Jet Lathe HP?

[Tom Caldwell]

Thinking of making the plunge for the 16-in EVS. Is it worth the extra $300+ to get the 2HP instead of the 1.5? I mostly turn bowls and boxes with an occasional spindle. The 1.5 has some appeal because it is 115 V and would allow more fexibilty in placing it in the shop without additional 230V wiring. Opinions welcome.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I don't have the Jet but my Nova DVR is 115 V and 1.5 hp. I haven't had or noticed any need to have bigger. I turned some awful big 16" chunks with no problems.

[John Keeton]

I have the 2hp and don't regret it, but I suspect for what I do the 1.5 would do just as well. I think it depends largely on how much you like to "hog off" wood on a roughout. If you think you want to take a 3/4" ribbon that is 1/4" thick, then you might want to consider the 2hp!

[Jason Silva]

I have the same DVR XP and love every second of it. It is a direct drive vs a pully so i dont know if that matters but the 1.5 is just fine. The 2hp might be bigger and heavier which would be a plus when it comes to the lathe vibrating.

[Richard Allen]

Whatever you get you are going to love that lathe. You will become accustom to whatever power you get and you will never know (or care) what the other power would be like.

With that said I would go with 2 HP.

[Gary Max]

That extra hp sure comes in handy some days.

[Reed Gray]

For production purposes, you need the 2 hp. More torque. If you aren't concerned about time, the 1.5 hp is fine. I have demonstrated on one and found it to be way under powered for the way I turn.

robo hippy

[Dale Miner]

For production purposes, you need the 2 hp. More torque. If you aren't concerned about time, the 1.5 hp is fine. I have demonstrated on one and found it to be way under powered for the way I turn.

robo hippy

What Reed said.

[Cary Falk]

I don't post much in the turning forum because I don't have much to show yet. I moved from the HF gem to a 2hp 1642. I wanted it to be my last lathe. Since I'm not a hard core turner 1.5 would probably have been enough. I put a long heavy duty cord on it so I didn't have to run another outlet.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Tom - if you can afford it, then get the 2 hp. Better to have the power and not need it, than to need it and not have it. That and as long as I have been on this site, I have never once heard someone complain that their lathe had too much power!

[Bob Bergstrom]

If this is not your first lathe, think of why you are upgrading in the first place. If you were stalling the previous one and wished for a little more power, the same will likely occur with 1 1/2 hp. Of course it won't be quite as often. I have a 3520 and wish it was a 3hp. but I do quite a few bowls over 16". The horsepower comes in handy in the roughing out stage. The larger the diameter the easier it is to stall it. When finishing a bowl, it is all about light cuts and avoiding vibration on thin and large bowl. They can become like a drum and like to resonate.

[Jim Burr]

Or you can just enjoy a bigger better lathe and have fun with it! If you don't know it ain't broke...why ask if it needs fixing! 1642 1.5 will be here on wednesday.

[Michelle Rich]

Isn't it funny, that everyone thinks that more hsp is better? I made a living, turning for over 25 yrs on 3/4 hsp machines. I even had to move the belt for speed change by hand. For many years I made chair parts on a homemade springpole lathe.. one leg power! Somehow i produced tons of stuff. Keep your tools sharp & think the process thru before you start, and get whatever lathe you think will work best for you.

[Dan Hintz]

Also consider your plans to upgrade in the future. No sense in spending the extra money for the extra HP if you'll end up replacing the lathe with something bigger (and more powerful) a year down the road).

If the bug has truly bitten you, the vortex will suck you in and an upgrade is definitely in your future.

[Greg Just]

I have the Jet 1.5 HP mainly because of power limitations in my shop. I have had the lathe for 8 months and it has worked well for me. For what I have been turning, I'm satisfied.