Rigid WL1200

[Vinny Miseo]

I have the opportunity to pick up a Rigid WL1200 for $75. It is a few years old but in working order.

I only have a tiny bit of turning experiance from a woodshop class about 8 years ago and wanted to get back into it. I was thinking that this would be a cheap way to jump in, and it won't break the bank if I don't love it.

Does it sound like a reasonable price? Any specific things to look out for while I'm checkin it out?

Thanks

[William Hutchinson]

I was thinking that this would be a cheap way to jump in...

Thanks

This my friend is one thought that will come back to haunt you.

[John Keeton]

I have never owned one of these, and I actually have very little experience with lathes generally. But, I would offer these thoughts.

The lathe you have in mind is a tubular lathe, and while they can be OK, they can also have serious alignment issues. Those could keep you from enjoying the full potential of woodturning - an amazingly satisfying hobby. If you can determine that it will run true, that would be a plus.

Second, and most importantly, William is right in that the lathe is the cheapest part of the equation. The Rigid has a spindle size of 3/4"x 16, and any accessories (faceplates, chucks, etc.) that you buy will need to be that thread size, or you will need to buy adapters. That thread size is not very common among lathes. Unless you do buy adapters, the accessories you purchase are unlikely to fit other lathes on down the road. In addition, the cost of the adapters may push your total investment beyond what you could buy another lathe for.

The Rigid has a low speed of 875rpm - much too fast for any bowl roughout.

You could get the Harbor Freight 34706, which has cast iron ways, and a 1"x8 spindle size (very common) for about $183 on sale, with a discount coupon. The low end speed of the HF will be in the 500-600rpm range, particularly if you can make the "indent alteration" to it.

The HF also has a reeves drive, and you can adjust the speed without changing the belt position. The Rigid requires a belt position change for speed changes.

Just my thoughts. I started with the HF, and it is a neat little lathe. With few exceptions, everything I do on my Delta midi, I could do on the HF.

[John Hart]

I think it's great that you are thinking of "getting back into it"...and if you're about to get sucked into the vortex, I agree with John that for a little extra money, you can have something that is very adaptable for the future, has a bit better capability and has a waranty. Plus, all the adapters that you would need later on...will vastly outprice the difference between the two lathes.

[Curt Fuller]

I turned on that same lathe for the first few years of my turning experience. It is limited and was essentially designed as a spindle lathe. But for $75 you can't go wrong. The one drawback to it is that it has a #1 morse taper at both ends so most accessories you buy for it won't be usable on an upgraded machine. If you can afford more, I'd suggest one of the Jet or Delta minis, but the Ridgid will be a good starter for that price.

[Vinny Miseo]

Thanks for the advice. If it turned out to be a smokin' deal I was going snatch it up. I'm on the fence now. I hadn't thought about upgrades because I'm just starting out, but I also don't want to make it harder on myself to learn on a crappy machine.

[Bernie Weishapl]

A friend of mine bought one and he had to start all over when he upgrade because nothing for this lathe will fit most upgrades. So you will be buying twice. The lathe is the cheap part. The accessories are what costs and don't want to buy them twice.

[Wally Wenzel]

I turned on a Sears lathe which is the same lathe for more than 20 years and yes you can do a lot of turning with it, but it makes every harder to do and more work to accomplish the same thing on a little better lathe, and a lot more fun.
Wally

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on getting a lathe that has has the 1x8 and #2 MT. I also started long ago on a Sears lathe with the 3/4-16 and #1 MT. Yes, you can get adapters and use your current hardware later, but IMO it's not worth it. When I got my Jet mini, I was truly shocked at the quality differences. MUCH smoother and quiter. My $0.02 would be to save a few dollars here and there and get a lathe that lasts for a little longer. The Delta Midi is pricey (compared to 75 bucks) but seems to be the best deal. The Jet mini is very underpowered and capacity limited. But I still use mine and it's 3 years old I think..... Someday I'll get it's big brother.