Lathe recommendations

[Lawrence Tarnoff]

18 months ago I bought a used Rikon midi-lathe to try my hand at turning. While I still consider myself a novice, I've found that I enjoy turning to the point where I am considering an upgrade. My wish list includes variable speed without belt changes, the ability to do outboard turning, a long enough bed to accommodate a future hollowing system, at least 1.5 HP, and -- most important -- a rock solid machine built to tough tolerances. My budget for this is $1,500 or less, so Powermatic or Oneway will need to wait for my next lifetime.

The NOVA DVR seems to hit my requirements pretty well, but I don't want to miss looking at others. Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated. I'm also not opposed to buying a pre-owned lathe in top condition.

Thanks in advance for your comments and recommendations.

Larry

[Jim Burr]

This having been hashed out at least 8 times in the last few months...the search function will be a good friend.

[Richard Coers]

Choices are limited at that price, yup, the search function will help. Jet is on sale for 4 days, but the 1642 is still too high for you.

[Brian Kent]

I have thought seriously about the Grizzly G0733, and the people who use them like them. But that is $1,850 with shipping.

[Lee Reep]

I've also got a Rikon, and while I think it is a pretty decent lathe, I've eyed the Nova DVR for about a year now. Not sure where you are from, but Woodcraft puts these on sale for around $1600 or so in the Spring, and I think they actually had it on sale a few months back. Maybe you can hold out until they go on sale again. I've got two Nova chucks and numerous jaws, and think their products are really decent.

One thing I did early on that helped make my lathe more useful was to buy the bed extension, so I've got plenty of room for longer turnings. Also, the extension gives me plenty of room to be able to put a chuck and drill bit in the tailstock, while having a sizable piece of wood chucked in the headstock . The standard midi lathes just are not long enough to do this.

I'm a recent convert to Festool, so all my woodworking $ are headed that way for awhile, but a Nova DVR is probably in my future. If I really got the turning bug bad (I've only been turning a couple years), I might hold out for a OneWay.

[Jack Mincey]

I'm not going to tell you what lathe to get, but do have some advise. Buy as much lathe as you ever will want this time and never look back and say I should have waited until I could afford one of those lathes. Save and pinch pennies as long as possible and make it hurt one time. This way you should never regret it. My first and only lathe is the last lathe I will ever buy and I have no regrets. Jack

[Lee Reep]

Ok, Jack.... inquiring minds want to know. What lathe did you buy? :)

[Brian Ashton]

This having been hashed out at least 8 times in the last few months...the search function will be a good friend.

Along with incorrect spelling and grammar the same questions will continue to pour in from around the internet over and over for the rest of eternity and search functions will for the most part left unused… Get used to it.

[Brian Ashton]

I'm not going to tell you what lathe to get, but do have some advise. Buy as much lathe as you ever will want this time and never look back and say I should have waited until I could afford one of those lathes. Save and pinch pennies as long as possible and make it hurt one time. This way you should never regret it. My first and only lathe is the last lathe I will ever buy and I have no regrets. Jack

In that case buy a oneway 2436 you should be pretty secure in knowing you won't need to trade up ;-)

[Jason Borthwick]

The Nova dvr xp is on sale right now at acme tools for 1745.10 and free shipping. I just found it while awaiting the shipment of mine from amazon. Good luck

[Mike Cruz]

Consider an old machine that you can pimp out and bring into the 20th century...if you have the time and ability. I did this with a PM90. I probably spent about $1200-1400 all in and ended up with an 18" swing (could have done 20" just as easily), 2 hp, variable speed, FWD/REV, etc, etc. But it did take time, effort, and the help from some others (a second set of hands to move some of the parts, and someone to help hook up the VFD).

[Jack Mincey]

Lee, I bought a 1640 OneWay with the outboard bed that gives me a short bed 24" swing lathe when needed. I actually almost always turn bowls on the out board side because I like the short bed. This being said I might have bought a Robust lathe at the time just because they are made in the USA, but they weren't in business at the time I purchased my lathe. I have no regrets and never have needed or wanted another lathe. I tend to save as long as needed to buy quality tools. I spent a good bit of my career as a High School shop teacher repairing some of the cheap made machines in our school shop. A lot of these were Delta and Jet Industrial type tools. They just aren't built to hold up the way they use to be or should be IMHO. Jack