Jet 1642-2 lathe versus Grizzly G0733 lathe?

[Jay Yoder]

This whole world of 3 phase is well beyond my experience level. Is the invertor the worst thing that could go wrong with it? I guess the thing I struggle with is lack of experience with Grizzly. I have seen the Jet in person but have never seen a Grizzly lathe. I keep coming back to the Jet's 5 year warranty. On paper the Grizzly has greater capacity (18" versus 16). Does anyone know how often Grizzly has coupons/codes available?

[Duane Meadows]

Yes ,Jay. The inverter is about the most expensive part to replace. The motor isn't cheap either, but they don't fail often. One of the best things to do for the inverter is to unplug the lathe when not in use. Power surges(ie lightning strikes and such) are their worst enemies. That said, I have a lathe with an DC, not 3ph, electronic controller that is about 15 years old. Have not had any problems with it(wish I could say the same for the rest of the lathe!), and it is plugged in all the time! Guess I really should follow my own advice!

I have several Grizzly machines Most are about 19 years old. They have been great, no complaints. The couple of small issues I'v had, Grizzly's support has taken care of quickly with no hassle.

Our local equipment dealer used to handle a lot of Jet equipment(Got my planer from them). Now they carry mostly Shopfox, which as I understand is also Grizzly. They like it a lot, and it is considerably less expensive than Jet. I was in the other day looking at machines. They seem well built, the finish is probably not quite as good as Jet, but still nice machines.

I think you would be very happy with the Griz G0733, Also remember all variable speed lathe have some form of electronic control or a Reeves drive. The Reeves drive has it's own issues, and generally doesn't have a slow enough speed for large bowls. Many tend to got through belts quickly, and if not kept lubed properly, they can be very fussy and even seize up completely.

Best of luck with your decision, Jay. Actually, I am also in the same situation, looking for a replacement for my old Craftsman lathe! The G0733 is at the top of my short list. Now if I can scrape together $1800...

PS Waranty has never wound up being an issue on any machine I have purchased... Jet, Grizzly, Delta, Craftsman, Dewalt, Porter Cable, etc. All have managed to last much longer than the warranty period, and remember that warranty is costing you... it's built into the price!

[David C. Roseman]

Jay, you’re getting some thoughtful advice in this thread. After much research two years ago considering all the full-sized lathes, I went with the Grizzly G0733. I’m very happy with it. A number of my turning friends have the Jet 1642EVS, also a very good lathe, especially with the 2 hp motor. I recently watched Kerry Harrison’s (owner of Harrison Specialties) YouTube video mentioned above by others, comparing the two machines. Here are a few thoughts based on my experience.

Chuck fit:
The G0733 and Jet 1642 both have 1-1/4” x 8 spindle threads, so will accept all chucks with inserts machined to that size. However, the G0733 has a boss machined to a metric dimension on the inboard side of the spindle’s shoulder that is a few thousandths too large for some chuck inserts to seat fully against the shoulder. Some fit just fine, but Vicmarcs, Oneways, and possibly some others, are too tight. The Jet lathe does not have this boss (as Kerry Harrison notes in his video), and one isn’t really needed. It’s my understanding that a boss on a shaft is typically to help register a fitting when it’s being threaded on, and to add some reinforcement, and that’s not necessary on these lathes.

Kerry says in the video that he can still use his Vicmarc chuck on his G0733 without it seating squarely against the shoulder while he considers another solution. This is a bad idea, IMO, as it can lead to major seizing of the chuck insert on the boss (a big problem), and also can cause runout.

But there is a very easy fix for this on the G0733. As Roger Chandler describes above in his post, just take a mill file and hold it against the spindle boss with the lathe on low speed until it’s turned down a few thousandths of an inch. It takes about 15 minutes, if you work carefully. The final diameter of the boss is not critical, so long as it’s not too tight, of course. Voila, all the 1-1/4” x 8 chucks seat flush to the spindle shoulder, no problem. Grizzly should get on the stick and fix this issue with some instructions to the Asian factory.

Fit and finish:
I’m quite pleased with the fit and finish on my G0733. Before I bought it, I looked at one pretty carefully on the showroom floor at Grizzly in Muncy, PA , and the lathe I unpacked was just as nice. Is it as good as the finish on a Jet 1642? I think so, but that’s just my subjective impression.

