great debate

[allen thunem]

this will surely cause some arguments.
if you had a choice over a powermatic 3520b or a oneway 2436 which would you choose.
KEEP IN MIND THE TWO OPTIONS. I DONT CARE ABOUT MAKING COMPARISONS BETWEEN OTHER LATHES!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bob Bergstrom]

The Oneway. I have a 3520 and think it is the best value in its class. The Oneway with a 3 hp motor and a 24" swing is a big advantage if you are turning large bowls. I have the extension for the Powermatic. It works, but vibrates when going large. The Oneway would have to come with stainless steel ways. Rust is prevalent with cast iron. Both lathes have rock solid banjos and tail stocks. T

[John Beaver]

I have turned on both. They are both great machines.

The Oneway is very well built, nice motor, stainless ways, very beefy, but there are things I don't like. The motor reset is problematic, the swivel controller gets in the way, the lock-downs on the banjo interfere with each other all the time, M33 spindle limits options on accessories, no digital read-out, the lock down on the back of the tail-stock is sometimes difficult to reach.

The Powermatic is also well built and beefy. The motor is smooth and quiet, the banjo and tailstock are well made and the sliding headstock is a real benefit. Changing belts is a cinch, especially compared to the Oneway. The only negatives are the square headstock gets in the way sometimes (but the top is a nice shelf) and the offset on the banjo can be an issue once in a while.

Unless you need the 24" swing I would get the Powermatic and use the extra money on accessories.

(Or get a Robust, but that's another thread)

[John Keeton]

Allen, you may want to review this thread for some other comments -

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...tic-vs-one-way

[Robert Henrickson]

Powermatic for me -- the major factors being sliding headstock and price. And complete agreement with John Beaver's comments on the PM.

[John M. Smith]

I would highly recommend find people locally that you can try out both lathes. Really give them a workout on a couple pieces each in a style you like to turn.
I turned in a Robust after I got my powermatic. It was a lot smoother with more power. If I had tested before I bought, I may have waited and spent more on a one way or robust.

[Robert Henrickson]

Testing is always a good idea, if it is possible.

[Wally Dickerman]

I have turned on a PM and think that it's a great lathe. The sliding headstock is a great feature. However, I have the Oneway and wouldn't think of trading for the PM. The Oneway doesn't have a sliding headstock but I have the outboard bed and do much of my HF turning there. The swinging control unit on my lathe is locked down at the headstock. I have the movable remote control which is a great feature. I see no real need for a digital speed readout. My dial setting tells me exactly where i want to be. The 33mm spindle is a little larger than 1-1/4 and that is good. Oneway is made in Canada and service is excellent.

[Reed Gray]

For me, I have to have the sliding headstock. My lathe sits in a corner, and no way to turn outboard unless I slide it all the way down. If you are comparing lathes, the Robust American Beauty is the closest comparable lathe on the market to the Oneway, for price, quality, size, fit, motor, etc. The PM is an excellent lathe, but is a step below the Oneway and Robust. However, if you step up to the bigger PM 4224, or what ever they call it, it is a close comparison. My old PM 3520A was a great lathe. The cast iron bed made no difference. It was black when I sold it. No pitting, just 'patina'.

robo hippy

[Jamie Donaldson]

I would prefer the VALUE of the Powermatic, and save about $3K for tools and other shop needs. The Mustard Monster has excellent features that satisfy the needs of most turners, unless they have money to burn.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

I own a 3520 and am very happy with it. The Oneway was not my dream lathe but if I could have justified spending almost twice what I spent on the PM there is one I would have preferred. However, I am not unhappy with my decision. I've spent quite a lot on tools and accessories and goodies I could "not live without". In retrospect I wish the PM had adjustable legs since it is a bit tall for me. I've adjusted to that. I wish it had a spindle lock. Oh, I know the ways folks have made there own but without electronically blocking the start circuit when engaged, I would be causing a lot of belt squeals. I wish it had a better indexing system. However, I bought a wonderful aftermarket indexing wheel that works fine. Here's the other thing I've come to realize. Owning a better lathe won't make me a better turner. That just comes with practice and experimentation and learning from others. Having said that, if my budget allowed me to spend the money for my dream lathe, I probably would own it.
faust

[Paul Engle]

If I had the money . I would seriously look at Robust , but for features I'd go with the mustard ... and spend the rest on a trip to Hawaii ( to gather wood to turn ) unless you live there already ... which in that case I would spend it on ..... my wife

[Ryan Baker]

Given those two choices, and with price out of the consideration, my first inclination would be to go with the Oneway. The big problem for me is that I don't think I would ever accept a lathe without the sliding headstock. That's an important feature for me that I never knew I needed until I had it. The Oneway has more capacity and will be smoother, but takes more space. The big, square headstock of the PM is a slight minus. It really depends on your specific needs. Both are fine machines. If it is a draw, you can save money with the PM for all the extras. Happy shopping!

[Russell Eaton]

A friend has the oneway and I have the 3520 and 4224b. He wants to bring the oneway to my shop so he can use my lathes. The different MT are a pain on the oneway, and as mentioned before the reset on the oneway motor is odd. We turn a lot of larger things, 20"+ and his will trip all the time. I don't have that issue.

[Reed Gray]

Russell,
If your friends Oneway is tripping all the time, that probably means the phase converter needs to be reprogrammed. Another possibility is to switch to the lower speed range for turning bigger pieces. A call to Oneway should fix that.

robo hippy