I started another thread asking for opinions on the Laguna Revo 1836, but am now considering just jumping up to my "last" lathe.
I am looking at the American Beauty and the Sweet 16.
They are so close in price (especially if I upgrade the 16 to 2hp from 1.5hp). I can't understand what advantages the 16 has over the AB.
Two things that I like about the 16 are the single pulley motor and the ability to move the gap perpendicular to the head for turning behind the headstock. But the AB offers more standard capacity without having to mess with the gap.
Is the removable gap a benefit or a hinderance? Would it affect the slide of the rest?
So, looking at the AB 2hp, or the 16 2hp, why would you prefer one over the other? I have also asked this question directly to Robust.