Thinking of buying a mini lathe

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Larry EC

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I am a newbie to this forum and I need some guidance on buying a mini lathe. I am not new to woodworking, but I have no knowledge of Turning (yet). I see that Rockler has the Excelsior Mini Lathe on sale for $199. Is it worthwhile or should I look a Rikon or Jet?:confused:

Just starting out so I am unsure if I will enjoy turning pens, but it certainly looks entertaining and fulfilling.
 
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It is a good basic lathe for the money but it does have its downsides. It is not variable speed so every time you want to change speeds you will need to change the belt setting. Many people don't mind this but once you go to VS you will not go back. The second downside is the 1/2 HP motor. It will certainly do the job for small items like pens, bottle stopper sand other small item. If you decide to try bowls or large spindle turnings the motor will struggle.

Of course, your budget is a big factor along with what you will want to turn down the road. Also remember the lathe is only part of the expense. You will need other tools and supplies.
 
Dan Masshardt said:
Woodcraft has the rikon midi on sale for $550. It will turn pens to bowls.
Click to expand...

Yup! Many folks start off with a mini lathe and before too long are buying a larger lathe.......not that 2 lathes are a bad thing!
Depending on your resources, in the long run, buying one midi lathe may be less expensive than buying both a mini and a midi....And some tooling for both.

If you can, go with the variable speed.

After the midi lathe, You may want a full size lathe!:biggrin:
 
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So many people, so many opinions. Here's another:
I'm more a woodworker than a woodturner but I thoroughly enjoy both.
Get the most lathe with the most powerful motor you can afford.
A well maintained used lathe that's big, heavy and powerful is a better value than a lesser sized and powered new lathe.
MT2 and 1 X 8 threaded headstock is probably most common--look at the specs to get a standard.
When you decide to upgrade or expand, you want your tooling investment to be useable with future equipment.
 
I bought that lathe when I first started turning & I have no regrets. It does have the limitations that others have pointed out here, but it t has suited my needs just fine.

I don't change speeds very often - I turn, sand & finish small things like pens & stoppers on high speed. I have a floor stand drill press, so I don't have to adjust lathe speeds for drilling. I pretty much only slow it down for bigger stuff like bowls.

If you plan to drill on the lathe, I would highly recommend a VS unit.

I thought for a while that my next lathe would be a midi, but now I've got my eye on a full size someday.
 
Buy the best you can afford at the time, but remember, the tooling may cost you as much or more than the lathe itself. Sometimes it is much better to watch for a used lathe with the tooling included. That way the original owner has absorbed the full price to begin with, and you will have most everything you need to start turning when you get your prize home. Jim S
 
Just as Jim S says..the tooling (and finishing products) may or will exceed the cost of the lathe. This is what I did: I bought my own relatively inexpensive (EWT) carbide tools and then made 4 or 5 pens (wood and acrylic) at my friend's shop (a naturally his lathe). I loved it, and made the investment. I don't see a riskless or less expensive way of giving it a good try. There may be one, but I don't see how. Enjoy the research and best wishes with your decision.
 
I started out on the Harbor Freight mini, the variable speed was nice, but the lathe was junk. I returned it and got s Rikon 70-100 for $400. The speed change on that lathe is so simple and quick. I can change from low speed drilling to high speed turning in less than 20 seconds.
 
im a newbie too and I was in the same boat as you but I finally decided on the rikon 70 -100 mini lathe,,,yes you do have to move the belt to different speeds but its not much of a problem,,i have turned pens,,and went to bowls and I love it,,plenty of power,,i thought about getting a variable speed but its not a big deal on changing the speeds,,unless I was going to a full size lathe,,i would not trade it for anyother mini lathe,,im completely satisfied and sold on it,,and I did buy it at woodcraft,,i have not had any trouble with it,,but I do know their customer service is excellent,,
 
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