Lathe size question

[Bryan Lisowski]

I have a mini lathe which is fine for pen turning and other smaller turnings. I am limited by size to 12" swing. I have been looking at full size lathes. Since most full size lathes have reversible heads or outboard turning ability. So my question is, if you had to do it again would you go with whatever size you would use 95% of the time (16 or 18") or the largest swing you could afford?

Thanks.

[Dennis Ford]

I would go with the best lathe that I could afford. That might not be the largest swing that I could afford. The times that I have used the swing capacity of my full size lathe all involved unbalanced blanks and/or off-center work (which is inherently unbalanced). Large swing requires a heavy and strong lathe (or a LOT of patience).

[roger wiegand]

I have a 16" lathe and often wish it were bigger. Outboard turning sounds attractive, but mostly doesn't work out all that well due to the lack of a tailstock and often poorly supported toolrest. Most times the biggest bowl I can turn is only about 12" due to asymmetry in the blank. I suppose I could do a better job of making the blank round, but that would probably require a bigger/better bandsaw and take longer than turning it round on the lathe.

[Chris A Lawrence]

I bought a g0766 with a 22 inch swing and would buy it again or bigger if budget had been there. I only turned a couple things that came close to maxing out the swing but the power that comes with a bigger lathe makes turning things easier sometimes. If i ever buy another lathe one feature i will insist on having is a sliding headstock. When turning things that dont require a tailstock like bowls being able to slide the headstock down to the end with just enough room for the toolrest makes it so much easier. You can stand at the end of the lathe and not have to lean over the bed.

[Thomas Canfield]

I have a Powermatic 3520B and just turned my first (and likely last) large diameter piece off the bed without use of tailstock. The problem with large pieces is what do you do with them. I do turn a lot of long oval natural edge pieces that are almost 20" L (swing capacity) and then 12 to 16" wide that will fit on shelf or easier to display than a 20" D piece. A larger swing is also helpful even on smaller pieces to have the ability to drop a long handle of bowl gouge turning the inside of pieces. I also have a Nova Comet II with 12" swing and have issue with long handle tools so previous comment. The larger lathes usually will have more power, but you also go from 1" to 1-1/4" drive which means some changes to you existing chucks, faceplates, etc.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Thanks for the feedback so far. My budget is $2000, so I am considering the following:

Grizzly GO838
Grizzly GO766
Laguna Revo 18-36
Jet 1640EVS
Nova Saturn DVR (16" swing)

I have heard mixed things about the Jet and Nova (electronics more than anything).

Chris according to the info on the Grizzly site, it says the headstock can be positioned anywhere along the bed, is this not accurate?

[Chris A Lawrence]

Chris according to the info on the Grizzly site, it says the headstock can be positioned anywhere along the bed, is this not accurate?

Yes it is accurate the headstock locks and slides the same way the tailstock does.

[John K Jordan]

I have a mini lathe which is fine for pen turning and other smaller turnings. I am limited by size to 12" swing. I have been looking at full size lathes. Since most full size lathes have reversible heads or outboard turning ability. So my question is, if you had to do it again would you go with whatever size you would use 95% of the time (16 or 18") or the largest swing you could afford?
Thanks.

I think some of it depends on what you want to turn. I have Jet minis, a couple of 16" swing lathes (Jet1642s) and a 20" (PM3520b). I rarely turn large bowls, platters, or big hollow forms so I don't need the 16 or 20" and don't ever plan to ever turn outboard.

But there is much more to it than the swing. The largest lathe is simply a joy to use, even compared to the 16" lathes. It's built with heavier components like the banjo and tailstock and things like the locking levers are more substantial. Even advancing the tailstock quill feels smoother. I like the feel of the lathe even when turning tiny things. (My most recent bowl was about an inch in diameter, accompanied by a 5/8" tall goblet, all on a 2" high table. :)) If I need it the PM has the mass to handle an occasional out-of-balance blank or more important to me, an off-axis turning that might shake the smaller lathes more.

