Help-Lathe purchase???

[John M. Cioffi]

Hello to All,
Well, after several discussions with the Bride- I am able to purchase a Lathe. I have about a thousand dollors to spend & was looking into the new Nova 1644. Hopefully, the pic will show up below.
Can't seem to get that to work.
So, Are there any other choices,besides this one; or any others in this price range that are electronic speed control?
I thought Delta made one,but cannot locate it. Nova makes one,but at 2 grand- I'll continue to fantasize.
Could I get your professional opinions on what to buy & why?
This lathe has all the bells & whistles,but it doesn't seem to be very heavey/stable. The Jet 1236(?) is great, but the speed control lever is always in the way of your arm.
I would appreciate your help & thanks.
John

[Jim Becker]

Outside of the VS mini/midi lathes (which are speed-varried differently than the VDF driven larger machines) I don't know that you'll find anything in that range with the VFD type drives. What you might consider is an older machine and then retrofit with a surplus 3 phase motoe and VFD...you may be able to do it for the money you have. That said, the lathes available at around a grand are very nice machines. I like heavier, rather than cute, so be sure to compare the Jet and Delta models to this new Nova in that respect.

[Paul Engle]

John, If I had had 1000$ for a lathe I would not have bought my Jet 1236. the speed control is not the problem, the rpm is the problem 500 is a low as you go and the thing only weighs in at 180 LBS ( generous guess) and only 3/4 hp. so no coring bowls. Nova would be a great " step up " for me but I have a lot envested in other shop stuff so I cant spend for a while. Go as big as you can , keeps from wishing something was bigger....when your talent gets better....

[Dario Octaviano]

If you can save another $600.00...look at Jet 1642 :)

[Howard Kay]

John,
The lathe you are looking at will be fine for spindle turning, but it is not beefy enough for faceplate turning (bowls, etc.) in my opinon. Check out the OneWay lathe with the 12" swing. I think it's a little more than your budget, but it is defintely worth it. I have the big One Way (16 x 40) and give it an unqualified recommendation. Good luck.

[Skip Spaulding]

John, I have the new Nova with out rigger. Biggest I have turned is 21"x7+" roughed with chainsaw(cherry). I don't have any extra weight or base modifications. Had a little vibration til I got it round then no problem. If I was doing a lot of big bowls I would mount the base to something wider or bolt it to the floor. I have limited space and move my lathe at times so its great for me. Low rpm of 215 is great for roughing, being able to swing head also a plus. Price was where I wanted to be. 8 speeds more than enough and reverse is nice at times.

[Neal Addy]

Hi John. For your $1K budget you should also consider the Jet 1442. I own one and love it. It is beefier than the Nova 1624 as far as weight (310 lbs with legs) and construction but it does not have all the bells and whistles you get with the Nova (EVS, digital, reverse). Both are good quality lathes so you can't go wrong with either.

Can't say which I would choose if I could do it over again. The choice between the two lathes (1442 and 1624) would be tough. I would probably be more inclined to wait a bit and go for the Jet 1642. It's the closest thing (budget-wise) to getting the best features of both.

[Kevin McPeek]

I tell you, I love my DVR XP and the 1644 is very similar except the headstock of course. The thing I dont like about the 1644 is the base it has. I would chuck that in a heart beat. I has 4 legs none of which are tied together and nothing supporting the bed segments that are attached in the middle. Now if you were going to make your own base or modify the current one then I'd say its a great lathe for the money. EVS and reverse are great to have. Not sure how I lived without it before.
I'd consider the Jet 1442 for similar money but I'd watch the classifieds, craigslist, etc. and see if I could pick up a used lathe. My neighbor got a woodfast 910 (20" swing) for under a grand that way. Problem with a mini is you outgrow them too fast. Go ahead and ask how many of us started with a mini and got a bigger lathe within a year or two.

[Andy Hoyt]

John - Is this $1,000 for just a lathe or for the whole turning ensemble?

[Pete Jordan]

I enjoyed watching the Ernie Conover videos at Woodcraft's site.

http://www.woodcraft.com/family.aspx?familyid=20011

[Bob Hallowell]

John, If had a grand to spend when I got my new lathe. The one you showed a pic of would of been the one! Ask Bruce if he's played with one yet. He's got one on the way.

Bob

[Russell Housman]

John I just brought the Delta 46-715 and the speed control is working great and the weight can't be beat at 350lbs and all I spent was $599 for it.

I would give the Delta a real look over :D

[John M. Cioffi]

Thanks to everyone for your replies & help.
Skip, the Woodcraft store I visited has the Elec.dvr on a solid steel 1-piece stand & it is rock solid. So, with that stand & bolting it to the floor;I shouldn't have a problem at all.
Andy, This is for the whole package. I am "negotiating" for the out-riger attachment.
This is the belt version - not the dvr electronic version. That is another 1K!!!
I'll post again when the Dealer calls with my package.
John

[Al Wasser]

I have the Jet 1442 and like it. Be sure you budget another thousand for "stuff" to go with the lathe, and maybe more. It won't happen all at once but over time - Chuck, tools, chuck jaws, sharpening stuff, polishing stuff, breathing and safety stuff - lotsa stuff. An that doesn't count wood if you buy any

[George Tokarev]

Of course I'm turning on one right now. The old one with the weird tailstock and without the "massive" 1.5HP motor. Had him two years now, and his previous owner only one. Does everything I've asked him to. Swings 15.75 (that's the 400mm they mention) and goes low enough to tolerate a bit of out-of-balance on that as well. I generally use two speeds, 360 and 680. Weight, so often mentioned, is a meaningless criterion. Put as much weight as you want on it, just make sure it's tightly bolted. What counts is rigidity, and this guy holds just fine in that department. As to the stand, well, 'nother matter. Mine didn't come with, and I wouldn't have paid for one anyway. I've got better things to store than sand.

BTW, my cabinet base weighs in at maybe 150, and I've weighed two chunks for grins, one oak, one birch, and can tell you that 48# and soaking on one side, dry the other will go. Nearly sixty in fresh cut with even moisture no problem.

[Joe Melton]

With regard to the one pictured, it would be a simple matter to fabricate a shelf halfway up the stand. The shelf could be secured to all the legs, thus making them more rigidl, and a few bags of sand on the shelf would provide the needed ballast.
Joe