Lathe recommendations

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CueWood

CueWood

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Joined
Aug 26, 2023
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14
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Columbus, GA
I will soon be looking for another lathe. My harbor freight lathe done died. What is the best budget lathe to buy? As of I now I turn pens and I am learning to turn boxes. And in the future I would love to transition into bowls, boxes and vases. Any suggestions would help. Thanks.

Also most lathes in the lower price range I noticed was around 1/2 hp. The harbor freight lathe is 3/4 hp but still cheaper than the 1/2 hp lathes. Does horsepower really make that much of a difference?
 
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We have a Jet 12/21 and love it. Variable speed is awesome and it has reverse should you need it. I only turn pens on it, but it would handle bowls as well. Our Jet was an upgrade from a Harbor Freight lathe that had seen better days and was of course not variable. I know someone who said their Jet lasted 20 years and he didn't really do the maintenance on it. They are great solid lathes.
 
Hippie3180 said:
We have a Jet 12/21 and love it. Variable speed is awesome and it has reverse should you need it. I only turn pens on it, but it would handle bowls as well. Our Jet was an upgrade from a Harbor Freight lathe that had seen better days and was of course not variable. I know someone who said their Jet lasted 20 years and he didn't really do the maintenance on it. They are great solid lathes.
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Great, I will look into that model. Appreciate you help.
 
You can not go wrong with a Jet. It was me that had recently said I have a Jet 10/14 that I bought over 20 years ago and still going strong and I did nothing to it. You want a lathe with at least a 3/4hp motor, variable speed, and ease of belt changing. The Jet 12/21 is a good midi lathe and will serve you well. It is in the price range that all midis are.
 
jttheclockman said:
You can not go wrong with a Jet. It was me that had recently said I have a Jet 10/14 that I bought over 20 years ago and still going strong and I did nothing to it. You want a lathe with at least a 3/4hp motor, variable speed, and ease of belt changing. The Jet 12/21 is a good midi lathe and will serve you well. It is in the price range that all midis are.
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Thank you
 
I don't have experience with any lathe other than my Jet 10-14. No problems with it except the headstock/tailstock alignment was off and that was an easy fix. Mine is not VS, but moving the belt to change speeds is easy and I am not in a hurry. It runs really smooth and works great for pens and small turnings. I have had it since mid 2000s, but it sat unused for about 6 of those years.

Mike
 
I'm turning on a PSI Commander 10" lathe with VS and a 3/4 hp motor. Just under $500 new. It's a great little benchtop lathe for the money.

Things I don't like are it doesn't weigh enough, and the tail stock isn't stable enough. I get a bit of vibration and play to keep it from being accurate enough to do kitless pens.

I'm strongly considering a new lathe, also. The questions I'm asking are, what kind of turning do I want to do, and how big of a footprint can I get away with in our small shop? The answers to those questions address the same issue, size/capacity. At this point, I'm leaning toward the Laguna 12/16 with stand.
 
Mike said:
I don't have experience with any lathe other than my Jet 10-14. No problems with it except the headstock/tailstock alignment was off and that was an easy fix. Mine is not VS, but moving the belt to change speeds is easy and I am not in a hurry. It runs really smooth and works great for pens and small turnings. I have had it since mid 2000s, but it sat unused for about 6 of those years.

Mike
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OK I'm really leaning towards the Jet now. Thanks
 
derekdd said:
I'm turning on a PSI Commander 10" lathe with VS and a 3/4 hp motor. Just under $500 new. It's a great little benchtop lathe for the money.

Things I don't like are it doesn't weigh enough, and the tail stock isn't stable enough. I get a bit of vibration and play to keep it from being accurate enough to do kitless pens.