Also important to me is the length of the bed. I occasionally turn long spindles such as handles for farm/garden tools and the PM with the bed extension is perfect.

400372 400373

If weight were the only concern I could have looked for an even larger lathe, say the PM4224 which is a couple of hundred pounds heavier but for me the price difference would not be worth it for how seldom I turn unbalanced things. If needed, it's easy to add weight.

I'd say before deciding try turning on various lathes and feel the difference for yourself. Assuming you are a member of a woodturning club, plenty of people would probably be happy to let you try their lathes.

JKJ

[Bryan Lisowski]

Yes it is accurate the headstock locks and slides the same way the tailstock does.

Chris, sorry for the question, I misread your comment about the sliding headstock.

[Dave Bunge]

Another advantage of larger swing lathes: they give you more room to move the banjo under the bowl which is handy to do.

Example, on my PM3520, the banjo is 2" thick (distance from bed ways to top of banjo). So as long as the bowl blank is less than 16" diameter, I can slide the banjo under it and access it from the headstock end as well as the normal tailstock end. That feature is also helpful when mounting heavy blanks on the lathe...slide the banjo up against the the headstock so it's out of the way when placing the blank.

I'd never make 20" bowls (max capacity of the lathe) but a 15" blank for a 14" bowl is pretty common for me and works easily on the PM3520. I don't think I could move the banjo like that on an 18" swing lathe.

Dave

[JohnC Lucas]

For me it's not the large swing but the mass of the lathe that makes the difference. Yes I do turn larger things occasionally but 90 percent of my turnings can be done on a midi lathe. When I demo on my midi I miss the mass and lack of vibration of my big lathe. What I do like about the smaller lathe is the ease of moving the tool rest and tailstock. It can wear you out by the end of the day when you move my tailstock a lot on the powermatic. It weights 57lbs. It does slide easily but definitely takes more effort than my mido lathe tailstock that probably weighs less than 20.

[Prashun Patel]

Yes think bigger is better. Even if you will only turn things that are 16” in diameter, you have to cut the blank perfectly to fit if that’s your max diameter swing. Wider capacity means you can take tougher stock to it without time consuming prep at the chainsaw or bandsaw (which may also be size constrained).

Also, know your personal limitations. My lathe has an 18" swing, and manipulating blanks that large can be stressful because I'm no longer so burly (who am I kidding; never was :(). So, if you want to turn something even larger, you may want to consider how you will harvest, process, and mount those pieces which can be in excess of 75 lbs (green)

[Alex Zeller]

I agree, bigger is better. I have 40+acres of hardwoods so less limitations is nice. While a 20" bowl is a really big bowl it's not that big for a platter. Maybe in time I'll get more comfortable not having the tailstock when it comes to large and/ or heavy pieces and will do outboard turning. Over all I'm happy with my G0766 (but I got it just before the tariff and with a discount). If I had to do it today the Laguna would be right at the top of my list. I think the 18" swing would of been acceptable but I'm not so sure now. When you need to place the banjo under the blank suddenly the 22" swing becomes about 18". Not sure how thick the banjo is on the Laguna but even if it's 1 1/2" thick that 18" is suddenly 15". That's 15" for a blank, not a bowl. I suspect that as I get more experience I'll be able to position things differently so it's not as big of a deal. For now I'm in the bigger is better group.

[John Keeton]

I have posted about my Laguna 1836 before, including the review I posted several months ago. Time flies and it may have been well over a year ago.

Aside from all the things I like about the lathe itself, with the added bed extension mounted low I have 32” of swing with tailstock support. I have not measured the maximum depth/thickness possible while using the tailstock, but it is certainly sufficient for platters and moderately deep bowls. My guess without measuring would be 6-8”.