Kerry Harrison in his video mentioned that the inside edges of the cast iron bed ways on the G0733 are not chamfered. I checked mine out of curiosity, and they, too, are not. But they are nicely radiused, and smooth. If there were any roughness, I would just dress it off lightly with a fine mill file. The top surfaces of the bed ways are nicely machined and very smooth.

Kerry also noted in video that the spindle pulley access door on the Jet 1642 uses thumb knob, while the G0733 has a machine screw. I like a knob, so just made my own by imbedding the head of the screw in a small piece of maple with five-minute epoxy. I slipped a piece of 1/8” vinyl tubing over the threads, chucked it into a drill chuck, and turned a custom knob in a few minutes. I actually prefer it to a plastic knob.

Lack of a Hand Wheel on the G0733:
The lack of an outboard hand wheel on the G0733 was actually a pretty big negative for me when shopping for a lathe. The hand wheel on the Jet is more of a narrow cylinder than what I would call a hand wheel, but it’s nice and certainly does the job. I only went ahead with the Grizzly after determining that I could make my own, and integrate it with a shop-made vacuum adapter for vacuum chucking. That’s worked out very well, so I now have a combination hand wheel/integrated vacuum adapter that stays on the lathe and still lets me use the knockout bar. It uses the two threaded holes in the spindle pulley that are designed to receive a pulley puller. Last July I wrote up a tutorial on doing this for owners of G0733s and other similar Asian-made 18-47 lathes. If you end up with the G0733, I’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to do that.

The Variable Frequency Drive (Inverter):
There is another difference in the G0733 and the Jet 1642VS that hasn’t been mentioned. It’s the way the variable frequency drive (VFD) is set up. The G0733 uses a Delta Electronics VFD-M series drive, enclosed by a nice steel cover. But it does not come standard with a braking resistor. The last time I checked, the 1642VS,as well as Jet’s PM 3520B, uses the slightly less expensive Delta Electronics VFD-S-1 drive, with no protective cover, but adds a braking resistor. While a braking resistor is not at all necessary to full performance of the G0733, it’s a nice feature to have when swinging large bowls, etc. It harnesses electromagnetic energy to bring the lathe to a stop more quickly at shut down. So you can work a bit quicker, especially if you’re in production (which I’m not!). I’m also told by electrical engineers who know these things that it can extend motor life over a long period of service.

I added a braking resistor to our G0733 for about $30 all in, but that required making up a special wiring interface, unlocking the VFD through its communications port with a laptop (adjustment of the drive parameters is locked out at the lathe factory), and getting help from a couple of buddies who have the electronics savvy to do it. I doubt most owners would want to bother with this for the relatively small benefit. BTW, Grizzly could easily add an OEM braking resistor as a standard item for a small increase in cost if they wished. In the meantime, Jet/Powermatic have the slight advantage here, IMO.

Hope this is helpful with your shopping decision. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either lathe.

David

[Brian Kent]

I find these specifics very helpful. Thank you very much everyone.

[Jay Yoder]

Yes ,Jay. The inverter is about the most expensive part to replace. The motor isn't cheap either, but they don't fail often. One of the best things to do for the inverter is to unplug the lathe when not in use. Power surges(ie lightning strikes and such) are their worst enemies. That said, I have a lathe with an DC, not 3ph, electronic controller that is about 15 years old. Have not had any problems with it(wish I could say the same for the rest of the lathe!), and it is plugged in all the time! Guess I really should follow my own advice!

I have several Grizzly machines Most are about 19 years old. They have been great, no complaints. The couple of small issues I'v had, Grizzly's support has taken care of quickly with no hassle.

Our local equipment dealer used to handle a lot of Jet equipment(Got my planer from them). Now they carry mostly Shopfox, which as I understand is also Grizzly. They like it a lot, and it is considerably less expensive than Jet. I was in the other day looking at machines. They seem well built, the finish is probably not quite as good as Jet, but still nice machines.

I think you would be very happy with the Griz G0733, Also remember all variable speed lathe have some form of electronic control or a Reeves drive. The Reeves drive has it's own issues, and generally doesn't have a slow enough speed for large bowls. Many tend to got through belts quickly, and if not kept lubed properly, they can be very fussy and even seize up completely.

Best of luck with your decision, Jay. Actually, I am also in the same situation, looking for a replacement for my old Craftsman lathe! The G0733 is at the top of my short list. Now if I can scrape together $1800...

