Nova DVR - 3000

[Gregory Heard]

Hello All,

I have an opportunity to buy a Nova DVR-3000. It is the older model of the variable speed lathe. The new lathe - the DVR-XP - has a different bed design and I think a more powerful motor. The unit is in great shape and comes with tools (midgrade), a chuck, and a home made stand. The owner is asking for @ $1000. The DVR XP goes for @ $2,000. Has anyone used either of these lathes? Of course rhe new one comes with 5 year warranty - but a grand seems like a good price. Just wanted to get the thoughts of some of our turners.

Taxque

[Eric Gourieux]

I have a DVR XP and love it. I haven't used the 3000. And don't know what they should sell for. Do you have a picture?

[Michelle Rich]

I have used the 3000 for over 20 yrs. Rock solid unit. Not a lot of bells and whistles, but does the job. I have used it heavily, and have never had any repairs..not even a belt. Now that is the 3000. I'm not sure what a 3000DVR is.

[Darryl Hansen]

I've had both. should say had the 3000 and now am using the xp. both are great machines. You are correct the bed is different on the two units. The only down side on the 3000 is the belt. I had to learn the hard way not to over tighten the pulley. If you go for the 3000 make certain the pulley in the housing is not slipping. It is a bear to work on but doable. If the one you are looking at had the variable speed motor via a controller you almost have the xp functions. the xp on sale is usually around $1900 but that is usually in October. A grand might be a tad high but that depends upon the "goodies" that go with it. If you get it you will not be disappointed. The 3000 with the variable speed controller is a bit less motor but I used/learned on one for 5 years and never had to worry about stalling it out.

[Alan Trout]

If it is the older DVR it does not have the pre_sets like the XP and a few different things on the programing but it is my understanding that the board can be upgraded and it is just like the XP. For the money it sounds like a good deal.

[Chip Nasworthy]

I have an dvr that has been upgrade to the xp the and it workes great but I do not know how much it cost to upgrade .Mine was just upgraded before I brought it.

[Bob Hamilton]

I had the DVR 3000 up until about a year ago. I really liked many of its features. I did change out the board on mine in the fall of 2010 because I was clumsy when doing some maintenance and shorted out the original board. The new board gave me the ability to program pre-set speeds which was nice, but the lathe did not seem to have the same power afterwards. It was fairly easy to bog it down and coring was an exercise in frustration. I have no idea if the problem was some kind of mismatch between the new board and the old motor or if shorting the board in the way I did caused some other damage that was not repaired by replacing the board. I have heard of others who had the same issue following the same replacement.

There does seem to be some confusion here over the lathe model. Teknatool made the "Nova 3000" lathe for years and then when the DVR was introduced they basically just put the DVR headstock on the same bed. The original DVR 3000 had a low end speed of 250 rpm and then the second generation of the same model brought the low end speed down to 100 rpm. This second generation model is the one I had. The DVR XP was the next version.

Take care
Bob

[Gregory Heard]

Thanks for the replies one and all. I think I am going to get the unit - I will have to see if I can find an extension to fit it as I mostly turn 12" - 16" pepper mills.

[Gregory Heard]

I ended up picking the unit up today - here is a picture. The privious owner had cut the tool rest in half so I will have to by a new 12 in rest. The stand is kind of flimsy so I will have to make a new one. He also had a 4 inch toll rest that he cut the corner out of ( picture attached). I am not sure waht brand the 4 inch one is but it looks like I can buy a new blade for it. I also got some turning tools, a dremel, and some exotic wood and antlers. Ending up getting it all for $800. Hope to get started on the stand tomorrow.


tool rest.jpg

Lathe - 3000.jpg

[Brian Kent]

Looks like you did very well, Gregory. Many happy turns! What style of stand are you making?

[Bob Bergstrom]

Seems like a shame to put such a strong lathe on what looks like a pretty flimsy stand. Build the new one extra strong and enjoy.

[Gregory Heard]

I am looking the the design in the Owner's Manual. I am also looking for a design with a stand and sharpening station together but have not seen anything.

[Brian Kent]

Here's what I ended up making for my midi lathe. The columns are set to be beneath the lathe feet. They are sized to fit 3 - 50# bags of river rock in each column. I added a row of holes in the back for lathe tools and some on the left side for centers, knockout bar, etc. It is the only lathe and only stand I have had, so I can't compare it with other designs.

You can rarely see the top of the stand now.

Once it was done I realized I could have extended the table top (made of glued 2 x 4's) further to the right for a sharpening area.

[Gregory Heard]

Controller Box.jpgI ordered the watch remote unit and upgrade board only to find out it's not compatible with my particular DVR3000. I ended up finding a article on the web on a wired remote unit. I made some modifcations to it and constructed one. It actually works great. I also have began constuction on the lathe stand and am actively seraching for a bed extension ( the new DVR unit has a differewnt bed). I have attached pictures of my progress.Remote Cable Connected.jpgBallast Box.jpgConnector Wiring.jpgEight Pin Connector.jpgLathe Stand.jpg

[David Brightwell]

I ended up picking the unit up today - here is a picture. The privious owner had cut the tool rest in half so I will have to by a new 12 in rest. The stand is kind of flimsy so I will have to make a new one. He also had a 4 inch toll rest that he cut the corner out of ( picture attached). I am not sure waht brand the 4 inch one is but it looks like I can buy a new blade for it. I also got some turning tools, a dremel, and some exotic wood and antlers. Ending up getting it all for $800. Hope to get started on the stand tomorrow.


tool rest.jpg

Lathe - 3000.jpg

Nice find!