Lathe Decision

[jleiwig]

Ok...so I've decided to bite the bullet and buy a higher quality lathe than originally planned on.

Now my question is this:

This weekend Jet tools are %20 off at Woodcraft for Friday and Saturday only. That makes the 1220 only $350. It's not the VS model, which I would love to have, but I can't swing the extra $150 this weekend unless someone picks up all the other tools I have for sale on craigslist.

Should I splurge on the 1220? Or stick with a lesser lathe? The 1014VS would be around $10 more than the 1220. Or the Rikon would be $30 cheaper.

Or I could go even cheaper and get something like the turncrafter pro for $250 and use the extra $140 bucks saved towards other expenses like a nice chuck and some pen kits.

 

[Gary Max]

Once you buy EVS you will never go back.

 

[VisExp]

Speak to the manager at Woodcraft. Tell them you would like the 1220 VS but do not have enough money at the moment. Ask them if they would accept the $350 now and honor the 20% discount on the 1220 VS in a couple of weeks when you have the balance. I'm sure they would be happy to do that.

 

[hewunch]

I really like my steel city vs. I got it for $250.

 

[Whaler]

I have had the 1220 non vs for 1 1/2 years and like it. The non vs is a little inconvenient but it really only takes seconds to move the belt and I have a lot more time than money.

 

[jkeithrussell]

General rule of thumb: buy a little more tool than you think you can afford and don't skimp on features like VS.

 

[TowMater]

I paid $75.00 more for this off of CL than you will for the 1220, and I didn't have to pay tax.

I paid less for my Jet MiniVS than you will the 1220 because I put a WTB add out on CL.

Craigslist is your friend if you know how to use it.

 

[jleiwig]

I really like my steel city vs. I got it for $250.

The only one they sell now is the granit bed one for $319.

Speak to the manager at Woodcraft. Tell them you would like the 1220 VS but do not have enough money at the moment. Ask them if they would accept the $350 now and honor the 20% discount on the 1220 VS in a couple of weeks when you have the balance. I'm sure they would be happy to do that.

This needs to be a once and done type thing. For marital bliss it would not bode well to drop $350 one week and two weeks later drop another $150. Additionally they only have the non VS in stock right now for any of the JET minis. Anything else is a 2 month wait.

Right now my options are:

Turncrafter Pro for $250, free shipping.
Rikon for $329, drive to Columbus and pick up.
Jet 1014VS for $363, back ordered wait of 2+ months.
Jet 1014 for $299, Drive to Columbus to pick up.
Jet 1220 for $350, pick up in store right there.

So.....cheapest option=Turncrafter. Haven't heard anything bad about it, haven't heard any glowing reviews either, but I'm sure it would do fine for just pens and bottle stoppers. Next cheapest would be the Jet 1014 plus a two hour round trip. For $30 more, I could gain the 2" of swing on the Rikon at the same place, same 2 hour drive. Then would be the 1220 for $20 more than the rikon and pick up 1/4 hp more motor, same swing as the Rikon, but longer spindle capacity.

Craigslist is a bust..there is a turncrafter pro vs for $235, but I can buy it new for a bit more than that. Everyone else wants $300+ for their craftsman tube lathes and central machinery lathes.

 

[sbell111]

This needs to be a once and done type thing. For marital bliss it would not bode well to drop $350 one week and two weeks later drop another $150.

You really need to get your wife involved with turning. Mine turns and almost never hassles me when I buy new tools. Heck, she has been pushing for a new mack-daddy bench press for some time and I have been resisting due to cost.

 

[titan2]

My vote.....go with the Rikon!


Barney

 

[jleiwig]

You really need to get your wife involved with turning. Mine turns and almost never hassles me when I buy new tools. Heck, she has been pushing for a new mack-daddy bench press for some time and I have been resisting due to cost.

Your funny! :biggrin:

Unless it will turn out Vera Bradley purses, my wife has no interest in a lathe or anything else that would go in a wood shop.

 

[wolftat]

I have a couple of Rikons in my shop and they are fantastic, they get used by me and my kids and my students all the time.. I also have a Jet in my shop with a Beall buffing system on it. Enough said.

 

[jleiwig]

I have a couple of Rikons in my shop and they are fantastic, they get used by me and my kids and my students all the time.. I also have a Jet in my shop with a Beall buffing system on it. Enough said.

Duely noted sir! Honestly it's a toss up between the Rikon and the 1220 non-vs at this point for me..I think.

The 1220 is only winning at this point because the local woodcraft has 2 in stock and I don't have to drive the 2 hours round trip it would take for the Rikon. I could have it home and hidden before the wifey gets home from her "training" class on saturday morning.

