Looking for advice on my first MIDI lathe

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Painfullyslow

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Mar 5, 2022
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I have been scouring the various classifieds looking for a good deal on a used lathe but find only machines older than I am so I think that I am going to bite the bullet on a new MIDI lathe and could use some advice.

Where to buy?
I have a Woodcraft store local to me, and I believe in supporting local businesses as long as there is not a massive price difference. I also know there are some vendors which support this forum and would absolutely be willing to give that a shot as well. What can you recommend?

What to buy?
I only turn pens at the moment and with all of the other things that I have going on do not foresee me moving to large turning projects. I am trying to stick to a budget of ~$1,000.

I also know that I am impatient and/or lazy and changing belts every time that I want to vary lathe speed is going to be a deal breaker for me so variable speed is a must.

Based on the above that puts me around three machines at my local Woodcraft store; Laguna Revo 12 | 16 EVS, Rikon 70-150VSR, and the Jet 1221VS.

I would appreciate your thoughts on a pick between these three and I am also open to any other options that meet my criteria as well.

Final question: When to buy? I have not been in this game long enough to know if there are any customary sales events, etc where I would be able to get a deal on a lathe. Is one specific time better than any other?


I know this is a lot so thank you all for reading through my ramblings.
 
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ed4copies

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If you only want to make pens and other small projects, consider the Jet 1015vs. I used this lathe for many years, in my shop and taking it to shows to demonstrate--it has plenty of power for the purpose and is available, new, around $800 including tax.
 

grebmar

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Just a note about what I learned when I chose a lathe. "Variable speed" in many of the MIDI bench-top lathes still requires switching the belt manually between three different ranges of speeds. On my Rikon, I need to switch the belt between drilling/sanding speeds and lathe speeds. I certainly may be wrong here, but for a full, true variable speed lathe (no belt switching at all), you need a large, floor-standing lathe. I'm sure someone else here will be able to correct me if I am wrong.
 

KenB259

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Just a note about what I learned when I chose a lathe. "Variable speed" in many of the MIDI bench-top lathes still requires switching the belt manually between three different ranges of speeds. On my Rikon, I need to switch the belt between drilling/sanding speeds and lathe speeds. I certainly may be wrong here, but for a full, true variable speed lathe (no belt switching at all), you need a large, floor-standing lathe. I'm sure someone else here will be able to correct me if I am wrong.
You are doing it correctly. There are 3 belt positions on variable speed lathes for a reason.
 

egnald

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Greetings from Nebraska. My lathe is the Jet 1221vs and I really like it. I have no experience with the other lathes you listed.

If you are looking for a great deal and want to take a long road trip, there is a member, rixstix, in Canistota, South Dakota, that a gently used PSI Turncrafter Pro and two Jet 1014i lathes for sale at bargain prices that were posted in the forum last Friday.

Dave
 

leehljp

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I fully understand the feeling of switching belts on a VS. I don't like it either.

IF you get a new 3 belt drive with VS switch, you may void the warranty but the VS drive on some are really variable - as in adjustably variable with the switch.

Read this link:
 

monophoto

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Michael

The machines you listed are typical of the range of midi-lathes available in the market. Because the market is competitive, they have a lot of things in common - horsepower, MT size, spindle size, variable speed, etc. But there are differences, and those differences could be significant to you.

So my suggestion is that before you start thinking about specific machines, you first write down a list of the things you want and need. When I went through this process, I did it using an Excel spreadsheet, but you could just as easily do it on a sheet of paper. But the key thing is to think about your needs and wants before you get hung up on any specific brand. Once you become emotionally attached to the idea of one brand, you may be unconsciously blinded to attributes of that brand that fail to meet your needs.

For example, I have a small shop, and I had built a bench to hold my 'starter lathe' (a low-end mini-lathe). As a result, one of the key requirements that the new midi-lathe had to meet was that it had to fit on that bench because I didn't have space in my shop for anything larger.

