning centre. For quantities, an ST-series machine will pay for itself in throughput.
04
Yes. The TL series is built around that idea, with handle-driven jog control so a machinist can face, turn and part off without writing code, then switch to a program when the job justifies it.
05
Standard Haas lathe service: way lube, coolant management, chuck and drawbar checks, and periodic turret alignment. The large swing means chip volume can be high, so coolant filtration deserves attention.
Community Discussions
Owner thread on the TL-3 covering what it handles on larger steel work and how it compares with the smaller TL models.
Machinists discuss the current-generation TL lathes, including gearbox availability and where the platform struggles with heavier steel cuts.
Links to community discussions. Summaries are editorial — visit the original thread for full context.
