Turncrafter Commander VS. Help me decide!

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Parson

Parson

Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2009
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798
Location
Houston, Texas
I've recently read some statements on this forum about the poor quality of the Turncrafter lathes from PSI. I have the new 1hp VS Commander backordered and I'm impatiently waiting for it (they pushed the delivery date off six full weeks after I ordered it in November).

The lathe I have backordered is just like their other lathes with a larger motor, a nifty digital display, an inexpensive lamp, a cheesy tool holder, and one of their 60° live center on the tailstock (which I can easily add myself).

I can buy a 1/2hp JET VS for similar money from Rockler locally and have a lathe a) right away and b) have someone locally to return it to right away if the quality is not good and c) have no worries about further delays and damage in shipping (a genuine concern from all I have read online).

Those of you who have purchased Turncrafter lathes directly from PSI should jump in here and share your experiences good or bad.

If you own a non-PSI branded lathe and have never owned one, please withhold your comments... I need to hear from actual owners. With this stated, I'd love to hear from you in a private message if you want to brag on your brand or share the experiences of your buddy who bought a Turncrafter lathe.
 

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I don't own the turncrafter but do own the Jet. Let me say first that the turncrafter that you are looking at is a new model with improvements so I think the jury is still out on this one to be honest. Now the Jet has been around a long time and is proven and well made. I think the question you should ask yourself is what are you planning on doing with the lathe??? The reason I ask is the same size lathe but longer bed is a new Delta midi (http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/33260-10-500.jpg )that is far supiorer to the Turncrafter. Yes it is abit more money but you get alot more lathe and more stability in knowing it will last. You decide to make other things such as bowls or larger objects than a larger lathe is the way to go. But for just pens any lathe can do that if it is properly tuned. Good luck and hopefully more users jump in.
 
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I've owned a JET 1220 non-vs and a turncrafter pro VS. It's 10x18 and the JET is 10x14. That extra size does make a difference, especially when drilling on the lathe.

The converse of that is I do not think that the JET has enough benefits to justify the extra money they charge for the name. The bed on my turncrafter was better finished than the JET bed, and it is quieter, but I'm not sure if that's due to the VS or not. If I'm paying a $200 premium, I expect to get a whole heck of a lot more for my money, but it's just not there on the JET.

After it's all said and done, I like the turncrafter pro just a little better due to the VS, and the price I got it at makes me like it even more. Had it been anywhere near the same price, I would have gone for the JET for the reasons you stated.

Given the price of the commander, I'm not so sure that it makes it a better entry than some of the other lathes. If you wait a couple months, JET will be having their annual sale, and you can get a lathe 30% off at Woodcraft or the like. I think I paid $365 for my 1220 non-vs during the sale.
 
I'm a new turner and purchased the Turncrafter Pro Non-VS lathe with the starter kit as I had no materials to start with and I can say that I'm quite pleased with my purchase. The reviews I had read were all over the board about the quality and I may have been one of the lucky ones but when it came down to it I couldn't justify the cost of the Jet when I had so much to buy off the bat. I didn't have the opportunity to see a Jet in person until after I had already purchased my lathe and I couldn't tell much difference between the Jet and my Turncrafter.

I haven't had any issues with the toolrest and once I figured out the ratcheting handles I found those were easy to adjust. Assembly was quick and fairly straightforward even with the limited instructions and the fact that I've never owned a lathe before. Changing belts has been simple as well. My alignment has been spot on and I've turned out a couple of nice pens with it. I plan to do some bottle stoppers and more advanced pens in the future and would like to get the extension bed so I can also do work on my pool cues. The MT2 taper and 1x8tpi threading has made it easy to find accessories for as well.

Cost was a deciding factor in my decision, as it was just over $400 for me to get the lathe and tools and accessories for it vs nearly $400 (including taxes) for the same model Jet. Most everything I had seen that was less expensive was either very cheap looking/feeling, had an MT1 taper or both.

I can understand the desire to deal locally though. I have recently had some experiences with both the post office and a couple of companies sending the wrong product that have made me resent having to get most things online for my lathe. When the choice is to either deal online and get something cheaper or pay the big bucks and get it locally it can be a tough call. Even money though I'd probably go local.
 
I own a jet 1014 mini also a bigger jet lathe. I love my lathes!

If were you would wait for the Turncrafter Commander.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I have owned both the Tuncrafter and Jet and have been pleased with both. The new Turncrafter looks interesting. I think you will be pleased with either one.
 
I have the turncraft VS and i also have been looking at the commander lathe very closely. I have had no problems with my PSI lathe and it does very well. I also have the HF lathe which i have been very pleased with other than the legs are not that sturdy. But it has been very good lathe also.
 