So after compiling my list of 'must haves', I put together a list of candidate lathes, and noted how well each of them met my 'must have' attributes. And one of the attributes was the dimension between the feet on the headstock and tailstock ends of the lathe, and whether that dimension was less than the width of the bench that I had to work with. That spreadsheet made it possible to quickly identify the serious contenders, and also identify the things that made them different from each other so that I could make an informed decision.

As Peter mentioned, I think most variable speed midi-lathes today have two or three belt positions - I chose a 12" Turncrafter which has two belt positions - one rated 400-1900 r/min, and the other at 800-3800 r/min. Note that changing belt position doubles the variable speed range. I suspect that changing belt position on other lathes hsimilarly imposes a fixed multiplier on the speed range, with the specific multiplier something that is a fixed characteristic of the lathe since its determined by the ratio of the diameter of the pulleys. But a feature of the Turncrafter that isn't mentioned in the advertising is that it is possible to go inside the speed controller and 'tweak' the speed range - so for example, I have mine set up for a low speed range of 100-1800 r/min, and 200-3600 r/min on the high speed position.

Finally, if you spend enough time going through the posts on this site, you will become aware every lathe in the market has its fans, and also that there are reports of problems with every lathe in the market. Stuff happens, and defective products occasionally leave the factory. The issue is not whether there were reported problems, but rather how well the manufacturer addressed those problems. And that has to be taken in the context of how much a lathe costs - it would not be unreasonable to expect that more expensive lathes have fewer problems than less expensive lathes. And the manufacturers of more expensive lathes should be expected to be more responsive about addressing problems than the makers of less expensive lathes. And finally, in the price range for midi-lathes, there occasionally may be problems that have to be considered as characteristics of specific models that their owners simply have to learn to live with. You aren't going to get Robust or OneWay quality in a mid-range lathe made in China.
 

Painfullyslow

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Just a note about what I learned when I chose a lathe. "Variable speed" in many of the MIDI bench-top lathes still requires switching the belt manually between three different ranges of speeds. On my Rikon, I need to switch the belt between drilling/sanding speeds and lathe speeds. I certainly may be wrong here, but for a full, true variable speed lathe (no belt switching at all), you need a large, floor-standing lathe. I'm sure someone else here will be able to correct me if I am wrong.

Thank you for clarifying. I did see this and realize that there is still a low, medium, and high range. I just like the adjustability within that range rather than a constant, fixed RPM.

Greetings from Nebraska. My lathe is the Jet 1221vs and I really like it. I have no experience with the other lathes you listed.

If you are looking for a great deal and want to take a long road trip, there is a member, rixstix, in Canistota, South Dakota, that a gently used PSI Turncrafter Pro and two Jet 1014i lathes for sale at bargain prices that were posted in the forum last Friday.

Dave

I appreciate the heads up but sadly that is 1500 miles from me. With gas prices and at least two hotel stays, I am betting that I could buy a new lathe for less šŸ˜„



Michael

The machines you listed are typical of the range of midi-lathes available in the market. Because the market is competitive, they have a lot of things in common - horsepower, MT size, spindle size, variable speed, etc. But there are differences, and those differences could be significant to you.

So my suggestion is that before you start thinking about specific machines, you first write down a list of the things you want and need. When I went through this process, I did it using an Excel spreadsheet, but you could just as easily do it on a sheet of paper. But the key thing is to think about your needs and wants before you get hung up on any specific brand. Once you become emotionally attached to the idea of one brand, you may be unconsciously blinded to attributes of that brand that fail to meet your needs.

For example, I have a small shop, and I had built a bench to hold my 'starter lathe' (a low-end mini-lathe). As a result, one of the key requirements that the new midi-lathe had to meet was that it had to fit on that bench because I didn't have space in my shop for anything larger.

So after compiling my list of 'must haves', I put together a list of candidate lathes, and noted how well each of them met my 'must have' attributes. And one of the attributes was the dimension between the feet on the headstock and tailstock ends of the lathe, and whether that dimension was less than the width of the bench that I had to work with. That spreadsheet made it possible to quickly identify the serious contenders, and also identify the things that made them different from each other so that I could make an informed decision.

