Steel City Lathe-any good?

[Wayne Leach]

Hi All,
I need a small lathe for my 5th wheel for when I am down south for the winter.
I saw the 10" Steel City VS lathe and wondered if anyone has experience with this before I commit to purchasing it?
Thanks for any info.
Wayne

[Bill Bolen]

From all the reveiws I have read the vs is a great little machine. However the standard belt change model has to high of a low end speed. I'm looking at getting a second late (mini) and this one is at the top of my list too...Bill..

[George Heatherly]

I've had one of the Steel City VS mini lathes for over a year. I have found it to be a good machine. I mostly turn pens, it is great for that. I've done a few larger pieces, they have revealed that it is not very powerful. I've also had trouble with the switch since it was new. Overall, I'm glad I bought it.

[Jeff Nicol]

I have one of the VS models and I like it just fine! It is quiet and a nice looking little machine! It will do a good job as long as the tools are sharp and you don't try take to deep of a cut. For the price it is hard to beat!

Good luck!

Jeff

[Steve Mellott]

I've owned this lathe for about 6-8 months. Use it for pens, bottle stoppers and other small objects. For the price (app $250), it can't be beat.

Steve

[Wayne Leach]

Thanks to everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.
I will probably order one tomorrow as I need something to do for the next 4 months. I have a Jet 10" non VS at home and hope this new one will have the same power.
Best regards,
Wayne

[Dean Thomas]

Same as with any smaller version of larger tools. Do projects that actually fit the machine and take cuts that are appropriate to the power.

Really sharp tools help a lot, too. Sharp tools, thinner cuts and more of them will get you done in just about the same amount of time as on a more powerful machine. It will also get you done a LOT faster than stalling often and waiting for the machine to come back up to speed. :)