I will tell you buy a good one as this is truly addicting. I purchased a harbor freight variable speed for about 100.00 or so and is seemed to work great at first but very quickly i learned the limitations and shortcomings. For example the way the tailstock tightens it puts pressure on the pen mandrels and you WILL bend them eventually, no matter which kind you buy... trust me lol. However they are replaceable. Another thing is the limitation of size, no large bowls or the like on this one. The main attraction to it for me was the price but you do get what you pay for. In summary i guess I would echo the others get the best one you can afford and have room for keeping in mind IT IS ADDICTING you will want to do more with it than you think. Good luck