OK Roger, swear me in!

[Jason Ritchie]

I just pulled the trigger on the Grizzly G0733! I can hardly wait! I got half of the trench dug for the 220v line out to my shop today. Man, that's hard work. My 10yr old son has really helped me on this one. I have to work from now until shortly after midnight, then I have to go shoot a wedding from noon until whenever tomorrow. I won't be able to work on it anymore till Sunday. The lady in CS told since I ordered before 1pm that it should ship today and take 3-5 days. They are so much nicer at Grizzly than Walter Meyher. I also ordered a Grizzly 6" grinder for $29 to replace my Harbor Freight slow grinder. Man freight will eat you up! $184.00 with the liftgate service! I will keep you updated with pics as I get more done.

[Roger Chandler]

Congratulations Jason! I do not think you will be disappointed..........I know my 0698 has been superb from day one! Make sure you post to the "Grizzly Green Monster Group" which you can go to by clicking on "community" at the top of the page, then "groups" then you can post pics, discussions, gloats,:D:D:D and get specific answers to your questions from other Grizzly owners.

Welcome aboard...........take a minute to join the GGMG, and then you will be set.........you will be the 35th member of the group!

[Jason Ritchie]

Done! and already posted my first question! I will post lots of pics as this is a momentous purchase for me.I have been turning on a harbor Freight lathe for about 6 years now. It has served me well but I have been waiting for the day when I can upgrade. The Jet 1642 was a major let down for me so I'm staying positive that the Grizzly will be excellent. I know calling Grizzly customer service was a huge and refreshing change already. It was really pleasant and the hold time was 15 seconds compared to the usual 15-20 minutes for Jet. So far so good! For my first turning I want to turn something as close to 18" as I can get!

[Richard Allen]

Congratulations on the new lathe purchase!!! I am sure you will have a long and joyous partnership on your turning journey,

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on your new lathe.

[charlie knighton]

congratulations and enjoy your new lathe

[John Keeton]

Jason, congrats on the lathe, and hope the trench digging goes well! Hope you don't hit rock.

[Bill Hensley]

Jason while you are in spending mode you might as well add a hollowing system to the shopping list. I sent you a PM.

[Jason Ritchie]

Still no word on shipping. I guess it didn't ship out Friday like they said it would. Hopefully it will ship tomorrow. My next purchase I think will be a better bandsaw. I have a Delta 14" right now and it is a great bandsaw but lacks the power and capacity that I need. I have my eye on the Rikon 14" pro bandsaw. It seems like a very good deal for what you get. Then after that I may look at a coring system. I want to turn some larger bowls and I hate wasting wood so this seems appealing. I'm a real packrat when it comes to pretty wood. I have to force myself to throw out cutoffs and such when I clean up. I have never done a hollow form before so I don't know much about hollowing. A creeker visit to see Bill may be in order to see what I need to get started. I would love to do a vase or some other hollow form.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats on your new lathe Jason! Looking forward to seeing the photos once it arrives! Enjoy!

[Baxter Smith]

Congrats on the new lathe! You should be able to turn most anything!

[Jason Ritchie]

Just called the fine folks at Grizzly. The nice customer service lady said it is boxed up and will go out this morning! They are so nice to deal with. This has been a much more pleasant experience so far!

[Jason Ritchie]

Still no tracking number or notification email yet. I did get the trench almost finished for the 220v line. I wanted to get it finished before the rain tomorrow but that didn't happen. The mosquitos and exhaustion got the better of me. I did go to Lowes and get all of the supplies. $184 worth of wire, conduit, circuit breaker, and outlets... here is the progress so far..
229836

[Baxter Smith]

Makes me tired just looking at that! The rain will make the ground softer and easier to dig though!

[Roger Chandler]

I know the feeling Jason..........when I put my shop building out back, the summer was in high gear and we at the time had no rain for weeks............the ground felt like concrete, and I did the same as you ......used a maddock [pick] to dig my trench....code demanded at least 18" deep............that was real work. Knowing what I know now..........I would rent a trencher...........be done in a couple of hours and not near as tired and sore! Good luck!

[Jason Ritchie]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Knowing (and feeling) what I know now, I would have rented one too! The ground was pretty soft until about 6 inches down, then hard clay. I woke up this morning to 3 emails from grizzly.. yah! My grinder and other tid bits will be here on Wednesday but the lathe will come in on Friday.. bummer I was hoping for sooner but at least it will be here for the weekend and this will give me more time to complete the wiring.

