new to turning and need my own lathe

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Balasharc

Balasharc

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
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210
Location
Wilmington, NC
So I am new to turning and want my own lathe. What doyou guy sugest? I know jet is a great one but to expensive for me now. I have seen the HF mini lathe but am cautious to get it. I have also seen a shop fox w1704 any opinons on it? I can get one for $160 but may take a month to get. Looking to spend around $250 on the lathe so I can have spending money for the extras to get so I can startout.

Thanks for any help,
JK
 
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I'm sure many will chime in here shortly. I am a relative newby and the expensive part of this hobby (turning) is not the lathe. It is the tools, chucks, blanks and kits. It is addicting welcome to the insanity.

Ed
 
It may well be that you should consider all the other accessory expenses, gouges, chucks, sharpening system, etc, before you set your budget limits. My budget over the last ten years has been unlimited:eek:!
 
I bought a RIKON mini lathe in October from a local woodturner that just upgraded .. I spent about 150 ...

Its been a real good machine for me to learn on.... from pens to 10" dia bowls done all I have asked of it.... havent pushed its limits (12" swing) yet, mainly because I havent had a blank that big yet...
 
After months of paralysis while trying to decide which lathe to get, I finally was convinced that by purchasing an inexpensive lathe, I could see whether I liked pen turning or not, and the $$$ saved could be put into other things. If I wanted to upgrade later, the "beginner" lathe could be used for other things. With that in mind, I purchased the HF lathe with variable speed that sells for about $120. It has worked flawlessly so far and the $$ I saved has gone into many of the other things I have needed along the way. To be safe, I purchased the extended warranty, but haven't needed it so far.
 
I have the Shop Fox 1704. I ordered it from Stebar in New Jersey and got it in a bit less than a week. While the appearance is a bit different, functionally it's about the same as the HF. I've used mine for pens, tool handles, tea lights, napkin rings, small mirrors, small cups, small boxes, plates, and even a dibble (look it up).

Pros:

- the price is right
- compact, doesn't take a lot of space
- relatively quiet
- comes with a 6" faceplate, spur drive, live center and two tool rests
- 3/4"x16tpi spindle with MT1 means that accessories are a bit less expensive
- the fit and finish are better than the HF

Cons:

- the motor is rated 1/3 HP. That's fine for pens, but it's a bit anemic for bowls or for drilling on the lathe
- it doesn't have a handwheel on the headstock spindle. That's not a fatal flaw because you can easily make one (there is a tutorial on the web).
- the tailstock mechanism is OK, but it's a bit fiddly. I find that it is periodically necessary to take the tail stock apart and realign the pin that makes the quill advance.

The other thing you can do is look at Craigslist to see if there is something used in your area.
 
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I would agree, go with the Harbor freight. It was just on sale here in Portland for under 100. I got mine off of Craig's List for $50, 3 years ago. I had to replace the complete on/off/variable speed control box. Cost was under 15 shipped. I did have to wait for 4 months for the part to come from China.
Go with the extended warranty, and buy an extra control box.

Other than that, its a great little machine for 120 or under. I have used it for 2 or more years, having sat idle for about 9 months.
Russ
 
When considering your purchase, think about the specs. Consider getting a MT2 taper and 1x8 threads for some of the best functionality
 
I agree on watching craigs list like a hawk. Lots of people start with a small lathe and then want to upgrade. Can save lots of money. Also check with local turning clubs. If you get a starter lathe and upgrade, you can also use the smaller one for pens or buffing. Nice to have a backup for small stuff if you have a big project on the bigger lathe.

Ken
 
I have the belt-drive HF midi lathe. It has MT #2 on the head and tail stock and 1x8 threads on the head stock. It was on sale for $199 + %20 off coupon. I got the HF gouges with another %20 off coupon and a 8" grinder with %20 off coupon from HF. I have been very pleased with all of these and I have well under $250 invested in these tools.

I know a lot of people look down their nose at HF tools. But I have been satisfied with everything I have gotten there. And besides that, I have never had a customer ask me what kind of lathe I had.
 
I have been on the edge deciding on the HF. Money really isn't the issue. I just knew I would spend more on the extra than I would a lathe, but I just had alittle girl so spending a lot on a lathe and even more on extras the wife would not like.I have done like most haved said andwacthed craigslist like a hawk. I have an app on my bphone for Y months lookingb for one,but only comes up with very old Large lathes. There is one for $100it is a grizzy mini but it's also a 5 hr round trip with gas I'm not sure it would be worth it. I do not plan anytime soon on turning anything large, just pens Christmas ornaments and maybe a small bowl or 2. But if somthing goes wrong with it I don't want to wait 2 months for a part either.
Are there any other lathes that may oor should I just get a JET?
 