PS Waranty has never wound up being an issue on any machine I have purchased... Jet, Grizzly, Delta, Craftsman, Dewalt, Porter Cable, etc. All have managed to last much longer than the warranty period, and remember that warranty is costing you... it's built into the price!

I started with Delta, but their quality never got close to the Delta products that my G'pa had. Now I understand that they are having serious problems delivering on replacement parts and my fear is that I am left without a lathe because of that. I had a real bad experience with a bandsaw and started swapping to Jet as I replaced them. Thus my search...

I have always thought that Jet products I have (table saw, band saw, belt sander, drill press) they were well made and customer support was ok, but not stellar. Everyone seems to have good experiences with Grizzly's customer support. I called them today and they were unable to tell me how far the tailstock advances. The tech guy thought it was a strange question, but I explained that it helps when drilling holes. Can anyone with a G0733 tell me how far it an be advanced? As for warranty goes, the Jet is a 5 year and Grizzly is only 1 year. That is one thing that makes me kind of nervous. I am still torn and have until Monday to make the decision. Interestingly enough, I just got a 10% off coupon for Grizzly...go figure...It is tough thinking about buying a lathe that I have never seen in person. I want this to be my final lathe (unless I come into $$ for a OneWay) so that is why I am agonizing over the decision.

[Jay Yoder]

Jay, you’re getting some thoughtful advice in this thread. After much research two years ago considering all the full-sized lathes, I went with the Grizzly G0733. I’m very happy with it. A number of my turning friends have the Jet 1642EVS, also a very good lathe, especially with the 2 hp motor. I recently watched Kerry Harrison’s (owner of Harrison Specialties) YouTube video mentioned above by others, comparing the two machines. Here are a few thoughts based on my experience.

Chuck fit:
The G0733 and Jet 1642 both have 1-1/4” x 8 spindle threads, so will accept all chucks with inserts machined to that size. However, the G0733 has a boss machined to a metric dimension on the inboard side of the spindle’s shoulder that is a few thousandths too large for some chuck inserts to seat fully against the shoulder. Some fit just fine, but Vicmarcs, Oneways, and possibly some others, are too tight. The Jet lathe does not have this boss (as Kerry Harrison notes in his video), and one isn’t really needed. It’s my understanding that a boss on a shaft is typically to help register a fitting when it’s being threaded on, and to add some reinforcement, and that’s not necessary on these lathes.

Kerry says in the video that he can still use his Vicmarc chuck on his G0733 without it seating squarely against the shoulder while he considers another solution. This is a bad idea, IMO, as it can lead to major seizing of the chuck insert on the boss (a big problem), and also can cause runout.

But there is a very easy fix for this on the G0733. As Roger Chandler describes above in his post, just take a mill file and hold it against the spindle boss with the lathe on low speed until it’s turned down a few thousandths of an inch. It takes about 15 minutes, if you work carefully. The final diameter of the boss is not critical, so long as it’s not too tight, of course. Voila, all the 1-1/4” x 8 chucks seat flush to the spindle shoulder, no problem. Grizzly should get on the stick and fix this issue with some instructions to the Asian factory.

Fit and finish:
I’m quite pleased with the fit and finish on my G0733. Before I bought it, I looked at one pretty carefully on the showroom floor at Grizzly in Muncy, PA , and the lathe I unpacked was just as nice. Is it as good as the finish on a Jet 1642? I think so, but that’s just my subjective impression.

Kerry Harrison in his video mentioned that the inside edges of the cast iron bed ways on the G0733 are not chamfered. I checked mine out of curiosity, and they, too, are not. But they are nicely radiused, and smooth. If there were any roughness, I would just dress it off lightly with a fine mill file. The top surfaces of the bed ways are nicely machined and very smooth.

Kerry also noted in video that the spindle pulley access door on the Jet 1642 uses thumb knob, while the G0733 has a machine screw. I like a knob, so just made my own by imbedding the head of the screw in a small piece of maple with five-minute epoxy. I slipped a piece of 1/8” vinyl tubing over the threads, chucked it into a drill chuck, and turned a custom knob in a few minutes. I actually prefer it to a plastic knob.