As Peter mentioned, I think most variable speed midi-lathes today have two or three belt positions - I chose a 12" Turncrafter which has two belt positions - one rated 400-1900 r/min, and the other at 800-3800 r/min. Note that changing belt position doubles the variable speed range. I suspect that changing belt position on other lathes hsimilarly imposes a fixed multiplier on the speed range, with the specific multiplier something that is a fixed characteristic of the lathe since its determined by the ratio of the diameter of the pulleys. But a feature of the Turncrafter that isn't mentioned in the advertising is that it is possible to go inside the speed controller and 'tweak' the speed range - so for example, I have mine set up for a low speed range of 100-1800 r/min, and 200-3600 r/min on the high speed position.

Finally, if you spend enough time going through the posts on this site, you will become aware every lathe in the market has its fans, and also that there are reports of problems with every lathe in the market. Stuff happens, and defective products occasionally leave the factory. The issue is not whether there were reported problems, but rather how well the manufacturer addressed those problems. And that has to be taken in the context of how much a lathe costs - it would not be unreasonable to expect that more expensive lathes have fewer problems than less expensive lathes. And the manufacturers of more expensive lathes should be expected to be more responsive about addressing problems than the makers of less expensive lathes. And finally, in the price range for midi-lathes, there occasionally may be problems that have to be considered as characteristics of specific models that their owners simply have to learn to live with. You aren't going to get Robust or OneWay quality in a mid-range lathe made in China.

Thank you for the very detailed response. I am very familiar with machinery in general, just not lathes so I am aware that anything that I get will be a compromise due to my budget and I am definitely ok with that.

I think a lot of the issue is that I have no idea what my 'must haves' are, strictly because I have been using a lathe for a little over a month, and all that I know is the very tiny PenPal so I have no actual experience with a 'real' lathe (Unless you count HAAS ST series šŸ˜†). I lack the understanding and vocabulary to properly express what I need.

So, in the absolute most basic of language here is what I need from this lathe:

  • The ability to drill blanks (my drill press sucks)
  • The ability to turn blanks with reasonable accuracy
  • The ability to sand and finish blanks
  • A reasonable degree of reliability and availability of replacement parts and support if needed
After this I don't know what I don't know, if that makes sense which is why I am asking for opinions here. In reality, *any* lathe that I get now will be a massive upgrade over what I am currently using so it is pretty much impossible for me to be disappointed.
 

greenacres2

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The Rikon 70-150VSR is the newer version of the 70-220VSR that you just missed on. The new version did add a movable control box so there is no reaching past a spinning piece to adjust speed or turn off if things go wrong. I don't know if the Jet or Laguna have that--but at a minimum i want the controls on the tail stock end no matter what.

I respect Ed's opinion--and for ONLY turning pens or bottle stoppers--a 10" x 15" or so would be fine. But...that would be a very light size for a 6" bowl, platter or twig pot. Moving into the 12" x 20"-ish range dramatically increases your desire to grow before buying your next lathe. And...you will most likely go bigger--that 12" swing is a keeper at that time where the 10" would be garage sale fodder. Any of the 3 lathes you mentioned would turn a 10"bowl IF the blank was well-balanced to start.

Belt changes--I have 3 ranges on my Rikon--and routinely switch between the slowest and fastest--rarely in the middle. Probably less than 5 seconds to switch, and when i do it's while i'm making some other change as well--like getting ready to drill, or applying CA finish or polishing. So it's at a stopping point anyway, and truly is simple. I sand at around 250 on that lathe, apply CA finish at 350, and turn pens at around 2000-2500 to round then full-tilt (DRO shows 4,000) to finish turn. (my Sweet 16 is single speed range at 50 to 3,200 RPM--power sanding a 8"-12" bowl i usually do between 50 and 100 RPM. That motor has full torque across the speed chart--which is what the belt ranges accomplish in the midi lathes)

Due to how well my Rikon has behaved--i'm prejudiced/biased to their offering. No problems with the other two, but i'd want the following in no particular order...
1. good speed ranges (250 or less to high 3,000's)
2. controls at the tailstock end
3. reversible
4. 1" tool rest post (this will make more sense as you gain skill)
5. Belt change should be similar in all 3--but be sure.

