Burt, first of all, these are but my opinions only so, please take them in that light. I own neither the Jet or the Rikon. I've used both for demo's at the store, albeit, a limited time on either, mainly just demonstrating pen making and some simple spindle work. Given that, I also can't attest to how much either are used by the folks we've sold them to. Even a lesser quality machine will last a long time if used minimally. Yes, I've heard of some issues with BOTH units, though I can't say I've had to deal directly with customers of either having the issues.
As for a final decision on which one to go with, support for the unit may indeed carry some weight. I'd talk to the guys at your local WC once more and find out how far they're willing to go to support you if you have problems with the Jet. We already know they're not too eager to do anything w/the Rikon! However, many vendors are now limiting much of their "after sale" warranty support, due to the fact that, most of the time, the end user (customer) gets as much or MORE support from the OEM than the vendor does! And, in those cases where it's equal, the customer is still better off dealing directly with the OEM because, there's one less "middle" person to go through. I know that in our store, if it's an item we normally stock and, indeed have in stock, we still try to take care of our customers "in house" and deal with the OEM's afterward. Having said that, the "policy", per se, is that warranty issues are the customer's responsibility to take up with the OEM. Again, a talk with your local guys may give you a better idea of where they're at. If you're a real regular customer with them, there's a good chance you'll get better/more support at the local level and, most probably, on the Jet.
As far as the machines themselves go, I still think the Rikon is more bang for the buck. It's a heavy little machine with slightly more capacity, though if you're just doing spindle work (pens, etc...), that should not be a concern. Speed changes via the belt/pulley switchover are easily done on both and most appropriate accessories will fit and work equally well on either lathe. The Rikon does have a handy accessory storage tray for your machine related tools but, that's not a deal maker/breaker, IMHO. Lastly, country of origin for their manufacturing is also the same so, we're not even looking to support the "Made In USA" tag.
Good luck with your quest on getting exactly what you're looking for and be sure to keep us posted!
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