What Lathe

[Mike Hill]

I read back through some of the previous posts, but really want some suggestions on what wood lathe to buy based on current offerings and prices. Woodcraft has a sale coming up and I am looking at Jet lathes. I also would like opinions of Grizzly's, Delta's and other Lathes out there. basically I will be turning table legs. I build Shaker and other tables, so a lathe that will turn 38 to 40 inches in length is fine for me. Most of the ones I have considered are priced in the $300.00 to $600.00 price range.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Mike

[Rik Rickerson]

Greetings Mike,

For the price range you listed, you may want to consider finding an older rockwell/Delta. Some come with a manual variable speed. The lathe I recently sold was used to create numerous spindles, built like a tank and ran very smooth. Just a thought.

[George Tokarev]

That's what I said thirty years ago. Table legs. I'm on lathe #3 right now, because the first time I put something up cross-grain I liked what I got. The suggestion about old iron is great, but availablity is generally the issue. Those who use it don't part with it, only their heirs. I'm passing on #2 while alive, myself.

The 12 inch market is probably where you should look. JET, Delta, Grizzly all make pretty much the same lathe in that area. Shame you can't add a one to the head of that figure, as the NOVA 1624/44 would fit and serve nicely. I've had bad experience with Grizzly castings and would avoid them in favor of the other two.

[John Hart]

That Palmgren deal that's going on right now looks to be a good start as well. It'll handle the spindles you speak of....plus the inevitable bowl and HF work yet to come. Remember...this is an addiction.

[Gordon Seto]

Mike,

I am biased. I think you can't find a close to perfect lathe in the price range you set. You have to balance the pros and cons.

I like the Jet mini lathe, but it is too small for you. I don't know whether you can add bed extension to the new Jet 1220 to accomodate you. Jet has a proven track record on lathe. I would avoid Grizzly lathe; but I would highly consider their band saw, Jointer, planer. Delta has their share of problems with their Reeves drive lathes.

Do you have a turning club near by? You may be able to find a good used lathe for reasonable price. If your main use is for production spindles, a stepped pulley system will serve you well. They are more reliable than the Reeves drive. I don't like the recent Reeves drive. It seems that the bean counters were cutting too many corners.

The Nova 1624-44 is a very good choice, but out of your price range. I have the Nova DVR. IMO, the 1624-44 is a great value.

There is a Palmgren lathe with the free shipping which looks very attractive. I also notice there were some initial problems and the service was good. I have not seen the lathe, but I think a good product should have good QC to begin with.

Another choice is the $169 Harbor Freight Jet 1236 clone. I had the Jet 1236 lathe; I didn't like it. Yes, it has Reeves drive. But the clone is cheap enough as a throw away. If you go this route, do get the extended warranty from HF. You will know exactly how much the lathe costs you each month. You should aware that you may not get the full enjoyment of woodturning with this lathe. A lot of people who owned this lathe do upgrade to a much more expensive lathe down the road.

Gordon

[Mike Hill]

Thanks to Gordon and all. I may just wait and invest in a good lathe in a year or so. I can continue making tapered Shaker legs in the meantime. BTW, I have a Grizzly 1023SL table saw. I could not be happier. It stays in tune and has given me nothing but the best in performance. Possibly their lathes are different. They do sell inexpensive equipment. I have the low end oscillating spindle sander and it is not made well, but will get me by.

Mike

[Mark Pruitt]

Mike, the most significant issue having to do with Griz lathes has been their speed range. On nearly all their lathes, the low RPM is around 600. If you are absolutely 100% certain that you will turn only spindles and that none of those spindles will ever be of diameters in excess of 4" or so, then this may not be a big issue for you. However, as George implied earlier, the urge to dabble in facework will likely bite you sooner or later, and when that happens you will be wise to have a lathe that can turn much slower for the roughing out phases of your projects.

I own other Griz equipment too and have been pleased with it, but they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to lathes.

As to the Harbor Freight.....well, that was my first lathe and there used to be a time when I recommended it for a first lathe. I no longer believe that. Given my experience, I see the HF as a waste of $$ even on sale.

[Dario Octaviano]

I will also vote for Jet 1220 w/ bed extension...not sure if they are still on introductory sale.

[Gordon Seto]

Mike,

I have the Grizzly bandsaw; for the price, I have no regret. It is no Laguna; but it is not priced like one either.

But their lathes never catch up. Until recently, they still use odd size spindle that you can hardly get accessory. They dressed up others' outdated models with useless bells and whistles as their flagship lathe.

http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.p...20633#poststop

No, thanks to Grizzly lathe. I would rather find a good used lathe that Grizzly cloned from.

Gordon

[Bill Wyko]

Mike keep in mind the old saying "The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the cheap price is forgotten" I'm using a jet mini and it's a great lathe for its size but I waited to get a bigger one until i could get the best for my money. It's on layaway now. IMHO hold out for a Jet or something of that quality. Good luck and enjoy.

[Jason Hallowell]

I don't have much experience, but enough to tell you to avoid the $169 Harbor Freight lathe. I got it on sale for $139, and paid the extra for the warranty. I used the warranty 3 times before deciding that it was not even worth the drive across town to exchange it for yet another one. It has design flaws too numerous to mention, and is best used as a boat anchor. I know someone who has the $279 model, and they are satisfied with it's performance. It has an actual tailstock rather than a large bolt with a M2 taper.

[Mike Hill]

Thanks for letting me know your experiences with the Grizzly Lathes. I was aware they have some good and some not so good products I will check out the Jet 1220 this Saturday and see what it is going for. Your a great group and thanks for all the information. I would rather wait a bit than buy less than satisfactory equipment.
Mike

[Neal Addy]

Mike, the 1220 seems to be a fine lathe (although it's still new) but I don't think it will suit your needs. It's still a mini and for table legs you really need to be in a full-size.

I agree with the others about the Griz. They don't seem to have a great track record when it comes to lathes.

You might want to look into the Palmgren. It gives you 38" between centered for $299. It's still a relative new-comer so the proven track record isn't there yet but for the price it might tide you over until you can get bigger iron.

The lowest-end full-size lathe I would recommend as a "keeper" is the Jet 1442. It's a nice lathe for the money but you don't get many bells-and-whistles. From there you move into the range of the Nova series and Jet 1642. There are a couple of others in this range but those are the most commonly mentioned. Going up from there you are into range of the Mustard (PM3520) and Mayo (Oneway).

[Jim Becker]

For spindle work like that, definitely consider a vintage machine...they are solid and designed for spindle work.

[Rex Guinn]

I read back through some of the previous posts, but really want some suggestions on what wood lathe to buy based on current offerings and prices. Woodcraft has a sale coming up and I am looking at Jet lathes. I also would like opinions of Grizzly's, Delta's and other Lathes out there. basically I will be turning table legs. I build Shaker and other tables, so a lathe that will turn 38 to 40 inches in length is fine for me. Most of the ones I have considered are priced in the $300.00 to $600.00 price range.

Thanks for any suggestions.
Mike

Mike this is the best buy on the market I think, here is a pic of mine. my_lathe_working1.jpg