Buying new lathe in 1 hr. HELP!!

[Wayne Bitting]

I'm going to get a dedicated lathe for donig smaller stuff. I finally decided on the Jet VS but after reading the manual I found that you still have to move the belt around as well as use the dial. I was hoping to just be able to use a dial to change speeds on the fly and not worry about belts (like I do on my father's ShopSmith). Here's the problem,that I found that I still have to move the belt around the the JET, the PSI knock-off is cheaper and seems to be abouth the "same" as the JET and cheaper. I am going to place the order in about an hour (before the wife changers her mind). Any comments?

I can get the Jet JML-1014VS Mini ($340) or a PSI TCLPROVS ($275), both prices puts either lathe on my doorstep.

[John Shuk]

Moving the belt is really just to acheive a speed range. It really is not a big deal and I suspect you won't be moving it much. I find mid-range on my larger Delta to work well and have only used the VS dial.
Good luck.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Wayne...........John's correct. I have a Jet VS Mini. For pens I set it on the high range and leave it there. I use the knob to change speeds within that range. For bottle stoppers....same thing.....For small bowls same thing.....set it to the proper range and use the knob.

[Wayne Bitting]

Money is always an issue, should I save the 65 bucks and get the PSI version? They are local to me so at least I can go there if there are problems, but then again JET is a real name vs. made is china sticker on PSI. Any comments? (and thanks for making me feel better on the VS and belt situation)

[Bob Noles]

Wayne,

I have the Jet mini VS and simply keep it on the middle pulleys. Have not really found a need to change it to this day. Just twist the dial to get the speed I need and works just fine. What few times one may want to change to anything other than mid range takes less than a minute to change the belt.

Relax and go for it before she changes her mind :eek: Just to keep it from being to easy for ya.... I had the PSI Turncrafter Pro (non VS) prior to my Jet and it was a darn nice machine for the money.... no regrets. :D

[Bonnie Campbell]

I've got the PSI non-VS now. It works good and for the most part he company has good customer service. (just got a free replacement tightening handle for my tool rest from them).

[Wilbur Pan]

Two things to consider:

1. The minimum speed on the Jet is 500 RPM. The minimum speed on the PSI is 650 RPM. Usually one is limited by how slow the lathe can go, not how fast. This will come into play if trying to turn something towards the maximum capacity of the lathe, or if you are turning anything off center or off balance -- even on a mini lathe. So here, the Jet would be the better machine.

2. If you are determined to get the PSI, try looking on Amazon. It's not in stock, but they are listing it for $199 and you'll get free shipping. But I would still vote for the Jet.

[Wayne Bitting]

Wow - Amazon has it for $199 and free shipping an another $10 off. That makes it hard to pass up over the price of the JET. Lets think about it for a little longer - thanks Wilbur

[Gordon Seto]

Money is always an issue, should I save the 65 bucks and get the PSI version?

If money is a big issue, then look at the Jet Non-VS. I saw on another forum that some Woodcraft still has it for sale at $229 (un-posted).
Don't forget lathe is just a small fraction of what will cost you in woodturning. You still need turning tools, sharpening system etc.
On a bigger lathe, VS is very essential. On mini lathe, it is nice to have. Of course, it is your money, you have to live with your decision.

Gordon

[Corey Hallagan]

Woodturningz.com has under their special New Years sale they just posted the VS Turncrafter Pro from PSI for 229.00 ... good deal.

Corey

[Wayne Bitting]

Its a done deal, I wanted the JET but the price of the PSI VS at Amazon was too good to pass up ($200 vs. $350). Thanks for all your inputs. It'll be nice to not have to tare down the ShopSmith from lathe to drill press when I have another pen blank to drill, that'll help the "production line" a lot. Thanks everyone and happy New Year!!!

[Jim Becker]

Even the high-end lathes use multiple belt settings for speed ranges. My Stubby has two ranges, for example. The only exceptions are direct drive machines like the Poolewood.