FWIW, I got a used HF lathe that saw heavy use for two years. The owner bought a much higher quality lathe for bowls, etc. So far, it has proven to be good for what I use it for. On the recommendation of another rodbuilder, I bought a HF mini-chuck. Should be here early next week. I'll use it to turn wood reel seats with a mandrel to turn cork grips. I guess HF is like anything, you can get a lemon.
IMHO, I wouldn't have a Craftsman product; they contract them to outside vendors and change vendors every couple of years, depending on who has the cheapest price. My experience with them is that, after a while, parts are hard to find. Plus....they make a few changes from the contractor's products so you have to get parts from Sears. FWIW, several years ago I was in the Murray-Ohio plant in Tennessee. They were running the red Murray riding mowers down the line, followed by the gray Craftsman mower. My brother-in-law had a Craftsman riding mower and had nothing but trouble. He sold it and bought a JD.