Which lathe to get?

[Joe McMahon]

I have just started doing spinny things and I am hooked! I want to go bigger and I want to do more. Powermatic has a 15% off sale and therein is my problem: Would I be better off with a new Powermatic 3402B at $3,400 or a new OneWay 1640 for $4650? Is the Oneway worth $1,200 more?

Which is the better lathe? Why is it better ?????????

I typically buy smaller/cheaper and then end up getting a "good one" after several expensive steps. Just once I'd like to avoid the middle steps

[Darryl Hansen]

bigger is better if you can afford it. . . but the lathe is just the beginning the tools and accessories will run as much as the lathe. suggest you look at the NOVA XP. It is solidly built and runs about $1900 or so. that leave plenty to furnish the machine with its myriad of tools and things it needs to make its life enjoyable

[Joe McMahon]

I am a bit shy of the Nova because I have seen reports that their customer service is less than what is expected. I want a good, substantial machine with excellent customer support.

[Russell Eaton]

I have a 1642 and a 3520b, the extra 4" of swing makes a huge difference. That being said, Oneway make a great lathe. I would have to go with the mustard monster, if you need the extra length you can add a bed ext. and that will also allow you to turn outboard. Outboard it will go to about 38"+-. Just my .02 cents.

[Alan Trout]

Nova customer service is really pretty good. I have never had any problems with that. If I was looking at another 16" lathe I would look at the Robust Sweet 16. I good friend of mine has one and essentially it is a 30" bowl lathe with the gap bed removed and with the gap added to the length of the lathe is is a full length spindle lathe. It is an excellent design and very well made.

Alan

[Jon Nuckles]

Joe,

Most people love their own lathes and will recommend them. If you can try out the ones you are thinking about, you can make an informed choice. I am in Chicago and have a 3520B. Send me a pm if you want to stop by my shop and take it for a "spin."

Jon

[Rex Guinn]

I have the 3520b and love it. Do have the bed extension. I had a swing away tail stock, but sold it and leave the bed extension on all the time.
Ask the question to creekers I would guess that most people have the PM. If I would have had lots of money I would have purchased the American Beauty.

[Reed Gray]

I am not sure about the HP rating for the Oneway, but other than the swing, the biggest difference between the two is the sliding headstock. That is my preference. I don't like the pivoting headstock at all, as most of the tool rests and banjo set ups for them are extensions, or a floor mount. My lathe sits in a corner, and turning outboard is not an option, so the sliding headstock makes perfect sense. Turned on a 3520A for 8 years, and now an American Beauty for 3 or 4 years. Can't see anything else that really interests me other than maybe the VB36.

robo hippy

[Joe McMahon]

I am not sure about the HP rating for the Oneway, but other than the swing, the biggest difference between the two is the sliding headstock. That is my preference. I don't like the pivoting headstock at all, as most of the tool rests and banjo set ups for them are extensions, or a floor mount. My lathe sits in a corner, and turning outboard is not an option, so the sliding headstock makes perfect sense. Turned on a 3520A for 8 years, and now an American Beauty for 3 or 4 years. Can't see anything else that really interests me other than maybe the VB36.

robo hippy

Reed, how does the American Beauty compare with the 3520A?

[Jack Mincey]

I have a Oneway 1640 and love it. I do some production turning that requires two different chucks and it is very easy to just step to the outboard side with the other chuck already mounted and finish up the process without having to unscrew a chuck and put another one on. This feature is a big reason that I bought the 1640. If you do go with the 1640 you want 2HP,Outboard bed,raiser block, and outboard banjo which brings the price up another chunk of money. I bought mine back when all this was close to a $1000.00 cheaper than it is now. I turn on two PM 3520's at the high school shop I teach at and like them, but their is a big difference in the quality of the OneWay compared to the PM. The use of the tailstock and banjo on the Oneway is much easier and more secure than the PM. If you turn close to the headstock the OneWay wins hands down with a much smaller headstock than the PM. All this said you can probably come close to buying an American Beauty for what all of the extras and the 1640 lathe will cost you. If I was ever to buy a bigger lathe than my 1640 The American Beauty and the Stubby would be at the top of my list to check out, but I will never let my Oneway 1640 go even if I do move up some day. It is a sweet lathe.
Jack

[robert raess]

I was fortunate to have access to all kinds of lathes, at our local college.There were 2 PM's 3520b and one Oneway+ Vicmarc+etc.Our Lab sessions, were for guys who did not have lathes at home.There were two or three die-hards who always came in early,and we would vie for the PM 3530b and Oneway.The PM's were always taken first, and I would take the Oneway and loved it.I did not especially like the movable control arm on the Oneway.The College eventually got another PM,and I was at the point that you are at and could not see enough of a difference to get the Oneway.I got the PM and am very happy.I like that I can do outboard turning if i get a bed ext.when I joined Sawmill,I stumbled on thread where all the guys included what Lathe they have and why.I'm sure it's in the archives some place.
The tools are when the real bleeding starts. Rob

[Jamie Donaldson]

I have turned and taught on about every lathe available, and for the money you can't beat the Powermatic 3520B. The sliding headstock allows use as a shortbed for hollowing, the mass of the machine is way better than lighter machines, and it is a workhorse with a good maintenance record. To get a "better" lathe would cost more than $6K like my Stubby, but that was my 7th lathe 10 yrs. ago, and I certainly know the usual sequence that goes from first lathe to lifetime lathe.