Lack of a Hand Wheel on the G0733:
The lack of an outboard hand wheel on the G0733 was actually a pretty big negative for me when shopping for a lathe. The hand wheel on the Jet is more of a narrow cylinder than what I would call a hand wheel, but it’s nice and certainly does the job. I only went ahead with the Grizzly after determining that I could make my own, and integrate it with a shop-made vacuum adapter for vacuum chucking. That’s worked out very well, so I now have a combination hand wheel/integrated vacuum adapter that stays on the lathe and still lets me use the knockout bar. It uses the two threaded holes in the spindle pulley that are designed to receive a pulley puller. Last July I wrote up a tutorial on doing this for owners of G0733s and other similar Asian-made 18-47 lathes. If you end up with the G0733, I’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to do that.

The Variable Frequency Drive (Inverter):
There is another difference in the G0733 and the Jet 1642VS that hasn’t been mentioned. It’s the way the variable frequency drive (VFD) is set up. The G0733 uses a Delta Electronics VFD-M series drive, enclosed by a nice steel cover. But it does not come standard with a braking resistor. The last time I checked, the 1642VS,as well as Jet’s PM 3520B, uses the slightly less expensive Delta Electronics VFD-S-1 drive, with no protective cover, but adds a braking resistor. While a braking resistor is not at all necessary to full performance of the G0733, it’s a nice feature to have when swinging large bowls, etc. It harnesses electromagnetic energy to bring the lathe to a stop more quickly at shut down. So you can work a bit quicker, especially if you’re in production (which I’m not!). I’m also told by electrical engineers who know these things that it can extend motor life over a long period of service.

I added a braking resistor to our G0733 for about $30 all in, but that required making up a special wiring interface, unlocking the VFD through its communications port with a laptop (adjustment of the drive parameters is locked out at the lathe factory), and getting help from a couple of buddies who have the electronics savvy to do it. I doubt most owners would want to bother with this for the relatively small benefit. BTW, Grizzly could easily add an OEM braking resistor as a standard item for a small increase in cost if they wished. In the meantime, Jet/Powermatic have the slight advantage here, IMO.

Hope this is helpful with your shopping decision. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either lathe.

David

Great feedback from everyone! It is just kind of tough going against Jet bc of my personal experience but the Grizz does add 2" in swing and 5" in length between centers. They both seem fairly evenly matched feature wise, and the Grizz just got more appealing with a 10% off coupon in my email.

[Brian Kent]

I agree about the additional 10% off. Kind of pushes the equation to one side.

[David C. Roseman]

Great feedback from everyone! It is just kind of tough going against Jet bc of my personal experience but the Grizz does add 2" in swing and 5" in length between centers. They both seem fairly evenly matched feature wise, and the Grizz just got more appealing with a 10% off coupon in my email.

Jay, your dilemma is a nice one to have. You asked earlier about quill travel on the G0733. I've checked, and it is 4-1/4".

Unless you're planning some large spindle work, the extra 5" on the Grizzly won't be much of a factor, and it does require more shop space. But the added 2" of swing is nice for turning large bowls. You can move the headstock to the far end of the ways on both lathes to go much larger, but that requires having an outboard tool rest of some sort. Busy Bee Tools in Canada sells an outboard turning extension with bango and 14" tool rest for around $100, including shipping to the U.S. It's for their Craftex CX802 lathe, but fits the Grizzly G0733. Don't know if it would fit the Jet 1642EVS, but it well might. It allows a swing of 30", but I haven't tried anything that large on mine, and probably would limit it to platters or very shallow bowls.

The 10% coupon from Grizzly is a nice coincidence, indeed. If you end up not using it, please give me a shout, as I've been planning to add another G0733 to my shop to replace a much older 14" lathe.

David

[Fred Belknap]

I didn't mean to come across as bitter against Grizzly lathe. The G0698 did a good job and was reliable. The issues it has are rather minor but in my book they should have been addressed when they changed the paint. Mine didn't say anything about being a DC motor and the motor did a remarkable job. In fact it would go to a slower speed than my PM3520B. The speed control knob is very easy to adjust as like when you turn it off/on and brush against the knob you could very easily increase the speed, not something I cared for. I would recommend it but also think the buyer should be aware of some of the negatives.

[Jay Yoder]

Jay, you’re getting some thoughtful advice in this thread. After much research two years ago considering all the full-sized lathes, I went with the Grizzly G0733. I’m very happy with it. A number of my turning friends have the Jet 1642EVS, also a very good lathe, especially with the 2 hp motor. I recently watched Kerry Harrison’s (owner of Harrison Specialties) YouTube video mentioned above by others, comparing the two machines. Here are a few thoughts based on my experience.

