Buying a lathe, what would you own?

[James Biddle]

Fought it off as long as I could.

I plan to turn bowls and spindles. I don't want to be upgrading in two years. It will sit in my garage, so we don't need to worry about carrying it down the steps, just rust. I'm going to run a subpanel into the garage, so I'll have plenty of power. I'm not listing a maximum budget, but I don't see myself spending over 3K

Also, since Hartville Tool has 20% off and free shipping for the rest of the month, are there any chuck/accessories that I can prebuy?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

James.....there are several lathes that will serve you well depending on your budget. The PM 3520B a lot of bang for the buck.....The Oneway...good but expensive.....The Robust.....good but very expensive...The Nova lathes....good.......Jet makes several ....just depends on what you want to spend. Join or visit a local turning club. Members, I'm sure will be glad to show you their lathes and even try them out.

Look out the Vortex gets expensive!

[CPeter James]

In that price range, my choice would be the PM3520B. I have one and love it.

CPeter

[William Bachtel]

I agree the Powermatic 3520 B I owe one it is a great tool.

[Neal Addy]

With a 3K budget I'll put in a third vote for the PM. You won't feel a need to upgrade anytime soon.

[joe greiner]

I worked up piecemeal to see if the addiction would take, and spent a little less than $400 on a total of three lathes, including a DIY adaptation of a B&D "locomotive" drill - one of those heavy-duty monsters they don't make anymore.

I'm pretty well convinced that the 3520B will be my next, and last, lathe.

I'd suggest holding off on the accessories, until you've narrowed down your candidates. Most medium-to-large lathes use a #2 Morse taper, so such accessories should be safe enough. Spindle sizes could vary slightly, though. But if your candidates are all one size, 20% off on a four-jaw chuck would be a good score.

Joe

[Jim Becker]

Best bang for "under $3K is the Powermatic 3520B. Just over that mark would be the OneWay 1640, but the cost goes up when you add outboard capacity for larger bowls and vessels.

[Steven Wilson]

At that price I would go with the Powermatic. I do suggest that you try and turn on other lathes first before spending that amount of money. For example, I turned on a 3520A, Vicmark, Oneway, and Stubby before deciding on the Oneway. With the motor mounted under the frame, the Oneway can have a fairly small headstock that is easy to work around when you are working the backside of the piece. The Powermatic, with its moving headstock needs to have the motor mounted on the headstock. That makes it less comfortable (for me) to work around the back of a piece. Comfort in working around the headstock was more important to me than having a moving headstock inorder to have variable bed length. Others will choose differently and either choice is a good choice. So, find turners in your area (see AAW), ask to see their lathes, and then make the choice that is right for you. Money is somewhat secondary to the decision. The lathe is a tool that you will become fairly intimate with unlike every other tool in your shop, get one that works for you.

[Benjamin Dahl]

Steven, did you go with the 1640 or one of the larger models? I agree with what you say about trying them out if at all possible.
Ben

[Brodie Brickey]

James,

Welcome to the vortex. I have a 3520A (the old version) and I'd recommend it or the newer 3520B. Despite all the recommendations we make, nothing compares to being able to try the tool or see it in person. To help you in thinning out the list, below is a link to a side by side comparison of various lathe specs. I would recommend steering CLEAR of Delta. They make good tools for everything but lathes it seems.

If not Powermatic, then Jet's Variable Speed lathe will give you the sturdiness you need. The Nova DVR XP is also good, but it isn't as 'heavy' of a lathe.

On the accessory side, a Nova G3 if HartvilleTool carries it. If not a Oneway, whether Talon or Stronghold. The Stronghold will give you the ability to handle blocks of wood over 16" in diameter, the Talon is recommended for smaller work. The jaws are not interchangeable between the two Oneway chucks, but the Nova line has a number of jaws that interchange with most if not all Nova chucks.

Lathe Spec Link:
http://www.woodturner.org/resources/LatheSpecs.pdf

Other things you will need:

SAFETY face shield
Safety Glasses
Slow Speed Grinder (WoodCraft has a pretty good deal here with good aluminum oxide wheels)
Wolverine Jig for sharpening (You can build an equivalent if you're inclined).
Dust mask
1/2" Bowl Gouge (V flute)
Basic turning Set (red handles from Harbor Freight)

2" drill driven sanding pad (Vinces WoodnWonders or Sanding Glove or Packard)
3" drill driven sanding pad
Sanding grits 80-400
Oh yeah, you'll also need wood!