However, even without the bed extension, the Revo 1836 slightly exceeds your budget. But, the bed extension could come later and provide the option of doing much larger projects - even small table tops if the need arises.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Aside from all the things I like about the lathe itself, with the added bed extension mounted low I have 32” of swing with tailstock support. I have not measured the maximum depth/thickness possible while using the tailstock, but it is certainly sufficient for platters and moderately deep bowls. My guess without measuring would be 6-8”.
.

John, I will look for your review. However I don't get how a bed extension mounted low would almost double your swing. Maybe it will be in your review, but if it isn't can you explain or show?

I really appreciate the responses up to this point.

[Derek Cohen]

I have a mini lathe which is fine for pen turning and other smaller turnings. I am limited by size to 12" swing. I have been looking at full size lathes. Since most full size lathes have reversible heads or outboard turning ability. So my question is, if you had to do it again would you go with whatever size you would use 95% of the time (16 or 18") or the largest swing you could afford?

Thanks.

Hi Bryan

I am pretty much as novice as one can be when it comes to turning bowls. However, I have been turning spindles on a Jet mini plus bed extension for a decade, and used my brand spanking new Nova Saturn yesterday for the first time (turning spindles for a coffee table). The Jet was 1/2 hp. The Nova is 2.3 hp. Amazing difference just in power alone! Where the Jet would bog down in hardwood (the legs are Jarrah), the Nova does not blink an eye. The Nova also has the bed extension along with the optional cast iron legs, so it is a very heavy piece of equipment. Solid as a rock. All the power seems to get used, where the Jet, while I thought it stable, I now realize was absorbing some of the power owing to a light frame.

None of this says anything about turning bowls. The swing of the Nova should see me through for anything reasonable I throw at it. That is a new world I enter.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John Keeton]

Bryan, the headstock slides to the other end of the lathe and the work is swung in the “gap” over the bed extension, which is mounted 7” lower than the ways of the lathe. I don’t think I included a pic of a piece on the lathe over the bed extension, but here is a pic from the web. The extension comes with a 7” riser block for the tailstock and an extension for the tool rest.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Bryan, the headstock slides to the other end of the lathe and the work is swung in the “gap” over the bed extension, which is mounted 7” lower than the ways of the lathe. I don’t think I included a pic of a piece on the lathe over the bed extension, but here is a pic from the web. The extension comes with a 7” riser block for the tailstock and an extension for the tool rest.

John, read your review, very thorough, loaded with good info. I did see a picture of what you were speaking about, but the recent picture was a lot clearer. Thanks.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Hi Bryan

I am pretty much as novice as one can be when it comes to turning bowls. However, I have been turning spindles on a Jet mini plus bed extension for a decade, and used my brand spanking new Nova Saturn yesterday for the first time (turning spindles for a coffee table). The Jet was 1/2 hp. The Nova is 2.3 hp. Amazing difference just in power alone! Where the Jet would bog down in hardwood (the legs are Jarrah), the Nova does not blink an eye. The Nova also has the bed extension along with the optional cast iron legs, so it is a very heavy piece of equipment. Solid as a rock. All the power seems to get used, where the Jet, while I thought it stable, I now realize was absorbing some of the power owing to a light frame.

None of this says anything about turning bowls. The swing of the Nova should see me through for anything reasonable I throw at it. That is a new world I enter.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Derek, thanks for the reply. Always enjoy seeing your work! I have read in my research that the electronic controls have had issues, it wouldn't scare me away at this time, but would hate to have a recurring issue that could pop up after warranty. Just another thing to factor into my decision.

[Derek Cohen]

Bryan, all equipment makes will have some machines that experience issues. As far as I can tell (since this was a concern for me as well - anything with electronics must have a life span), Nova have been around using this technology for well over a decade. They are a respected New Zealand company with excellent reviews.

It seems to me that everything made these days has variable speed, which means electronics are used. I was considering a small Vicmark with a bed extension. It was the same price, and I would have loved a Vicmark. But the swing was only 12" and it was 3/4 hp .... and it, too, would be subject to the electronic demons. It was my wife who provided some perpective when she said, "well, if you get 10 years from it, it will have paid for itself. Then get another". Now I prefer the idea of a lifetime tool, but I believe that we have moved away from this with the advent of computers inside machines. If you want a lifetime machine, get a manual, belt change type.

