lathe

[TDE]

I'm thinking about a new lathe and have looked at the turncrafter 12 inch with 1 hp and the new nova comet 2. Does anyone have pros and cons on either of these lathes? I like that the turncrafter has 1 hp, the nova has a 3/4 hp. Thanks for your help, Ted

 

[NotURMailman]

I don't have either, but from reading posts from people who do, the Nova lathes are generally higher quality than the TC lathes.

 

[plantman]

Ted; I don't think the difference between 3/4 hp and 1 hp makes that much difference when your turning pens or other small objects. I would print out the speck sheets of the two lathes and compare them feature for feature. Look for items like distance betreen centers, swing or bowl size you can turn, can you add spacer blocks to enable you to turn larger objects, high and low speeds, VS, ease of belt change if need be, AC or DC motor, ( DC has greater low speed torque ), and last ,but not least, price. Jim S

 

[nava1uni]

I think that you should look at other lathes that have proven track records and work well. I would suggest looking at the Jet, the Rikon and the new Laguna midi lathe. I have read many posts on IAP about the Turncrafter with less then positive comments. The Nova Comet 2 is new, but there are some here who have it. Hopefully they will comment in this thread.

 

[Phillikl]

I have a TC12" with variable 1hp. I would say for all around it's great for the price.

Pros:
Easy setup
Light, but heavy enough not to have to bolt down
Endless torque (turned some pretty big stuff and wood gives before the lathe)
Variable speed is awesome!!!
Very quiet, with the below exception
3 year warranty

Cons:
Has a belt tick; tried replacing belt but still there (drives me bonkers)!
Took about a week to shim, tape, unshim, unloosen head, etc to get head/tail aligned. Still likes to move around, but within 1/64 of an inch (not milling aircraft parts so gtg).
Tail stock tension mechanics is kinda loopy. It works though.
Head shaft lock gear is plastic; broke a few teeth being a knucklehead

Overall bang for the buck, I like the lathe, but as soon as I find a jet on Craigslist cheap, this one may become my buffing station.

 

[Bowl Slinger]

I have the VS12 Turncrafter and love it.
Pros:
its quiet
operates smooth
the VS is quick and responsive
The power of the 1 hp motor is sufficient to turn a 12 inch bowl with no issues

Cons:
the tail stock is not perfect in the bed rails has slight side play
the tail stock scroll is sloppy

 

[TDE]

Thanks for the replys. This may be harder than I thought. I also appreciate the review of the nova. Thanks again, Ted

 

[mikespenturningz]

I have the Nova Comet 2 and like it. The tail stock has some in and out slop that I am not happy about but it works great for my pens, is very convenient to change belt settings only takes a few seconds. The VS is a must as far as I am concerned. I use the high speed and medium speed ranges and have not needed the slow range yet. It has plenty of length for drilling the tool rest is nice and sturdy the centers lined up perfectly out of the box. The price is reasonable also.

 

[TDE]

Well I decided on the nova comet. I'm waiting for it to come in. Thanks for the replys. Ted