I'm strongly considering a new lathe, also. The questions I'm asking are, what kind of turning do I want to do, and how big of a footprint can I get away with in our small shop? The answers to those questions address the same issue, size/capacity. At this point, I'm leaning toward the Laguna 12/16 with stand.
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I have a small shop, the harbor freight lathe is pretty big, but I'd rather have a smaller, better quality lathe with more power. I do mostly pens now, and I'm learning boxes.
 
The 10-14 is 1/2 HP. I have not turned anything bigger than about 6 or 7 inches so far and have never had it stop or slow down.

Mike
 
I did buy a spare belt for it a few months ago because I live in ABQ and it is really dry. Didn't want to break a belt and then have to wait for a replacement. The new one is stored in a ziplock.
 
Hippie3180 said:
We have a Jet 12/21 and love it. Variable speed is awesome and it has reverse should you need it. I only turn pens on it, but it would handle bowls as well. Our Jet was an upgrade from a Harbor Freight lathe that had seen better days and was of course not variable. I know someone who said their Jet lasted 20 years and he didn't really do the maintenance on it. They are great solid lathes.
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Thank you
 
I have a Jet mini for about 25 years with no problems at all. It would turn small boxes and bowls but doesn't have a large enough swing for large turnings.
One thing to consider is that lathes are expensive. Look at the budget you have and get the best lathe you can afford. It's not an item that you buy frequently.
 
I think what you currently have is the larger of the two HF lathes. That lathe 'variable speed' using a reeves drive. The lathes everyone is directing you to have electronic variable speed. That is part of the reason for the price difference.

i have a little experience with both the Jet 1221 and Laguna 1216. They are both very good lathes, are in the same basic size class and would be good for your needs. i believe the Jet has a 5 year warranty and the Laguna 2 years.

you should look at the specs for both to see what the differences are. also check the other accessories you can get such as bed extension and legs etc.

Grizzly also sells their own branded lathes. They have a good selections of sizes and specs. Quality is OK but not like a Jet or Laguna.
 
I have two Rikon minis that I have been turning with for about 12 years now. One with and one without variable speed. The only thing I have had to do with them is replace the belt on the non-variable speed. I primarily drill on the non-variable speed and turn on the variable. They have both been work horses and I highly recommend Rikon.
 
JimB said:
I think what you currently have is the larger of the two HF lathes. That lathe 'variable speed' using a reeves drive. The lathes everyone is directing you to have electronic variable speed. That is part of the reason for the price difference.

i have a little experience with both the Jet 1221 and Laguna 1216. They are both very good lathes, are in the same basic size class and would be good for your needs. i believe the Jet has a 5 year warranty and the Laguna 2 years.

you should look at the specs for both to see what the differences are. also check the other accessories you can get such as bed extension and legs etc.

Grizzly also sells their own branded lathes. They have a good selections of sizes and specs. Quality is OK but not like a Jet or Laguna.
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Thank you
 
I upgraded from HF to Jet 1221vs. I would certainly buy another. I did upgrade my Jet with Rick Herrell's Banjo Clamp though. It made my tailstock much "tighter" between the ways. I also put my HF tailstock crank handle on the Jet because I think it is a better handle.

I mounted it on a homemade stand/storage cart.

Dave
 
I guess the question is what does the word "budget" mean to you?

I was "not going to really turn much" when I got my lathe off FB marketplace for a song. Here I am nearly two years later wondering if I can convince my wife to let me sell what I have and buy something different. I was able to buy a new lathe still in the box quite cheaply.

I have an Excelsior (Rockler house brand) lathe that has performed really well for me. It's definitely a clone that matches with many of the other brands entry level lathes. I've been very happy with it when considering what it is. Entry level, basic adjust the belt on the pulleys to change speed, etc but it has worked quite well.

That said, I do think there are a lot of lathes out there you could consider as an entry level model and it depends on your budget to spend.

