Delta 46-460 up to $699 at Woodcraft

[Brent Dorner]

I was waiting until after Christmas to buy a new lathe and was leaning towards the 46-460. Last month at Woodcraft it was $649 plus a $50 rebate... this month it is $699

I don't have endless amounts of money so price does matter. Because of the price hike I am now leaning towards the new Nova Midi

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2084053/35892/Nova-Comet-II-Midi-Lathe.aspx

It it almost a duplicate of the 46-460... the only difference I see is the 1/4 HP in the motor. I'm not sure 1/4 extra horse is worth $200 extra for the lathe.... and I have heard people go back and forth about the 1 HP Delta only being peak and not constant and so on.

I do believe Nova had made some quality lathes in the past and I would have to believe the new Comet midi will be another excellent product from them.... so can anyone convince me to spend the extra $200 on the Delta? That extra $200 could buy me a chuck and a set of Benjamin's Best bowl gouges.

[Scott Hackler]

Brent, I wouldn't discount a pre owned lathe either. You can find turners that are upgrading their lathe for a bigger one quite often. You just have to be patient and check the classifieds here and the other sites and craigslist too. I definitely recommend getting as much lathe as you can afford first. There is a lot of things you can turn without a chuck (using a faceplate or between centers).

[Mike Cross]

Amazon has it for 599 with free shipping.

Mike

[Derek Gilmer]

I was waiting until after Christmas to buy a new lathe and was leaning towards the 46-460. Last month at Woodcraft it was $649 plus a $50 rebate... this month it is $699

I don't have endless amounts of money so price does matter. Because of the price hike I am now leaning towards the new Nova Midi

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2084053/35892/Nova-Comet-II-Midi-Lathe.aspx

It it almost a duplicate of the 46-460... the only difference I see is the 1/4 HP in the motor. I'm not sure 1/4 extra horse is worth $200 extra for the lathe.... and I have heard people go back and forth about the 1 HP Delta only being peak and not constant and so on.

I do believe Nova had made some quality lathes in the past and I would have to believe the new Comet midi will be another excellent product from them.... so can anyone convince me to spend the extra $200 on the Delta? That extra $200 could buy me a chuck and a set of Benjamin's Best bowl gouges.

Amazon has them for 599 with free shipping if that helps. The delta has these features that were a plus in my shopping:
1. More power
2. Large user base for help with anything
3. Two tool rests in the box
4. Won FWW best midi lathe review
5. From the manual belt changes might be a little easier on the delta

[Jeff Fagen]

I got mine in march at Woodcraft for 500.00 and I wouldn't trade it for any underpowered Nova for any savings.They can raise the price because of the demand.They are just that good.Good luck.

[Brent Dorner]

I asked for a few giftcards to Woodcraft to make the purchase easier on my wallet. I also get 10% off at WC

I fully understand I don't "need" a chuck I was just pointing out what could be purchased with the extra $200.

I always hear... buy the biggest lathe you can afford... I get that but you also need to factor quality. I could go to HF and get a big lathe.... and will likely want to return it. I can always buy a bed extension.... I never used a bowl over 12 inches in diameter. My goal is smaller pieces and segmented pieces that may be 10-11 inches at the widest point. Sure I would love to buy a used Nova or Powermatic for $600 but have yet to see one online for $600 or under in the past 6 months in my state.

[Brent Dorner]

You would consider 3/4 HP underpowered for a midi? I've heard Delta is only peak not continuous?

[Brent Dorner]

Was it on a big sale or was it a couple of years ago?

[Brent Dorner]

I got mine in march at Woodcraft for 500.00 and I wouldn't trade it for any underpowered Nova for any savings.They can raise the price because of the demand.They are just that good.Good luck.

On a big sale... or a couple years ago?

[Brent Dorner]

On a big sale... or a couple years ago?

Sorry didn't see where you said in March... must have been a pretty big sale?

[Justin Stephen]

You would consider 3/4 HP underpowered for a midi? I've heard Delta is only peak not continuous?

