what do you do? buy less lathe wanting more? Buy more lathe and feel guilty?

[John Nowack]

need some honest opinions. More on the overall decision and maybe a little on the lathes. they are both great machines IMHO so it not a matter of which is better it's more the overall financial question.
Been turning 4 years planning to continue...
1. buy the 2 hp jet? big upgrade from current. has all the bells and whistles. WILL definitely upgrade to a powermatic sometime in life. High price but can pull it off without much remorse...will be left wishing i just went ahead and got the PM
2. get the 2hp powermatic? has everything and is as big as I could ever imagine needing. would think it would last a lifetime with maintenance...big time guilt on the price tag though...

this is coming from a guy that has his family on the dave ramsey style of life...family lives within our means and watches every penny...either way this purchase would be the 3rd or 4th most expensive thing we own outside of house and cars...but it a selfish purchase

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?!?!?!?!?

[Steve Vaughan]

Nah, not a selfish purchase at all. It just looks like that to some folks. Think of all the things you'll be making and giving away. See, that's really how you gotta think about that sort of thing. But seriously, I'd go with the powermatic, hands down. You'll be, as you say, buying once. I'm betting that Dave would say do that - why spend lots of money, and then turn around and spend lots of money? And, just to remind you, he would also tell you to pay cash for it and you'll be able to get an even better price! Commercial here - Have taken Dave's Financial Peace University course - it is without a doubt, the way to think of your future!

[John Nowack]

ok....who do I talk to on the cash part becasue I was a little disapointed at teh $3,900 price tag now....thought they were closer to $3,000 at least... love dave style thinking...it's really nothign my grandma and grandpa din't teach me but te program keeps it fresh and simple in your mind....just a real hard decition based on the way we live our life...

[philip labre]

I'm with Steve. Dave would say buy once, pay cash and be done. I had a Grizzly 18x47 on backorder for a month and a half which gave me plenty of time to drool over the Mustard. My wife finally got tired of me questioning my decision and told me to just get what I wanted instead of settling and regretting, having to make another purchase in the future. I cancelled the Griz and got the Mustard. It was nice of her eliminating the guilt for me. One thing though, I have an unlimited supply of free BIG hardwoods, just have to go pick it up. If you don't expect to turn really big wood the Jet would be a great choice. A bowl larger than 16" is HUGE, i didn't realize how big till I turned one and am not sure what I will do with a 19"x10" curly ash bowl, but I have one. That being said, to quote SWMBO "Just get what you want".

[David DeCristoforo]

If you are going to feel guilty about buying a lathe that will serve you well for as far into the future as you can see, you need to try some meditation techniques that will help you to relax your grip on reality and allow the vortex to gently pull you in. There are many here who can help you with this.

[Jon Prouty]

watch CL... there is an almost new PM on CL here in Phx listed for 2500 that I am resisting due to Dave's program. I bet you could put it in ypur truck for 2200 if you show him a wad of hundreds.

JP

[Brian Libby]

I had the same situation this winter. Go with Jet or PM ???!!!!
I went with the PM -I HAVE NOT ONCE REGRETTED IT !
It was a lot more $$$$$$$'s but it is a lot more machine.

[George Guadiane]

(ONLY IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO TURNING) buy the big one and feel SMART.
Let me say, that the 2HP Jet is an outstanding machine, and anyone should be able to have GREAT success with it. If the Powermatic is your dream lathe, why spend money on anything else?
If you buy the middle, intending to buy the larger in the future, you will spend a lot more money, over time. If you're going to get the big one, GET IT!
You're talking about spending thousands for something you're going to upgrade. Why not get the upgrade and save the middle cost. It might be a bit financially painful up front, but it will cost less now than in a couple/few years - look at prices over the last 5, up, UP, UP! And it doesn't look like things will get cheaper.

Also, you only have to adapt once.
Had I known how much I would love woodturning, I would have bought a Powermatic FIRST, instead of spending hundreds on a "beginner" lathe. I may have to replace bearings or a shaft or something, but I'll never feel a NEED to upgrade the lathe.
Just my opinion.

