Grizz G0658 Lathe vs Jet 1220VS

[Chris Struttman]

I am looking at getting a replacement for my old Craftsman tube lathe. I know my ultimate lathe will be a 3520B but I can't do that for another couple years and don't want to continue with the Craftsman. I have been thinking about the Jet 1220VS that is supposed to be out in April. But today I saw the Grizzly G0658 and thought it looked very similar. Can anyone suggest a reason why the Grizzly would not do as good a job as the Jet at about $100 cheaper?

[Ralph Lindberg]

First, while the Jet looks great, a friend called Jet to ask when it would be shipping. The responce was, later, maybe late summer, maybe in the fall. Worst case early next year...
Not confirmed, but certainly possible.

2nd, I own a -bunch- o Grizzly tools, but their lathes, well, bother me. I haven't looked at this one close enough to say, but (on some others) they claim 2HP from a 14amp-120V motor (ie not possible). Others they have odd spindle sizes, etc.

3rd, Have you looked at a General International Lathe MaxiLathe? (sold by General, made overseas). It looks like it might be a possible alternative.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Haven't heard much about it but have heard the 1220 may be a while before it hits the streets like Ralph said. Looks like the grizzly is pretty good with low end speed of 300 with a 3/4 hp motor. Also looks like you can turn outboard but not sure what size.

[Gordon Seto]

If you add the shipping, it is $451.
The Jet is $500. I think when they are available, Woodcraft and others may carry them. You may be able to buy one without shipping.
http://www.osolnikmachinery.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=648


If any of the engineers or designers is a woodturner, probably they would have caught the mistake. The tool post is on the wrong side of the banjo. When you try to turn any blank that is close to the swing capacity, the toolrest would be too far out for hollowing the inside of bowls. When turning bowls, we would even get the curved toolrest to get closer to gain leverage.

I believe just asking engineers to give others' products a face lift, adding some bells and whistles won't make a good products. They need the inputs of users. I believe Nick Cook has a lot to do with the success of Jet and Powermatic lathes. His input and field test make them user friendly.

[curtis rosche]

dont want to steal a thread but what is the ultimate lathe? the one you can turn anything on

[Gordon Seto]

I don't believe there is a single ultimate lathe for everybody. It all depends on what features you prefer the most and what level would be close enough for your goal.

If you are looking for massive bowls, then VB-36 may be one of the top choice. It has 2½" spindle to handle thousand pound blanks. If you are good, you can dance with it literally. That's what people are commenting when they saw Stuart Batty with his VB. But this can also be a serious bowl projectile shooting through the roof.
I know this won't be the lathe for me. Moving the tool rest may be too heavy for me; not to mention mounting those large blanks.

Other top names are Robust, Oneway, Stubby, Vicmarc, Powermatic ...and the list goes on. Take a class at Arrowmont, you will have the chance to try out 4 of the above 5 great lathes and form your own opinion.

[Chris Struttman]

I can't speak for everyone else but my ultimate lathe is the one that I think will turn everything I need turned at a price that fits my eventual budget. For me that's the 3520B.

Back to the question at hand. Can anyone compare these two lathes? Any other suggestions in the sub $500 range that can turn 12"?

[michael p williams]

I was looking at the 658 but they were out of stock when I went to order, the wife talked me into the grizzly G0462. 2hp? I'm not really sure but it has a lot of power, enough power to bend a 3/8 inch bowl gouge, break a chuck, and launch a bowl. (Don't ask). It is built well and has 1 x 8 spindle and MT#2 headstock and tailstock, and a 16 inch swing. I would replace the live center that comes with it though, the bearings go out pretty quick. Price on it is around 530 shipped.

[Matt Hutchinson]

Michael, what types of turnings have you done on the Grizzly you have? How long have you had it? Thanks.

Hutch

[Gordon Seto]

For the 16" lathe, that Grizzly G0462 has too high a slow speed. The 10" Jet mini lathe has 500 rpm slow speed; that is already too fast for out of balance blank.

Michael, back to your original question. I would have no problem buying a band saw or a jointer from Grizzly. I don't think they have a good track record on lathes. Grizzly only provide one year of warranty. If you want to be a guinea pig, it is your money. I would love to hear your review.

For me, I would stick with Jet 1220 which has a 5 year warranty. They have good service, high resale value. I would avoid the Jet 1236 though; the Reeves drive is based on older technology. IMO, there is an absence of good lathes worth recommending for under $1K. Good mini and midi are the few exceptions.

[michael p williams]

Michael, what types of turnings have you done on the Grizzly you have? How long have you had it? Thanks.

Hutch
I've had the Grizzly for a couple of months. It get's used everyday. It replaced a pen lathe that has now been taken over by the wife. I've done several bowls, mallets out of old firewood, pens, a couple of small logs, and tool handles. I like the variable speed, and i don't feel that the low speed is too fast. As I gain experience I'm sure I'll understand what others mean about it being too fast. I also turned a couple of bowls outboard and it did fine. I have not done anything that I would consider large, yet. I have some maple logs that are just asking for it as soon as i get a chainsaw.

[Dick Strauss]

Chris,
I'm sure you already know this but I'll add some info just in case.

The Jet 1220 non-EVS model (JWL-1220 or item # 708376) is available now for $329 with a $25 rebate that brings the final price to $304 through the end of this month. This one has a 3/4 hp motor and six speeds (500-3900 rpms) that are changed by belt/pulleys. Only you can decide if the additional $150-200 is worth it for the EVS option that also gives you slower speeds as well.

http://content.wmhtoolgroup.com/sellsheets/708376_ss.pdf

http://content.jettools.com/promotions/jet_w08.pdf#Page=11

I vote for Jet but have not turned on either machine.


Good luck,
Dick

[Chris Struttman]

Dick,

Thanks for the heads up on the 1220 non-vs. I am tempted by it but I thought I would find out if anyone knows about the Grizzly too. I was hoping to get below the 500 rpm minimum on the non-vs. Sanding on the old Craftsman (min 800 rpm) is one of the things that I dislike about it and getting down to 300 rpm would be awfully nice. Do you find that sanding at 500 rpm does not build too much heat?