Chuck fit:
The G0733 and Jet 1642 both have 1-1/4” x 8 spindle threads, so will accept all chucks with inserts machined to that size. However, the G0733 has a boss machined to a metric dimension on the inboard side of the spindle’s shoulder that is a few thousandths too large for some chuck inserts to seat fully against the shoulder. Some fit just fine, but Vicmarcs, Oneways, and possibly some others, are too tight. The Jet lathe does not have this boss (as Kerry Harrison notes in his video), and one isn’t really needed. It’s my understanding that a boss on a shaft is typically to help register a fitting when it’s being threaded on, and to add some reinforcement, and that’s not necessary on these lathes.

Kerry says in the video that he can still use his Vicmarc chuck on his G0733 without it seating squarely against the shoulder while he considers another solution. This is a bad idea, IMO, as it can lead to major seizing of the chuck insert on the boss (a big problem), and also can cause runout.

But there is a very easy fix for this on the G0733. As Roger Chandler describes above in his post, just take a mill file and hold it against the spindle boss with the lathe on low speed until it’s turned down a few thousandths of an inch. It takes about 15 minutes, if you work carefully. The final diameter of the boss is not critical, so long as it’s not too tight, of course. Voila, all the 1-1/4” x 8 chucks seat flush to the spindle shoulder, no problem. Grizzly should get on the stick and fix this issue with some instructions to the Asian factory.

Fit and finish:
I’m quite pleased with the fit and finish on my G0733. Before I bought it, I looked at one pretty carefully on the showroom floor at Grizzly in Muncy, PA , and the lathe I unpacked was just as nice. Is it as good as the finish on a Jet 1642? I think so, but that’s just my subjective impression.

Kerry Harrison in his video mentioned that the inside edges of the cast iron bed ways on the G0733 are not chamfered. I checked mine out of curiosity, and they, too, are not. But they are nicely radiused, and smooth. If there were any roughness, I would just dress it off lightly with a fine mill file. The top surfaces of the bed ways are nicely machined and very smooth.

Kerry also noted in video that the spindle pulley access door on the Jet 1642 uses thumb knob, while the G0733 has a machine screw. I like a knob, so just made my own by imbedding the head of the screw in a small piece of maple with five-minute epoxy. I slipped a piece of 1/8” vinyl tubing over the threads, chucked it into a drill chuck, and turned a custom knob in a few minutes. I actually prefer it to a plastic knob.

Lack of a Hand Wheel on the G0733:
The lack of an outboard hand wheel on the G0733 was actually a pretty big negative for me when shopping for a lathe. The hand wheel on the Jet is more of a narrow cylinder than what I would call a hand wheel, but it’s nice and certainly does the job. I only went ahead with the Grizzly after determining that I could make my own, and integrate it with a shop-made vacuum adapter for vacuum chucking. That’s worked out very well, so I now have a combination hand wheel/integrated vacuum adapter that stays on the lathe and still lets me use the knockout bar. It uses the two threaded holes in the spindle pulley that are designed to receive a pulley puller. Last July I wrote up a tutorial on doing this for owners of G0733s and other similar Asian-made 18-47 lathes. If you end up with the G0733, I’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to do that.

The Variable Frequency Drive (Inverter):
There is another difference in the G0733 and the Jet 1642VS that hasn’t been mentioned. It’s the way the variable frequency drive (VFD) is set up. The G0733 uses a Delta Electronics VFD-M series drive, enclosed by a nice steel cover. But it does not come standard with a braking resistor. The last time I checked, the 1642VS,as well as Jet’s PM 3520B, uses the slightly less expensive Delta Electronics VFD-S-1 drive, with no protective cover, but adds a braking resistor. While a braking resistor is not at all necessary to full performance of the G0733, it’s a nice feature to have when swinging large bowls, etc. It harnesses electromagnetic energy to bring the lathe to a stop more quickly at shut down. So you can work a bit quicker, especially if you’re in production (which I’m not!). I’m also told by electrical engineers who know these things that it can extend motor life over a long period of service.

