what do you do? buy less lathe wanting more? Buy more lathe and feel guilty?

[Ian Jeffcock]

No question here, go with the PM if you can afford it. If you ever decide to up grade or retire, you will probably be able to sell it in a few years for what you had paid. It is rare to find used ones, and usually not much savings. Watch and wait for PM special offers and check with Sean @ Tool Nut. The longer you wait the more you will kick yourself. Bite the bullet and let the shavings fly.

[Don Alexander]

if you have to ask this forum whether you should or shouldn't you obviously are having some doubts in which case don't do it!

the first and by far the most important person you need to discuss this or anything else with is your spouse

none of us here have any clue as to your actual financial situation therefore we have no way to give you the answer to your question
just some "if this, then do that" type of stuff either way if your wife isn't onboard there will be issues

as for the lathe itself you can't lose tool wise with either choice just my 2 cents

[Bob Bergstrom]

I think it should be said that the cost of the lathe is the cheap part. I've been turning some 38+ years and have spent far more on the accessaries. Things like a chainsaw, bandsaw, trailer to haul wood, vacuum pump, 45+ high speed tools, chucks, and so on. I gradually worked through 5 or 6 lathes up to my Powermatic. The largest bowl I've turned has been 24" and the blank weighed 140 lbs. I am almost 66 years old and getting that blank up was about all I could do. It is more of an ego trip to turn big, but I would buy another 3520 in a heart beat. The 2 hp. is only part of it. Banjo size, belt width, and extension make it a better built lathe than the Jet.

[Jeff Nicol]

First off I like to think that I am the person who I follow in my life. If I had to find someone else's idea of how to life life then I think I would be lost before I started. Life is what you make of it and what you enjoy doing is what you should be doing. That being said you are in a family that will be affected by what you do so they must be part of your decisions. Like already said if you have the cash and it won't hurt the family unit buying the PM would be what I would do and it is what I did. I had a little cheap chinese lathe that I still have for my first lathe. With that first lathe I made and sold enough items to pay for the PM3520B, and since I got the bigger lathe I have paid for it 3-4 times over again. So if you can buy it and generate some income from it, eventually you will put the money back into the family and their will be no guilt and should be no guilt. Then in the future your children can use it or inherit it and the legacy lives on. Tools are always an investment in my world, and over the years I have amassed a large collection of them and still want/need more.

So for me go for the Mustard and smile every time you turn it on!

Jeff

[John Lifer]

Well, I've been turning off and on for about 20 years now. Mainly off more than on. Turned a lot for the first few years, pretty poor Sears POJ lathe. But it paid for itself 10 times over. Bought an early Delta VS, It was not really much better than the Sears. Sold it for close to what I paid for it. Bought a small VS for pens, used it some. Sold the Sears just to get it out of shop. I now have an old Rockwell VS 45-450 from the '80s. Good solid lathe. Won't turn those 16" bowls, but that's not what I do. I don't have $1000 invested in the two lathes I have now, and I'd hate to spend $4K on a new lathe. Would be nice, but if you are really doing Dave's plan, search for a used lathe. Get a bargain and you will feel much the better for it. I've got a PM2000 TS that I got almost new for less than $1500 brought home into shop. They are out there, just keep looking and when you see one, JUMP on it.
You can then tell you wife you SAVED $XXXX Just my opinion.

[Baxter Smith]

Since you have been turning awhile and thinking about an upgrade, how long have you been watching Craigslist or checking with your local turning clubs? I picked up a used 3520A this summer with quite a few accessories for less than the cost of a Jet.
I had been thinking about the benefits of a lathe different from what I had. The cost of a new Jet or Powermatic was just more than I could justify. After turning on the Powermatic for the past 6 months, I might have to swallow hard, but I could now justify it and would definitely prefer not to have anything less.

[John Nowack]

Thanks all, but your absolutly no help @ all...i am right back where i started :-)----totally kidding of coarse....we do follow the "dave" plan as closley as we can....debt is not an option after all the hard work years ago....I thought about it and prayed a little...I came to grips with spending the money on a new PM then the 10pm new came on with all the storm and tornado damage.... SO I think I decided to either settle for the jet and spend the differance tword a storm shelter or wait patiently to find a used PM and still get the storm shelter..

so, guilt solved because the family is more safe and secure. I get an upgraded lathe and a shelter for about the same out of pocket


thanks for helping me wrap my head around it

[Scott Hubl]

Just from reading Your post without reading everyone elses first, i'd say you Know exactly which lathe you Really want.

If your at this point after 4 years and looking forward to many more years of turning, just get it over and Done with.

Like you said you'll be left Wishing if you buy the Jet. If you can swing the Gold Powermatic, DO IT now, the price is only going to go UP in the future, thats with all of them, so later it maybe further out of reach, things in life may also change and youd wish you had bought when you could have.

