I would much rather spend £1,500 on a good second hand lathe than the same amount on any new machine that I've seen.
Your mention of "table top" suggests a smaller machine so Myford, Boxford, EMCO, should be your hunting ground, either with or without a stand, where possible.
And bear in mind that a decent vertical slide would almost certainly give a better milling experience than one of those "3 in 1" imported Machine Mart type of set ups.
If you did go Myford then you have the occasional chance to upgrade to one of the vertical milling attachments designed for them. But bear in mind that Myford always seems to come with a higher price than IMHO the better Boxford machine.
Your mention of "table top" suggests a smaller machine so Myford, Boxford, EMCO, should be your hunting ground, either with or without a stand, where possible.
And bear in mind that a decent vertical slide would almost certainly give a better milling experience than one of those "3 in 1" imported Machine Mart type of set ups.
If you did go Myford then you have the occasional chance to upgrade to one of the vertical milling attachments designed for them. But bear in mind that Myford always seems to come with a higher price than IMHO the better Boxford machine.