robust american beauty lathe

[jim boden]

I`ve pretty much decided on the roust american beauty and am looking for feedback from owners as well as other points of view before investing $7400

[guy laizure]

I have had mine for 3 years and do not regret the purchase.Love the sliding headstock,adjustable legs, the tilt away feature on the tailstock and the 3 horsepower motor.Best of all it is made in America by the owner of the company.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jim, I've had mine since Oct of 2011 and still am thrilled every time I use it! Asking for a point of view will limit the responses because it is not specific... What would you like to know?

[Dick Latshaw]

I know a couple of people who have one. Not one has said "I wish I'd bought a (fill in the blank)". I'd be tempted if I didn't have PM 3520, which is not better but good enough for me.

[John Beaver]

Jim. I say pull the trigger and don't look back. It's one of the best lathe's out there and will last you a lifetime.

Congratulations. I'm jealous.

[William Tanner]

We were talking about lathes this morning at the coffee shop. We agreed that you only live once. Do it!

[Alan Trout]

I bought my long bed version going on 2 years ago. It is a wonderful machine. Excellent ergonomics, power, and convenience. IMHO they don't get any better and dealing with Brent and Deb is one of the best buying experiences I ever had. It will be a purchase that you will never regret.

[Brian Ashton]

I've had a look at those lathes. They weren't available when I was looking. Now I've got a oneway and I'd say the robust is a step up so get on with it and buy it. When you're talking that level of quality you can't go wrong. That is unless in 6 months you find you don't like turing and then you sell it for half of what you paid for it... YMMV

[Brian Ashton]

We were talking about lathes this morning at the coffee shop. We agreed that you only live once. Do it!

When I was 17 my dad decided hell or high water I was going to get a lathe. I was obsessed with turning at that time and we had some pretty serious arguments on what lathe I wanted, to the point where I told him to stick it... But he persevered, I remember him saying you're getting a lathe whether you like it or not, and he then bought me the lathe I wanted. When he died, about 25 years later, my share of the estate amounted to just enough to upgrade and buy a oneway lathe with accessories... He only lived once and many years later I still have the lathe (I kinda regret selling the first Delta lathe). I ain't giving it up for any reason. I don't care how much it cost, it's coming with me when I move to England.

[Joe Meirhaeghe]

Jim I don't own a Robust AB but I've spent several hundred hours turning on one a friend owns. I would not hesitate to buy one in a minute if I the available funds for it. I've turned numerous large logs 300 plus lbs on it some weighing near 500 lbs. The AB handled them like a dream.
Go for it if your able.

[Reed Gray]

If you are used to cast iron for your lathe, the AB will make 'different' sounds when you turn. The best sliding headstock lathe available. I have the extended bed model, and 3 hp. Had it for 5 or more years, can't remember, but for sure, a step up from my PM3520A. Brent is excellent to deal with, manufacturing quality is excellent, design is excellent.

robo hippy

[Thomas Bennett]

Ditto to the other comments. I've had mine for a couple of years and love it. I had a 3520B but just wanted to try something different. The Robust people are fantastic.

[Eric Holmquist]

I've had mine for a couple of years and love it. It is very well designed and a joy to use.

[jim boden]

thanks for the great input, I`ll be ordering mine in one month. Can`t wait until then I`ll put up with my jet 12-20

[Dan Hintz]

I love mine...

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Jim: Sounds like you've already made up your mind- just looking for a little support for the decision. I really doubt that you'll be disappointed. One way to make certain is to get a little time on one before you order if you haven't already. That alone will clear away any doubts you may still have. I've had mine for almost two years now and can't imagine how I got by without it. It is a joy to turn on. Ask Brent if there's an owner near you that you might contact. He hooked me up with an owner within reasonable driving distance (a couple of hours against the cost of the machine seemed reasonable) and I got down there on two occasions to use it. Bring your own chuck (you'll need one anyway) and tools; don't forget to clean up after yourself. It's a good way to meet a turner you might otherwise not have encountered.

Looks like you're in CA, mine is available for potential owners to check out, but I'm in the Seattle area - might be a stretch.

Just make sure you get all the pieces you want. The tilt-away is well worth the extra cost and the gas shock for it makes it just that much easier to use. I wish the new bed extension had been available when I got mine - I've wished for a couple more inches a couple of times since I got it (didn't really have much to do with the length of the piece I was turning, and I figured out a way around the situation - but still...)
You're gonna love it...

[Michael Watson]

Had mine for a couple months now and wish I hadn't waited so long.
Grudgingly let Brent talk me into the Tilt Away feature and after my first turning, don't know how I could live without it.
Do not doubt that Brent, and Deb, build a terrific lathe and know what they're talking about when you ask a question.

Mike

[Joe Bradshaw]

Jim, while, I don' have the AB, I do have the Robust Liberty. What a great lathe. I don't get to turn on it as much as I would like since my Lady friend has claimed it for her own. As others have said, go for it
Joe

[Dan Kralemann]

Jim,

I was lucky enough to have the American Beauty as my first lathe. I chose it because it had a 7 year warranty, fully adjustable legs, sliding head stock, and stainless steel ways. There were some modifications that Brent did for me without any extra charge: (1) he added 2+ extra feet of electric cord to the magnetic control box so that I could move it to all the places that I wanted to without the need to bring it under the lathe; (2) he added 6+ extra feet of electric cord to the motor because I put the lathe in the middle of my shop; (3) he added 2+ inches to the legs of the lathe because I am tall; (4) he put the 110v electric box on the rear leg of the lathe to keep the electric cords out of my way. With the use of the sliding head stock I do the interior of the bowls and the sanding at the end of the lathe and the Tilt-Away makes this soooo convenient. I had the Tilt-Away Gas Shock put on and was glad I did because in my haste, I lost my hand grip with the tail stock a couple of times. There was no damage that happened to the tail stock or the lathe because the shock was there. I like having the Tool Caddy too. The better that I get as a turner the more I appreciate the American Beauty lathe.

Dan

[Charles levan]

I struggled with this decision, especially considering that my skill level does not deserve such a professional level piece of equipment. But I moved up from a mini and want that to be a one stop move. I feel that the 3520B would meet my needs but thought that it would leave me wanting to have those nice features of the AB. You can name five features of the AB that make it stand out, but it is a subjective judgement about how much they are worth. I got my AB about a month ago and have had only about 30 hours turning time. During that time I have used the tail stock tilting feature countless times, the stainless steel ways are awesome, the moveable control feature is great. I really like that the lathe is at the optimal height and the overall quality is excellent. In my opinion, the lathe is worth the extra money. I appreciate the quality every time I use it.