South Bend Lathe Serial Numbers
Due to some conflicting information about whether the serial numbers listed are for the first or last machine in each year, there may be some overlapping between the serial numbers and the actual year that the machine was shipped from the factory.
The
wswells.com web page on South Bend serial numbers provides numerous data points that suggest that the
serial numbers in the tables below indicate the first serial number issued in that calendar year.
Copies of factory serial number cards are available from
Grizzly Industrial Co. All South Bend Lathes 1919-1946
In July 1910 South Bend started numbering lathes sequentially, beginning with serial number 700 as they had sold about 700 lathes to that date. This serial numbering system continued until March 1947 when the last such serial number, 186514, was issued.
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 22156 | All Lathes | 1919 |
| 28714 | All Lathes | 1925 |
| 36000 | All Lathes | 1927 |
| 46492 | All Lathes | 1929 |
| 57221 | All Lathes | 1934 |
| 63838 | All Lathes | 1935 |
| 80362 | All Lathes | 1940 |
| 106199 | All Lathes | 1941 |
| 127793 | All Lathes | 1942 |
| 137910 | All Lathes | 1943 |
| 155229 | All Lathes | 1944 |
| 161180 | All Lathes | 1945 |
| 165147 | All Lathes | 1946 |
| 186514 | All Lathes | March 1947 |
South Bend 9" Lathes (A, B & C) 1947-1969
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 8100N | 9" A, B, & C | 1947 |
| 20000N | 9" A, B, & C | 1950 |
| 35975N | 9" A, B, & C | 1954 |
| 38025N | 9" A, B, & C | 1955 |
| 40100N | 9" A, B, & C | 1956 |
| 42200N | 9" A, B, & C | 1957 |
| 43650N | 9" A, B, & C | 1958 |
| 45175N | 9" A, B, & C | 1959 |
| 46560N | 9" A, B, & C | 1960 |
| 48000N | 9" A, B, & C | 1961 |
| 49660N | 9" A, B, & C | 1962 |
| 51250N | 9" A, B, & C | 1963 |
| 52500N | 9" A, B, & C | 1964 |
| 53950N | 9" A, B, & C | 1965 |
| 55175N | 9" A, B, & C | 1966 |
| 56451N | 9" A, B, & C | 1967 |
| 56808N | 9" A, B, & C | 1968 |
| 57608N | 9" A, B, & C | 1969 |
| Discontinued | 9" A, B, & C | 1970+ |
South Bend 10" Regular Lathes 1947-1983
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 900R | 10" Regular | 1947 |
| 2500R | 10" Regular | 1950 |
| 7920R | 10" Regular | 1955 |
| 8910R | 10" Regular | 1956 |
| 9775R | 10" Regular | 1957 |
| 10475R | 10" Regular | 1958 |
| 11075R | 10" Regular | 1959 |
| 11935R | 10" Regular | 1960 |
| 12550R | 10" Regular | 1961 |
| 13280R | 10" Regular | 1962 |
| 13875R | 10" Regular | 1963 |
| 14400R | 10" Regular | 1964 |
| 15125R | 10" Regular | 1965 |
| 15785R | 10" Regular | 1966 |
| 16401R | 10" Regular | 1967 |
| 15649R | 10" Regular | 1968 |
| 17266R | 10" Regular | 1969 |
| 17696R | 10" Regular | 1970 |
| 18171R | 10" Regular | 1971 |
| 18498R | 10" Regular | 1972 |
| 18842R | 10" Regular | 1973 |
| 18952R | 10" Regular | 1974 |
| 19600R | 10" Regular | 1975 |
| 19950R | 10" Regular | 1976 |
| 20280R | 10" Regular | 1977 |
| 20695R | 10" Regular | 1978 |
| 21059R | 10" Regular | 1979 |
| 21378R | 10" Regular | 1980 |
| 21723R | 10" Regular | 1981 |
| 22142R | 10" Regular | 1982 |
| 22354R | 10" Regular | 1983 |
South Bend 10" Lathes, Models 10K A, B, & C 1952-1983
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 1500K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1952 |
| 3800K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1954 |
| 4450K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1955 |
| 5350K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1956 |
| 6000K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1957 |
| 6575K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1958 |
| 7125K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1959 |
| 8050K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1960 |
| 8525K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1961 |
| 9200K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1962 |
| 10125K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1963 |
| 10850K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1964 |
| 11700K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1965 |
| 12350K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1966 |
| 12971K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1967 |
| 13145K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1968 |
| 13816K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1969 |
| 14804K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1970 |
| 15517K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1971 |
| 30266K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1972 |
| 31053K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1973 |
| 31783K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1974 |
| 32783K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1975 |
| 33602K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1976 |
| 34253K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1977 |
| 34945K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1978 |
| 36496K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1979 |
| 35938K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1980 |
| 36294K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1981 |
| 36843K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1982 |
| 40236K | 10" 10K A, B, & C | 1983 |
South Bend 13" Lathes 1947-1983
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 600T | 13" Lathes | 1947 |
| 1955T | 13" Lathes | 1950 |
| 5030T | 13" Lathes | 1955 |
| 5800T | 13" Lathes | 1956 |
| 6525T | 13" Lathes | 1957 |
| 6950T | 13" Lathes | 1958 |
| 7500T | 13" Lathes | 1959 |