I would, in theory anyway. Even with the Delta, if you are turning a wet bowl blank near the limits of the lathe's swing, you can often bring the lathe to a stop with more than light cuts. 1/4hp less motor and that issue would theoretically be worse. Of course, how true is the "1hp" on the Delta and would there really me much difference in actual practice? Who knows?

I do think this new midi is going to sell pretty well though.

[Derek Gilmer]

I asked for a few giftcards to Woodcraft to make the purchase easier on my wallet. I also get 10% off at WC

I fully understand I don't "need" a chuck I was just pointing out what could be purchased with the extra $200.

I always hear... buy the biggest lathe you can afford... I get that but you also need to factor quality. I could go to HF and get a big lathe.... and will likely want to return it. I can always buy a bed extension.... I never used a bowl over 12 inches in diameter. My goal is smaller pieces and segmented pieces that may be 10-11 inches at the widest point. Sure I would love to buy a used Nova or Powermatic for $600 but have yet to see one online for $600 or under in the past 6 months in my state.

Biggest usually refers to best/biggest. A huge piece of crap is useless.

One other consideration is vacuum chucking. Is there an adapter out there for the Nova? It looks like a nice lathe, just not much info out there yet.

And you can always use the gift cards for turning tools. THe price of the lathe is around half or much much less than you'll end up spending in the long/short run.

Grinders, tools, chucks, jaws, wood, traveling to meet turners, more tools, tail stock threaded spindle, drill spindle, tools, more tools.. sigh..... it is an expensive party.

[Derek Gilmer]

You would consider 3/4 HP underpowered for a midi? I've heard Delta is only peak not continuous?

There was a pretty good test of power in the FWW article. The 1hp delta out muscled the 1hp penn state lathe by a little and had a wide margin of power over the 3/4hp lathes in the test. And like Justin said you can stop a delta on large wet blank.

[Robert Culver]

owning the delta myself now for a little over half a year.... i woulds save and buy it if i were you you wont regret it the delta is a really nice lathe . i would trade mine unless it was a full size machine..... just my two pennys

[John Keeton]

For a friend, I recently got a delivered price from ToolNut that was less than the $599. That was about 3 weeks ago. Get the Delta!! As a previous owner, it is an awesome lathe!

[Justin Stephen]

owning the delta myself now for a little over half a year.... i woulds save and buy it if i were you you wont regret it the delta is a really nice lathe . i would trade mine unless it was a full size machine..... just my two pennys

Had my 46-460 for well over a year and feel the same way, except I wouldn't trade mine even for a larger lathe. I'd keep both. :)

[Brent Dorner]

Had my 46-460 for well over a year and feel the same way, except I wouldn't trade mine even for a larger lathe. I'd keep both. :)

I fully understand the 46-460 is a quality lathe, but I also understand Nova is known for producing a high quality product. So assuming both will be a high quality piece... it is just hard for me to justify paying 40% more for he Delta. I realize the Delta will go on sale and I would guess the Nova will also go on sale.

Since Delta changed hands last year has anyone seen a difference in service or product quality?

[Brent Dorner]

Not to throw a monkey wrench into this thread, but at one time I had the JET 1220 on my list, it is now the same price as the Delta... at least at Woodcraft... I do like the 20 in capacity. Making a good decision is hard when your on a budget :) that is why the Nova is calling my name... $200 can buy a lot of other tools/supplies I will need.

[Derek Gilmer]

Not to throw a monkey wrench into this thread, but at one time I had the JET 1220 on my list, it is now the same price as the Delta... at least at Woodcraft... I do like the 20 in capacity. Making a good decision is hard when your on a budget :) that is why the Nova is calling my name... $200 can buy a lot of other tools/supplies I will need.
Go for it, we need a good review of the Nova :)

[Michael Menzli]

I asked for a few giftcards to Woodcraft to make the purchase easier on my wallet. I also get 10% off at WC

I fully understand I don't "need" a chuck I was just pointing out what could be purchased with the extra $200.

