GOOD brands of wood Lathes 36 to 44 inches between centers

[Clarence Martinn]

What are some good brands and models of wood lathes that are 36 to 44 inches between centers ? Been some years since I bought my last wood lathe. So, I don't know what is new on the market these days. Got a friend that is seriously looking at getting into wood turning. Wants to do table legs, Mugs, Bowls, etc.

He has a basement work shop with a bilco door for access. 120 and 240 in Basement.

All I recall is Laguna, Grizzly, Rikon, and Jet. I thought Grizzly made a fancy Black wood lathe, but I don't see it listed anymore.


So, what is a good wood lathe brand and model these days ? I think he is looking for something in the 36 to 44 inch between centers range and possibly with a copy attachment

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Clarence, I have a PowerMatic 3520B but Vicmarc, Oneway and Robust make lathes.

[David Walser]

Somewhat in ascending order of quality: Grizzly and Laguna, then a step up to Rikon, Jet, and Powermatic, then a step up again to Oneway, Robust, and Vicmarc. There are others in the bottom grouping and still more in an even lower group. For the first two groups I mentioned, the difference is the first group are made in the Far East under contract. The company doesn’t own the factory or even have direct control over production. Powermatic, Jet, and Rikon own their factories in Taiwan.

I should probably add Harvey to the middle of the three groups listed above. Like Powermatic, Jet, and Rikon, Harvey owns its own factories, but they are in China. I've just never seen a Harvey lathe in person, let alone used one. Generally, having control over the manufacturing process leads to greater quality. Obviously, there are exceptions to this general rule. I have no reason to believe Harvey is one of those exceptions.

[Mike Wilkins]

Happy with my Laguna 18/36. Option to add a 12" swing away extension or a 20" extension. I have 2 other Laguna machines and happy with them all.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Spending limit is the key missing piece of info here.
You can get less than good lathes for cheap. I'd love a Robust, but can't afford one.
I think David is pretty much accurate.

[Alex Zeller]

I agree with Kyle. What's your budget? Is swing important to you? I went with the Grizzly G0766 simply because I didn't want to spend top tier money. I wanted other things for my shop like a good bandsaw and a jointer. Had I already had them I probably would have moved up at least one tier. That being said I haven't felt like I want to upgrade and don't see a new lathe in my future.

[roger wiegand]

I got the extended bed on my Robust, it will do 52" between centers. Can't even imagine being happier with a lathe. Big bucks yes, but that pain is fading in the rearview mirror and I enjoy using the lathe every day.

[John Keeton]

Many of the better brands have been listed, and I agree with Dave that the VicMarc, OneWay and Robust are top tier, but I believe there may be varied opinions on the distribution below that. I have a Laguna Revo 1836 that I feel to be a very high quality lathe. It has excellent design features - good leg splay, solid stance, great tolerances and has done everything I have asked of it. But, I suspect others may offer similar reports about their lathes of other brands.

All that to say that there is a substantial price difference when one jumps to the top tier and there are many fine lathes for less. I think you need to establish a budget and get a good "must have" list of the features that are of interest to you. That may be far more beneficial than the dozens of varied responses you get in this thread.

[David Walser]

John -- I didn't mean to imply that Laguna, Grizzly, and the rest, do not make good lathes. Indeed, unlike some of their lathes from several years ago, their current crop appear to have been designed by someone who knows something about woodturning. They are feature packed and are very capable. (Don't we live in the Golden Age of Lathes?) Instead, what separates the two lower groups I described is the degree of control the brand has over the production of the lathe and their approach to customer service. All brands occasionally produce a lemon. It's the nature of any process involving fallible human beings. Still, some companies do a better job than others in preventing mistakes from being shipped to customers. Some companies over-engineer their products to increase reliability and longevity. And, some companies do a much better job than others with after purchase service.

My feeling, and I think there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to support my beliefs, is that lathes from the first group, rather than the second group, are more likely to suffer from problems (and/or, customer service may be more apt to be lacking). That does NOT mean Laguna, Rikon, or Brand X, are beyond consideration! A good example of Laguna's Revo 1836 is a great lathe! I just believe buying one is a slightly riskier purchase than buying a Jet, Powermatic, or perhaps, Harvey lathe. Is the less risk worth the extra cost of one of the 'higher rated' brands? First, you may not agree with my assessment that lathes from Brand X are at greater risk of having problems. In which case, you'll think buying Brand X is a huge bargain. There is no additional risk, just savings! Second, even if you do believe buying from Brand X does entail some more risk, you might say, "Damn straight the $1,000+ savings is worth the risk! What are we talking about, 1 Powermatic machine out of 1,000 is a lemon while 5 out of 1,000 is a lemon with Brand X?