[Reed Gray]

Joe,
I did a review in More Woodturning magazine a couple of years back about that, and don't know if you have access to that or not.

One reason I went to the American Beauty is I wanted more torque, and it has a 3 hp motor available. I don't really need the extra throw. I do find the motor slides more easily on the Beauty, and I think part of that is the headstock is more balanced than the PM. You can adjust the legs up or down to get proper height (my PM was up on some 2 X 4s). It has 3 speed ranges. I turn on the mid range 99% of the time. As the lathe came, I did not really like the rpm limits in the speed ranges. Low range wouldn't go high enough, or low enough, and mid range didn't go quite as high as I wanted. Brent talked me through the button pushing on the converter for changing the speed parameters. I need near 0 rpm to sand out my warped bowls. My old 3520A would turn off at almost 0. The B models shut off at 50, which is way too fast to keep any abrasive on if the bowl is warped. Brent walked me through the steps, and now, on the low speed range, it turns off at about 10 to 15 rpm (there is no rpm indicator, never had one, don't need one). Note here, PM contends that that slow of speeds will over heat the motor and burn up the electronics. I sanded out thousands of bowls at those speeds on the PM, and a couple thousand on the Robust. It runs cooler when sanding than it does when I turn. On the mid speed range, the top speed is 2200 or so. Perfect for my bowls, and as fast as I need for rolling pins.

The headstock spindle will unbolt from the headstock if you need to replace the bearings or the belt, which I had to do to the PM once. Big advantage. The headstock shaft does stick out about another inch plus from the headstock than the PM did. This gives more clearance if you work your bowls from the headstock end. I don't. I finish turn the bottom, reverse, and finish turn the inside, then let them dry and warp. It does cause more vibration on larger pieces if you don't have the tailstock engaged. I didn't do this 99% of the time with the PM. The tilt away set up on the Robust makes it pretty easy to take the tailstock out of the way, and now I use the tailstock on any bowl in the 12 inch range or larger.

The Beauty comes standard with a remote switch. I have it on the headstock right where the controls are on the PM. If I have it on the square tube, it is pretty low, and more difficult to reach. Just got used to it being on the headstock. I do like it to be left hand available as I always have my gouge or scrapers in my right hand, and would have to switch hands for an emergency shut off.

The banjo has the best locking mechanism for the tool rest that I have seen. Instead of one or two set screws, it has a through bolt that pulls a wedge into the tool rest post. Very secure. I think Brent should sell after marked banjos for other lathes.

If you ever have any problems, you call Robust and talk to the guy who made the lathe, not some tech who has to look things up in a manual.

I like the stainless steel ways, but not really better than the cast. My PM ways had a nice black patina when I sold it.

It is 'Made in America' and the worker pride is evident.

I got the mobility kit, and the lathe will glide across the shop floor, at least when the shavings are cleaned up.

robo hippy

[Bill Barou]

Joe,
I too have the 1640 and its set up like Jack Mincey's (2hp, outboard turning with banjo and riser block) - it is a joy to use. I looked seriously at a bigger Oneway but with the outboard option the 1640 will handle anything I wish to turn plus the weight/bulk of the banjo and tailstock are much easier to move around and re position than on the larger lathes. I would also recommend getting the remote control box which allows quick access to on/off from any position on the lathe. The mobility kit works well although after I moved it around my shop to find just the right location, I removed the wheels for storage. The 1640 runs very smooth and will handle large unbalanced loads with easy. The Oneway folks are great to work with.
Good luck with your decision.
Bill

[Joe McMahon]

Well, I listened to Reed and gave Brent a call. I must say he is a very engaging fellow and is there to help. His Sweet 16 seems like it was made for me.

Just what I need, one more ball thrown into the juggling act.

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I really appreciate your comments and experience. They all help in making my decision- whatever it will be, althopugh I must say, "Made in America" is very, very appealing.

[Rick Markham]

Joe I'm a Powermatic 3520B owner, and LOVE my lathe... that being said I'd gladly upgrade to a Robust American Beauty. Bad words are never spoken about them ;) Will I ever have to do that? Let me wear this one out first and I'll let ya know :) If I would have had the patience to save for the American Beauty, it most likely would have been my first and last lathe.

Make sure when you post pics of your new Sweet 16 that you get it dirty first... don't want to get ribbed too hard in your future gloat ;)

[Jake Helmboldt]

Well, I listened to Reed and gave Brent a call. I must say he is a very engaging fellow and is there to help. His Sweet 16 seems like it was made for me.