I always hear... buy the biggest lathe you can afford... I get that but you also need to factor quality. I could go to HF and get a big lathe.... and will likely want to return it. I can always buy a bed extension.... I never used a bowl over 12 inches in diameter. My goal is smaller pieces and segmented pieces that may be 10-11 inches at the widest point. Sure I would love to buy a used Nova or Powermatic for $600 but have yet to see one online for $600 or under in the past 6 months in my state.

What makes you assume that you'd return the HF model? Remember many of these machines are simply rebranded with slight modifications. How can you beat $249 plus another 20% off to come in at $200..I mean really...add the extended warranty and your straight for 3 years and can save for something you really want. I dont get the big $$ brand hype and also not convinced that more $$ means more quality.

Im no HF fanboy but pleasently surprised with my turnings thus far. I have both the smaller midi and got the larger for xmas. Combined this with the Nova g3 and kit and Ive in heaven. Now to find some good tools.

May I suggest investing those gift cards in some nice turning tools or finishing supplies?

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have the Jet 1220 VS and I have turned on the Delta 46-460. Love the extra power and the reverse for sanding. If the Delta 46-460 been out when I bought mine there would have no question I would have gotten the Delta. The Penn State 1 hp VS lathe with 12" swing and 40" turning length with the included bed extension is a pretty good buy at $480 with a lathe bed extension. A friend of mine here in town got one and he loves it. I have turned on it and it is a decent lathe for the money.

[Justin Stephen]

I fully understand the 46-460 is a quality lathe, but I also understand Nova is known for producing a high quality product. So assuming both will be a high quality piece... it is just hard for me to justify paying 40% more for he Delta. I realize the Delta will go on sale and I would guess the Nova will also go on sale.

Since Delta changed hands last year has anyone seen a difference in service or product quality?

Couple of points:

1. The Delta is only 20% more if you buy from Amazon. :). Amazon charges $499 currently for the Nova just like Woodcraft and, as noted above, is at $599 on the Delta.

2. The Delta is a proven machine and has been used extensively by numerous people here. It has a 5/5 review average on Woodcraft and a 4.5/5 review average on Amazon. Neither site has any reviews yet of the Nova. Nova may have a great track record with their other lathes, but every company can produce a loser too, or not get things quite right on their first release of a new product. You would be taking more of a chance with the Nova at this point.

So your extra $100 gets you an extra 1/4hp and a proven performer. I hope the Nova is a great lathe though. Another affordable quality midi on the market is good for woodturning.

[Brent Dorner]

Couple of points:

1. The Delta is only 20% more if you buy from Amazon. :). Amazon charges $499 currently for the Nova just like Woodcraft and, as noted above, is at $599 on the Delta.

2. The Delta is a proven machine and has been used extensively by numerous people here. It has a 5/5 review average on Woodcraft and a 4.5/5 review average on Amazon. Neither site has any reviews yet of the Nova. Nova may have a great track record with their other lathes, but every company can produce a loser too, or not get things quite right on their first release of a new product. You would be taking more of a chance with the Nova at this point.

So your extra $100 gets you an extra 1/4hp and a proven performer. I hope the Nova is a great lathe though. Another affordable quality midi on the market is good for woodturning.

I get 10% off at Woodcraft, so the prices would be $450 vs $630... for the extra $30 bucks I think I rather go through Woodcraft. I never ordered anything quite like this through Amazon, if I had an issue out of the box and had to send it back I would probably pay $75 or more in shipping to send it back.

[Brent Dorner]

I appreciate all the helpful responses. I'm still high on the Delta, just hope to see a good sale soon. I know a new tool like the Comet could have some bugs, would be nice if it came out a year ago and we had a lot of reviews to look at.... who knows... maybe everyone would say it is the best one of them all. I will keep my eyes open for sales and user reviews until I am ready to make a purchase.