Someone mentioned that there was no bad choice in your listing--probably correct. So...don't agonize, they will be close enough that sharp tools will level the playing field!!
earl
 

KenB259

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The Laguna and the new Rikon offers the ability to do outboard turning, which I got in my head I wanted to do, which is why I bought the Laguna. To be honest I have yet to try it. That feature does require an addition expense, $175.00 on the Laguna, not sure on the Rikon.
 

RunnerVince

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Ogden, UT
As others have said, all three lathes are good picks from reliable vendors with excellent customer service. As a pen-maker, your needs will be fairly "light." At minimum, I'd be sure of:
  • MT2 tapers in both head and tail stock. MT1 (if any midi lathes even use this any more) is difficult to find accessories for. Similarly, 1" 8TPI threads on the headstock for maximum accessory availabiltiy and minimal need for thread converters.
  • "A little bit" more than you need so if you DO decide to branch out, you have some room to grow.
  • A good speed range across the belts (anything below 300 on the low end, and anything above ~2,800 on the high end).
  • Enough travel in the tailstock quill to accommodate the longest pen barrels you want to drill. (My Rikon 70-220VSR has a 3.5" travel, which was more than most of the others I looked at, and that means I can do most drilling operations without having to reposition the tailstock midway through drilling.)
"Nice-to-have" features:
  • Reverse: I thought I'd use this way more, but in practice I haven't. If you plan to use this for turning with a chuck, you need to make sure there's a spot for a set screw to hold the chuck on when the lathe is moving opposite the thread pattern.
  • Extremely low speeds (less than 100rpm).
  • Extendable bed (in case you want to do longer pieces)
My pesonal thoughts: I've loved my Rikon 70-220VSR--as someone mentioned I think the Rikon you're looking at is the updated version). I had one issue with the tailstock being difficult to operate. I contacted Rikon on a Thursday/Friday and had new parts on Monday. It runs like a dream now. I've never found the motor to be underpowered. I love the bed length and extra quill travel (if I recall, the Rikon was best in class on both these). Fit and finish were great.
 

monophoto

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Mar 13, 2010
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Saratoga Springs, NY
So, in the absolute most basic of language here is what I need from this lathe:

  • The ability to drill blanks (my drill press sucks)
  • The ability to turn blanks with reasonable accuracy
  • The ability to sand and finish blanks
  • A reasonable degree of reliability and availability of replacement parts and support if needed

