Geoff, I think you hit the nail on the head... A 1/2 hp full sized Baldor motor is going to have a lot more torque than a 1/2 hp DC motor on a mini lathe. What is funny is that we, as turners, talk about hp when talking about power in our lathes. But torque is much more important. Kinda like a corvette and a 1 ton pick up. I'll take my Duramax diesel in a pickup over the V8 from a Vette for hauling any day. But I also wouldn't want a Duramax in a Vette. A Justy might pass me!