I hope I'm not speaking out of turn here, but I sorta understand dudstuen's issue... I have a Rikon 1215VS and loved it, but wanted a little more powerful and sturdy lathe so I selected the Jet 1221VS which is a little heftier plus has a few more features (i.e.; reverse, indexes, etc.) because I couldn't afford at least a $1,000 difference in features (i.e; powermatic, laguna, etc.). Jet/Rikon didn't offer the additional features for a larger mid size lathe or a smaller full size lathe for the price and as far as I know, still doesn't. Non-variable speed lathes are not a consideration as far as I'm concerned but I would like a multi-position headstock and shorter bedways for bowl turning, but I'd also like a new classic 1968 Mustang convertible for free also... Any comments and suggestions are welcome! Safe turning to all and hope dudstuen can profit from the comments!