[Brian Brown]

My Delta is great, for the two months I have had it. I have never used a Nova, but have rarely heard anything bad about them. For pricing, are you pricing it mail order from Woodcraft, or do you have a store nearby? The stores are independently owned, and sometimes the store will work with you on price. It usually is not a discount on the lathe, but a "pricing incentive" on items you buy at the same time. Some stores will not budge on price for anything. Try Tool Nut. They came highly recommended (mostly from people on this forum), and even though I don't like to deal with a business clear across the country, I tried them. Through back orders, devastating storms in the east, and a badly shipping damaged lathe, they worked constantly until everything was right. Add me to the list of people who highly recommend buying from them. As for your gift cards, use them for a chuck or tools. And, a $200 price difference doesn't buy a lot of high quality tools, unless you can find them used. Remember, the cheap part of this little hobby is the lathe. :eek: By the way, if you are turning other than spindles, a chuck is not a necessity, but is so nearly a necessity, that we'll just go ahead and call it a necessity. I recommend the Artisan chuck from CSUSA. It is not perfect, as it is not a non marring chuck, but it is a really great starter chuck at a great price, and comes with a lot of jaws for the price. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

[Brent Dorner]

Brian, your correct, $200 does not buy a lot of high quality tools... but I look at it as getting $200 in tools for free... if you know what I mean. I'm not in the market for chisels that cost $40 to $70 for each. I need to stick with chisels like Benjamin's Best, a good chisel for an entry level price that range as most of their chisels are $15-$25. I figure my $200 can get me a decent set of BB chisels and a few tools to set up my grinder for sharpening. I figure that along with the lathe are the must haves to get started.

[Allen stagg]

I get 10% off at Woodcraft, so the prices would be $450 vs $630... for the extra $30 bucks I think I rather go through Woodcraft. I never ordered anything quite like this through Amazon, if I had an issue out of the box and had to send it back I would probably pay $75 or more in shipping to send it back.
I bought my Powermatic Mustard Monster from Amazon and was a fantastic purchase. Came with free shipping and Amazon is a great company to boot. No regrets here.

[Derek Gilmer]

Brian, your correct, $200 does not buy a lot of high quality tools... but I look at it as getting $200 in tools for free... if you know what I mean. I'm not in the market for chisels that cost $40 to $70 for each. I need to stick with chisels like Benjamin's Best, a good chisel for an entry level price that range as most of their chisels are $15-$25. I figure my $200 can get me a decent set of BB chisels and a few tools to set up my grinder for sharpening. I figure that along with the lathe are the must haves to get started.
Where are you located? I'd really suggest getting with a local turner and trying their tools and lathe. You can see what interests you and start there. I'm currently stuck on bowls so I could be happy with a roughing gouge, bowl gouge and scraper. Which I could get high quality tools from thompson for under $200. Plus you might be able to borrow the tools you can't afford to start out buying. As for grinding. On a budget you can easily rig up a substitute for a wolverine+varigrind out of HD pieces and parts. And used chucks are a great find when they come around.

Trust me there is a difference even in my newbie hands between a harbor freight/psi/benjamins best and a good thompson/crown/easywood/glasser level tool.

[Justin Stephen]

I bought my Powermatic Mustard Monster from Amazon and was a fantastic purchase. Came with free shipping and Amazon is a great company to boot. No regrets here.

Agreed. I bought my lathe from Craft Supply (which also went well) but I bought my bandsaw from Amazon with free shipping and had it in two days in perfect condition. Not to mention, buying from Amazon in most states means no sales tax.

[Brent Dorner]

Where are you located? I'd really suggest getting with a local turner and trying their tools and lathe. You can see what interests you and start there. I'm currently stuck on bowls so I could be happy with a roughing gouge, bowl gouge and scraper. Which I could get high quality tools from thompson for under $200. Plus you might be able to borrow the tools you can't afford to start out buying. As for grinding. On a budget you can easily rig up a substitute for a wolverine+varigrind out of HD pieces and parts. And used chucks are a great find when they come around.