| 8150T | 13" Lathes | 1960 |
| 8600T | 13" Lathes | 1961 |
| 9050T | 13" Lathes | 1962 |
| 9600T | 13" Lathes | 1963 |
| 10150T | 13" Lathes | 1964 |
| 10750T | 13" Lathes | 1965 |
| 11375T | 13" Lathes | 1966 |
| 12025T | 13" Lathes | 1967 |
| 12029T | 13" Lathes | 1968 |
| 12743T | 13" Lathes | 1969 |
| 13324T | 13" Lathes | 1970 |
| 13639T | 13" Lathes | 1971 |
| 13926T | 13" Lathes | 1972 |
| 14213T | 13" Lathes | 1973 |
| 14291T | 13" Lathes | 1974 |
| 14844T | 13" Lathes | 1975 |
| 15133T | 13" Lathes | 1976 |
| 15463T | 13" Lathes | 1977 |
| 15816T | 13" Lathes | 1978 |
| 16102T | 13" Lathes | 1979 |
| 16384T | 13" Lathes | 1980 |
| 16605T | 13" Lathes | 1981 |
| 16823T | 13" Lathes | 1982 |
| 16908T | 13" Lathes | 1983 |
South Bend 14" Lathes 1969-1983
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 69TT101 | 14" Lathes | 1969 |
| 70TT177 | 14" Lathes | 1970 |
| 71TT381 | 14" Lathes | 1971 |
| 72TT556 | 14" Lathes | 1972 |
| 73TT774 | 14" Lathes | 1973 |
| 73TT975 | 14" Lathes | 1974 |
| 75TT1312 | 14" Lathes | 1975 |
| 75TT1532 | 14" Lathes | 1976 |
| 76TT1640 | 14" Lathes | 1977 |
| 00038TT | 14" Lathes | 1978 |
| 00203TT | 14" Lathes | 1979 |
| 00345TT | 14" Lathes | 1980 |
| 00442TT | 14" Lathes | 1981 |
| 00587TT | 14" Lathes | 1982 |
| 00614TT | 14" Lathes | 1983 |
South Bend 14-1/2" Lathes 1947-1966
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 300F | 14½" Lathes | 1947 |
| 1100F | 14½" Lathes | 1950 |
| 2400F | 14½" Lathes | 1955 |
| 2750F | 14½" Lathes | 1956 |
| 3000F | 14½" Lathes | 1957 |
| 3020F | 14½" Lathes | 1958 |
| 3200F | 14½" Lathes | 1959 |
| 3305F | 14½" Lathes | 1960 |
| 3400F | 14½" Lathes | 1961 |
| 3510F | 14½" Lathes | 1962 |
| 3625F | 14½" Lathes | 1963 |
| 3710F | 14½" Lathes | 1964 |
| 3825F | 14½" Lathes | 1965 |
| 4077F | 14½" Lathes | 1966 |
| Discontinued | 14½" Lathes | 1967+ |
South Bend 15" Lathes 1970-1973
| Start Serial No. | End Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| CN700228B76 | DN701031C100 | 15" Lathes | 1970 |
| CN7O113OD1S | DN710731E77 | 15" Lathes | 1971 |
| DN710731E78 | DN15720228F79 | 15" Lathes | 1972 |
| DN15720331F87 | CN15720930NS | 15" Lathes | 1973 |
South Bend 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes 1947-1979
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 1300H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1947 |
| 2900H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1950 |
| 7700H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1955 |
| 8625H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1956 |
| 9350H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1957 |
| 9650H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1958 |
| 9975H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1959 |
| 10450H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1960 |
| 10700H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1961 |
| 11100H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1962 |
| 11400H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1963 |
| 11725H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1964 |
| 12050H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1965 |
| 12400H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1966 |
| 12700H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1967 |
| 12742H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1968 |
| 13013H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1969 |
| 13263H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1970 |
| 13405H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1971 |
| 13493H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1972 |
| 13619H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1973 |
| 13737H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1974 |
| 13891H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1975 |
| 14005H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1976 |
| 14120H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1977 |
| 14226H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1978 |
| 14270H | 16", 16/24" & 2H Lathes | 1979 |
South Bend 17" (The first two digits of serial number represents year)
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 77GJ334 | 17" example | 1977 |
South Bend 17" Turnado
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 2771GJ | 17" Turnado | 1978 |
| 2894GJ | 17" Turnado | 1979 |
| 3005GJ | 17" Turnado | 1980 |
| 3100GJ | 17" Turnado | 1981 |
| 3171GJ | 17" Turnado | 1982 |
| 3197GJ | 17" Turnado | 1983 |
South Bend 20" Turnado
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 2774GL | 20" Turnado | 1978 |
| 2868GL | 20" Turnado | 1979 |
| 3033GL | 20" Turnado | 1980 |
| 3105GL | 20" Turnado | 1981 |
| 3181GL | 20" Turnado | 1982 |
| 3217GL | 20" Turnado | 1983 |
South Bend 27" Turnado
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| 1SWT | 27" Turnado | 1979 |
| 2SWT | 27" Turnado | 1980 |
| 22SWT | 27" Turnado | 1982 |
| 102SWT | 20" Turnado | 1983 |
South Bend 7" Shaper (The second & third digits of serial number represents year)
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| SH3801 | 7" Shaper example | 1980 |
South Bend Vertical Mill (The second & third digits of serial number represents year)
| Serial No. | Machine Description | Date |
| ML2793 | Vertical Mill example | 1979 |
Information Sources
- Serial Number Reference Book for Metalworking Machinery, by the Industrial Publishing Corp., 1959
- Personal web page from "Doug and Karin", presumably taken from a metalworking-machinery serial number book).