My only gripes with the Nova so far are the colour/texture - I'm not made about the black, and it is textured (dust does not brush off as easily) ... and the soft touch buttons. I am used to poking something substantial. Perhaps it is a matter of getting used to it (it is really early days).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Bryan Lisowski]

Bryan, all equipment makes will have some machines that experience issues. As far as I can tell (since this was a concern for me as well - anything with electronics must have a life span), Nova have been around using this technology for well over a decade. They are a respected New Zealand company with excellent reviews.

It seems to me that everything made these days has variable speed, which means electronics are used. I was considering a small Vicmark with a bed extension. It was the same price, and I would have loved a Vicmark. But the swing was only 12" and it was 3/4 hp .... and it, too, would be subject to the electronic demons. It was my wife who provided some perpective when she said, "well, if you get 10 years from it, it will have paid for itself. Then get another". Now I prefer the idea of a lifetime tool, but I believe that we have moved away from this with the advent of computers inside machines. If you want a lifetime machine, get a manual, belt change type.

My only gripes with the Nova so far are the colour/texture - I'm not made about the black, and it is textured (dust does not brush off as easily) ... and the soft touch buttons. I am used to poking something substantial. Perhaps it is a matter of getting used to it (it is really early days).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Good points that every machine may have an issue at some time and each lathe I'm looking at has some sort of electronics.

[Alex Zeller]

Bryan, the headstock slides to the other end of the lathe and the work is swung in the “gap” over the bed extension, which is mounted 7” lower than the ways of the lathe. I don’t think I included a pic of a piece on the lathe over the bed extension, but here is a pic from the web. The extension comes with a 7” riser block for the tailstock and an extension for the tool rest.

I really like that feature. The G0800 has it but I don't think it comes with the riser block for the tail stock. Grizzly sells a short version of the G0800 (G0835) that the bed is only 24" long. With their 20" extension you basically get the G0800 without the fold away section of the bed for quite a bit less. Because of the riser block the 1836 was my second choice behind the G0766 (it was much lower priced then) and above the G0835. For us newbies it really comes down to buying what you think you will want down the road without pricing yourself too high and not buying at all. Being able to add options after the fact to expand the lathe's capability so you don't have to buy a new lathe (some of us are ok with having just one) is a big selling feature to me.

[Neil McWilliams]

No one has talked about needing 220V power in your shop for the larger lathes. That can add $250-350 in a heartbeat. I have a Laguna platinum 1847, predecessor to the Revo. It is 2HP and many time I have wished it was 3HP. When I bought it, I had greedy eyes and lusted to turn mega bowls. I have a bandsaw that will round a 6x18" blank...slowly...but the deciding factor is raising the blank to the lathe and mounting it. Unless you are young and very fit you should have an overhead chain hoist for those mega blanks. Then working through the initial imbalance and vibration is often exciting. A runaway blank that size is something you will not soon forget. Big lathe - more mass, less vibration; big lathe - more power, much easier turning. Your choice vs your means!

[David DeCristoforo]

I only have one word for you... getthebigone!

[kreig mcbride]

Although outside of your price range, I own and use a Grizzly G0694 - 20" x 43" Heavy-Duty Variable-Speed Wood Lathe


Heavy duty, solid and although they state the minimum RPM is 50, I can easily dial in 25 RPM, important for heavy and out-of-balance objects.

The only thing missing on this and most lathes is the ability to turn items 8 feet long . . . . . . . .

[Bryan Lisowski]

Right now I'm leaning towards the 2 Grizzlys I mentioned earlier. The smaller has an extension like the Laguna that can increase length to 47" and swing to about 28". The price is nice, and would allow for some accessories. I will need to ponder a bit more before making a final decision. Thanks for all the info.