Jet 1442 as a good option for first lathe?

[Rick Cicciarelli]

I was originally looking at the 16" lathes, but my budget just won't cut it right now. I realize a lot of folks love the Nova 16" lathe, but for some odd reason, having an electronic speed control is important to me. I've seen it in action and it seems like a nice thing to be able to just turn a dial and change the speed, vs shutting it off...changing the belt around etc.
I noticed Jet offers the 1442. 14" isn't bad...I may be wrong, but I have am just as interested in spindle turning as I am in bowl turning. A 14" bowl is plenty big. So what is the deal with the speed control on this? You can turn the head around apparently, so would that still allow larger bowls than 14"? What kind of feedback does this particular lathe have? I've read good stuff about the 1642, but not as much about the 1442. I appreciate the input and opinions.

p.s. I just tried my hand on a wood lathe this evening...took a lesson from a guy who got me playing around with spindles and bowl blanks. SOOOO much fun. I wanted to stay all night....

[Bernie Weishapl]

The Jet is not a real variable speed drive but a reeves drive system. It changes speeds by moving a pulley open or closed the change the speed. They are old technology and can be a pain in the back side when the arbors and sliding pulley's needing cleaned all the time in a dusty enviroment. I had a reeves drive and it is a pain. I would own a belt changer before one of those. This is just my opinion. Some have had pretty good luck with this system but I didn't.

[Stan Cook]

I have had this lathe for about 4 years. I have not had any problems with the drive system and I am on this lathe 10-15 hours per week. The legs on this lathe are very nice - extra heavy with built in brackets for shelving. However, the factory switch, just like the one on the mini, is a POS. The biggest downside to this lathe is its low end speed. I would prefer to have a much lower speed than this lathe the 450 rpm of this lathe. When I bought mine, the Nova (with the pulley system) was not yet available. If I could trade it for a Nova, I probably would simply because of the Nova's lower speed.

I also have a Oneway 1224 which is an electronic variable speed lathe. It does not have the capacity (swing or motor) that the Jet 1442 has, but the EVS is very nice. So basically what I am trying to say is, if you can possibly swing the Jet 1642 EVS (or comparable machine) you will be happier in the long run.

[Gary Herrmann]

My first lathe was a Fisch mini - had to move the belt for speed changes. Not a lot of fun, but you get used to it after awhile. Stopping to change belts, you can look at the piece, run your hands over it and move on.

I've also got a PM3520b, and am very happy with the EVS and the other features, but a non EVS lathe is certainly a reasonable way to get into turning - especially if you want to stick to a budget. Considering how much you can spend on tools and accessories, a strict budget for the lathe itself is a good idea.

[Cyril Griesbach]

Consider the Jet 1220 when it comes out with the VS version or wait and save till you can get the Jet 1642 EVS. Join your local turning club and you will likely find some folks that will let you spin up their lathes and you can see and test lots of different lathes.

Go here to locate a club near you:

http://www.woodturner.org/community/...alChapters.asp

[Charlie Schultz]

I've had my 1442 for about 4 years as well and haven't had any trouble with it. A lower speed would be nice, but I like it anyway.

[Bill Wyko]

Owned mine for 2 years now. Thrned a 2 ft tall segmented vessel on it with no problem. Been very happy so far.

[Tom Steyer]

Rick,

The major disadvantage to the Jet 1442 is the reeves drive system. The inability to go really slow is a definite problem with unbalanced raw bowl blanks, and end-grain blanks for hollow forms - even 8-10 inch diameter ones. If you can prep your blanks on a band saw to a nearly round profile, this will help, but even then you will have problems with a minimum speed of 450rpm, particularly with crotch wood blanks and other inherently unbalanced pieces.

As Bernie pointed out, there are lots of postings on this forum of problems with reeves drive systems on various lathes. While I believe that the drive provided on the 1442 is of good quality, there are still cleaning and maintenance issues that you will have to deal with.

I personally have a Jet 1642-2hp machine and am very happy with it. Aside from the extra capacity of the 16" swing, the headstock is considerably stronger, and uses a 1.25" diameter spindle. There is also a significant power advantage with the 1642, in either the 1.5 or 2hp versions versus the 1 hp of the 1442. A huge advantage is the EVS drive system on the 1642, being able to go down to less than 130 rpm with infinite variability up to 3,200 rpm on the high range, and 50 - 1,200 rpm on the low range. I believe that the overwhelming experience of 1642 users on this forum attests to this drive system's convenience, performance, and reliability.

So, it there is ANY way you can make the jump to the 1642 for your first lathe, it is very unlikely that you will ever regret that decision. On a "bang for the buck" basis, there is a lot of evidence that the 1642 is a great choice and certainly worth the additional expense.

[Randy Hoch]

I turned on the 1442 for 7 months before buying my 3520B. I liked it alot. The pivoting headstock made access to the inside for sanding, etc. very nice. I upgraded because I felt I wanted to turn larger (but havent).
The slower speed can be very important however. (Min. is 450 IIRC.) I didn't have problems with the Reeves drive at all. I don't think that you'd regret your purchase, but it may not be your last lathe either. Go to Neal Addy's website. That'll show you what a 1442 will do although alot of it is probably done on his mini.

Good Luck, I know what you mean about wanting to stay all night. This is quite addicting.

Randy

[Bob Hamilton]

A well made Reeves drive is not a bad system for controlling speeds, but the low end is never going to be below ~500 rpm which can be a problem in some cases. A poorly made Reeves drive is a PITA, being quite noisy, chewing through belts, and requiring fairly frequent maintenance/repairs. The Reeves drive on my old Delta 46-700 required a complete rebuild every three years in the 12 years or so that I had it.

Incidentally, the Grizzly lathe in your other post is a Reeves drive lathe fitted with a digital tachometer, not an electronic variable speed lathe. I thought that was kind of misleading when I read the specs. Pretty much any lathe that actually has electronic variable speed will clearly say so since it is a pretty big selling point.

Good Luck!
Bob

[Scott Donley]

Had mine for about 2 years now, 0 problems with the reeves drive to date. Would a slower speed be nice ? Sure. But so would an extra million in the bank I do use the BS to cut corners before mounting the larger blanks. It is past time I change the belt, so, if anyone has a tip let me know.

[Neal Addy]

I own a 1442 and can tell you it's a good, solid lathe. As others have said, it's a Reeves drive but I fail to understand why that is often said as if it were a curse. All that means is that it's not the latest and greatest technology. I've had no problem with mine.

The low-end speed of 450 is the biggest drawback IMO. I do wish it were lower. It's slow enough to start most any blank within the swing capacity of the lathe but there are times you'll wish you could go slower (i.e. threading, turning stone, etc). The sliding headstock feature is great. You'd love hollowing from the end of the lathe bed. Other than that the 1442 is a dependable bare-bones lathe with a great track record.

The 1442 was a better deal when it was priced under $1K. The new pricing puts it in direct competition with the Nova 1624-44 (another very good lathe). I think Jet made a mistake there.

[Matt Newton]

I just bought the Nova 1624-44 from Woodcraft. It is a beautiful lathe. It just went on sale for $899. For this price, it was the best choice. The low end speed is better and it reverses as well. So far it has been very sturdy and I haven't bolted it down yet. Good luck on your choice.

[Rick Cicciarelli]

How did you get the Nova for $899? The sale Woodcraft is running right now is 10% off of the $1200 price tag. That still makes it $1080.....