My brother owns a Rikon and I own the Harbor Freight lathe that Seamus described. Both make pens. If I were to make the purchase again, I would still buy the HF lathe, because I like the variable speed, and would never purchase a lathe without it. There is nothing wrong with the Rikon. If you think there's a possibility you might not like pen turning, then you will spend much less to get the HF than the Rikon. On the flip side, the market for used Rikons is better than the HF. Another thing to consider is that if you really like turning and opt for a more powerful lathe in the future, you can still dedicate the HF lathe as a buffer. I don't have any experience with the PSI. In the end I decided on the HF because I didn't think I would sell the lathe, and the money I saved allowed me to buy other items needed to make better pens. Good luck on your decision.