Other things you'll eventually want (probably):
bandsaw for rounding tree trunk chunks before mounting on a lathe.
Hacksaw for fine tuning the above.
Chainsaw for cutting blanks from trees.
Fancy tool rests.
Hollowing rig
Buffing system.
Dust Collection when sanding.


A lot of these things are based on what most people get interested in and I really don't have an idea of what you already have in your shop.

If you are inclined, check out YouTube, there are now quite a few bowl turning instructional videos online. Some are better than others, but they do help. Check out canderso or search "Blair Davis" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM7Krp9e9ZM) he seems to have things pretty well done.

Also, the American Association of Woodturners (AAW) have chapters/turning clubs throughout the nation. They are a great source of instruction and information for very little cost. Check the chapter list out at: http://www.woodturner.org/community/chapters/members.pl?submit=Chapter+List

[Steven Wilson]

Steven, did you go with the 1640 or one of the larger models? Ben

2436, 3HP, 17" multiextension (mounted outboard most of the time), second banjo, remote start/stop

[Tony De Masi]

James,

Once you decide on what you want get your price from Hartville with the 20% off and then call ToolNut. You may be surprised at what they will do for you.

Tony

[John Shuk]

If you are willing to spend up to $3k on a lathe alone then the Powermatic is the best you can do for that price. I personally think it is about as nice as the $4 to $5k machines out there. If you are looking to be very well set for turning for about $3k then I would suggest the Jet 1642 for about $1800 and a bunch of accessories. I think that the Jet is a very good machine and will do just about anything you might want it to.
By the way Toolnut also carries the Jet.
Good luck.
John

[Larry Marley]

I own the 3520B and it is a pleasure to use. The most Bang for the buck. Easy to get accessories for this guy and it has the strange ability to make you like the color Mustard! And that's the truth.

It also makes you a nicer person.
And perhaps little taller…

:)

[James Biddle]

Thanks everyone for the great responses! I'm leaning toward the PM3520b (I already have so many colors in my shop, including mustard, that I'm not hung up on brand names), but I also want to investigate a line on a lightly used Oneway 1224 before I decide. Amazon has the PM for $2536.07 + $149 for shipping (oddly the same cost as my Jet OSS shipping), but does not include the extension or any other options. Think I'' send ToolNut the info. Any other candidates or considerations?

[Tom Ricochet]

I have to agree with John. I own a Jet 1642 2hp and find it perfectly adequate for most everything. You can turn outboard if you slide the headstock to the right end of the bed and make a floor stand tool rest. I have recently turned on a Oneway 1224, and for the money, I much prefer the 1642, as I found the 1224 underpowered and too limited in size - swing over the banjo is less than 10 inches. The 1642 is currently about $1,700, and I think there is now a $100 gift card included. This leaves you a good $1,200+ budget for first-class accessories, chuck, tools (get a top quality 1/2" bowl gouge), sharpening equip., safety equipment, vacuum chuck set-up, etc. etc. etc. etc. :D :D :D

[Patrick Taylor]

...but I also want to investigate a line on a lightly used Oneway 1224 before I decide.


While Oneway's are great, I think that you'd pretty quickly be dissatisfied with a 12" swing limitation. This essentially falls into the "mini" lathe category (10-12") but is priced similiarly to other companys' full size lathes. I would not sacrifice swing just to get a Oneway, because there are other quality lathes out there with more capacity and less sticker shock.

[Kim Ford]

James,

All of the suggestions above are good ones. My only suggestion is get a unit with the varible frequency drive. I think it really makes a difference.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.


Thanks


Kim

[Joyce Baldauf]

I agree with John and Tom. The Jet 1642 EVS 2hp is a sweet machine. You will need a 220v line for it. It will do everything the Powermatic will do and leave you plenty of cash for quality accessories. They are made by the same people and the quality is great.

Also recommend Toolnut. They usually beat any price out there and also provide free shipping.

Good luck on this slippery slope!