My lathe is a full sized 14"X40" Grizzly G10672. The upside to this lathe is that it is probably the best value for the money on the market. On the other side, it has some problems: the arbor is a non-standard 1"X12tpi and adaptors must be made or purchased to use non-Grizzly accessories. The variable speed belt is prone to wearing out and it a real PIA to change. Would I buy it again knowing what I do now? On the same budget, yes. If I had more money to spend, no. This isn't the mini you asked about but a Griz experience. I'll add that a member of my woodturning club, who has unlimited funds to spend, has two mini lathes, one is a Grizzly and he likes it. His full sized lathe is one of those $3,000.00 things we see in catalogs and drool over. Compare features, then make a decision.