[Jason Ritchie]

OK The trench is finished, the wire and conduit are in place and I am sore as heck! I just have the wiring of the two 220v outlets and the breaker to install. According to the tracking info the lathe is only 40 miles from me in Charlotte! I wonder if they are going to deliver today? There may be unboxing and setup pics today guys! I got my fingers crossed! (well not really cause they hurt too bad!) I do plan to take pics of the wiring so that it may help others. There is a LOT of confusing wiring info out on the net. Every different electrician says it needs to be done a different way. To be safe, I bought 12ga 2 conductor plus ground UF rated wire. UF rating means safe for direct burial. If you direct bury, you have to to be at least 2 feet deep. If you use conduit like I did, you only need to be 18 inches. The conduit is cheap and I think worth it for the extra protection it gives the wire. More to follow!

[Tim Rinehart]

Hmmm...me thinks a truck will be showing up at your door soon! Sounds like the hard part is done, not that setting up this one is going to be a one man job. Looks like a sweet machine in between sizes of the 1642 and 3520 lathes so many own, weight wise as well.
Look forward to hearing how you like this lathe...it appears to be a super value for the amount of features and capacity it has.

[Roger Chandler]

not that setting up this one is going to be a one man job.

Trust me..........setting up this lathe is not a one man job.......I know from experience! I unbolted the headstock, tail stock and the banjo from my G0698 and got everything ready for my two sons to come over after work and help me set the lathe bed on the legs...took us about 15 minutes for that then leveling and putting the headstock, etc back on the ways.

If one has an engine hoist or some type of hydrolic lift table, then perhaps it could be done by one person, but getting it in the building is part of the issue..........I had the delivery truck place mine on my trailer, and I worked off the trailer backed up to the doors of my building..........

Jason, using a conduit is a good move.........same way I did mine, and I think the extra protection is well worth the small cost and the peace of mind! Good job, so far.....looks as if you are doing it correctly!

[Rick Markham]

congrats, enjoy the new lathe! I'm looking forward to seeing what comes off of it :)

[Jason Ritchie]

Thanks for all the congrats! I'm so excited to get back to turning. I finished the wiring today. I tested both outlets and both meter 244 volts across the blades and each blade measure 120 volts against the ground pin so we are good to go. The hardest part of the wiring was running the cable underground. So now I have an outlet for the lathe and one for that Rikon bandsaw that I hope to get one day...

[Jason Ritchie]

UPS called and said they will deliver my lathe between 1 and 5 tomorrow! Yah!

[Roger Chandler]

UPS called and said they will deliver my lathe between 1 and 5 tomorrow! Yah!

I am excited right along with you, Jason!!! Looking forward to your pics and your impressions.........I think you have a lot of lathe for the money and the features on it are the same as the Jet and Powermatics, minus the cage and handwheel, but you have more swing than the jet and more distance between centers than either of them...........a good trade off it you ever want to turn something like a bed post or column of some sort...........why I went with my Griz 0698 instead of the Jet, which I almost pulled the trigger on.

Only thing the pics might not show is all the smiles you have! :D;)

[Jason Ritchie]

Look what came!!!!!!
230077230078

Unboxing pics to follow....

[Roger Chandler]

Hey Jason........save that crate plywood...........I used mine to make drawers sides on my turning tool cabinet........even kept the Grizzly logo on one of the drawers........kinda neat! I will say, that I like the way Grizzly crates up their lathe......better than cardboard IMO.

[Jason Ritchie]

I have to say that it was crated very nice. I got the lathe moved in and set up (kinda hard by yourself). Unfortunately the spindle doesn't run true. It wobbles so bad you can see it and when you run it up it grumbles badly as if the bearings are bad or under strain. I guess I get to see how good their support will be when I call in the morning. I was also disappointed at the sloppy paint and gummed up screw holes. I had to re-tap 2 of them they were so gummed up with paint the screws would not go in at all. The tail stock handwheel is so loose it wobbles badly and when you tighten the set screw it hangs and will not turn at all. The lathe bed is very rough and has a lot of deep scratches and gouges in it. The tailstock slides very roughly on the ways and hangs in a few spots. Now, on the plus side, I was very impressed that the centers lined up perfectly. Right on the nose until you start the lathe, then you can see the drive point wobbling. I was also impressed with the low speed on the low pulley. It runs at 50-60 rpm. I will post a follow up after I talk to tech support.

[Roger Chandler]

I have not seen the 0733, but others on the GGMG group have gotten it.........I will be interested in Grizzly's reply to you. My G0698 has not had a single issue since I got it over two years ago..............Dahl Perry got a 0733 and seems to like his.

Perhaps tech support can get you started off right by helping you make some adjustments to the unit that will correct the problems.........I know Grizzly will want it right for you............give them a chance to get your issues solved.........could be some adjustments were not correct from the factory, and they should get you squared away.