I would take some time and consider what features in a lathe are requirements vs "nice to have" and use that to set your budget to shop accordingly. For me, having something truly variable speed has become a requirement because I've got a sore spot in my hand on the spot where I push on a lever to tension the belt when I change speeds. Probably tension it too much I guess. Honestly, I just want the efficiency advantage that speed via dial affords me. On the flip side, I am way less concerned about how large a bowl I can turn and want a bed long enough so I have the ability to try to turn a french rolling pin for my wife.
 
Another consideration in looking to replace is the size/threading of the spindle. If your current lathe is a 1 1/4 x 8 spindle, and you have a few chucks in that size--moving to a machine with 1" x 8 spindle would require either adapters or new chucks. I've got both sizes--but i don't want to think about what i've got tied up in chucks!! Guessing your current lathe is MT2 tapers on both head & tail stocks, if you look at a smaller lathe there are some made with MT1 tapers.
earl
 
I have a Rikon 70-050VS which is obsolete. Small but serves my purposes as I don't turn big items.
Mike and others, my first lathe was the 36 inch HF. The previous owner gave me an extra V belt. He matched it to one from NAPA auto parts. Someone has to make the belts for lathes as Jet, etc., don't have their own belt factories.
 
HP is absolutely important. The next most important feature is variable speed. If you can find a used one on an online marketplace, great deals usually.

I started with a Rikon 70-220vsr and love it, I still have it and don't envision parting with it. Why did I start with the Rikon? It was the model on sale at the time I had the money for it. In the midi-lathe category, don't get caught up with brand preference. They are mostly interchangeable between brands in this category. Sure, one or another offers a bell or whistle that don't really matter in this category.

Rikon, Laguna, Jet, NOVA or even WEN in the midi 1/2hp variable speed will all be quality tools. They are all 1x8tpi and take the same attachments. Here are some options to research and choose from:

Rikon 70-1420vsr
Laguna Revo 12/16
Jet 1221vs
NOVA Comet 14 DR
WEN 34035
 
greenacres2 said:
Another consideration in looking to replace is the size/threading of the spindle. If your current lathe is a 1 1/4 x 8 spindle, and you have a few chucks in that size--moving to a machine with 1" x 8 spindle would require either adapters or new chucks. I've got both sizes--but i don't want to think about what i've got tied up in chucks!! Guessing your current lathe is MT2 tapers on both head & tail stocks, if you look at a smaller lathe there are some made with MT1 tapers.
earl
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Gotcha, I got MT2
 
SabertoothBunny said:
HP is absolutely important. The next most important feature is variable speed. If you can find a used one on an online marketplace, great deals usually.

I started with a Rikon 70-220vsr and love it, I still have it and don't envision parting with it. Why did I start with the Rikon? It was the model on sale at the time I had the money for it. In the midi-lathe category, don't get caught up with brand preference. They are mostly interchangeable between brands in this category. Sure, one or another offers a bell or whistle that don't really matter in this category.

Rikon, Laguna, Jet, NOVA or even WEN in the midi 1/2hp variable speed will all be quality tools. They are all 1x8tpi and take the same attachments. Here are some options to research and choose from:

Rikon 70-1420vsr
Laguna Revo 12/16
Jet 1221vs
NOVA Comet 14 DR
WEN 34035
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Thank you, I appreciate it
 
I have a Jet 1014 that I bought used and it seems practically bulletproof. A couple months ago, I grabbed a Jet 1221VS when they were 15% off. My decision came down to the Jet1221 or Laguna 1216. I think the fit and finish of the Laguna is nicer, but the extra $150 off on the Jet is what did it for me. Besides, if I had purchased the Laguna, I would have wanted that beautiful stand with it, and that's another $350. As someone already stated, Jet has by far the best warranty at 5 years.

I got an email from Laguna saying they were having a 10% off sale for the month of October.

Someone mentioned the WEN. Their 12 x 18 seems to check all your boxes and is only $300 at Home Depot. I'm had a smaller WEN and was not happy with the sloppy tailstock on it. YMMV.
 