My point is we all make our choices in this area. I recently bought a Powermatic 3520C. I really wanted to buy a Robust American Beauty. However, equipped as I wanted it, it would have cost over $9k while the 3520C cost me less than $4k. I could have afforded the Robust, it just violated my very personal price/value balance. Nicer than a Powermatic? Yes, definitely. Just not $5 grand worth of extra value (to me). Why not the Laguna? On balance, I felt the Powermatic was a better buy (for me).

[Prashun Patel]

THis is a very personal question. I would venture to say that there aren't many duds out there.

All of the brands mentioned below have a good following.

I would caution that Grizzly tends to get put at the bottom of the list many times. However, their tool quality - intentional - varies between lines and prices. So, you'll do best to ask for feedback on specific models there (for that matter with other brands as well.

I have the 18-36 Laguna, but can't say that I'm more or less happy than anyone else with their lathe. It has fine mass. I like the sliding headstock. I like that things like the swinging headstock and duplicator and lights are easy to find and add aftermarket. The bed extension allows turning with a wider swing too. The storage racks are conveniently located including the one in the tail stock. It's a little low, but some people like that. I don't like the locking pin for spindle changes. I don't like the way the power doesn't completely shut off unless i unplug it.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Okay, I'll throw out the old chestnut - you might advise your friend to search out a local turning club and ask around. Nearly everyone I know is happy with their lathe. The best way to make an informed decision is to get some time with one in person. Turners usually like to show off their wise investments...dealers and manufacturers are seldom an exception except possibly on the lower end models (they can supply owners). If your friend is interested in spending on the higher end this advice is even more critical, in my opinion. When I began shopping for my 'last lathe' over 7 years ago it took a little over a year and some mileage but I wound up with time on Oneway, Robust, Vicmark and even a Magma Titan (although I'd already made my investment by the time that opportunity came around). I wound up spending a chunk of retirement savings but have got exactly what I want - it's a joy to use - no regrets. It is indeed the last lathe I'll ever buy.

[David Walser]

... When I began shopping for my 'last lathe' over 7 years ago it took a little over a year and some mileage but I wound up with time on Oneway, Robust, Vicmark and even a Magma Titan (although I'd already made my investment by the time that opportunity came around). I wound up spending a chunk of retirement savings but have got exactly what I want - it's a joy to use - no regrets. It is indeed the last lathe I'll ever buy.

Come on, man! Don't leave us hanging. Which lathe did you choose?

[tom lucas]

My understanding is that Harvey makes the Powermatic lathes. I think Robust is the only American made and Oneway is Canadian. If money were no object I'd probably own a Oneway. They look to me to be the "best" made. But money is always a barrier (at least for me). I went with the Grizzly G0766. Happy so far, 2 years in. It's a nice lathe. Control knobs/switches aren't as nice as PM or the real expensive lathes, but it works. I own 7 Grizzly machines, 2 Jets, on Delta, and a powermax sander. The Grizzly's are every bit as good as any of them. Of the 7 Grizzly tools, I've only had one issue: tires on the bandsaw; they didn't last. Put Urethane ones on and been good to go since. My oldest tools are about 10 years old now, used every week. I buy from a local lumber farm where he mills all his own lumber. He has grizzly planers, jointers, and table saws where he's run thousands of board feet through them in his business. He told me most of his tools are over 20 years old and he's had no major issues with them. His comment: "Why pay 2 or 3 times more for machines that do exactly the same thing? These tools are money-in-the-bank good enough." But hey you got $7000 to drop on a lathe? I'm envious.

[Don Stephan]

Surprised no one has asked what diameter bowl the friend would like to have the ability to turn. Many lathes may have an optional bed extension to turn a longer spindle. But to turn a larger diameter bowl . . .

[Jeffrey J Smith]

Come on, man! Don't leave us hanging. Which lathe did you choose?
My journey ended with a Robust AB - picked it up at the Symposium in San Jose. No shipping...the warranty came to an end in 2019. No problems - I think. it will go forever..and Brent/Deb are wonderful to deal with.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

My journey ended with a Robust AB.

That's my personal dream lathe. But as mentioned, can't afford one. I have turned on them They are a dream.....

[William C Rogers]

Most of the time it is budget that controls our purchase. I was in that position almost three years ago. At the time my budget was either the Laguna 18-36 or the Grizzly G0766. The G0766 was just being introduced and the initial lathes were a mess IMO, way too tall, banjo incorrect, bad spindle threads. Grizzly has corrected these problems. I purchased and used the Laguna for 2 years and it did everything I asked of it. I did have some switch and relay problems, but Laguna CS was quick to provide parts. That said, it was the fact the lathe was based on a 18” swing and not as beefy as I wanted. I didn’t like having to lift the tailstock off and felt the Laguna swing away was in adequate. I had no problem selling that lathe for a good price. I ended up buying a Robust AB. There is no comparison to the Laguna. While the Laguna was a good value for the $$, the Robust is much more. For me the Robust is a very good value.