Of all the things you mentioned ........the spindle making noise and not being true concerns me the most.......I think something must not be tight in the headstock........a pulley perhaps? The manual tells you to tighten the set screws in the pulleys and make sure they are in proper alignment before turning the machine on........some times they are loose from the factory, and that could make the belt wobble and perhaps the spindle as well because they are attached to the pulleys.

Grizzly tech support should run over each issue with you while you are at the lathe and can help you get this properly adjusted.......

[Jason Ritchie]

OK I just spoke to Greg in Grizzly tech support. He wants me to take the spindle out and check the bearings. He said he didn't know what to send until I check the pulley, spindle and bearings. I'm pretty handy so we shall see how this goes. Its kind of a neat opportunity to see how the lathe is made so should help with future repairs if needed. I am very anxious to get back to turning though. I have had the most terrible luck with lathes lately. What's the odds of having two defective Jet 1642's and now the Grizzly has issues. Sheesh. Is it my luck or are manufactures just getting lax with quality control these past few months? I also noticed one other issue with how my Oneway Stronghold chuck mounts on this lathe.. On the Jet 1642 the back of the chuck seated nicely with the flat face of the headstock spindle. On the Grizzly 733, the chuck hits right at the end of the spindle threads and does not get close enough to the spindle face to seat. I think this is going to be an issue.

[Roger Chandler]

I also noticed one other issue with how my Oneway Stronghold chuck mounts on this lathe.. On the Jet 1642 the back of the chuck seated nicely with the flat face of the headstock spindle. On the Grizzly 733, the chuck hits right at the end of the spindle threads and does not get close enough to the spindle face to seat. I think this is going to be an issue.

Not really an issue Jason.........again that is the machining of the chuck and the metric machining of the lathe in China.......take a look at this thread for information on this issue.....

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?156671-Grizzly-G-0698-lathe&highlight=

.....this is a metric machining issue, not a defect.........the thread has posts from myself and a couple of others on how we took care of the thing............again.........it is not a problem, except the china manufacturer and the chuck manufacturers are on a different page it seems.........I actually took off some of my shoulder on the spindle with some abrasive and a file, and also had to enlarge one of my chuck inserts to make them all fit flush..........on my G0698 the chuck ran true without me doing this, but I did it just because I wanted it to be seated against the shoulder of the spindle itself.......my preference.

[charlie knighton]

cool, enjoy

[Jason Ritchie]

I pulled the pulley, spindle and bearings out. I really can't see whats causing the issue. The spindle seems a little off to me but the bearings are perfectly fine. They are sending out a new spindle and new bearings. Not sure why they are sending the bearings but oh well. I think I will re-assemble and try filing that shoulder down since they are sending a new one anyway. Roger, thanks for sending me the link to that thread. Very useful info! Would there be any interest for pics of the disassembled parts and also re-assembly pics?

[Roger Chandler]

I pulled the pulley, spindle and bearings out. I really can't see whats causing the issue. The spindle seems a little off to me but the bearings are perfectly fine. They are sending out a new spindle and new bearings. Not sure why they are sending the bearings but oh well. I think I will re-assemble and try filing that shoulder down since they are sending a new one anyway. Roger, thanks for sending me the link to that thread. Very useful info! Would there be any interest for pics of the disassembled parts and also re-assembly pics?

Sure Jason.......info is always a good thing......perhaps your experience will help others, just like mine and other posters have helped you..........pics are always good.........

At times what seems to be a problem at first glance is really not one, when one gets into figuring out the proper things......not to say your issue here is not a genuine problem, but I hope you can get through it with a minimum of effort.

I think the tech guys should try to walk you through everything before they just send out new parts..........unless you truly know that there is a defect in the spindle.......related; just a thought..........on runout of the spindle........could it be that the bearing is not seated flat in the race where it secures in the headstock.......if not that would seem to create some runout, at least in my mind?

[Fred Belknap]

Jason I would be cautious doing any work without the chuck solid against the shoulder. When mine was new I got the talon chuck fast on the spindle and getting it loose caused some severe damage. Broke the housing where the indexing pen goes. About the only thing that would cause the center point to wobble is the spindle, probably the M-2 taper. Here's hoping it all works out ok. I was hoping they had gotten away from these problems. You may have to drill out the banjo if you use any after market toolrest as the 1" post hole will probably be just a fuz under 1".

[Jason Ritchie]

Thanks to both of you for the help. I re-assembled the spindle and filed down that high part so both my chuck and the spindle adapter I had now fit flush against the shoulder. It did not take much filing at all for the chuck to fit. Now that the headstock is back together it seems to run better now. I think re-seating the bearings and aligning the pulleys made a big difference. The MT2 taper is still off though but hopefully that will be fixed once the new spindle comes in. I took a few pics of all the parts and some of the re-assembly until my camera battery died. I also turned an oak bowl from a piece of firewood. I will post that in the main forum.
230425This is the bore with the spindle and the bearings removed.
230426 Here are the bearings and spindle.
230427 This is the pulley side of the headstock with bearing and spindle removed. That is the speed sensor laying at the bottom.
230428 A side view through the belt access door opening.
230429 Pressing the bearings back in. I used the tailstock on this side but used a piece of wood and a dead-blow hammer on the pulley side.
230430 I again used the tail stock to press the spindle back in place. The pulley just slides right onto the spindle once in place.