Just what I need, one more ball thrown into the juggling act.

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I really appreciate your comments and experience. They all help in making my decision- whatever it will be, althopugh I must say, "Made in America" is very, very appealing.

Joe, you beat me to the punch. I was going to suggest you look at the Sweet 16. I have a 1642 and really like the sliding headstock, so I couldn't go back to a fixed headstock, even with the option of turning outboard. A lot of money for only 16" swing though (Robust or Oneway). But then it is another big step up in price to go with the Beauty.

[Joe McMahon]

Rick, I have to get the numbers past the Warden first and then the 8 weeks on order. I will keep you posted

[John Spitters]

Joe,
I did a review in More Woodturning magazine a couple of years back about that, and don't know if you have access to that or not.

One reason I went to the American Beauty is I wanted more torque, and it has a 3 hp motor available. I don't really need the extra throw. I do find the motor slides more easily on the Beauty, and I think part of that is the headstock is more balanced than the PM. You can adjust the legs up or down to get proper height (my PM was up on some 2 X 4s). It has 3 speed ranges. I turn on the mid range 99% of the time. As the lathe came, I did not really like the rpm limits in the speed ranges. Low range wouldn't go high enough, or low enough, and mid range didn't go quite as high as I wanted. Brent talked me through the button pushing on the converter for changing the speed parameters. I need near 0 rpm to sand out my warped bowls. My old 3520A would turn off at almost 0. The B models shut off at 50, which is way too fast to keep any abrasive on if the bowl is warped. Brent walked me through the steps, and now, on the low speed range, it turns off at about 10 to 15 rpm (there is no rpm indicator, never had one, don't need one). Note here, PM contends that that slow of speeds will over heat the motor and burn up the electronics. I sanded out thousands of bowls at those speeds on the PM, and a couple thousand on the Robust. It runs cooler when sanding than it does when I turn. On the mid speed range, the top speed is 2200 or so. Perfect for my bowls, and as fast as I need for rolling pins.

The headstock spindle will unbolt from the headstock if you need to replace the bearings or the belt, which I had to do to the PM once. Big advantage. The headstock shaft does stick out about another inch plus from the headstock than the PM did. This gives more clearance if you work your bowls from the headstock end. I don't. I finish turn the bottom, reverse, and finish turn the inside, then let them dry and warp. It does cause more vibration on larger pieces if you don't have the tailstock engaged. I didn't do this 99% of the time with the PM. The tilt away set up on the Robust makes it pretty easy to take the tailstock out of the way, and now I use the tailstock on any bowl in the 12 inch range or larger.

The Beauty comes standard with a remote switch. I have it on the headstock right where the controls are on the PM. If I have it on the square tube, it is pretty low, and more difficult to reach. Just got used to it being on the headstock. I do like it to be left hand available as I always have my gouge or scrapers in my right hand, and would have to switch hands for an emergency shut off.

The banjo has the best locking mechanism for the tool rest that I have seen. Instead of one or two set screws, it has a through bolt that pulls a wedge into the tool rest post. Very secure. I think Brent should sell after marked banjos for other lathes.

If you ever have any problems, you call Robust and talk to the guy who made the lathe, not some tech who has to look things up in a manual.

I like the stainless steel ways, but not really better than the cast. My PM ways had a nice black patina when I sold it.

It is 'Made in America' and the worker pride is evident.

I got the mobility kit, and the lathe will glide across the shop floor, at least when the shavings are cleaned up.

robo hippy


Reed

I've been contemplating upgrading to my last lathe ( I currently have a General 26020VD ) and have been going back and forth between either the American Beauty or the Stubby 750.
My preferance now is turning hollow forms and I see myself in the future wanting to hollow maybe as far as 16" deep and for this I would need a fairly long bed, I've turned on a Stubby and have found that even though the sliding bed can move back you are still limited somewhat with the bed length. But what I do like about the Stubby is that you can turn a 32" platter on the inboard side.
So my question is with the American Beauty is it possible to reverse the head stock and have the extra extention set up on the headstock end ( such as a Oneway ) rather than the tailstock end. I'm asking this because of how the lathe needs to be located in my shop. If it is possible to rotate the headstock for the odd / very odd time that I may turn something larger that 25" then I would probably go for the American Beauty over the Stubby.

John

[Reed Gray]

John,
Well, I guess you could reverse the motor, but it would be a real pain. Not some thing you would want to have to repeat. My lathe sits in a corner, with the headstock in the corner, and the tailstock out and away. No problems for me. Sounds like your lathe has the opposite orientation. I would suggest you call Brent and talk to him about it. He might be able to make your lathe to fit your situation. Almost sounds like a left handed lathe. Nice thing about working with Brent, he can customize a lot, and you are dealing with the guy who makes the lathe.

robo hippy