Trust me there is a difference even in my newbie hands between a harbor freight/psi/benjamins best and a good thompson/crown/easywood/glasser level tool.

Derek,
I live in Wisconsin and have found a local turners club. I have an interest in turning just about anything.... to a certain extent. I would probably focus on bowls, vases, hollow forms, pepper grinders and bottle stoppers. I will probably make a donut chuck, vacuum chuck and longworth chuck. I will probably make some turning tools.

Thing is, when you have a set amount of money to spend you need to spread it around. In a perfect world I would buy a $3,000 lathe and spend $1,500 on chisels and so on. I don't live in a perfect world. I have done flat work for years, I know the difference between a $1,000 Steel City table saw and a $3,000 Delta Unisaw... but if you don;t have the money.. you don't have the money. I bet I can get just as good of work out of the $1,000 saw as most could the $3,000 saw... because you understand how to use the tools properly and you understand the set up of your tools. Would I love to have top end tools... yes, could I make an entry level tool work... probably.

This is a hobby for most of us, and like any hobby you can make it as expensive as you wish to make it. I need to stay under a certain amount to get started so that means I need to buy certain tools in order to make that budget. I wouldn't be shopping for a midi if I could afford a Powermatic and I wouldn't be shopping for Benjamin's Best if I could afford Sorby. I really don't want to sound like a jerk or offend anyone but sometimes the "just spend a little more" or "just save a little extra" doesn't cut it. Sometimes you need to draw a line... and sometimes you draw the line where your wife says :D

[Jeff Fagen]

You come on over and try my Delta.I'll let you try some Ben's Best tools too,then I'll let you try some Sorbys so you can get the big picture.I can't stop you from buying what you set your mind on but I can share with you my experience in buying low quality and then high quality.You are just one more in a long line of guys that come on this forum trying to talk themselves out of buying quality first.

[Brent Dorner]

Jeff, I understand what your saying. I would love top end but if you have a set amount of money to spend you have to choose what falls in your budget.

If my new car budget will afford a Chevy Cruse, coming over to drive your BMW 325i won't allow me to spend the extra $15,000. It is not a matter of not wanting it.

[Robert Culver]

Brent..... what ever choise you make im sure it will be the right one for you...When I was in the market I tossed this around alot.... I was looking at the jet myself. I dont regret saving the money and buying the delta though infact once i made the purchase I was extreamly happy i waited. Tools... lol you can sink a can load of cash here double the cost of the lathe.... This is how im doing it..... I have heard great reviews of bens best. However when i started I bought A 3/8 gouge sorby and then added Nothing but thompsons tools since then except my 3 point tool .There great tools and I dont reget this at all and honestly most of the work I do is done with my 3/8 in spinadle gouge (Thompson) and my 1/4 detail gouge(thompson)... I found over time that if ya take your time and get good stuff to start with you do save money because your not wanting to upgrade someday.....Im not saying the nova is a bad choise or the tools are either im just saying this is what I did and im happy.

[Robert Culver]

one other point dont get caught up in i need a set of tools .....what you turn will dictate what you need ...in a lot of my turning i wouldnt even use most of the tools in the sets..... for example i have a parting tool but. 90 % of my parting off is done with my 3 point tool because its already in my hand.....

given the choice of a set of bens best and my thompson 3/8 spindle gouge only i would take that thompson everyday of the week truth be know you can do most everything you need to do with that once you learn how to use your tool....

[Derek Gilmer]

Derek,
I live in Wisconsin and have found a local turners club. I have an interest in turning just about anything.... to a certain extent. I would probably focus on bowls, vases, hollow forms, pepper grinders and bottle stoppers. I will probably make a donut chuck, vacuum chuck and longworth chuck. I will probably make some turning tools.