[Roger Chandler]

Nice information on the break down, Jason..........sounds like you are well on your way to getting things up to par. Sometimes I think the workers over in the PRC just don't care at all about the end user..........they live under a repressive regime, and wages are barely enough for them to subsist on.............that leaves the end user [you, me and anyone here or in other countries] to just have to deal with what is the "I don't care" attitude that was had at the time assembly took place on your unit.

I do believe you will have a good lathe once you get the new spindle installed...........again my unit has been without a hiccup since day one..........I have been very pleased with the performance............fit and finish on these are not quite as good as on the Powermatic 3520b's.........but again we do get what we pay for. Thanks for the pics!

[Jason Ritchie]

I know you guys are probably tired of seeing this thread pop back up but I did promise to follow up on the progress. I just got an email from Grizzly that the new spindle just shipped out. I'm a little bit irritated about spending $1883.00 on a lathe and it having issues then Grizzly being sluggish to get parts out. I thought they had already shipped it out. And they didn't even use expedited shipping! If the issue was bad enough where I could not have used the lathe at all it would be on its way back. What's wrong with these companies these days? It's not because Grizzly is a lower end company either... I had worse luck with Jet. At least the tech at Grizzly was polite and seemed to care about my issue. I just want to get what I paid for and get back to turning. I wish I could afford a Oneway... I'm hanging in there....

[Roger Chandler]

Jason,
They likely had to get the part in themselves and it seems to me at least.........your expectations might be a little more than mine, that a week is not a bad timing to get a part on its way to you. I know that I ordered an extra banjo and toolrest for my 0698 because I have a duplicator that I wanted to be able to mount it on the 0698, and they had to order it from the factory.........that is likely what happened here as well, and if so, then they did a very good job on getting the part to you in a timely manor.

If they had the part laying in their inventory at your nearest location which would have been either in Muncy, PA or in Missouri, then maybe it took too long............I am not sure if they had to go to the factory, but it is likely. The manufacturer should have caught the spindle taper not being correct .........just my perspective.

[Jason Ritchie]

But they DO brag greatly how they maintain a huge parts inventory. Maybe I am expecting too much. I just don't have a lot of cash for hobbies and this was a big purchase for me so I wanted to get the most for my money. At least I can turn bowls for now. If not for that I would be pretty miffed. I will say that I will most likely look at other companies in the future for tools. I'm not bitter or anything, I just found the quality, fit, and finish to be less than I expected. I actually think my Harbor Freight lathe had much better fit and finish than the Grizzly. I was hoping to purchase my last lathe but that is not the case. I will look forward to one day getting a Oneway or Powermatic. I do realize that Powermatic is under Walter Meyer but I think there is much better quality control on the Powermatic line than the Jet lines so maybe I wouldn't have to deal with tech support. Grizzly does have the best customer service I have ever dealt with though. Very pleasant and helpful.

[Roger Chandler]

Once you are on the SMC for a while you will notice that all makes seem to have their issues from time to time, including the PM, but each one has to decide for themselves what they will take away from their own experiences. For me the performance was the key issue, although the finish on the PM is nicer, I will agree.......I have turned on 3 different 3520b's and they are really nice.......for me in comparrison........the features on the Grizzly matched up well and for the price, I did not expect the finish to be as good.........just my take on it because the PM is over twice as much as the Grizzly. We ultimately get what we pay for.

That being said ........I have not heard of one complaint about a Robust American Beauty or a VB-36, or Serious..........all other makes I have, including Oneway..........but it is what it is..........and if I could do it soon, I would have a Robust AB in my shop!

[Jason Ritchie]

I agree. I guess I was a little bit spoiled by the Jet 1642 that I had for the two weeks before I returned it. It was a very nice machine as far as fit and finish and even performance if not for the issues I had. I could care less what color the thing is or if it has some rough edges. My issues were that the tailstock and tool rest do not slide smoothly along the ways because everything is so rough and fits poorly. I had to file down the piece of metal on the back of the tailstock just so it would turn without binding. The tool rest is still binding badly and it's a wrestling match every time I need to move in closer to my bowl. I think the Jet WOULD be the best value for your money if tech support from Walter Meyer was better. And for those that got 1642's without issues it is the best value. I'm going to have to re-engineer some of the parts on the Grizzly just to get smooth acceptable performance and this I should not have to do. Funny thing is that the issue I thought I would have with the speed not going low enough was not an issue at all. It actually goes down to 30 RPM now which is really too slow for my needs so I don't use anything below about 60 RPMs. Good info on some of the other brands though Roger. This journey is always a learning process for me.