I added a braking resistor to our G0733 for about $30 all in, but that required making up a special wiring interface, unlocking the VFD through its communications port with a laptop (adjustment of the drive parameters is locked out at the lathe factory), and getting help from a couple of buddies who have the electronics savvy to do it. I doubt most owners would want to bother with this for the relatively small benefit. BTW, Grizzly could easily add an OEM braking resistor as a standard item for a small increase in cost if they wished. In the meantime, Jet/Powermatic have the slight advantage here, IMO.

Hope this is helpful with your shopping decision. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either lathe.

David

I forgot to ask, how difficult was ti to add the braking resister? I am fairly good with electrical wiring, but not necessarily electronics. Would you say that your total cost was $30 or was there additional expense beyond that? What software did you use to program? I agree, it would be nice if Grizz added it standard. If they did my decision would probably be made. Thanks for your response.

[David C. Roseman]

I forgot to ask, how difficult was ti to add the braking resister? I am fairly good with electrical wiring, but not necessarily electronics. Would you say that your total cost was $30 or was there additional expense beyond that? What software did you use to program? I agree, it would be nice if Grizz added it standard. If they did my decision would probably be made. Thanks for your response.

Jay, there is a thread with more on this in the SMC Grizzly Green Monster Group:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/group.ph...e=1&do=discuss
The thread's title is on adding a remote emergency stop switch, but if you scroll down, adding a braking resistor is discussed.

David

[Hardy Hobbs]

Jay, you’re getting some thoughtful advice in this thread. After much research two years ago considering all the full-sized lathes, I went with the Grizzly G0733. I’m very happy with it. A number of my turning friends have the Jet 1642EVS, also a very good lathe, especially with the 2 hp motor. I recently watched Kerry Harrison’s (owner of Harrison Specialties) YouTube video mentioned above by others, comparing the two machines. Here are a few thoughts based on my experience.

Chuck fit:
The G0733 and Jet 1642 both have 1-1/4” x 8 spindle threads, so will accept all chucks with inserts machined to that size. However, the G0733 has a boss machined to a metric dimension on the inboard side of the spindle’s shoulder that is a few thousandths too large for some chuck inserts to seat fully against the shoulder. Some fit just fine, but Vicmarcs, Oneways, and possibly some others, are too tight. The Jet lathe does not have this boss (as Kerry Harrison notes in his video), and one isn’t really needed. It’s my understanding that a boss on a shaft is typically to help register a fitting when it’s being threaded on, and to add some reinforcement, and that’s not necessary on these lathes.

Kerry says in the video that he can still use his Vicmarc chuck on his G0733 without it seating squarely against the shoulder while he considers another solution. This is a bad idea, IMO, as it can lead to major seizing of the chuck insert on the boss (a big problem), and also can cause runout.

But there is a very easy fix for this on the G0733. As Roger Chandler describes above in his post, just take a mill file and hold it against the spindle boss with the lathe on low speed until it’s turned down a few thousandths of an inch. It takes about 15 minutes, if you work carefully. The final diameter of the boss is not critical, so long as it’s not too tight, of course. Voila, all the 1-1/4” x 8 chucks seat flush to the spindle shoulder, no problem. Grizzly should get on the stick and fix this issue with some instructions to the Asian factory.

Fit and finish:
I’m quite pleased with the fit and finish on my G0733. Before I bought it, I looked at one pretty carefully on the showroom floor at Grizzly in Muncy, PA , and the lathe I unpacked was just as nice. Is it as good as the finish on a Jet 1642? I think so, but that’s just my subjective impression.

Kerry Harrison in his video mentioned that the inside edges of the cast iron bed ways on the G0733 are not chamfered. I checked mine out of curiosity, and they, too, are not. But they are nicely radiused, and smooth. If there were any roughness, I would just dress it off lightly with a fine mill file. The top surfaces of the bed ways are nicely machined and very smooth.

Kerry also noted in video that the spindle pulley access door on the Jet 1642 uses thumb knob, while the G0733 has a machine screw. I like a knob, so just made my own by imbedding the head of the screw in a small piece of maple with five-minute epoxy. I slipped a piece of 1/8” vinyl tubing over the threads, chucked it into a drill chuck, and turned a custom knob in a few minutes. I actually prefer it to a plastic knob.

