Would love to hear what owners of this lathe think of their purchase?? pros & cons
I am not looking for comparisons to other lathes on the market, just owners objective thoughts after they have put this particular one through its paces.
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Would love to hear what owners of this lathe think of their purchase?? pros & cons
I am not looking for comparisons to other lathes on the market, just owners objective thoughts after they have put this particular one through its paces.
I have had this lathe for about a year and a half. The lathe has been great and so has customer service. I had a couple of minor issues (they sent me a new leveling foot and the center pin of the spur center was a bit bent and they sent me a new spur center). I am very happy I got this lathe....
I've had the 220v for a little over a year. I'd consider myself a pretty light user. It has performed flawlessly and I have had zero issues with it. No complaints from me.
I have this lathe (220v). I bought the swing away tail stock too.
I find it to be pretty good:
It's a little lower than my previous lathe. That took a little getting used to. I prefer working a little higher.
I have noticed that the LED lights occasionally don't come on in the control panel. If I power off and on again, it tends to resolve. This has happened maybe 3x over 1000 cycles?
The belt switching is nice. I find the mechanism conveniently located and easy to use.
The spindle lock does not stay engaged. You have to keep it pressed with one finger while you address the spindle.
I do not like the Laguna light. It's too stiff, and has only 2 mounting positions. I found this to be a waste of money. It is never quite as good as the cheap nerd lamp I used to use.
I have the swing away tailstock. I like that. It extends the bed a little and means I don't have to lift the heavy tail stock off.
There is convenient storage for the live centers on the head side of the stand and the tail stock.
The 4" travel of the tail stock has come to be very convenient.
The lowest speed is about 50 RPM, which is very nice to have when sanding.
I have been having more issues with run out on this lathe than my previous, but I suspect that's due to using chucks - and not the spindle/tail being out of alignment. I do notice that the tail stock can wobble a little, but again, I suspect that's user error. I have to say, though that I did not have the issue with my little Delta...
Allen, I emailed you in response to your PM to me. But, for those that might view this thread I have had my 1836 (220V) for 4 years and absolutely love it. I have the 20" extension, which I have mounted low and that gives me up to 32" of swing off the tail end. I do not have the swing away, but the tailstock is really not heavy at all IMO and at 5' 7" and 163 lbs, I am certainly not a big man. As I stated in the hands on review I posted here shortly after getting the lathe, the spindle lock situation noted by Prashun can be an aggravation. But, as indicated in the review, I did end up making a quick and simple fix by drilling a small hole into which I insert a small finishing nail to hold the lock button engaged. I have a magnetic bar to the left of my lathe onto which I store various allen wrenches, chuck key, etc., and that is where the nail is stored. Within reach and easily used. I do not store any gouges on the magnetic bar as I do not like magnetized tools gathering metal dust when sharpened.
I have never noticed the tailstock being unstable, don't have runout issues, haven't had any issues with led lights, and I do not have the Laguna task light as I have a shop made lighting setup I have used with my last two lathes.
If one were to look at my website you will see that I have done several large platters, up to 24" diameter, with a significant offset and tilted, which is somewhat like turning an airplane prop. This lathe can handle whatever I ask of it. I am not a production turner, and do not core, so I cannot speak to those issues.
IMO, this lathe is the best lathe on the market for the money given its ergonomic design, leg splay and stability. I am sure others may differ on this as whatever lathe one owns tends to be the best on the market!;)
I'll also add that like Prashun, I find the lathe to be pretty short. That would probably be my only complaint. I'm 6' and find that I bend over too far to be comfortable for long periods of time. Some day I may buy the riser kit, but it's not cheap and I've definitely invested enough money already.
thank you all for your input.
some may or may not know i sold all my turning equipment almost 2 yrs ago in anticipation of a relocation. now im in search of new stuff on much smaller scale. doing large turnings was taking its toll. so now if i get back into it gonna take it a bit easier.
I really don't understand the height concerns. I'm 6' 1" and the lathe height seems perfect to me. It's been mentioned a few times on posts that the spindle height should be the same as the distance from the floor to your elbow with your arm bent. My spindle height is 43 1/4" which is the same as my elbow measurement.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wes Mitchell
Too low might be better than too high since it can be fixed easily. One of my lathes was a little low for me so I made 4 blocks of wood and drilled shallow recesses in the top to hold the pads of the leg levelers. I used it that way for years. Then shrinking from 6'1" to about 5'11" made it perfect. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry McFadden
A friend's small lathe on a stand is too high since she is very much NOT a tall person! A platform I made for kids works but not ideal. When the current madness is past I planned to cut and reweld the stand to fit. But thinking of the next person who might use it I've decided to make the legs adjustable.
Great thread because this lathe has been on my radar for about 6 months.
Hi Allen!
I purchased the 220V Laguna 1836 a couple of years ago or so... Included the 20 inch extension, two of the Laguna lights and the riser kit... It added a lot to the cost, but it also added to the weight, height, and capacity... the heavy industrial look of the lights is icing on the cake!
The only "issues" I had were: (1) I would inadvertently move the speed control knob when getting up close and personal with the headstock... (I swapped it with a smaller knob and all good.), (2) The little rubber ball on the tailstock crank slipped off... (I replaced it with a proper chrome handle bought for a few bucks on Amazon and, again, all good).
I made some walnut charcuterie trays (round, shallow bowls) for Christmas gifts that used close to the maximum swing over the 20 inch extension and it worked great!
BTW, I am 6 ft. 4 in. tall and the riser blocks bring it to the perfect height for me...
As stated above, others may have differing opinions, but no remorse here...
73 Ely