[Ed Sandle]

Guilty? No such thing. Started with a Woodfast 20" years ago when I was first interested in woodturning years ago. Looked at it alot, but never really got started turning with it. Sold it five years ago when I retired, and bought a Oneway 2436, as I was sure woodturning was one of the things I really wanted to do. After two years, I sold the Oneway, and bought a Robust. I now love being in my shop, and turning. While the Robust was a substantial investment, it is just a joy to use, and I can't imagine ever wanting anything else. A few members in our club have Powermatic's, and are very happy with them. My advice, get the best lathe you can, as you will never regret it. That being said, if finances are a deciding issue, I would consider buying a good used big lathe, vs a new mid sized lathe, that you would always want to get rid of in the future, for a full sized lathe.

[Greg Just]

It was easy for me. The PM was too expensive for my budget so I went with the Jet. It was too costly to get a 220 line to my shop so that left me with the 1.5 hp Jet. I have had it about a month and love it. Maybe someday I'll upgrade to a bigger machine, but I think the one I got will be good for a long time.

[Dale Miner]

(ONLY IF YOU ARE COMMITTED TO TURNING) buy the big one and feel SMART.

I agree with what George said (I think? Should I be afraid? ).

There are about a thousand or more factors that enter into the equation. Your age, your turning style, the items you turn, the market for the items you turn, the availability of larger wood, the amount of guilt, the cash situation of your family, collage funds for the kids, the accesories and tools you already have, etc, etc. If you can envision spending most of your free time turning four, five, ten years from now, then the difference in cost between the two is not much on a per year basis. If the machine gets little use, or falls into disuse in a year, then the difference is substantial. Resale of the 3520 will be easier, and probably at a higher percentage of the new cost. The difference in the new versus used in actual dollars is probably higher with the 3520.

I demo on a 1.5 1642 frequently. It is a good machine. It is not as much machine as the 3520b out in the shop, but it is a good machine. If I would have bought the 1642 instead of the 3520, I doubt that an upgrade to a 3520 would take place. Any upgrade from a 1642 would probably have been to a Robust, Stubby, Serious, or most likely a home built. The two largest anemic qualities in using the 1.5 1642 vs the 2.0 3520b are the horsepower, and the mass of the machine. A 2.0 1642 solves one of the issues, bags of sand would go a long way towards the other. Another 'would be nice' is a longer banjo, but 13" bowls with the stock banjo and toolrest are comfortably do able. BTW, 18" bowls are monsters with a limited market, at least in this area.

With all the factors involved in making the decision, it would be tough to give advice on what machine will serve you best. Either one will perform well.

[David E Keller]

I'd go for the powermatic if you think it'll be your last lathe... There's no way to be sure, but I've had mine about a year and a half, and I couldn't be happier. I'm all for the Ramsey plan, but Dave doesn't say anything about settling. There's a huge turning club in Tulsa, so you might check with those folks and see if anybody is looking to move a used machine. You've got a couple of good options listed, but I wouldn't recommend buying your second choice whichever that might be.

[Jack Mincey]

I have to sayings that may help. It is better to buy the best the first time so you will not be thinking what if in the future. The second one is that it is better to have it and not need it than the need it and not have it. The extra swing the extra weight and much better banjo of the PM is worth the difference between the two in my mind. I don't need the 24" swing on my lathe but a few times a year, I would hate to have to trim some of the big blanks down to fit a smaller swing if I didn't.
Jack

[David DeCristoforo]

Told ya....

[Joe Scarfo]

I remember the same conundrum... a want add solved it for me.. I bought a used mustard... and love it.

Look at it this way... spending money on an intermittent lathe, is not good. Why spend the money on an intermittent lathe knowing long term you're getting the mustard anyway? The longer you wait, the more the price goes up.

Thanks and good luck w/ your choice.