Mr. Hartley, how's your beauty?

[Patrick Taylor]

I'm considering a lathe upgrade from my Jet mini (upgrade may be an understatement) and I'm thinking about Robust. I'm also thinking about mustard but if I can swing the price of the Robust, I like that it's custom built here in the US. Chris, are you still happy with your purchase? Is there anything you'd do differently? What accessories did you get, or intentionally skip, and what do you wish you had gotten additionally?

Any comment that others have regarding Robust, particularly in comparison to the 3520B, I'd love to hear.

Thanks everyone. :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Patrick.......I can tell you from my first hand experience....Chris's beauty is, indeed, a beauty! Wish I could justify spending that much on a lathe....You know what they say....You can't make sow's ear on silk purse....I can't either!

[Reed Gray]

I've had my PM for 7 years, and it has taken everything that I can throw at it. I have worn out one set of headstock bearings. It does everything that I need, but..... after seeing the Robust lathe, it is a good step up from the PM. Bigger, heavyier, bigger throw, longer bed, tilting tailstock, you can get more motor (3 hp), made in the USA, and I like the banjo better also (to the point that I ordered one for my PM). I doubt that I would ever turn a 25 inch diameter bowl, other wise I would have ordered one in Portland. I may still get one, just because..... Oh yes, I do not have a tool buying problem.....
Drooooooollllll.......
robo hippy

[Pete Jordan]

Patrick,

I have a PM and I love it. If I had the dough I would have bought a Robust.

[Jim Becker]

Any comment that others have regarding Robust, particularly in comparison to the 3520B, I'd love to hear.

Honestly, they are in completely different classes of machinery. The PM is about the best "mass production" lathe for the money you can buy. The Robust is a custom manufactured/low production machine in the same manner as OneWay, Stubby, etc., are. With a machine like Robust, you pretty much design what you want the machine to be.

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Sorry for the delay Patrick, like Jim has said the Robust is in a completely different class than the production line lathes. Obviously if you are considering the Robust then you have the money or close to it. I am not a bit sorry I made the switch. If you need to enter in for about a grand less the "Sweet 16" is a bute with a max 30" swing but the same robust quality. These lathes are smooth, quiet, and darn powerful. They offer the ability to do things that, quite frankly, I would not attempt on a production lathe. The warranty is untouched by any other lathe that I know of and the service is "five star". I haven't logged as much time on her as I had hoped but the time I have had has been a dream come true. As a matter of fact, that's why I was slow to answer this I was grabbing a few hours on her. If you have any specific questions I will do my best to answer them.:)

[Dick Strauss]

Patrick,
I was very impressed with the Robust lathes from a design and engineering standpoint. Here are my quick impressions:

First off, the lathe is almost as smooth and quiet as a swiss movement watch. I almost wasn't sure it was "on" except that the wood was going round and round.

Next, the switch is designed very well. It goes from "reverse" to "off" to "forward" so that you don't go directly from forward to reverse and accidentally reverse in the middle of a project. This also keeps you from starting in reverse if you don't intend to do so (like you can on a PM3520-DAMHIKT).

The ways of the bed are all stainless steel...no more wd40 and steel wool after every wet wood session.

The edge of the tool rest has a hardened steel rod welded to it that prevents most nicks unlike the soft cast iron rests we're used to using.

The rotate-away tailstock keeper is another awesome piece of engineering and is as smooth as the rest of the machine.

I can't say enough good things about this machine. It is definitely in a different class above even the Oneways. I hope you get the chance to take the Robust plunge one of these days!

[Christopher K. Hartley]

Patrick,
I was very impressed with the Robust lathes from a design and engineering standpoint. Here are my quick impressions:

First off, the lathe is almost as smooth and quiet as a swiss movement watch. I almost wasn't sure it was "on" except that the wood was going round and round.

Next, the switch is designed very well. It goes from "reverse" to "off" to "forward" so that you don't go directly from forward to reverse and accidentally reverse in the middle of a project. This also keeps you from starting in reverse if you don't intend to do so (like you can on a PM3520-DAMHIKT).

The ways of the bed are all stainless steel...no more wd40 and steel wool after every wet wood session.

The edge of the tool rest has a hardened steel rod welded to it that prevents most nicks unlike the soft cast iron rests we're used to using.

The rotate-away tailstock keeper is another awesome piece of engineering and is as smooth as the rest of the machine.

I can't say enough good things about this machine. It is definitely in a different class above even the Oneways. I hope you get the chance to take the Robust plunge one of these days! Great points Dick...especially the Oneway part. I believe it is true too!!:)

[Patrick Taylor]

Great to hear Chris, and thanks for the input everyone. Hopefully by the new year I can post a great gloat. :D