Lack of a Hand Wheel on the G0733:
The lack of an outboard hand wheel on the G0733 was actually a pretty big negative for me when shopping for a lathe. The hand wheel on the Jet is more of a narrow cylinder than what I would call a hand wheel, but it’s nice and certainly does the job. I only went ahead with the Grizzly after determining that I could make my own, and integrate it with a shop-made vacuum adapter for vacuum chucking. That’s worked out very well, so I now have a combination hand wheel/integrated vacuum adapter that stays on the lathe and still lets me use the knockout bar. It uses the two threaded holes in the spindle pulley that are designed to receive a pulley puller. Last July I wrote up a tutorial on doing this for owners of G0733s and other similar Asian-made 18-47 lathes. If you end up with the G0733, I’d be happy to send you a copy if you’d like to do that.

The Variable Frequency Drive (Inverter):
There is another difference in the G0733 and the Jet 1642VS that hasn’t been mentioned. It’s the way the variable frequency drive (VFD) is set up. The G0733 uses a Delta Electronics VFD-M series drive, enclosed by a nice steel cover. But it does not come standard with a braking resistor. The last time I checked, the 1642VS,as well as Jet’s PM 3520B, uses the slightly less expensive Delta Electronics VFD-S-1 drive, with no protective cover, but adds a braking resistor. While a braking resistor is not at all necessary to full performance of the G0733, it’s a nice feature to have when swinging large bowls, etc. It harnesses electromagnetic energy to bring the lathe to a stop more quickly at shut down. So you can work a bit quicker, especially if you’re in production (which I’m not!). I’m also told by electrical engineers who know these things that it can extend motor life over a long period of service.

I added a braking resistor to our G0733 for about $30 all in, but that required making up a special wiring interface, unlocking the VFD through its communications port with a laptop (adjustment of the drive parameters is locked out at the lathe factory), and getting help from a couple of buddies who have the electronics savvy to do it. I doubt most owners would want to bother with this for the relatively small benefit. BTW, Grizzly could easily add an OEM braking resistor as a standard item for a small increase in cost if they wished. In the meantime, Jet/Powermatic have the slight advantage here, IMO.

Hope this is helpful with your shopping decision. I don’t think you’ll go wrong with either lathe.

David

I am thinking about trying to fabricate a hand wheel for my G07033. Can I get a copy of the tutorial?

[Roger Chandler]

I am thinking about trying to fabricate a hand wheel for my G07033. Can I get a copy of the tutorial?

. The newer G0733 lathes now have a handwheel as of 2019 if I recall correctly.

https://sawmillcreek.org/group.php?d...389&do=discuss

[bob pfohler]

I’ve owned a shop full of woodworking machines over the years including Jet, Grizzly, Delta and PM.
I’ve had good luck with some Grizzly products, others I’ve felt so so about.
For me it all boils down to this. If I look at it every day and I’m happy and I say, “wow I made a great choice”. Then I don’t care what anyone else thinks!
I owned a Grizzly TS and sold it and bought a PM because it was more HP.
I owned a Grizzly jointer and upgraded to a PM because it was wider with more HP. I’ve never been disappointed with a Grizzly purchase.
That said, my first lathe is a Jet 1242. For me the choices of my next lathe will be. Jet 1840 or Laguna 1836.
At this point in my life I appreciate more the fit and finish of a tool I will be working with daily.
If I could afford it I would buy a Robust and not think twice about the money. It’s like a Honda vs. BMW, both will get you there it just depends on how much you want to pay for the ride.

[tom lucas]

Good morning all. I know that this has probably already been questioned before, but thought I would throw it out there. I am currently considering replacing my Delta 1440 lathe with an upgrade in capacity, power and not to mention get rid of the goofy Reeves drive speed adjustment. I have been warned that Delta parts for it are extremely tough to get. It still works fine, but don’t want to be stuck with a boat anchor. I am considering either the Jet 1642-2 (2 hp model) or the Grizzly G0733. The Jet right now is on sale for about $2250 on various sites online. I haven’t seen anything used and if I decide Jet, I don’t want to miss out on the sale which is until March 10th. Anyone out there have experience/recommendations? I have mostly Jet/PM in my shop now and am very happy with their products. Thanks for your input…

If you are ready to spend $2250 for the Jet, then why not consider the G0766. A lot more lathe. I have it and love it so far ( a little over one year). I have 7 grizzly big machines. Love every one of them. I have a couple of Jet tools. From my limited experience with Jet, I don't see much difference in them.