[Roger Chandler]

The banjo and tool rest on the 0733 is identical to the Jet 1642 evs.......I have lubed my banjo up just to make sure it operates smoothly..............after about a year, I took it apart and cleaned all the dust and so forth out of it, and then used 3in 1 oil to lubricate..........mine really slides smoothly and you can adjust the locking clamp by tightening or loosening the nut on the bottom .........mine has worked great all along.........hope you get yours sorted out...........just a matter of adjustments for the most part, ........at least that has been my experience to date.

Good luck! :):):)

[Jason Ritchie]

[QUOTE=Roger Chandler;1918251]The banjo and tool rest on the 0733 is identical to the Jet 1642 evs/QUOTE]

Sorry, but this is incorrect. It may look similar but I can guarantee that they are most definitely not identical. The banjo on the Jet 1642 has a round piece on the bottom and the nut wasn't always working its way loose like the Grizzly does. The Jet also had a longer handle. I'm not happy about the service I got from Jet for the two machines I had that were faulty but I have to admit they did do a good job with the details like the banjo sliding nice along the way and the nut holding it on not constantly loosening. I wonder if the the metal piece on the bottom and the nut will work on the Grizzly. This I might look into. I'm also thinking of putting a ball bearing in the tailstock to keep it from binding when you rotate the handle to extend and retract the quill. One thing that was nice about the Grizzly that I had issues on with the Jet was the the tail stock center and drive center aligned perfectly. That's what I would expect from a $1000.00 + lathe. I went through two Jet 1642's and neither were anywhere close to meeting height wise.

Now, with all this said if anyone reading this has any suggestions or fixes I am more than happy to do what it takes to improve things. Just like the link you sent on that little shoulder on the spindle needing to be filed down. That was spot on and immediately resolved the issue I had with getting my Oneway Stronghold chuck to fit against the spindle shoulder. My spindle adapter I bought also fit nice after this mod. Thanks again for that info.

[Roger Chandler]

Jason,

If you can find a nut with a nylon insert........[locking nut] that will fit the eyebolt on the banjo, then loosening will no longer be an issue............thought about that one for my 0698, but decided in the end, that I like the adjustability of being able to loosen or tighten depending on what angle I want my handle to remain at when tight...........the reason being is that some blanks depending on either spindle blanks or hollow form blanks, or bowl, etc will have a different reach for the handle to be clear of the blank............it is just me but I like it the way it is..........you may want yours in a fixed position.........either a nylon lock nut or perhaps a lock washer would hold it where you want it permanently.

The clamp plate is the round piece on the bottom...........I was referring to the upper banjo and toolrest.........I have several friends who have the Jet, and the rest and banjo is identical, except for that clamping plate.........the reason is the gap on the Jet is wider than the gap between the ways on the Grizzly, 1.75 inches vs. 1.5" on the Grizzly.

At any rate the lubrication on my banjo made a very smooth operating unit............hope you can get yours silky smooth as well!

Just for your info, and so you understand that the reason I give this info is not to be argumentative [and I hope it does not sound that way to you] but to be helpful and pass along info that might help you and others resolve any issues or operational things they may encounter.........best of luck!

[Jason Ritchie]

Hey Roger, we are on the same page man. We are both just bringing info to the table and I certainly appreciate all your support, tips, and suggestions. I will try lubing the banjo to see if it helps.

[Jason Ritchie]

I just wanted to update this thread with a couple things for those who are following. One, thank you Roger for the tip on the sticky banjo! I took it off the lathe and completely clean off the old thick grease, filed some rough edges(didn't have too many), re-greased with white lithium grease and re-assembled the tool rest banjo. That made a huge improvement and now it moves smoothly and freely across the ways. That issue is taken care of. The next major thing is that a guy named Keith called from Grizzly asking how things are going with the lathe. I did get the new spindle in and it looks so much better than the one that came in the lathe. It is ground smooth and precise and the neck appears to be true when I turn where the other one is very off visibly to the eye. The bad part is that the spindle came with a bearing already pressed on the threaded in that is bad. It has a lot of play in it where the bearings that came in the lathe had zero play. I received a total of three new bearings in the shipment. One sealed bearing pressed on the spindle that has excessive play from side to side which will allow wobble on the spindle when running, and two shielded ZZ type bearings that came in a separate bag. Both of these are rough when you turn them and you can hear grit grinding inside quite loudly. I don't care about the extra bearings because the ones that came on the lathe seem perfectly fine but I do have to figure out how to get the one already pressed on the spindle off without damaging the spindle. My thoughts are to try and press it in to the headstock then knock it back out hoping the bearing will stay in the recess so I can remove it separately. Keith wants me to take pictures and email them to him so I will do that this afternoon. I have been using the lathe thus far for things that I can turn on my chuck and have been very happy with the progress and performance so far. I did have a few issues but I really can't complain and don't mind working them out when Grizzly is being so involved and caring. That changes things a lot and make working out issues easier. I will report back when I get the spindle figured out. Thanks again Roger for all your help and suggestions and thanks to Keith at Grizzly for caring and calling me back.

