Old Man Wants New Lathe. Any Ideas?

[Jerry Wright]

I am about to celebrate 65 years on earth and it may require a new lathe. I read a lot on various forums from the loyal following of PM 3520B, mustard monsters. They are in the $4K range, however there is another plateau at $6-7K with Robust, Stubby, Serious, Oneway….. lathes. All are within the consideration of this aging relic. Anyone have suggestions or opinions on their pros and cons? Which is best and why? I would be upgrading from a 16”, 2 HPGeneral.

[Alan Trout]

I am planning to buy one more big lathe. It will be either a Vicmarc or a Robust. I like the tapered roller bearings in the Vic and I like the Robust being American made by a heck or a nice Guy Brent English. I do mostly hollowing with a rig so a having a fixed head lathe is not big deal. Any of the lathes mentioned would serve anyone very well.

Alan

[Jon McElwain]

One of the many reasons that I went with Oneway was the high end accessories that Oneway makes. They seem to have the most comprehensive line of turning products anywhere. I have a number of accessories and have found everything to be of the highest quality. Service has been top notch as well.

Probably the biggest reason though was the fully functional outboard turning capacity. The Oneway is a true bowl turning lathe. Of course, it can turn spindles too - if you ever need to!

[John Keeton]

Jerry, my only experience on this topic is shopping all the lathes with Steve Schlumpf while at the AAW. We looked at them all - several times, and left drool stains on many of them. Steve was able to play with all of them, too. For all the same reasons as Steve, had I been in the market I would have made the same choice of the American Beauty. IMO, it was the ultimate.

And, congrats on your upcoming birthday!!

[Dan Hintz]

I have to go with the American Beauty... but that's just because I now own one.

[joel nucifore]

I just bought my last lathe, I use to own powermatic and can not say anything bad about it. But was tossed up between the American beauty and the oneway for a long time. Then took the plung and ordered the ONEWAY have been turning on it for about a month now.
AND ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW. The lathe is rock solid and as about as smooth as it gets.... go for the oneway

STOP BY ANY TIME YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH....... I LIVE IN PLEASANT VALLEY NY............ ITS AN OPEN INVITE FOR ANYONE

[philip labre]

There is a used American Beauty for sale on Craigslist in Neenah, WI if you are up for a drive.

[Anthony Cayll]

I own a PM 3520B and my father has an American Beauty and a OneWay. All 3 are great machines. My opinion out of those 3, the American Beauty is the way to go. What I like about the PM and American Beauty is the sliding headstock. Customer service is excellent for all 3 companies. I know when I upgrade I will be going with the American Beauty. I also like the Vicmarc.

[Roger Chandler]

All I can say is that if I were in your position and had the funds to invest.........it would be the Robust American Beauty.......hands down! Including the tailstock swinger.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Jerry - all the lathes you listed are good machines and have their loyal followings. The perfect machine for you really depends on what it is you turn now and what it is you want to turn in the future.

As John mentioned, I dragged him all over the St. Paul symposium checking out the various lathes to see what would be a good fit for me. I wanted to upgrade from a Jet 1642, 2 hp, and quickly ruled out the Powermatic 3520B as I could not see paying more money for the same hp motor, a shorter bed and only 4" of additional swing. We did check out the Stubby and it does seem to be a very capable lathe... just didn't grab my interest. The Robust American Beauty won out over everything else because of quality and features. I really wanted additional swing, the AB gives you 25" and because of using my Jet for 5 years, the sliding headstock was not an option - it was a must have for me! I also liked the stainless ways because I got very tired of scrubbing down and re-waxing the Jet after every time I turned green wood! Also, I wanted something with more power. Either I really started using dull tools (nope!) or have become a little more aggressive when roughing out forms but I was stalling the 2 hp Jet more than I liked. I now have the new ultra-high efficient 3 hp motor and have been very pleased with it's performance! After roughing big blanks on my Jet, I used to tough the motor just to check how much I had worked the lathe. It was usually very warm - not hot - but very warm. The new 3 hp motor - even after roughing out a blank twice as big as I had on the Jet - has always been cold to the touch! I haven't even begun to tax it's capabilities!!

Last thing about the Beauty is that I also got the tailstock Tilt Away with the Gas Shock Assist. I don't have any problem removing the tailstock ... today... but I plan on this being my last lathe and figure in 10 to 20 years I may appreciate that feature even more!

Good luck with your selection process! Highly recommend - if at all possible - to check out each of your lathe choices in person. No matter what features are available - if the lathe doesn't feel right to you, then you know to keep looking. Have fun!!

[Peter Blair]

As has been said before. Most of us who own one of the lathes you list would recommend the one we have. I have had a oneway for about 8 years now and the only improvement I would like is the stainless steel ways. When I purchased it I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy turning wet wood. I do take special care of my steel ways but it would be nice not to worry quite so much. Over the years I have purchased lots of Oneway parts and even changed my mind a time or two and was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to return something and exchange it for something else. First class all the way.

BUT . . . if you don't already have ALL the tools in the Vortex be sure to save a little cash!!!!

Whichever one of these lathes you choose you will be pleased I personally don't know anyone who isn't satisfied with any of them.

[Rick Markham]

I've got a PM3520B and would only trade it for the Robust American Beauty!

[Steve Mawson]

Wonderful problem to have, have fun looking. Of course let us know what you decide. I have a 3520 but certainly not married to it, like it and have had no problems. American made would get my vote if I had to go look for another one, however that is not a likely problem to have that .

[Ken Glass]

Jerry,
First of all what's all this talk about 65 being old. If you don't have $ concerns then opt for the best you can get for the budget you have set for the lathe. Also remember, all the assorted toys that would go well with the new lathe like, extension, lathe tools, and etc., which can come close to he price of a lathe if your a big dreamer. I choose the Mustard Monster for my very first lathe and never looked back. Good Luck, it should be nothing but fun for you.

[Jamie Donaldson]

I have loved the unique features of my Stubby 750(Studly!) for 10+ yrs. now, and the only cadidate should I ever suppliment my current 4 lathes would be the American Beauty. I have watched them evolve, from the very first model they produced, into a top quality machine, and the special accessory that really sets them apart for me is the rotating tailstock feature. The tailstock on Studly is not too heavy to move on and off the bed, which I frequently do, but lifting the tailstock on Oneways or Mustard Monsters can hurt you!