If you look at the manuals between the grizzly and HF lathe they look identical. I have not been put in a position to test it. But I would not be surprised if the parts are interchangeable. The Jet, Grizzly and HF midi all look to be basically the same lathe.
 
I've got the HF 37406 and it is fine. I'd be lying if I said that I was perfectly happy with it, but that is only because I've been lusting after a Powermatic 3420B ever since I turned on one for 3 days last summer. The HF lathe does everything that I've asked it to, it has #2 morse tapers on both the headstock and tailstock, my chuck fits the 1 X 8 spindle thread. For around $200 bucks, it's a good machine that will definitely get you started in the right direction. Pull the trigger, you'll be happy you did.
 
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My Dad's got a variable speed Jet mini lathe which is what I use. It is absolutely perfect for turning pens and other small stuff. I love it!
If $$ is the problem, you could either keep watching for a used one, or go for a slightly cheaper option.
 
I have the hf mini lathe, it has worked really well. I use it every day and have had it for a year now. I also clean it a lot.
 
I too started out on the HF mini lathe and it was what i used for over a year. When i bought my new jet 1220VS, I sold the little HF lathe for $135 plus all of the tools that go with it for penturning. The Gentleman who bought it is a new member on here and loves it as well! For the price, you cant beat it, however, you are limited on certain things as far as size of work that you can turn, and room for advancement in penturning, which is why I finally sold mine and got something better. But I say go cheap for right now and see if this is something that will interest you, and if you enjoy it, and are able to sell your pens, set some of that money aside for something nicer later on down the road. Most importantly, have fun! And be safe.
 
edavisj316 said:
If you look at the manuals between the grizzly and HF lathe they look identical. I have not been put in a position to test it. But I would not be surprised if the parts are interchangeable. The Jet, Grizzly and HF midi all look to be basically the same lathe.
Click to expand...
Not only to they look the same they come from the same city in china

I have 2 jets and 2 Grizz. they are much the same would go with the All Grizz next time just to save some $$
 
Last year i encountered the same thing because i always wanted to use the lathe but my dad also wanted to use it. So we looked around everywhere. I didnt want a lathe with belts because changing the belts manually is annoying, because he had a lathe before that that was manual belts. So we looked around for a year a finally found something that was better than a mini lathe because it is full size so i can do more than just pens on it, and also i dont have to change belts. It doesnt have a wheel on the other side of headstock to turn your project but, but thats not a big deal.... also it was around the same price as a good mini lathe. so heres the link. It may be a little bit out of your price range but it works great for me and i love it! http://www.grizzly.com/products/Wood-Lathe-With-Digital-Readout/G0462
Hope this helps
james
 
Balasharc said:
So I am new to turning and want my own lathe. What doyou guy sugest? I know jet is a great one but to expensive for me now. I have seen the HF mini lathe but am cautious to get it. I have also seen a shop fox w1704 any opinons on it? I can get one for $160 but may take a month to get. Looking to spend around $250 on the lathe so I can have spending money for the extras to get so I can startout.

Thanks for any help,
JK
Click to expand...

Delta also has great lathes
 
I have the HF mini lathe and bought it for the same reason many of you are suggesting - to see if I like turning before stepping up to a nicer lathe. It has worked great so far, has done everything I have asked it to do.

Now - the only thing I don't like is that the tailstock doesn't seem to move up and down the lathe smoothly - not an issue when just turning, but I sense that if I tried to drill I would have problems advancing it smoothly. I have not tried it - I have thought about trying it - but have been apprehensive to buy the items in case it doesn't work.

The other con - I would really like to turn some bowls and such. However, from what I have read, the best way to do this is with a chuck of some sort - but I haven't wanted to purchase one knowing that when I step up to a different lathe it will be a MT2 and a 1" x 8tpi, whereas the HF is MT1 and 3/4" x 16tpi - thus I would have to buy everything new once I step up...just didn't make sense to purchase everything until I make the leap to a better lathe.

Good luck in your decision. When I asked the same question on here.....Everyone told me that whatever choice I made, it would be the best one - and they were correct.
 
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