Ok
The first lathe i bought was a Turncrafter Pro non VS. At first it was a great lathe but then i got heavy into pen turning and after 1 year the bearings gave out(loud noise,grinding). I orderd new bearings from PennState and was surprised by the low quality and the way i had to take out the old ones and install the new bearings. I had to "bang" with a hammer the bearings out of the seat and the same way back into place. Needles to say the bearings didn't last very long( I turn a lot a pens).I then bought a 3/4 hp jet and compared the 2 lathes and the Jet is the higher/better quality. The bed is pretty much the same but the difference is in the detail like a better motor,better bearings,better belt and so on. In my opinien the Turncrafter pro is great if you do a few pens and turnings a month , but if you thinking to do more i recomment to go with a Jet or new Delta.
And like i said this is my experience.


Robert
 
I have a turncrafter pro non VS that I got about 3 years ago. It was my first lathe and was able to do everything I asked of it. Turned lots of pens, peppermills, bottle stoppers. I did a couple bowls but got a good bit of vibration. that could have easily been resolved if I were to add weight to the base. Anyway, my experience with the Turncrafter has been just fine and I would not hesitate to buy another one. I think the commander looks like a pretty sweet machine. I also have experience with Jet...I purchased a 16-42 EVS because I wanted a bigger lathe. I won't compare the two because of course that's not a fair comparison as the turncrafter and the big jet are nowhere near in the same class.

Bottom line...I think you'd be satisfied with the PSI lathe!

Good Luck!!

Jeff
 
I bought a used turncrafter pro with the extension bed a keep eyeing the new one. I would love to have the 1Hp and VS. My current ones works great, I had one small problem that I thought was a bad bearing, but end up to be nothing... if I wanted to spend the money to upgrade I would get the Commander
 
Well, thank you all for your info here on this thread and the PM's I received.

PSI has no firm date in March for receipt of the Commander lathe (slow boat from China I assume) and I can only imagine the first ones will not be the most reliable.

So, I bought the JET 1014VS this afternoon from my local Rockler for $429.99.

Tomorrow I turn a pen in my own garage! Can't wait...
 
Parson said:
Well, thank you all for your info here on this thread and the PM's I received.

PSI has no firm date in March for receipt of the Commander lathe (slow boat from China I assume) and I can only imagine the first ones will not be the most reliable.

So, I bought the JET 1014VS this afternoon from my local Rockler for $429.99.

Tomorrow I turn a pen in my own garage! Can't wait...
Click to expand...


Not to discourage you but did they have the 1220VS there also and if so what was the price on it??? Just a bit bigger lathe with a larger motor for larger items other than pens. You will not be diappointed with the Jet though it is a proven lathe that will last for years to come.
 
Jet Sale

jleiwig said:
I've owned a JET 1220 non-vs and a turncrafter pro VS. It's 10x18 and the JET is 10x14. That extra size does make a difference, especially when drilling on the lathe.

The converse of that is I do not think that the JET has enough benefits to justify the extra money they charge for the name. The bed on my turncrafter was better finished than the JET bed, and it is quieter, but I'm not sure if that's due to the VS or not. If I'm paying a $200 premium, I expect to get a whole heck of a lot more for my money, but it's just not there on the JET.

After it's all said and done, I like the turncrafter pro just a little better due to the VS, and the price I got it at makes me like it even more. Had it been anywhere near the same price, I would have gone for the JET for the reasons you stated.

Given the price of the commander, I'm not so sure that it makes it a better entry than some of the other lathes. If you wait a couple months, JET will be having their annual sale, and you can get a lathe 30% off at Woodcraft or the like. I think I paid $365 for my 1220 non-vs during the sale.
Click to expand...
Just got an email from JET that their annual tool sale is on now.
 
I bought a Turncrafter Pro Non VS then I upgraded it recently with a VS motor which I'm very happy with. I ordered my Turncrafter Pro thru Amazon.com. It was delivered very quickly and was very well packed with lots of styrofoam.
I really like the looks of the new Turncrafter Lathe and would really like to own one but I'm very happy with what I have and see no reason to trade up yet.
Stick it out I think you'll be glad you did.
 
I buy my JET lathe and they go on sale with rebates. Figures :mad:

If anyone has a link to a JET 1014VS for less than $429.99 do send me a PM so I can take it to Rockler and talk turkey with them.
 
I own a Jet 1014VS and a Carbatec. The Jet has been in the repair shop twice to replace the spindle bearings in the power head (maybe I got a dud). The carbatec, although not able to turn larger pieces has been running like a race horse for seven years without a single problem. I use it for turning pens and small treen items like salt & pepper shakers. I have been eyeing the new Commander and am seriously considering buying one. At 106 lbs it has to be a very steady surefooted machine. I use a Powermatic to turn larger items on now and have retired the Jet Mini to spinning the Beall Buffers. It can handle that without too many complaints.
 
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