[Roger Chandler]

Jason,

Take two pieces of wood that are longer than the spindle and set the bearing on them........they will need to be close together, and use another piece of wood to shield the spindle end and tap the spindle out of the pressed on bearing..........just be careful to use a thick enough piece of wood that will not damage the spindle when tapping on it.......a dead blow hammer may work, but I have in the past removed bearings this way without damage to the shaft or bearing.......you just have to support the bearing well and keep everything from receiving damage from the hammer strikes.

I hope you can share the pics with us as well............the process may help others...........funny thing.......others who have gotten this lathe, have reported zero problems..........I wonder if you just got a unit that had a bad part, or the assembler just was not on his/her game when they put it together?

Hope the above info helps a bit in getting this thing right for you!

[Jason Ritchie]

It's just my bad luck is all. I don't think my experience is at all representative to what anyone else can expect. Since you asked, I will take some pics of the process and post them along with the results. Speaking of luck, I wanted to buy a larger chainsaw and had decided and saved up for a Poulan Pro 20" model from Lowes. I went there with my friend and they had a tall stack of them there. I chose the box under the one of the top of the stack thinking it would improve my chances of getting a good unit. I went home mixed up some fuel, started it up and started cutting some of those maple logs I got. It worked beautifully and I was very pleased with my purchase. After taking a 15 minute break to get some cold drink and let the saw cool off a bit, I went to start it back up to finish cutting the logs and guess what? It would not start no matter what I tried. I returned it to Lowes and got another unit which I have been using for over a week with not one single issue. That's my luck. My first Jet 1642 had a faulty RPM display. After Jet tech support failed to get anyone out to look at it they finally arranged an exchange at the place I bought it for another new unit. This one had a terrible clanking sound in the motor. Now whats the chances of someone getting two faulty 1642's in a row? That's my luck. My friend David said "Now if it wasn't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all!".

[Roger Chandler]

I have a Poulan Pro saw............got it for limbing and wanted a very light weight model.........this one is 16" bar and I think 42cc engine........it has run very well..........after the first tree I used it on, I read the manual..........it said "not for everyday use"........or "for occasional use only" .......something to that effect..........found out it is basically a homeowner model for occasional use............that being said...........my brother in law has one he has used for 20 years........cuts about a cord or so of wood each fall for his fireplace, and the occasional limb.

I already had two other saws..........more heavy duty.........a husqvarna 359 and a large McCullough timber saw.........which I gave away after the company went out of business and the name was sold..........could no longer get parts for it. I have been very happy with the husqvarna 359........a real work horse, but in time I may upgrade to an even larger saw.

[Denny Rice]

Jason,
Just wondering what was wrong with the Jet 1642? I hope it wasn't nothing real bad.

[Jason Ritchie]

Jason,
Just wondering what was wrong with the Jet 1642? I hope it wasn't nothing real bad.

The first one had a bad RPM display out of the box. After 2 weeks of failures for Jet to get a tech onsite to repair it I rold the store I wanted my money back so they found another new unit in the box which I agreed to exchange for. This next one had a loud grinding noise in the motor. I called tech support and they told me to take the rear cover off the motor and bend the cooling fan blades back a little. The tech would not stay on the line for the total of 3 minutes it took to do this and said to call back if it id not. Of course this didn't fix it and I did not want to wait in the call queue another 20 minutes just to find out what part I would have to remove next. I bought the Jet 1642 based on the excellent reviews and 5 year warranty. If Jet would have sent someone out to fix my unit within 1-2 days I would have been a happy camper and would be using the 1642 today. And we are talking about a new customer making a new purchase, not someone who had the unit for a year then had an issue. On top of the fact that the customer service folks were very rude to talk to and the always 15-20 minute wait time to get a tech, Jet really left a bad taste in my mouth and I would most likely never buy another Jet product. Of course I have left out a lot here for brevity as there were a lot of emails and phone calls back and forth before I finally gave up. Klingspors in Winston-Salem were just excellent through the whole ordeal and were just surprised as I was at their resp0onse to the situation. They themselves had also tried to get Jet to take care of me and they finally gave up as well. The whole thing was a real shame.