[Reed Gray]

I have turned mostly bowls, and a long bed lathe with a fixed headstock just was uncomfortable, and required techniques that were not efficient for me, though many use them. When shopping for my first upgrade, I went with the PM3520A. The sliding headstock was perfect for bowl turning, and I could turn a 30 inch table leg in between centers. I looked at the Oneway, and it didn't have the sliding headstock, and for me it was not a good bowl lathe. I was not familiar with turning outboard or off the back end for bowls. I don't think the Vicmark lathes were readily available back then. Next upgrade was to an American Beauty, which has one of the best 'tilt away' set ups for getting the tailstock out of the way. I have since added a Vicmark 240, which has the pivoting headstock. To me, that is the best of the pivoting systems out there. I also like the pivot away tailstock set up. It comes into position spot on and you can leave the tailstock on the pivoting bed for turning long spindles. Never could get the AB tilt away to do that. Possible if I fiddled with it some more.... No experience with Laguna or Grizzly. When Grizzly first came out, their 'hobby' grade tools were pretty bad. They have improved considerably. I think the Vega lathe is made in USA, but you don't hear a lot about them. Some of the European lathes seem to be pretty good. The market for bowls over about 14 to 16 inches is pretty small.

robo hippy

[David Walser]

... The market for bowls over about 14 to 16 inches is pretty small.

robo hippy

Reed -- I would assume have a large bowl or two at a booth might be worth while as a means of attracting customers into your booth. Such bowls can be real attention grabbers, but most people soon realize they have no real use for such a large item in their homes. Since I don't sell my work, I have no practical experience with the issue. It's just supposition on my part. However, my wife has told me several times she doesn't want a big bowl no matter how much I'd like to turn one.

[William C Rogers]

Never could get the AB tilt away to do that. Possible if I fiddled with it some more

robo hippy

I have never had a problem with the tilt away on my Robust returning to alignment. I have been using it almost two years and since delivered it has worked flawlessly.

[Jeffrey J Smith]

I have never had a problem with the tilt away on my Robust returning to alignment. I have been using it almost two years and since delivered it has worked flawlessly.
Nor have I - been using mine for eight years without an issue. I work with the headstock as close to the end as possible routinely and have never had a problem with the alignment - I have checked it now and again. don’t know if there’s a way to adjust the position of the short bedways on the tilt-away, but since it hasn’t been a problem, not sure its an issue. When turning at the end I’m typically working inside bowls without the need for tailstock support. On those occasions when I need tailstock support (coring or roughing between centers mostly) I’m usually working with the headstock closer to the midpoint of the ways and the tailstock is not on the tilt-away...

[Reed Gray]

Maybe part of the problem with me getting my tilt away to line up perfectly was that it was off a tiny bit and I tried to fix it.... Have the same problem with my Liberty...

robo hippy

[mike ash]

I’m still learning a lesson I guess, but I had to purchase a Jet 12x36, then realized I needed a better lathe...bought a Jet 1642-2hp. Then another upgrade took me to a PM 3520B. Now............That Robust AB sure looks good!!!!!!

[John K Jordan]

I’m still learning a lesson I guess, but I had to purchase a Jet 12x36, then realized I needed a better lathe...bought a Jet 1642-2hp. Then another upgrade took me to a PM 3520B. Now............That Robust AB sure looks good!!!!!!

Your story is very much like mine but started with a much worse lathe - a Ridgid I bought at Home Depot, a clone of the old Craftsman tube lathe, arguably the worst lathe ever sold. I got it only to make one thing.

But sometime after that I accidentally decided to make something else and it was all down hill from there. I hadn't made three things until realized how bad the lathe was so I went to WoodCraft and ordered a new Jet 1642. After using it for a bunch of years I bought a lightly used PM 3520B (with a bed extension, yay!)

I still have the Jet (actually two of them) and a couple of Jet minis to loan and carry around. It's nice to have two lathes set up at once so the others are in storage. But for me the PM is everything I need. That is unless it melts down some day or some pickpocket walks off with it.

JKJ

[carl mesaros]

I’m still learning a lesson I guess, but I had to purchase a Jet 12x36, then realized I needed a better lathe...bought a Jet 1642-2hp. Then another upgrade took me to a PM 3520B. Now............That Robust AB sure looks good!!!!!!

Ah yes been there done that!

[Jeff Bartley]

Reading through this thread I’m wondering why nobody has recommended an old lathe? I’d love to have a big Watkin or Oliver but my turning so far has been strictly spindle work. My current lathe is an Oliver 159, not really one to recommend if someone is interested in turning larger bowls but it’s great for spindle work.

I’d still love for someone with more knowledge of the old lathes to recommend one to the OP; I’m an unapologetic advocate of saving the old iron!