Grizzly G1495?

[mickey cassiba]

Any users out there? This one fits right into my price range. I know it's not a Cadillac, but my needs are rather simple anyway.I'm not crazy about the Reeves type drive(nor the rather high lowest speed) but I don't see myself turning any giant bowls. Any opinions or first hand knowledge about this machine would be greatly appreciated.

[John Keeton]

Mickey, you may want to review these threads -

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-Grizzly-G1495

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ly-1495-owners

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...-Grizzly-G1495

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...choose-a-lathe

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...athe-Questions

[Michelle Rich]

I have used that model for over 20 yrs..it's rough & tough and I have never even had to change the belt. Is it even a chevy impala? nope, but it works

[mickey cassiba]

Gee thanks John...lot's to think about there. Someday I'll learn to use the search.

[mickey cassiba]

Michelle, seeing the work you do, your opinion means a lot to me. Although you seem to be the only yea in the bunch 20 years seems to be a pretty good record.
I'd like to go with one of the fancier machines, but down here in the borderlands used ones don't pop up too often. I had considered the Delta, but customer service has got me a little leery. I still have contacts with a lot of Delta folks and they tell me that the situation is getting better but not quickly. Buying new is pretty much my only option these days as I don't have the time to go out and pick up a 'good deal'.
Guess I'll have to think on this one for a while.

[John Keeton]

Gee thanks John...lot's to think about there. Someday I'll learn to use the search.

Mickey, I don't use the search feature of SMC - I use Google advanced search limiting the domain to sawmillcreek.org. Works great!

[Ken Glass]

I feel compelled to say: "It's not the arrow, but the Indian." That said, it would be a great start to a highly fufilling hobby. Your keys words were: it fits my price range..... Go for it.

[William Payer]

Mick,

Had one for about 2 years. In my experience it was a simple, noisy, very basic machine, having relatively little tolerance for out of balance blanks mainly due to a high "lowest speed"( even with three 80 lb sandbags in the base). When I upgraded I realized how limiting that lathe was. Techniques that were at best difficult on the g1495 became almost effortless and highly rewarding on the new lathe.
In short, there are better values out there. The Grizzly 1495 did more to hold me back than to help develop skills.
There are better lathes out there for the same $$ outlay.(Delta, Jet)

[David C. Roseman]

Mickey, the G1495 was my first lathe, bought when Grizzly first rolled it out (1988, I think). I still have it, and use it as a second lathe when my wife’s using our new Grizzly G0733 that we got last year. I like it, but it’s noisy, and the lowest speed setting, 500 rpm, does require that larger bowl blanks be trimmed and mounted carefully to control vibration. As Michelle said, it’s “rough and tough.” Mine needed some tweaking to the motor mounting brackets to allow good alignment of the spring-loaded pulleys, and the Reeves drive system needs occasional lubrication to keep it working smoothly. The cabinetry makes the base of the lathe look much more substantial than it is, especially when looking at a photo. Don’t be misled by that. There is only sheet metal there, as compared to cast iron legs in some of the other Grizzly models that don’t look as beefy in a photo. It’s also difficult to add much ballast to this lathe for that same reason.

You can work around the “odd” spindle size. PSI sells a spindle adapter (12 tpi x 1” tp 8 tpi x 1”), that works fine (bore a hole through it to use a vacuum system). But remember that any run-out is amplified the farther out from the headstock you go. Some chuck manufacturers offer internal adapters, which avoid this. I use Oneways with their own adapters, and have had no run-out problems with those chucks. The motor is ¾ hp, but I’ve found that to be plenty of power for this lathe. Max swing over the bed is 14” (forget the 17” over the gap).

It sounds like you’d be buying new. The current price new is about $1000. I myself would not pay that much for the G1495 today, given the good alternatives available. If you particularly like Grizzly, you may want to research the G0462. Looks like a lot more lathe for less money. And if you can stretch to the G0632 or the G0733, I think those two models are among the best dollar values on the market right now of any of the full-sized lathes.

David

[Michelle Rich]

I'm not recommending it..just that I have used one that long. If you find a used one you can get the speed down. Someone posted it somewhere, iI just can't remember where. But basically he drilled holes in the backplate and gave it a lower speed. i have used mine just about totally for spindle work..my chairs & canes. If you run across one for 300-400 dollars, it would be worth the $$$ if you don't want to turn large bowls. I bolted mine to the wall..it can turn just about anything.

[David C. Roseman]

Agree with Michelle on both points. The lower end can be reduced quite a bit, it you are handy and want to go to that trouble. The backing plate (no. 14 in Grizzly's parts list) acts as an indexing wheel, so you can drill one or two more holes to allow the speed adjustment lever to rotate a few more degrees counterclockwise, yet still lock down. Speed reduction will ultimately be limited by the maximum spread of the motor drive pulley. You've reached the limit when the pulleys start clattering.

[Michelle Rich]

Mickey: I just looked up the price of the grizzly..1000.00 plus 100 to ship..so 1100.00..if it were me & I were buying today i would save up another 100.00 and get the Nova that runs 1100. I've had a nova like it for over 20 yrs too, and it is a real good machine. I doubt you could do any better in this price range.

[Thom Sturgill]

Mickey, I can't talk to that lathe itself, but rather to the minimum speed. I just came from a symposium and two different national demonstrators (Jimmy Clewes and Lyle Jameson) talked about turning as fast as you can to minimize the 'air time' between cuts, and to improve the quality of the cuts.

It is important to start between centers (probably the most secure way to mount the blank) making sure that you embed the points of the drive spur well and not in bark. Find the balance point, not the geometric centers of the ends, and the vibration will be minimized and the faster speed will work for, not against, you. Turn the blank round by cutting INTO the side rather than along the grain. You can make slight adjustments to improve grain presentation once the worst of the irregularity is taken care of and before you square off the ends and cut tenons or a mount point for a faceplate.

The only time I normally turn slower than 600 RPM is when I am hand sanding.

[Jeremy Hamaker]

Mick,

Had one for about 2 years. In my experience it was a simple, noisy, very basic machine, having relatively little tolerance for out of balance blanks mainly due to a high "lowest speed"( even with three 80 lb sandbags in the base). When I upgraded I realized how limiting that lathe was. Techniques that were at best difficult on the g1495 became almost effortless and highly rewarding on the new lathe.
In short, there are better values out there. The Grizzly 1495 did more to hold me back than to help develop skills.
There are better lathes out there for the same $$ outlay.(Delta, Jet)

Here Here! I second the opinion of those here that say to consider something different. Look at that Nova that was mentioned, or even Grizzly's copy of the Jet 1642 (GO698?). From what I've seen, with the correct timing you can get the Nova on a pretty good discount from time to time. All in all, I believe a few months more of saving will pay Huge dividends in owner satisfaction down the road if you get a lathe with better features than the 1495 offers...
Good luck and Happy Turning!

[mickey cassiba]

Y'all, thanks for the advice. The Grizz is off the list. Not so much for the drive, at my price point I'm pretty much going to end up with the reeves drive. I'm now looking at a Jet model 1442. I'm not crazy about the reversed motor, but all of my accessories will fit without adapters. Would that I could save up for a real VS lathe, but the budget fairy says now is the time to jump. Now tell me, what kind of black eyes has the 1442 earned? Quick search tells me it is quite the basic machine.