Rikon vs Jet lathe

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FLTurn

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New here. Wondering for a new lathe purchase that could last several years a possibly forgive a sooner upgrade. Looking to turn pens, boxes, ornaments at this time.
Would a Jet 1121. Or a Rikon 70-220vsr or Rikon 70-150vsr be a more logical
Choice? I have read that the Rikon has the longest quill ? For larger longer pen blanks? Not sure if correct terminology. Both brands offer a 5 year warranty and have great customer service from what I've read. Any input from those that have used either or both would be most welcomed.
 
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I have the Jet 1221VS and love it. I have never used a Rikon.

I do see your point about the quill travel. The Jet is 2 1/4" where the Rikon boasts 3 1/2". While that would be nice, I don't think it is a deal breaker. I have yet to find a material where I can drill even the 2 1/4" my Jet is capable in a single plunge where that would be a good idea. I always drill in small increments, removing the bit from the hole to clear chips and let the bit and material cool. Would it be nice if I didn't have to move the tail stock to drill deeper holes, sure, but not a deal breaker.

One thing I see when comparing specs that would bother me is the speed ranges. To move between these speed ranges, you will need to move the belt.
  • Jet 1221VS: 60-900, 110-1800, 220-3600 RPM
  • Rikon 70-220VSR: 250-750, 550-1650, 1300-3850 RPM
With the Jet, you can turn a pen and never touch the belt, 220-3600 will do everything you need/want for pen turning.

With the Rikon, at least they way I have been doing it, I would still need to change the belt multiple times while making a pen. I always drill below 1,300 (depending on material, drill size, drill bit type I drill anywhere from 400 to 1000). Also, I always sand below 1300 (1000-1200). And, when applying CA, I try to keep it in the 300 range. So, for me, the way I am working, the variable speed on the Rikon would be far from ideal.

I haven't moved the belt on my Jet yet. For sure, when I start turning boxes and small bowls, I'll want to move to a lower speed position on the best as it will be more stable in the lower speeds and provide more torque.

Disclaimer: I will again qualify my opinion in that compared to many of the others here I am a babe in the woods.
 
d_bondi said:
I have the Jet 1221VS and love it. I have never used a Rikon.

I do see your point about the quill travel. The Jet is 2 1/4" where the Rikon boasts 3 1/2". While that would be nice, I don't think it is a deal breaker. I have yet to find a material where I can drill even the 2 1/4" my Jet is capable in a single plunge where that would be a good idea. I always drill in small increments, removing the bit from the hole to clear chips and let the bit and material cool. Would it be nice if I didn't have to move the tail stock to drill deeper holes, sure, but not a deal breaker.

One thing I see when comparing specs that would bother me is the speed ranges. To move between these speed ranges, you will need to move the belt.
  • Jet 1221VS: 60-900, 110-1800, 220-3600 RPM
  • Rikon 70-220VSR: 250-750, 550-1650, 1300-3850 RPM
With the Jet, you can turn a pen and never touch the belt, 220-3600 will do everything you need/want for pen turning.

With the Rikon, at least they way I have been doing it, I would still need to change the belt multiple times while making a pen. I always drill below 1,300 (depending on material, drill size, drill bit type I drill anywhere from 400 to 1000). Also, I always sand below 1300 (1000-1200). And, when applying CA, I try to keep it in the 300 range. So, for me, the way I am working, the variable speed on the Rikon would be far from ideal.

I haven't moved the belt on my Jet yet. For sure, when I start turning boxes and small bowls, I'll want to move to a lower speed position on the best as it will be more stable in the lower speeds and provide more torque.

Disclaimer: I will again qualify my opinion in that compared to many of the others here I am a babe in the woods.
Click to expand...
I have the Jet1221VS, never used the Rikon. Had it about a year, no problems at all.
 
I have the Rikon 70-220vsr, really quality lathe. It is my go to lathe for smaller turning projects. Go with the higher model, it will typically have more HP which is essential in turning.

In the midi lathe category most brands are interchangeable so do not get hung up on brand preference. I bought the Rikon because it was the one on sale at the time I had the money. They will all do what you need in this range with a few brand exceptions that are not mentioned in this post.
 
I have a Rikon 12" turn. I have beat the snot out of this thing... putting way too big of blanks on it... and it is still going for over 15 years. I would though, recommend the VS. They didn't have it back when I got this one.
 

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I received a mini Woodcraft catalog today. They have all Rikon tools and acc. on sale 20% off 11-23 to 27. And the Jet 1221VS $150 off ($849) the same days.

Mike
 
I have 3 Jets and 2 Rikons - both excellent with generous 5 year warranties. I like the belt ranges on the Jets better.
 
I have the JET 1221VS and rather than repeat everything that David (d_bondi) said, I will just comment that my experience with it is the same as his.

The upgrades I have made are 1) replaced the crank handle on the tailstock wheel with a two-piece one that I can turn without having the handle turn (it's a little thing, but I already had a better handle than the single piece one that comes standard on the JET), 2) I replaced the round banjo clamp on the tailstock with one of the custom rectangular ones that Rick Herrell (rherrell) makes to reduce slop, and 3) I replaced the factory tool rest with one I bought from Rockler that is much higher quality - I already had it/them or I would have bought flat-top tool rests from Rick Herrell.

Regards,
Dave

PS I also installed the dust collector accessory hood/scoop from Rockler to hook up to my dust collection system.
 
There is also the Laguna 1216. It's in the same price and size range as the others. I've used the Jet and Laguna and both are well made. I've never used a Rikon.
 
Never touched a lathe until September this year. Got a rikon 10x16 mid size. Having nothing to compare to it, all I can say is that I love it. So far I've kept it in the middle and it runs 420 to 1460 rpms. It has put up with me and self teaching idiot mistakes without a hiccup. Run it almost every day even if for just a little while.
 
I've had two jet laths starting in 1999. First one was on sale at Amazon for $199. Made close to 20,000 pens. A very good lathe with problems except for the switch once.
 
I think Jet and Rikon are very comparable and it comes down to which features, price, and availability.

I've got a couple of Rikon tools in the shop and have used Jet. Either way, you can't go wrong.

Happy hunting!
 
I have the Rikon VS70-220 and love it. Not sure if the comparable Jet had the same speed ranges at the time I bought (about 4 years ago now?), but I think based on specs alone, I'd have sacrificed the longer quill travel on the Rikon for the lower low-end speed and larger belt speed ranges on the Jet. That said, I have nothing bad to say about the Rikon in terms of performance. I just know it will work the way I want it to.
 
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