A lathe is a very useful tool,generally speaking though you don't usually need a very large one.From the sound of it this is huge.Fortunately machining was once my trade so I use the one at work a lot for my rod projects.I find that between a lathe and a Mill I can pretty much make most things for my truck.Depending on your interest level I would advise a course at a community college as they can also be quite dangerous for those unaccustomed to using one.If I was able to get a cheap or free one I personally would probably take it depending on its size though.