Thing is, when you have a set amount of money to spend you need to spread it around. In a perfect world I would buy a $3,000 lathe and spend $1,500 on chisels and so on. I don't live in a perfect world. I have done flat work for years, I know the difference between a $1,000 Steel City table saw and a $3,000 Delta Unisaw... but if you don;t have the money.. you don't have the money. I bet I can get just as good of work out of the $1,000 saw as most could the $3,000 saw... because you understand how to use the tools properly and you understand the set up of your tools. Would I love to have top end tools... yes, could I make an entry level tool work... probably.

This is a hobby for most of us, and like any hobby you can make it as expensive as you wish to make it. I need to stay under a certain amount to get started so that means I need to buy certain tools in order to make that budget. I wouldn't be shopping for a midi if I could afford a Powermatic and I wouldn't be shopping for Benjamin's Best if I could afford Sorby. I really don't want to sound like a jerk or offend anyone but sometimes the "just spend a little more" or "just save a little extra" doesn't cut it. Sometimes you need to draw a line... and sometimes you draw the line where your wife says :D

Trust me I understand. We just had our first baby 10 months ago. I get not having the budget to go buy a powermatic and all glaser tools. And on my budget I'd rather have a few good tools then a lot of mediocre ones.

If the budget is that tight I'd definitely say find a good used lathe that'll spin wood and take current chucks so you can put more budget toward good tools.

[Jim Slovik]

Brent,
I don't know where in WI. you are but if you're anywhere near Portage you're welcome to come over and try out my Jet 1220. I also have a couple of Delta 46-460's that I brought home from the turning club that I help out with. I'll only have the Delta's at my place for about the next 10 days. They're only here so I can fabricate dust collection set ups. I'd be happy to help you out in any way I can.
Jim

[Rob Price]

As someone who just fell into the vortex, the lathe is the least expensive part... I've spent more on a chuck, jaws, tools, sharpening than I did on the Delta lathe. Don't forget Amazon is tax free. I've returned many things with them, very hassle free. However, when I bought my lathe, I found a woodcraft manager who worked with me on all the accessories- I paid a little more for the lathe, but made up the difference with discounts on the grinder, chuck, and other accessories. I started with a Benjamin's Best set so I could learn each tool and see what works for me, plus it lets me try different things on the lathe to see what I like. I've already re-ground a couple of tools after spending some time with a local turner willing to tutor me. I'd rather learn sharpening on a $10 tool than a $100 tool. When it comes time to upgrade, I'll know what I want and what to do with it. But I've already used every tool in the set on just a handful of projects.

[Brent Dorner]

I'd rather learn sharpening on a $10 tool than a $100 tool. When it comes time to upgrade, I'll know what I want and what to do with it.

This is how I feel.

Yes the lathe is the cheapest tool.... if you consider all other things you buy to go with it as 1 tool.

[Thomas Heck]

I haven't been turning but about 2 months. I bought a harbor freight 1/2 horsepower and turned several things on it. The headpiece was stripping out, so I returned it and bought a Delta 46-460 before the rebate went off at woodcraft for $649. I have used a 3/4 jet vs and liked it. But, I also like the reverse on the delta and the extra power. It is like a cadillac compared to the hf. I am completely satisified with the delta. Hope this helps.

[Justin Stephen]

Yes the lathe is the cheapest tool....

While it is almost certainly true that you will spend more on the other stuff than you do on a lathe, the lathe is the most expensive tool, not the cheapest (most of the time anyway). If I buy a bowl gouge for $70 that ends up being a piece of crap and cannot return it, oh well, I am out $70. Not good but not devastating. If you buy a $500+ lathe that ends up being a piece of crap, that has a lot more impact.

Don't get me wrong, I cannot imagine that the Nova is a bad lathe, but it does make sense to put as much deliberation as is reasonably possible into the lathe purchase.

[Sean Ackerman NY]

I know I've been MIA for a long time Gents and sorry to come back on a SOUR note. Dealer pricing on the venerable 46-460 Delta has skyrocketed in just the last week or so. Sorry, wish we could control that, but most all equipment is booming in price.