The 3520B is still more lathe than I will ever need, do I regret buying it? NO WAY! And if I ever wanted too, I could turn something as Big as i'd ever want,(or can get a log home big enough) and I can always turn a pen or bottlestopper on it.
Since I bought mine the price has continued to go up, just like everything elses prices have gone up, I am Glad I bought when I did, instead of holding off and paying More later for it. Had I waited, I most likely could Not afford to buy it now, and I knew that, so I Jumped when I could. It was the right time and the right deal for me at the time, had a $100.00 Rebate and was right before a price increase, it was Jump or forever Wishing I had done so.

I believe Sean at toolnut signed up here when I bought it from him to congratulate me on my purchase. And I am sure to sell a few more, which he has, mine and alot of others here have had nothing but Good to say about buying it from toolnut. Find your Best Deal first, then get on the phone to toolnut and they will beat it's price.

Why buy the Jet only later on taking the Loss selling it used, when you know you Want the Powermatic, that lost cash could have just been used towards the 3520B in the first place. IF, you can afford it now, then buy it, you won't regret it once you start turning on it, smooth as silk and power to spare.

I added most of the common options when I placed my order because I figured it was best to get it with the free shipping the lathe came with. At the time with the options I added and after the rebate I was just under 3 grand, not sure what it sells for now, I havent had to look or long for it since then. lol

Either lathe is a good choice but as you said yourself, youd be Wishing you bought the Powermatic.

I don't get to turn on mine as often as i'd like, my arm dictates what I can or can't do most days, and for how long, but when I do turn something the Powermatic is a Joy to use. I still Smile everytime I walk out into the shop and see it IN my shop. I'll Never need nor want to upgrade from it.

[kevin nee]

Buy the POWERMATIC spend a half day setting it up and you are DONE !

[Roy Turbett]

John - You never said what you are turning on now, only that you've been turning for four years. Can we assume that you have the chainsaw, bandsaw, sharpening system, tools and chucks you want? I'm relatively new to turning and have no plans to upgrade from my Powermatic 90 until I have the accessories I want and the lathe doesn't have the capacity to do what I want it to do. I have less than $800 in my newest PM 90 and that includes new spindle bearings and raising the headstock, tailstock and toolrests 3" to give me 18" of swing. I just turned a 15" ambrosia maple bowl and it was a real joy. Another thing I like about my PM 90 is that I'm confident I can sell it for what I have into it and still get to keep the chucks and tools if or when I decide to upgrade.

[John Nowack]

Well..... the final decition is made and the lathe has been ordered so it is a done deal...Roy, i have a delta 14' with the reeves drive that I am tired of working on all the time (and the noise is annoying to me)

guess the guilt will have to be dealt with cause I am going to be posting pics of my new MUSTARD!!! as soon as it gets hear

even better I got to bring LOML home one of Marion McDaniels (dallas texas) hand turned rabbits that he demoed last month....Won it in the "bring back raffle"

[John Keeton]

John, congratulations on making a decision. You will be happy with the PM, and the guilt will be fleeting. Given your due consideration, you probably made the right decision.

[Baxter Smith]

Tough decision but the regrets will be shorter lived this way! Enjoy!!

[Roy Turbett]

John - I too may get tired of my reeves drive when I have four years of experience but must admit that I've enjoyed rebuilding my machines as much as I have enjoyed turning on the them. Part of it too is nostalga as the first lathe I ever used was a PM 90 in middle school shop class. I get a chance to use a Powermatic 3520B at my club and several friends shops and must admit I do like that machine. One friend has a Serious and another has a big Oneway and I can't say that I like them any better than the one you bought. I'm sure you will get years of enjoyment out of your new lathe and that it will hold its value too. Enjoy your new purchase.

Roy

[Chip Sutherland]

Buy what you want. Guilt can be repressed with 1) alcohol (but only after turning) 2) therapy 3) confession 4) buying the wife something.

My wife encouraged me to get what I wanted. I went with cheaper. Happy for 4 years. But my lust for a mustard machine overwhelmed me. I kept my Reeves drive lathe and still use it but buffing and turning lids, finials, etc. If you go with the PM 3520B, think thru all the other upgrades you might need going from a 1" spindle to a 1.25" spinde.

4 Nova chucks = 4 new inserts,
- tool rests for 3/4" post = 2 new Robust posts for 1" post,
- vacuum chuck adapter for 1"to 1.25",
- longer brass rod thru headstock for vacuum pump.
- Upgrade hollowing jig from 16" to 20"...luckily I had the Monster setup so the upgrade was easy-peasy.
- My bowl steady was custom fit to my old lathe ways so it was either build another one or buy one. I'm in for $3000 already so I broke the bank and bought one painted to match the MM.

Okay it ended up being more than a couple hundred bucks.....but I have no regrets and the wife got to go to Hawaii (with me).