These are pretty generic/qualitative and would be hard to use as criteria for selecting a new lathe. I suggest more concrete things like:
  • Swing - assuming you anticipate doing things like bowl, what is the largest diameter you might want to do?
  • Bed length - this one is subtle because the manufacture will state a number, but in the real world actual length you might be able to turn will be shorter because you have to include a chuck, a tailstock, a drill chuck and bit when drilling, etc. For example, my lathe is formally describe as 18", but when I make walking canes, I have to make them in sections that are about 10" long in order to accommodate all those accessories.
  • Is a bed extension available? This could be a very handy thing to have (if you have space in your shop for a longer lathe.
  • Spindle size - for most midi-lathes, it should be 1"x8tpi (in North America). Don't settle for 3/4x16" on a midi-lathe - its too hard to find tooling.
  • Taper - for most midi-lathes, it should be MT2. Don't settle for MT1 on a midi-lathe - its too hard to find tooling. And the taper should be the same on both the headstock and tailstock.
  • Headstock bore - there must be a bore all the way through the headstock to accommodate a drawbar. On a midi-lathe, the bore should be 3/8".
  • Handwheel - believe it or not, some lathes don't have a handwheel on the headstock spindle. There really should be one.
  • Motor horsepower - more is better. Where this really matters is if you are making bowls or platters and are turning the outer rim, or if you are drilling in end-grain, especially with Forstner bits (for example, if you are making pepper grinders). In my opinion, less than 3/4Hp is underpowered. 1Hp is much better, and if you can find something larger, you've found the pot at the end of the rainbow.
  • Banjo size - most midi-lathes use either 5/8" or 1" posts. Avoid anything smaller than 5/8".
  • Toolrests - what tool rests come with the lathe? Typical would be 6" and 12". Note that if you have a standard banjo size, you can always buy aftermarket tool rests, and they aren't hard to make.. I find that its very handy to have a 3" tool rest, but I had to make my own.
  • Reversing - some lathes have this feature, while others do not. And it may be possible to retrofit a reversing switch to your lathe later (I did on my Turncrafter). Reversing is most helpful for sanding although some people use it for turning (but that requires a chuck with grub screw, something that not all chucks have).
  • Speed readout - I think most VS lathes have this, but its worth putting on the list so that you can check before buying
  • Belt changing/pulleys - we've talked about the fact that most midi-lathes have two or three belt positions, but the next question is what is required to change pulleys? You should be able to change pulleys in at most a couple of minutes.
  • Belt changing/belts - this is one that could easily be overlooked. Belts wear out and have to be replaced - more frequently than you might imagine. How easy is that to do? How much time is required - should be less than 5 minutes.
  • Indexing - this is a convenience, and there are ways to retrofit something after you buy the lathe, but it would be nice to have it built in. Indexing is useful if you are doing vessels and want to do some kind of external decoration, or if you are doing spirals.
  • Spindle lock - there are occasions when you need to lock the spindle so that it can't rotate. An indexing feature cannot be used as a spindle lock - DAMHIKT
  • Where are the controls? - this one is subtle, but if you have been turning on a lathe with the controls on the left side, switching to a lathe with the controls on the right side takes retraining, and in the interim, there are potential safety issues - if something goes wrong, you need to get to the on-off switch without having to think
  • Does it have a worklight? I like the worklight on my lathe because it's very contrasty and throws strong shadows, but there are folks who prefer to design a different lighting arrangement.
  • Weight - not an issue if you have getting it into the house/shop, but my shop is in the basement (with a bulkhead door for access), and I had to muscle it in by myself.
 

Painfullyslow

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Messages
378
Location
Connecticut
The Rikon 70-150VSR is the newer version of the 70-220VSR that you just missed on. The new version did add a movable control box so there is no reaching past a spinning piece to adjust speed or turn off if things go wrong. I don't know if the Jet or Laguna have that--but at a minimum i want the controls on the tail stock end no matter what.

I respect Ed's opinion--and for ONLY turning pens or bottle stoppers--a 10" x 15" or so would be fine. But...that would be a very light size for a 6" bowl, platter or twig pot. Moving into the 12" x 20"-ish range dramatically increases your desire to grow before buying your next lathe. And...you will most likely go bigger--that 12" swing is a keeper at that time where the 10" would be garage sale fodder. Any of the 3 lathes you mentioned would turn a 10"bowl IF the blank was well-balanced to start.

Belt changes--I have 3 ranges on my Rikon--and routinely switch between the slowest and fastest--rarely in the middle. Probably less than 5 seconds to switch, and when i do it's while i'm making some other change as well--like getting ready to drill, or applying CA finish or polishing. So it's at a stopping point anyway, and truly is simple. I sand at around 250 on that lathe, apply CA finish at 350, and turn pens at around 2000-2500 to round then full-tilt (DRO shows 4,000) to finish turn. (my Sweet 16 is single speed range at 50 to 3,200 RPM--power sanding a 8"-12" bowl i usually do between 50 and 100 RPM. That motor has full torque across the speed chart--which is what the belt ranges accomplish in the midi lathes)

Due to how well my Rikon has behaved--i'm prejudiced/biased to their offering. No problems with the other two, but i'd want the following in no particular order...
1. good speed ranges (250 or less to high 3,000's)
2. controls at the tailstock end
3. reversible
4. 1" tool rest post (this will make more sense as you gain skill)
5. Belt change should be similar in all 3--but be sure.

Someone mentioned that there was no bad choice in your listing--probably correct. So...don't agonize, they will be close enough that sharp tools will level the playing field!!
earl

A ton of useful information there, thank you!