[Jason Ritchie]

I could not get the pressed on bearing off the new spindle so I installed it as is. It had side to side play but no up and down play so it worked out fine and I could not detect any noticeable play in the spindle after installation. On the plus side, the taper is machined perfect and there is no wobble at all in the spur drives. The threads run true but they were buggered up bad and I could not even get my chuck screwed on. I took a needle file and filed the buggered up thread so the chuck would screw on past it and all seems good now. Grizzly has taken good care of me. I'm ready to get back to turning! Thanks Roger and others for your help!

231360 The new spindle and extra bearings. The 2 extras are defective as they have a very audible grinding noise when you turn them and can feel grit inside.
231361 The bearing was the same size as the spindle shoulder so I was not able to use anything to catch the edge to get it off.
231362 Here I used to live centers to test the balance of the spindle pulley. I was curious if it was balanced and it seemed pretty close to me.

[David C. Roseman]

Jason - Just joined the SMC forum, and have been following this thread. Very eager to see how you make out with your issues. I'll be near Muncy, PA in a couple of weeks for some turning instruction and will stop by Grizzly to kick the tires of the G0733. Hauling an empty trailer with me just in case. :cool: I've had a number of Grizzly bench tools in my shop since the mid-1980s, so I'm familiar with fit and finish issues, and Grizzly's very good tech support. A little perseverance and some elbow grease can pay big dividends, given the overall quality of the products. Your experience with the spindle reminds me that 25 years ago I had a problem with arbor run-out on a new G1023 table saw. The guy at Grizzly that sorted it out for me was Bill Crofut. That saw has run flawlessly ever since, and is spot-on accurate in every way. Crofut is still there, in Bellingham, WA, in charge of Quality Control! That says a lot about the company, IMO

Roger - I've read your epic threads on the G0698 and other 18-47 lathes on this and the AAW forum. They've been very helpful; many thanks for all the work you've done getting info out to the turning community!

I'm curious if you ever made a handwheel for your G0698. That's one modification I'll want to make if I go with the G0733. The best design I've seen, IMO, is the one William Young made for his 18-47 lathe (I think a Laguna, prior to their redesign of the spindle assembly), posted in the Australian Woodwork Forum. http://www.woodworkforums.com/f8/changing-guard-115302/index5.html . He fabricated it out of wood in two pieces, with the base attaching to the aft spindle pulley using the two threaded holes in the boss designed to accept a puller. Have you by any chance tried that?

Regards. David

[Roger Chandler]

Hi David..........my whole intent in posting info on the G0698 I have is to help others who were considering a Grizzly lathe, but had heard bad things.........I investigated a good bit before purchase, and almost bought a Jet 1642 evs, but in the end, feature for feature, the Grizzly was the best value, and I knew I could count on their customer service if I ever had an issue.

I have thought several times about making a handwheel..........I just keep coming back to the fact that I don't need one with this lathe.......I had one on my other lathe, but the design on this one makes it not necessary..........some folks just got use to one, and really like that feature.........and one can be added that is shop made as you mentioned. Almost 2-1/2 years later, my G0698 is still performing without a hiccup..........for the money, the G0698, and the G0733 are likely as good a value as are on the market for a larger lathe.

Most any lathe can have an issue........even the big names, but for a guy on a budget, this is a good unit in my opinion, but so is the Jet, and Powermatic, Oneway, Robust..............and lately I am hearing pretty good things about the big Rikon....so one just has to make a decision based upon their best judgment! Good luck on what ever unit you get, and if you go with the Grizz...........join the GGMG [Grizzly Green Monster Group!]

[Jason Ritchie]

Hi David, I have all my issues worked out now and I'm very happy with my purchase at this point. Roger is correct, any machine can have issues as proven by the two Jet 1642 lathes I had tried previous to the Grizzly purchase. The difference is that the folks at Grizzly cared enough about me to take care of me no questions asked. No one seemed to care at all at Jet tech support which is why I gave up on the Jet. The fit and finish is much much better on the Jet and one may be swayed by this just as I was at first, but if you take the time to file some things smooth with a metal file and better lubricate other things such as the tool rest banjo, it will be very worth it. Looking back I'm glad I made my decision to buy the Grizzly. I got a lathe with two more inches capacity for hundreds less. You don't say where you are located but if you are near me in NC I would be glad to show off my 733. I am about to make a handwheel for mine which I will be glad to share the plans. I also find that my need for a handwheel is much less with this lathe given the variable speeds and reverse direction switch.

