What. A. Machine.
Mind you, I'm upgrading from an early '80s Delta gap bed lathe with an ever-so-slightly-bent shaft and worn-to-where-it-won't-align tailstock, but I'm thoroughly impressed. I originally intended to get the G0766, but the additional $700 just wasn't in my budget. My requirements were minimum 16" throw, outboard turning ability, min speed around 100rpm, and out-the-door price around $1700. I haven't been able to find a decent used lathe in this price range, and the G0632Z was the only new model I could find that met all my requirements. The also-new G0838 was very close, but the short bed length wouldn't allow me to turn table legs. A generous SMC brother shared a 10% off coupon, which allowed me to also get a thread adapter (so I don't have to immediately replace my faceplates and chucks) and the outboard bowl rest and stay within budget.
Before I could even turn it on I had to run 220 juice to that wall of my shop. My breaker box was out of room, so after reading all I could on the best, code-friendly approach I decided to leave my DC on a dedicated circuit and run my planer, bandsaw and lathe all on the same 20A circuit. The bandsaw is the only one of the 3 that might ever be used while one of the others is running, and 20A is plenty to handle any two of these tools at one time. I also took the opportunity to add a new 110v circuit specifically for my larger tools and so I would have outlets on my lathe wall without having to run an extension cord. Now I have a circuit for bench tools, battery chargers, and my shop fridge, and another for the table saw, jointer, air filter, etc, plus I now have power in my shed addition where I didn't before. Now I can use every stationary tool in my shop without using any extension cords, where before it was required for ALL of them! Next wiring project - LED lights. This is all worth mentioning if only to point out that I had the lathe assembled and ready to plug in almost an entire week before my electrical upgrades were far enough along for me to even be able to plug it in, and that the effort made my first turning experience all the more enjoyable.
As for the lathe - it was packaged well. Everything was bolted together securely in a steel frame. I used alternating ratchet straps hung from the rafters to hoist the lathe body high enough to where I could set it on the legs and bolt everything together without any danger of it falling. Assembly was simple - 4 bolts into each leg, scoot it into place, then install and level the feet. The included accessory plate can be bolted onto either side and I'm sure will be appreciated more as I get used to it.
First impression. Fit and finish are fine. Not amazing, but fine. I didn't really have any expectations so it didn't fail to meet them. I was suprised, however, that the ways were not smoother. They aren't rough per se and seem to be perfectly straight and of the proper dimensions, but there was no sanding or polishing to remove the machine marks. Not a big deal, just worth noting. The packing grease was easy to wipe off with some liquid wrench and seemed to only be on the ways and small, packaged parts (bolts, inserts, etc). Drive and live centers match up well enough. Maybe 1/2mm or less one way or another between the two, but may be worth tweaking closer to perfection in the future. Not sure about expected tolerance since my only other lathe experience was far worse. The tailstock does have a bit of side to side play when unlocked, but locks securely. The bearing surface on the tool rest was painted and rough, which was easy enough to smooth out with a file and some 320 grit paper. The spec sheet says the post is 25mm - same as the G0766. I've read that many G0766 owners have drilled this out to 1" as that size has more aftermarket options. Nice to know I can go that path later if needed. All in all everything was perfectly acceptable for a woodworking machine.
The giant bowl rest is a unique design that favors sturdy over adjustable. You more or less slide the headstock to the middle and rotate it to face you (has a spring-loaded pin with detents where they should be, plus a locking lever). The rest is then bolted around the headstock. You have to loosen both bolts and the 4 tool rest locking screws to adjust, then lock it all back down. However, it is very sturdy and seems perfectly suitable for bowls/platters up to 30" or so. Eventually I may replace the nuts with levers so installation/adjustment can be mostly toolless. The tool rest is a simple piece of angle iron with the same rough paintjob as the main rest. It got the same treatment and cleaned up nicely. I haven't had the occasion to use it yet, but it appears to be very capable.
The drive shaft is belt-driven with only two possible positions for low and high speed ranges. To change speed range, just loosen a bolt and lift the handle to release belt tension, then slide the belt over. The manual says to unplug the machine before attempting. This note is not just for the lawyers. What it SHOULD say is that the small circuit board just inside the belt access door WILL SHOCK YOU if you happen to touch it while the machine isn't unplugged. It was not a 220v shock, but nevertheless unpleasant. You've been warned!
The specs say the low speed is 100rpm, but mine will turn as slowly as 30-40rpm. It seems to have a high speed governor that reduces the speed if you push it above ~3100-3200rpm. The motor fan kicks on/off automatically. It is the loudest noise the machine makes, but not unbearable. For long sessions I will probably opt for my ISOtune earbuds over the shop stereo just to reduce the steady whine of it. Still - far better than the low hum of my old Delta, which was amplified by the sheet steel motor cabinet. My wife could hear/feel that lathe running down at the house - ~200' away! This one is MUCH quieter. It comes up to speed slowly in both forward and reverse. You can choose to 'turn it on' by rotating the speed knob, flipping the direction switch, or any combination of the two. There's also an emergency stop button that kills drive power, but does not have a brake.
My first application was to finish a couple of 2yo roughed-out bowls. These were not large bowls, but I was surprised by the steady power. Even a heavy scraping cuts didn't seem to put any strain on the motor. However, one of the bowls was out-of-round enough to elicit some wobbling around 600rpm. I intend to turn much larger and out-of-rounder pieces, so I think it will be a good idea to bolt the legs to the slab once I'm sure it is exactly where I want it to be. A new-to-me feature was the ability to flip a bowl around without it immediately being out of round. If you've never had the pleasure of turning with a bent shaft this may seem obvious, but I'm still shocked at the actual difference and know that I've only scratched the surface of discovering the implications of this new level of precision.
All things considered this was a huge upgrade from what I had before. I may eventually find things I don't like about it and I do have some tweaks planned, but for now I'm very pleased with my purchase and my out-of-the-box results. I would highly recommend this lathe for its price point, features, and build quality.
I will post some pictures maybe this evening when I have more time.