As others have said, all three lathes are good picks from reliable vendors with excellent customer service. As a pen-maker, your needs will be fairly "light." At minimum, I'd be sure of:
  • MT2 tapers in both head and tail stock. MT1 (if any midi lathes even use this any more) is difficult to find accessories for. Similarly, 1" 8TPI threads on the headstock for maximum accessory availabiltiy and minimal need for thread converters.
  • "A little bit" more than you need so if you DO decide to branch out, you have some room to grow.
  • A good speed range across the belts (anything below 300 on the low end, and anything above ~2,800 on the high end).
  • Enough travel in the tailstock quill to accommodate the longest pen barrels you want to drill. (My Rikon 70-220VSR has a 3.5" travel, which was more than most of the others I looked at, and that means I can do most drilling operations without having to reposition the tailstock midway through drilling.)
"Nice-to-have" features:
  • Reverse: I thought I'd use this way more, but in practice I haven't. If you plan to use this for turning with a chuck, you need to make sure there's a spot for a set screw to hold the chuck on when the lathe is moving opposite the thread pattern.
  • Extremely low speeds (less than 100rpm).
  • Extendable bed (in case you want to do longer pieces)
My pesonal thoughts: I've loved my Rikon 70-220VSR--as someone mentioned I think the Rikon you're looking at is the updated version). I had one issue with the tailstock being difficult to operate. I contacted Rikon on a Thursday/Friday and had new parts on Monday. It runs like a dream now. I've never found the motor to be underpowered. I love the bed length and extra quill travel (if I recall, the Rikon was best in class on both these). Fit and finish were great.

Also, thanks a bunch for all this information. On paper the main 3 that I am looking at seem very close. They all have similar 1hp motors, all use MT2 tapers, and cover the necessary speed ranges required for pen turning.

Thank you for mentioning the tailstock quill travel for drilling. This was one of those things that I did not know to ask since I haven't drilled with a lathe yet. I do not know how moving the tailstock will affect the outcome, or how annoying it will be but to me it seems that it would be much better to be able to complete a drilling operation in a single pass, without moving the tailstock.

The Rikon is the only one with 3.5" of quill travel with the other two having 2.25-2.5". Also the Rikon has 5yr warranty vs 2yr for the Laguna. That is a strong push towards the Rikon.


These are pretty generic/qualitative and would be hard to use as criteria for selecting a new lathe. I suggest more concrete things like:
  • Swing - assuming you anticipate doing things like bowl, what is the largest diameter you might want to do?
  • Bed length - this one is subtle because the manufacture will state a number, but in the real world actual length you might be able to turn will be shorter because you have to include a chuck, a tailstock, a drill chuck and bit when drilling, etc. For example, my lathe is formally describe as 18", but when I make walking canes, I have to make them in sections that are about 10" long in order to accommodate all those accessories.
  • Is a bed extension available? This could be a very handy thing to have (if you have space in your shop for a longer lathe.
  • Spindle size - for most midi-lathes, it should be 1"x8tpi (in North America). Don't settle for 3/4x16" on a midi-lathe - its too hard to find tooling.
  • Taper - for most midi-lathes, it should be MT2. Don't settle for MT1 on a midi-lathe - its too hard to find tooling. And the taper should be the same on both the headstock and tailstock.
  • Headstock bore - there must be a bore all the way through the headstock to accommodate a drawbar. On a midi-lathe, the bore should be 3/8".
  • Handwheel - believe it or not, some lathes don't have a handwheel on the headstock spindle. There really should be one.
  • Motor horsepower - more is better. Where this really matters is if you are making bowls or platters and are turning the outer rim, or if you are drilling in end-grain, especially with Forstner bits (for example, if you are making pepper grinders). In my opinion, less than 3/4Hp is underpowered. 1Hp is much better, and if you can find something larger, you've found the pot at the end of the rainbow.
  • Banjo size - most midi-lathes use either 5/8" or 1" posts. Avoid anything smaller than 5/8".
  • Toolrests - what tool rests come with the lathe? Typical would be 6" and 12". Note that if you have a standard banjo size, you can always buy aftermarket tool rests, and they aren't hard to make.. I find that its very handy to have a 3" tool rest, but I had to make my own.
  • Reversing - some lathes have this feature, while others do not. And it may be possible to retrofit a reversing switch to your lathe later (I did on my Turncrafter). Reversing is most helpful for sanding although some people use it for turning (but that requires a chuck with grub screw, something that not all chucks have).
  • Speed readout - I think most VS lathes have this, but its worth putting on the list so that you can check before buying
  • Belt changing/pulleys - we've talked about the fact that most midi-lathes have two or three belt positions, but the next question is what is required to change pulleys? You should be able to change pulleys in at most a couple of minutes.
  • Belt changing/belts - this is one that could easily be overlooked. Belts wear out and have to be replaced - more frequently than you might imagine. How easy is that to do? How much time is required - should be less than 5 minutes.
  • Indexing - this is a convenience, and there are ways to retrofit something after you buy the lathe, but it would be nice to have it built in. Indexing is useful if you are doing vessels and want to do some kind of external decoration, or if you are doing spirals.
  • Spindle lock - there are occasions when you need to lock the spindle so that it can't rotate. An indexing feature cannot be used as a spindle lock - DAMHIKT
  • Where are the controls? - this one is subtle, but if you have been turning on a lathe with the controls on the left side, switching to a lathe with the controls on the right side takes retraining, and in the interim, there are potential safety issues - if something goes wrong, you need to get to the on-off switch without having to think
  • Does it have a worklight? I like the worklight on my lathe because it's very contrasty and throws strong shadows, but there are folks who prefer to design a different lighting arrangement.
  • Weight - not an issue if you have getting it into the house/shop, but my shop is in the basement (with a bulkhead door for access), and I had to muscle it in by myself.