Get one as big as you have space for. You said you want to turn bowls and vases, well after a couple 6" bowls you'll do a couple 10" bowls then wish you could turn something bigger.
 
I had a Jet 1221VS and loved it. I was able to do pen turning as well as bowls, hollow forms, and smaller platters on it. I've had several back surgeries, however, and I found that leaning over the lathe while hollowing the inside of a bowl or hollow form was stressing my back too much. I therefore purchased a lathe with a rotating and sliding headstock. It allows be to stand more upright while turning the inside of a bowl. There are several lathes which have this feature. I went with the Record Power Herald. If you are doing only spindle work, then it probably doesn't matter.
 
jttheclockman said:
You can not go wrong with a Jet. It was me that had recently said I have a Jet 10/14 that I bought over 20 years ago and still going strong and I did nothing to it. You want a lathe with at least a 3/4hp motor, variable speed, and ease of belt changing. The Jet 12/21 is a good midi lathe and will serve you well. It is in the price range that all midis are.
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I have an old Jet 10-14 as well. Over 25 years old, still turning!
 
I started out 17 years ago with a Delta 46-460 mini lathe (or something like that) and then a Jet 1014. I quickly became aware of its limitations and traded up to the Jet 1221-VS. Great machine! I wanted to also turn large pieces and purchased the Powermatic 3520C that I now do all of my turning on. I set up the Jet 1221-VS as a polishing and squaring station and that has worked out well for my little shop. I'll never sell it. It has run like a champ for years! I did upgrade the tailstock and banjo clamps with Rick Herrell's banjo clamp nuts, and that did the trick for making them both rock-solid. No more movement. Rick Herrell's squaring jig is also a 'must have'. In fact, pretty much everything he makes is a must have! (LOL!) Get as much horse power you can afford. You'll need it down the road for those bowls, boxes and vases, I promise.

My thoughts on 'budget' lathes, well...I'm not a fan of them. I've been down that road and personally, it only produced a lot of frustration, horrible run-out, noisy motors, squealing belts and loose tailstocks as well as crappy banjos and bed-ways that didn't weigh enough. Get the best you can afford with what you've saved. If it takes a little longer to save up for that Jet 1221-VS, be frugal and patient and squirrel away every penny you can for however long it takes. Figure in what you can sell your current lathe for, even if it's just for parts and scrap metal and put that towards paying for your new one. You won't regret it, ever! However, you will regret buying 'cheap'. Just my .02¢ worth of advice.
 
Marko50 said:
I started out 17 years ago with a Delta 46-460 mini lathe (or something like that) and then a Jet 1014. I quickly became aware of its limitations and traded up to the Jet 1221-VS. Great machine! I wanted to also turn large pieces and purchased the Powermatic 3520C that I now do all of my turning on. I set up the Jet 1221-VS as a polishing and squaring station and that has worked out well for my little shop. I'll never sell it. It has run like a champ for years! I did upgrade the tailstock and banjo clamps with Rick Herrell's banjo clamp nuts, and that did the trick for making them both rock-solid. No more movement. Rick Herrell's squaring jig is also a 'must have'. In fact, pretty much everything he makes is a must have! (LOL!) Get as much horse power you can afford. You'll need it down the road for those bowls, boxes and vases, I promise.

My thoughts on 'budget' lathes, well...I'm not a fan of them. I've been down that road and personally, it only produced a lot of frustration, horrible run-out, noisy motors, squealing belts and loose tailstocks as well as crappy banjos and bed-ways that didn't weigh enough. Get the best you can afford with what you've saved. If it takes a little longer to save up for that Jet 1221-VS, be frugal and patient and squirrel away every penny you can for however long it takes. Figure in what you can sell your current lathe for, even if it's just for parts and scrap metal and put that towards paying for your new one. You won't regret it, ever! However, you will regret buying 'cheap'. Just my .02¢ worth of advice.
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Thank you, I appreciate the advice.
 
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