I kid...she knows I'm going to buy a lathe.

 

[Wheaties]

I have a Rikon and I love it. I can't speak for the Jet, but mark my vote up for the Rikon. Something to consider is costumer service. I know Jet is great too, but I also know Rikon will ship you a new part same day for free even if the warrenty has expired (2-YR).

 

[Crashmph]

Go with the Rikon

Even with the VS you still only have VS through certain speeds. For a major speed jump you will still have to adjust the belt. I work at Woodcraft and we get to "play" with the toys there. IMHO the Jet VS lathes are not worth it because it is not VS top to bottom on the speeds. I have the used the Rikon and love it. Changing the belt speed on the Rikon is by far the easiest of the lathes you listed. The Jet is just a pain the butt to adjust compared to the Rikon. My vote goes for the Rikon.

 

[Crashmph]

Your funny! :biggrin:

Unless it will turn out Vera Bradley purses, my wife has no interest in a lathe or anything else that would go in a wood shop.

I had no idea my wife was a twin and you married her sister. LOL!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[KenV]

I would go for the 1014 or 1220 and use the PSI variable speed motor to upgrade later. Why -- I got one of those motors to use on a different lathe and for about $100 it is a pretty good 1/2 hp variable speed motor. I have a 1014 that is a good work horse for small stuff.

 

[Lenny]

I have never regretted spending more than I had planned on a tool! I have too often regretted buying the cheapest thing I thought I could afford.

 

[Fred]

Heck ... since the wife will never come out to the shop go ahead and splurge and get the JET 1632. I doubt that you would/could ever outgrow it if you don't ever plan on doing any bowls larger than 8"-10" ... even then you can always slide the headstock to the end and turn outboard.

In reality, plan now on what you want to possibly do in the future. Get the best money can buy and get the biggest lathe you even remotely think you will ever need. This hobby grows in the size and length of things we could ever want to turn.

If you buy a lathe now with limited abilities you will just be replacing it in the future. A larger lathe will also give you more weight to keep it from walking around, have greater capacities, will have a better motor with more power, etc., etc.

Good luck with your decision processes!

 

[Robert Taylor]

what lathe to buy????

ok, now that you totally have no idea of what you want/need i'm going to make a suggestion that i have never seen on this forum. you are in dayton. the best bang for the buck inmho(for turning pens and small bowls) is shopsmith. varible speed, will compare to a jet 1014vs any day. but (there's always a but) you can pick up a shopsmith on the 'bay or craigs list for next to nothing. for your efforts you will also have a decent table saw, a disk sander for squaring blanks and one of the best drill presses ever made. pennstate has a great pen mandrel. a nova chuck can be added for $50 from a company in w.va. something to think about imo.

 

[themartaman]

Shopsmith? Older models had quill problems. Bearings. Cheapest horizontal boring machine around. Good disk sander. Have been a bunch on ebay in the past few months. All you have to pick up. For a single garage would be ok to get started. Thought about selling mine but I like the ability to drill holes in the edge of boards. Can't do that as easy with a drill press.

 

[soccer2010]

What tools do you have for sale on craigslist? I'm right down the road in Cincinnati.

 

[jleiwig]

What tools do you have for sale on craigslist? I'm right down the road in Cincinnati.

I've got a eurekazone tracksaw kit, a craftsman 6" planer, and a boice-crane 6" jointer for sale. I have also posted it here in the classifieds with a for sale or trade for pen stuff.

 

[jleiwig]

ok, now that you totally have no idea of what you want/need i'm going to make a suggestion that i have never seen on this forum. you are in dayton. the best bang for the buck inmho(for turning pens and small bowls) is shopsmith. varible speed, will compare to a jet 1014vs any day. but (there's always a but) you can pick up a shopsmith on the 'bay or craigs list for next to nothing. for your efforts you will also have a decent table saw, a disk sander for squaring blanks and one of the best drill presses ever made. pennstate has a great pen mandrel. a nova chuck can be added for $50 from a company in w.va. something to think about imo.

Never been a shopsmith fan much myself. Too big and too complicated for my tastes. I've toured their warehouse and such and just wasn't impressed with the quality of their product or their people.

 

[KenV]

Shopsmith -- got one -- use it for sanding, bandsaw and nice little jointer. Too fast a speed for off balance items, and wrong height for me for turning. Newer add ons for turning are sound, adding weight and stability, but one spends as much for adapters as is proposed for a new midi lathe --- Midi lathe is better overall based on my use of both.

 

[Rollerbob]

I have a couple of Rikons in my shop and they are fantastic, they get used by me and my kids and my students all the time.. I also have a Jet in my shop with a Beall buffing system on it. Enough said.