Here is a small list of things you may want to do when you get yours:

1) File the bed way edges to smooth then out. Mine were serrated like a knife and I cut myself a few times. It only took a few passes to smooth them out.
2) Clean off the heavy grease on the tool rest banjo and replace it with a lighter oil. I used white lithium grease.
3) File the white paint off the back of the tool rest mating surface for the handwheel to make it turn much smoother.
4) File the shoulder off the spindle to allow chucks to seat all the way on.
5) clean the bed ways with degrease then apply paste wax.
6) remove the bolts on the banjo retaining plates underneath the bed for both the tool rest banjo and the headstock and apply teflon tape to the bolt threads to keep the retaining nuts from jarring around and loosening.
7) Take photos and upload here for us to see!

Roger may have a few more things to add.
Here are some general tips:

1) Save all of the packing crate hardware. Some of the bolts fit the holes on the back of the spindle for your handwheel addition.
2) Check and drill out if needed the bolt holes on the lathe bed BEFORE you carry it in and try to place on top of the legs for assembly. Mine were clogged with white paint and made it harder to clean out while on top of the legs.
3) Save the packing crate plywood as its a very nice quality and can be used for many things. I think Roger made a tool chest and I made a set of cole jaws for my chuck.

Good luck with your purchase decision! And we are here to help if you need it!

[David C. Roseman]

Roger and Jason - Many thanks! Appreciate the input. Jason, good tips on set-up. Thanks for the offer to visit. I'm in Great Falls, VA. Lot's of kin in NC, but won't be down there til our annual family reunion in August. :)

If we go with the G0733, I'll need to adapt it for my vacuum chuck system. That's another reason I'd make a handwheel, as I'm thinking I would work that into the design. Then could pull vacuum directly through the spindle without having to resort to a Holdfast system. Can make custom vacuum chucks using a Beall spindle tap. Have done this with our current lathe, and it works well.

Regards. David

[Roger Chandler]

Roger and Jason - Many thanks! Appreciate the input. Jason, good tips on set-up. Thanks for the offer to visit. I'm in Great Falls, VA. Lot's of kin in NC, but won't be down there til our annual family reunion in August. :)

If we go with the G0733, I'll need to adapt it for my vacuum chuck system. That's another reason I'd make a handwheel, as I'm thinking I would work that into the design. Then could pull vacuum directly through the spindle without having to resort to a Holdfast system. Can make custom vacuum chucks using a Beall spindle tap. Have done this with our current lathe, and it works well.

Regards. David

David, I have the Hold Fast vacuum system, and their standard set up works well with my G0698 and I have no handwheel. The rotating vacuum adapter just mates right up to the outboard side of the spindle where the pulley is, and the threaded rod on my Hold Fast system tightens on the inboard side of the spindle with a plastic nut............of course, I you really want a hand wheel, then you can make it, but it is not necessary to make one just for a vacuum chuck.

JT turning tools made some for the Laguna 18/47 owners early on.........don't know if they are still available or not, but you can get the same adapter I have from Hold Fast, even if you want to make your own system, and just use their adapter.

[Michael McCurley]

Welcome Jason. You'll be very happy with the 733. I took delivery of mine in Feb and didn't look back. It's amazing. I also got a McNaughton core saver for big blanks so as not to waste wood. Have rough turned about 8 large blanks that I was able to get 4 pieces each out of them. Cant' wait till they're dry to finish turning them. I'm in Durham so we might be somewhat close.

Michael

[David C. Roseman]

>snip<
JT turning tools made some for the Laguna 18/47 owners early on.........don't know if they are still available or not...

Thanks, Roger. I actually had a good phone conversation a few weeks ago about this with Tom Steyer at JT Turning Tools. Great guy. I wanted to see if he might be offering a handwheel/vacuum adapter for the G0733, G0698 and similar 18-47 lathes that do not have a threaded outboard spindle. As you know, it would have to mate to the threaded puller holes on the aft pulley boss. His understandable concern is that distance between centers of the puller holes is not a critical dimension for the intended purpose, so may vary from pulley to pulley. E.g., may be 48 mm on one pulley, 49 mm on another. Pullers are adjustable, so it doesn't matter. While he could likely machine an adapter for a given assembly, it probably wouldn't be practical to come up with something certain to mate well and run true across the board.

Now, turning something myself out of wood or HDPE is a different story. So if I end up with the G0733, I'll probably go that route. Seems that the challenge would be to bore the holes for the two attachment screws in the base piece after it's been turned so that everything runs true. Not sure how William Young accomplished this back in 2010. Ideally I could rough-turn the base on an inboard-mounted faceplate, bore the holes, then mount it to the pulley and do a light balancing cut in place. I suspect the clearances in the headstock casting wouldn't allow that, though. Would love to hear from any other turners who've already resolved this issue. :cool: May try to reach out to Mr. Young as well.

David