Thank you for this! It really provides that necessary framework for decision making that I was missing.

All three of the models that I am currently considering have the same swing (~12"), the Rikon and Laguna are 16" with the Jet being 20.5" however I do not feel the need for a longer bed at this time. All three offer extensions if nececssary.
All use MT2 tapers on both headstock and tailstock, have 3/8" headstock bore, have handwheels, use 1hp motors, 1" posts, 6" tool rests, have reverse capability, speed readout, similar belt changing methods, offer indexing, have spindle locks.

None of them have lights (I don't need this, I have a very well lit workspace) and the size and weight are not concerns for me as I have walk-in access to my shop but more importantly I have two sons (19 and 20) who still live at home and played football in high school so...they will do all the moving for me šŸ¤£

All in all, these seem extremely similar with the noted difference being that the Rikon has a longer warranty than the Laguna and longer quill travel than the other two, not to mention is ~$300 cheaper.

Am I missing something? At least on paper it would seem that the Rikon is the no-brainer here. I can use the $300 savings to pick up all the accessories that I will need.
 

greenacres2

Member
Joined
May 2, 2017
Messages
1,686
Location
Northwest IN
Quill travel for drilling pen blanks is great to have, @RunnerVince remembered to mention. Vertex, Atlas and other single tube blanks are near 3", and that extra in the 70-220 was a great benefit when i got it.
Earl
 

KMCloonan

Member
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
Messages
1,459
Location
Round Lake, Illinois
I had a Jet 1014VS which was a nice little variable speed lathe. It was my first lathe, so starting with Variable speed made looking at non-variable speed lathes a non-starter.

I then had 2 Nova Comet II lathes, which were nice lathes, but I learned on the second one that to replace the belt you need to tap out the spindle which was no fun. The belt change on the Comets was almost exactly the same as the Jet - pretty straightforward, not too difficult. I also had a Nova 14DR which was just plain awful. Belt change was unbelievably complicated and difficult. I returned the lathe, mostly because of the belt change.

I now have a Laguna Revo 12|16, and I could not be happier. The belt change is sooooo simple and nice. less than 10 seconds. Nice solid lathe. it will meet your $1000 limit though, and will go over with sales tax. I think they now list for $999.

The Laguna is also my first lathe with Digital Readout, which I like a lot too.
 
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