Show Off!!:biggrin:

 

[sbell111]

Heck ... since the wife will never come out to the shop go ahead and splurge and get the JET 1632. I doubt that you would/could ever outgrow it if you don't ever plan on doing any bowls larger than 8"-10" ... even then you can always slide the headstock to the end and turn outboard.

The 1632 is a drum sander, not a lathe. I suspect that you either meant the Jet 1642 or 1236. The 1642 is so far out of the OP's price range, that I suspect that you actually meant the Jet 1236. This is a good tool, but I wouldn't buy it. It's clone, the Harbor Frieght 34706 is virtually the same tool and is happily in the OP's price range.

 

[jleiwig]

The 1632 is a drum sander, not a lathe. I suspect that you either meant the Jet 1642 or 1236. The 1642 is so far out of the OP's price range, that I suspect that you actually meant the Jet 1236. This is a good tool, but I wouldn't buy it. It's clone, the Harbor Frieght 34706 is virtually the same tool and is happily in the OP's price range.

Yup....it's true....I will not be spending over $350 on the lathe..period, no if's, and's or but's.

Actually I may be spending less...I am going to pick up a NIB delta 10" bandsaw tomorrow with the 7" resaw capacity, and will need to pick up some new blades and some cool blocks when I go to woodcraft.

 

[GouletPens]

I bought a Delta midi lathe, which is almost identical to the 1220. I ended up swaping out the motor for a PSI VS motor, which you could always retrofit down the road to your jet. VS is a really, really, really nice feature, especially for the Jet which has the bizzare back-opening belt compartment. If you save up and buy the best, it'll be worth the wait. I'm willing to bet that your WC owner would honor the sale price for you until you have the cash later on, especially if you give a little down payment or something. I wouldn't feel pressured to buy it just because of a sale. I can't tell you how many things I've bought at WC that I was able to purchase at a sale price during non-sale times. Just say "I want to buy this, I know it will go on sale again, so rather than both of us waiting, how about I give you the money for the sale price and we'll both be happy". I think the WC owner would be happy to have most of the cash now than risk you buying from somewhere else if he turns you away.

 

[jleiwig]

I bought a Delta midi lathe, which is almost identical to the 1220. I ended up swaping out the motor for a PSI VS motor, which you could always retrofit down the road to your jet. VS is a really, really, really nice feature, especially for the Jet which has the bizzare back-opening belt compartment. If you save up and buy the best, it'll be worth the wait. I'm willing to bet that your WC owner would honor the sale price for you until you have the cash later on, especially if you give a little down payment or something. I wouldn't feel pressured to buy it just because of a sale. I can't tell you how many things I've bought at WC that I was able to purchase at a sale price during non-sale times. Just say "I want to buy this, I know it will go on sale again, so rather than both of us waiting, how about I give you the money for the sale price and we'll both be happy". I think the WC owner would be happy to have most of the cash now than risk you buying from somewhere else if he turns you away.

You would be surprised. The local Woodcraft is not the friendliest place I've ever visited. The Rockler store down in Cincinnati is much better the manager there is awesome. Gave us black friday deals on wednesday before thanksgiving, but I don't get down to it as often as Woodcraft since it's an hours drive away. I'm not even sure who the owner of the local Woodcraft is. I believe that they don't take a very active role in their store. A couple of the guys there are downright unpleasant at certain times when I've visited.

I've talked to the owner of the Woodcraft in Columbus and he is 100 times nicer than any of the employees of the Dayton Woodcraft store, but then again, it's an hour away just like Rockler.

 

[themartaman]

10 inch bandsaw. Might resaw softwood ok with 1/2 horse motor. I have 1 horse on my 14 and 1 1/2 would be better. 10 would be great for smaller items. If you resaw get a 3 tooth blade for it. Go slooow so you don't overheat blade or bog down motor. Have fun.

 

[GouletPens]

You would be surprised. The local Woodcraft is not the friendliest place I've ever visited. The Rockler store down in Cincinnati is much better the manager there is awesome. Gave us black friday deals on wednesday before thanksgiving, but I don't get down to it as often as Woodcraft since it's an hours drive away. I'm not even sure who the owner of the local Woodcraft is. I believe that they don't take a very active role in their store. A couple of the guys there are downright unpleasant at certain times when I've visited.

I've talked to the owner of the Woodcraft in Columbus and he is 100 times nicer than any of the employees of the Dayton Woodcraft store, but then again, it's an hour away just like Rockler.

I'm sorry to hear that. Here I was thinking all wood workers were nice to their own kind:tongue: I guess I lucked out here in Richmond, the owner at our WC is awesome and very involved in the store and the clubs held at the store.