lathe advice

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Califo

Califo

Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
79
Location
Boca Raton
Hi everyone, i consider myself a rookie turner. So far I've been using an old lathe my brother gave me and it's been working great by has multiple limitations, such as changing pulleys. The previous owner may have replaced the motor and fixed it in a way that changing speeds in the lathe would entail of loosening up the motor. Anyway, I am purchasing a new lathe but wanted some advice on a reasonable lathe that I can progress with the pen making hobby. I am looking for a lathe around 300 and i see Woodcraft has a Rikon, PSI has a turcrafters and Roller has a Experion and finally Harbor Freight for lathe for 150. I know everyone has their own oinions but I wanted to get advice from you on thise since most of you use these vendors. I also don't want to buy something that will limit my use later. I don't Plan on turning table legs, so a 3 foot extension is out of the question but I'm looking for a dependable tool.

Thanks all
 
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Marco

The price point you have chosen means that all of the potential candidates come from China. In turn, that means that they will generally be 'good enough' but not necessarily great, and the 'fit and finish' will be a bit ragged. Those aren't obstacles - just things you need to understand so that your expectations are in line with what you are likely to get.

When I went through the process of purchasing a lathe about a year ago, the factors I considered included:

  • horsepower - if all you are doing is pens, you don't need a lot of power. But if you are doing projects that involve drilling on the lathe, you will need as much power as you can get.
  • speed - you can easily get variable speed at your price point, but check the speed range - you need higher speed for pens (you need high r/min to get higher surface speeds when the spindle diameter is small), but having the flexibility to get down into 'thread chasing territory' (around 200 r/min) is awfully convenient, and for some finishing chores, you want to go even slower. And check to see if you have the ability to tinker with the controls to adjust the speed range.
  • spindle size - at your price point, you generally have to choose between 3/4-16 with and MT1 bore and 1-8 with MT2 bore spindles. You can purchase accessories for either - but 1-8 does give you a slightly greater range of options.
  • warranty and customer service. Look at the length of the warranty, and how well the seller supports the product. My sense is that Woodcraft stores are staffed by knowledgeable people, but since there isn't one around here, I don't have any first-hand experience them. At Harbor Freight 'customer service' means that if you have a problem, they will let you exchange for a different unit - in-store staff generally know where to find stuff in the store, but that's about as far as their knowledge goes. On the other hand, my experience with PSI was really good - I was able to call and get a real (and very friendly) person on the phone who talked me through tweaking the electronics to fine-tune the speed adjustment range on my lathe.
  • Beyond that, the differences are mainly either convenience or esthetic issues. Having a built-in work light is convenient but not necessary. Having the ability to add a bed extension is nice, but you may or may not actually need or want that feature.
I ended up with 12" Turncrafter and have been very happy with my choice.
 
I love my Rikon and the customer service couldn't be better. I added an bed extension just in case, and use it occasionally. Plenty of power, three variable speed ranges, well built, and reasonably priced.
 
another factor to consider is space... are you interested in a benchtop model that you can move off the bench when you are not using it, or something on a stand? I have both and love both for different uses.
 
Thanks for your input. I appreciate the help. I am leaning toward the Rikon from Woodcraft, especially when Woodcraft is local and a knowledgeable staff. If Woodcraft doesn't do it for me then I will settle for the Turncrafter

once again, thank you.

MARCO
 
I've owned a Jet, A PSI Turncrafter, and just today purchased the Rikon. To me you cannot beat the deal that Woodcraft has on the Rikon. I will most likely be adding the variable speed kit to the lathe as well. So for less than $500 you will have a 12" swing VS lathe comparable to the Delta or Jet for a couple hunnert less.
 
Thanks all. Just came from Woodcraft and they are out of the Rikon. I just placed a order. It'll be a great Christmas.
 
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